After the Last Supper, Jesus prays. He just asked to keep his apostles from worthlessness.
John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
They are not from this society just as I myself am not from this society
None of us are from this planet. We are serving time.
This verse does not say "of the world" in the sense of "belonging to this world." It says "from this world" using the same preposition that Jesus used in the previous verse that was translated as "out of" and "from." It means both "out of" and "from," and Jesus may be playing with both meanings here. He might be saying that his apostles are not "out of" the world just as he is not "from" the world. However, I do prefer to translate Greek words consistently if possible. I translated the word translated as "world" as "society" because it means the social order, not the planet.
There is a balance to this verse in Greek that is hard to capture in English. The word order in the first clause is reversed in the second. It says "From this world, they are not, just as I myself am not from this world."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- MW -- Missing Word -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- MW -- Missing Word -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "it" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "world" is not shown in the English translation.
They -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
are -- The verb "are" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
not - The Greek word translated as "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.
of-- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." The word also means "beyond," "on," "in," "since," or "by"based upon its context. "Of" does not capture itse meaning.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
world, -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
, even as -- "Even as" is from a Greek word that means which means "even as," "how," and, in relating to time, "as" and "when."
I -- The pronoun "I" is used here. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.
missing "myself" -- (MW) The subject pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
am - The verb "am" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
not - The Greek word translated as "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.
of -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." The word also means "beyond," "on," "in," "since," or "by"based upon its context. "Of" does not capture itse meaning.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
world, -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
They -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
are -- The verb "are" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
not - The Greek word translated as "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.
of -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." The word also means "beyond," "on," "in," "since," or "by"based upon its context. "Of" does not capture itse meaning.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
world, -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
, even as -- "Even as" is from a Greek word that means which means "even as," "how," and, in relating to time, "as" and "when."
I -- The pronoun "I" is used here. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.
missing "myself" -- (MW) The subject pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
not - The Greek word translated as "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.
am - The verb "am" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
of -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." The word also means "beyond," "on," "in," "since," or "by"based upon its context. "Of" does not capture itse meaning.
it. -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "it" in the Greek source.
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
missing "world" -- (MW) The untranslated word "world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
ἐκ [121 verses] (prep) "Of" is ek, which means 1) [of motion] "out of," "from," "by," "away from;" 2) [of place] "beyond," "outside of," "beyond;" 3) [of succession] "after," "from;" 4) [of rest] "on," "in," 5) [of time] "since," "from," "at," "in;" 5) [of materials] "out of," "made from;" 6) cause, instrument, or means "by."
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
κόσμου [63 verses](noun sg masc gen) "World" is kosmos, which mean "order," "good order," "ruler," "civilization," "world order," "universe," and "the world of men." It is a form of the is verb kosmeô, which means "to order," "to arrange," "to rule," "to adorn" (especially women), and "to equip." It especially means controlling and arranging an army.
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. -- The Greek word translated as "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.
εἰσὶν [614 verses](3rd pl pres ind act) "are" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." With the dative, it means "have" where the subject and object are reversed.
καθὼς [36 verses] (adv) "Even as" is kathos, which means "even as," "how," and, in relating to time, "as" and "when."
ἐγὼ [162 verses](pron 1st sg masc nom) "I" is ego, which is the first-person singular pronoun meaning "I." It also means "I at least," "for my part," "indeed," and for myself.
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. -
εἰμὶ [614 verses](1st sg pres ind act) "Is" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." With the dative, it means "have" where the subject and object are reversed.
ἐκ [121 verses] (prep) "Of" is ek, which means 1) [of motion] "out of," "from," "by," "away from;" 2) [of place] "beyond," "outside of," "beyond;" 3) [of succession] "after," "from;" 4) [of rest] "on," "in," 5) [of time] "since," "from," "at," "in;" 5) [of materials] "out of," "made from;" 6) cause, instrument, or means "by."
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
κόσμου [63 verses](noun sg masc gen) "World" is kosmos, which mean "order," "good order," "ruler," "civilization," "world order," "universe," and "the world of men." It is a form of the is verb kosmeô, which means "to order," "to arrange," "to rule," "to adorn" (especially women), and "to equip." It especially means controlling and arranging an army.
The two phrases are in reversed word order from each other except for the word for "not."