A crowd gathers in Capernaum after the miracle of the loaves and Jesus walks on water. Jesus says this in response to being asked by the crowd what they might do to "work the work of God."
John 6:29 this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
John 6:29 The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
This here is the work of the divine because you might trust in whoever he sent, that person there.
Only by understanding the one sent by God can we trust him. The work is in the understanding not simply the trusting.
While this sounds as if all we must do is trust in the one sent by God, the Greek says something more. This verse indicates that the purpose of the work we must do it to trust someone sent by God. However, the work itself involves discussing ideas presented by the one sent by God. Only by understanding can trust.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "on" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "him" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "whom" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "hath" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "to" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "the one" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "whom" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "has" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
this -- The word translated as "this" means "from here" or "this/that thing/person." It usually comes after the previous noun, emphasizing it.
is -- The verb "is" 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. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to."
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.
work -- The Greek word translated as "work" means "deeds," "actions," and "things" in the sense of "every thing.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, 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," "those"). See this article for more.
God, -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God," "the Divine" or "the divine one." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.
that -- The word translated as "that" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," "when," or as a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because."
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
believe -- The Greek word translated as "believe" does not apply to religious belief as much as it does trusting in other people, especially their word. Christ usually uses it in contexts, as the one here, that apply to trusting words. The negation of "belief" with the objective, instead of subjective, negative, equates trust with a fact.
on -- (CW) The word translated as "on" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure.
him -- (CW) The word translated as "him" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
whom -- (CW) The word translated as "whom" 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."
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
hath -- (WT) This helping verb "hath" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.
sent. -- The "sent" here is a word that means "to send off" and "dispatch." It is the source of our word "apostle."
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.
work -- The Greek word translated as "work" means "deeds," "actions," and "things" in the sense of "every thing.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, 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," "those"). See this article for more.
God, -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God," "the Divine" or "the divine one." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.
is -- The verb "is" 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. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to."
this -- The word translated as "this" means "from here" or "this/that thing/person." It usually comes after the previous noun, emphasizing it.
to -- (CW) The word translated as "to" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," "when," or as a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because."
believe -- The Greek word translated as "believe" does not apply to religious belief as much as it does trusting in other people, especially their word. Christ usually uses it in contexts, as the one here, that apply to trusting words. The negation of "belief" with the objective, instead of subjective, negative, equates trust with a fact.
in -- The word translated as "in" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure.
the one-- (CW) The word translated as "the one" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
whom -- (CW) The word translated as "whom" 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."
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
has -- (WT) This helping verb "has" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.
sent. -- The "sent" here is a word that means "to send off" and "dispatch." It is the source of our word "apostle."
Τοῦτο [93 verses](adj sg neut acc) "That" is touto, which means "from here," "from there," "this [thing]," or "that [thing]."
ἐστίν.[614 verses](3rd 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." It can also mean "must" with a dative.
τὸ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
ἔργον [31 verses] (noun pl neut nom/acc) "The works" is ergon, which means "works," "tasks," "deeds," "actions," "thing," and "matter."
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
θεοῦ [144 verses](noun sg masc gen) "God" is theos, which means "God," "divine," and "Deity."
ἵνα [134 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hina, which means "in that place," "there," "where," "when," but when beginning a phrase "that," "in order that," "when," and "because."
πιστεύητε [69 verses](2nd pl pres subj act) "Ye .believe" is pisteuo, which means "to trust, put faith in, or rely on a person," "to believe in someone's words," "to comply," "to feel confident in a thing," and "to entrust in a thing."
εἰς [325 verses](prep) "Into" is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."
ὃν [294 verses](pron sg masc/neut acc ) "Him" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
ἀπέστειλεν [60 verses](3rd sg aor ind act) "He hath sent" is apostello, which means "to send off," "to send away," or "to dispatch."
ἐκεῖνος [107 verses](adj sg masc nom) "Whom" 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."