John 16:23 And in that day you shall ask me nothing.

Spoken to
Apostles

After the Last Supper, after Jesus tell the apostles they will be happy when they see him again.

KJV

John 16:23 And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

NIV

John 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

LISTENERS HEARD

And, during that, the day, you should not ask me nothing. Ameni, Ameni I tell you, when anything you request the Father, he will give you in that name of mine

MY TAKE

Don't ask nothing, ask anything.

GREEK ORDER

καὶ  ἐν   ἐκείνῃ τῇ   ἡμέρᾳ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἐρωτήσετε          οὐδέν:
And on that,     the day,      me not   should ask nothing.

ἀμὴν        ἀμὴν       λέγω ὑμῖν,
Honestly, honestly I tell  you

ἄν      τι              αἰτήσητε      τὸν πατέρα  δώσει           ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ  ὀνόματί μου.
when something you request  the father,   he will give  you  in this name     of mine. 

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The humor here is the contrast between "don't ask nothing, request anything." The first phrase is a double negative, 'You will not ask me nothing." This is acceptable in ancient Greek and adds emphasis to the negative aspects of the statement. The two "asks" in this verse are two different verbs. The first "ask" refers to asking questions, asking for information. The second refers to requesting favors and things. This is important because in the next verse, the second verb is used with "nothing" in the next verse.

A "when" is left out that precedes the "anything you ask the father," phrase. This "anything" is contrasted with the "nothing" in the first clause. The word translated as "whatsoever/whatever" means "anything." The "in my name" phrase doesn't modify the "ask" but the "give."

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
8
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "day" is not shown in the English translation.
  •  MW - Missing Word -- The word "not" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "whatever" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • CW - Confusing Word - This "shall" does not indicate the future tense, but describes a possibility, the subjunctive voice.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "ask" is not the same word translated as "ask" above.
  • OS -- Outdated Source -- In the KJV source this phrase appeared after "ask" but in today's source it appears after "give."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
10
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "day" is not shown in the English translation.
  •  IW - Inserted Word -- The word "longer" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "very" is not the common word usually translated as "very."
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "my" should be something more like "the."
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  The "father" is not the subject of the verb "give"  but the object of "ask."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "whatever" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW -- Missing Word -- This verb is a subjunctive, which requires a "should" or "might" when outside of a when/if clause.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "ask" is not the same word translated as "ask" above.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
EACH WORD of KJV

And -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

that -- The word translated as "that" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there." Used a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here." Jesus often uses it as a term of honor to refer to his father, the Spirit, prophets, and so on. Used in the form of an adverb,  it means "in that case," "in that way," "at that place," and "in that manner."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

day -- The Greek word translated as "day" also means "time," in general, and refers specifically to the "daytime."

missing "not"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. A "might" or "should" could work here or nothing at all in an "if/when" clause, which always implies a possibility.  Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

ask   -- The word translated as "ask" means "to ask"  "to beg," or "to question."  It means to "ask about a thing" or "to question a person." This verb has more the sense of asking a question than asking for something. Translating it as "ask" confuses it with the different verb translated as "ask" later in the verse.

me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.

nothing. - The Greek adjective translated as "nothing" also means "no one," "nothing," and other negative pronouns. It is used by Jesus more like a negative pronoun than an adjective.  However, to avoid the English double-negative, we translate it as its opposite "anyone" when used with another Greek negative.

Verily, -- The word translated as "verily" is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap."  See this article discussing this "amen phrase."

verily -- The word translated as "verily" is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap." See this article discussing this "amen phrase."

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the following verb.

say -- The word translated as "say" is the most common word that means "to say," and "to speak," but it also means "to teach," which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself." Christ usually uses this word to refer to his own speaking or teaching.

unto -- This word "unto" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English, but the translator must decide which preposition to use: a "to" as an indirect object.

you,  -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.

missing "when"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  "when" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is how we use the word "when." This is not the simple "if."

Whatsoever -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "whatever" in the singular means "anyone," "someone,"  "something," and "anything." This is a neuter form, so "anything." 

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

shall -- (CW) This helping verb "shall" does not indicate the future tense, but that the verb describes a possibility, the subjunctive voice because of the "when" beginning the clause. A "might" or "should" in English is more appropriate, but is assumed in an "if/when/whoever/except" clause. Helping verbs are not needed in Greek since the main verb carries this information in its form.

ask  -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "ask" means "ask" as in asking "for" something. "Request" works better so as not to confuse with earlier "ask." but has shades of meaning from "demand" to "claim." It means to beg or even to demand something from someone else.

the  -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

Father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers." It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.

in -- (OS) The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

my-- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." 

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

name, -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as it does in English, but it doesn't mean the things themselves, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only." It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss." See this article for more.

he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

will -- This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.give -- The verb translated as "given" means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." It is almost always translated as some form of "give."

it -- This English objective pronoun is added and not in the Greek source.   In Greek, pronoun objects are not repeated after each verb because they are implied by their first occurrence.

you.  -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.

EACH WORD of NIV

missing "And"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

In -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

that -- The word translated as "that" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there." Used a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here." Jesus often uses it as a term of honor to refer to his father, the Spirit, prophets, and so on. Used in the form of an adverb,  it means "in that case," "in that way," "at that place," and "in that manner."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

day -- The Greek word translated as "day" also means "time," in general, and refers specifically to the "daytime."

no -- The "no" is the the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

longer  -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "longer" in the Greek source.

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

will -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. A "might" or "should" could work here or nothing at all in an "if/when" clause, which always implies a possibility.  Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

ask   -- The word translated as "ask" means "to ask"  "to beg," or "to question."  It means to "ask about a thing" or "to question a person." This verb has more the sense of asking a question than asking for something.

me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.

anything. - The Greek adjective translated as "anything" also means "no one," "nothing," and other negative pronouns. It is used by Jesus more like a negative pronoun than an adjective.  However, to avoid the English double-negative, we translate it as its opposite "anyone" when used with another Greek negative.

Very, -- (CW) The word translated as "very" is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap." See this article discussing this "amen phrase." 

Truly -- The word translated as "truly " is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap." See this article discussing this "amen phrase."

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the following verb.

tell -- The word translated as "say" is the most common word that means "to say," and "to speak," but it also means "to teach," which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself." Christ usually uses this word to refer to his own speaking or teaching.

you,  -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc

my --  (WW) The word translated as "my" is the Greek definite article. When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

Father -- (WF)  "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers." It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father. This is not the subject of "give" but the object of the second "ask."

will -- This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

give -- The verb translated as "given" means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." It is almost always translated as some form of "give."

you.  -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.

whatever -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "whatever" in the singular means "anyone," "someone,"  "something," and "anything." This is a neuter form, so "anything." 

missing "when"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  "when" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is how we use the word "when." This is not the simple "if."

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

missing "should" or "might"-- (MW) A helping verb is necessary because the following verb is a verb of possibility, a subjunctive, something that "should" or "might" occur. The helping verb is not needed in a clause beginning with an "if" or a "when," but the "when" is not translated here.

ask  - (CW) The Greek word translated as "ask" means "ask" as in asking "for" something. "Request" works better so as not to confuse with earlier "ask."

in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

my-- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." 

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

name, -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as it does in English, but it doesn't mean the things themselves, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only." It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss." See this article for more.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during,"  and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during." 

ἐκείνῃ  [107 verses](adj sg fem dat) "That" is ekeinos, which means "the person there," "that person," "that thing," and, in the form of an adverb, "in that case," "in that way," "at that place," and "in that manner."

τῇ [821 verses](article sg fem dat)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").  -

ἡμέρᾳ [96 verses](noun sg fem dat) "Days" is hemera, which, as a noun, means "day" "a state or time of life," "a time (poetic)," "day break" and "day time." It is also and also has a second meaning, of "quiet," "tame (animals)," "cultivated (crops)," and "civilized (people)."

ἐμὲ [49 verses](pron 1st sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which is the objective first-person, objective, singular pronoun that means  "me."

οὐκ [269 verses](partic) "Not" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences.  The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.

ἐρωτήσετε [17 verses](verb 2nd pl fut ind act or verb 2nd pl aor subj act ) "You shall ask" is from erotaowhich means "to ask," "beg," or "to question." 

οὐδέν: [69 verses](adj sg neut acc) "Nothing" is oudeis which means "no one," "not one," "nothing," "naught," "good for naught," and "no matter." -

ἀμὴν [88 verses](exclaim) "Verily" is amen, which is the Hebrew, meaning "truly," "of a truth," and "so be it." It has no history in Greek of this meaning before the NT. However, this is also the infinitive form of the Greek verb amao, which means "to reap" or "to cut."

ἀμὴν [88 verses](exclaim) "Verily" is amen, which is the Hebrew, meaning "truly," "of a truth," and "so be it." It has no history in Greek of this meaning before the NT. However, this is also the infinitive form of the Greek verb amao, which means "to reap" or "to cut."

λέγω [264 verses](1st sg pres ind act) "I say" is lego, which means "to recount," "to tell over," "to say," "to speak," "to teach," "to mean," "boast of," "tell of," "recite," nominate," and "command." It has a secondary meaning "pick out," "choose for oneself," "pick up," "gather," "count," and "recount." A less common word that is spelled the same means "to lay," "to lay asleep" and "to lull asleep."

ὑμῖν, [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."

ἄν [162 verses](conj) Untranslated is ean, which is a conditional particle (derived from ei (if) and an (might), which makes reference to a time and experience in the future that introduces but does not determine an event. This is how we use the word "when." -

τι [252 verses](pron sg neut acc) "Whatever" is tis, which can mean "someone," "something," "any one," "everyone," "they [indefinite]," "many a one," "whoever," "anyone," "anything," "some sort," "some sort of," "each," "any," "the individual," "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who," "why," or "what." It has specific meanings with certain prepositions, διὰ τί; for what reason? ἐκ τίνος; from what cause? ἐς τί; to what point?  to what end?

αἰτήσητε [28 verses](verb 2nd pl aor subj act or verb 2nd pl fut ind act) "You shall ask" is from aiteo, which means "to ask for," "to request,"  "to demand," "to beg of," "to postulate or assume [in logic]," "to claim," and "to ask for one's own use." In passive, "to be asked" and "to have a thing begged from one."

τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

πατέρα [191 verses](noun sg masc acc) "The Father" is pater, which means "father," "grandfather," "author," "parent," and "forefathers."

δώσει [147 verses](3rd sg fut ind act) "Will give"  is didomi, which means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe."

ὑμῖν [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."

ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during,"  and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during." 

τῷ [821 verses](article sg neut dat)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").  -

ὀνόματί [47 verses](noun sg neut dat) "Name" is onoma, which means "name." It means both the reputation of "fame," and "a name and nothing else," as opposed to a real person. Acting in someone's name means to act on their behalf, as their representative.

μου [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "Me" is from mou (emou), which means "me," and "mine." As a genitive object means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

Wordplay

Contrasting asking for nothing and requesting anything.

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