John 7:38 He that believeth on me

Spoken to
audience

At the end of a festival, Jesus commands people to come to him and drink.

KJV

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

NIV

John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

 

LISTENERS HEARD

The one trusting as much as me, as it said, those Writings, rivers from that inside of his should stream of living water.

MY TAKE

The need within us causes us to continually change.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

First, the phrase translated as "believe on/in me" more likely means "as much as me" (see this article).  "The belly" is an interesting concept both linguistically and in Greek culture. Technically, the word means the hollow places within an animal. Culturally, among the Greeks, the belly was the seat of the baser emotions: hunger, lust, etc. The best way to think of it is as the place of physical need, a hollow within us.

The word translated as "flow" means "to be in a state of perpetual flux and change," when it applies to people. It is not the future tense as translate, but something that "might" or "should" happen. This is the only time Jesus uses this word. The phrase "living water" means "flowing water."

On the humorous side, this line does seem to refer to diarrhea.

 

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
8
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "he" is not the common word usually translated as "he."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "that" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "believe" is not an active verb but a participle, "trusting."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "on" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "scripture" does not capture the general 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 "belly" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "shall" does not mean the future tense.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
12
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "whoever" is not the common word usually translated as "he."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "that" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "believe" is not an active verb but a participle, "trusting."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "in" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "scripture" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "scripture" does not capture the general 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).
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "will" indicates the future tense, but that is not the tense here.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "belly" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "within" should be something more like "belly."
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "them" is not an objective but a possessive pronoun.
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "them" is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular, "his."
EACH WORD of KJV

He -- (CW) The word translated as "he" 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. This is not the common pronoun "he."

that -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "that" in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.

believeth -- (WF)  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. The form of the word is not an active verb but a participle.

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. This is not the common word that means "on." This does not likely mean "in me" here, but "as much as."

me, -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.

as -- "As" is from a Greek word that means which means "even as," "how," and, in relating to time, "as" and "when."

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. 

scripture -- - (CW) "Scriptures" is a noun that means "writing", "the art of writing," and "that which is written," so, the "writings." It doesn't have the specific sense of religious writing that "scriptures" does. It might also be worth noting that the Greek word translated as "scriptures" literally means "a drawing." For the Greeks, both drawings and words created a "picture" or a man-made, artificial representation of reality.

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.

said, - The word translated as "speak" means "to say" and "to speak." It is one of the two most common words translated "speak," "say" and "tell," but it has more a sense of addressing and proclaiming.

out of -- The Greek preposition translated as "out of" means "out of" or "from." The word also means "beyond," "on," "in," "since," or "by"based upon its context. However, in Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases that are translated into English "of" phrases.

his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."

missing "the"  -- (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," "those"). See this article for more. 

belly   - "Belly" is from the Greek word meaning any abdomen, referring generally to any opening in the body. In Greek, the home of the most basic emotions, food, sex, and other forms of immediate gratification.  The Greeks considered the belly the source of our animal impulses and desires: food, sex, and other forms of immediate gratification.

shall -- (CW) This helping verb "shall" does not indicate the future tense, but that the verb describes a possibility, the subjunctive voice. 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.

flow   -  "Flow" is a verb "to flow", "to stream", "to run", "to fall", and "to be in a state of perpetual flux and change," [of persons].

rivers   - The word translated as "rivers" means a "river," and similar existing bodies of water

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.

living -- The verb means "live," "to be alive,” “to be full of life," "to be strong," and "to be fresh." So it is life in the sense of having a vital life, strong and growing. Perhaps in English, “thrive” would be more precise.

water. -- "Water" is the noun that means "water," "spring water," "drinking water," "rain water," "rain," "time running out" (from the water clocks used in courts),  "liquid," the constellation Aquarius, the winter solstice, and a place with mineral waters.

EACH WORD of NIV

Whoever -- (CW) The word translated as "whoever " 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. This is not the common pronoun "he."

believes -- (WF)  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. The form of the word is not an active verb but a participle.

in --  (CW) 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. This does not likely mean "in me" here, but "as much as."

me, -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.

as -- "As" is from a Greek word that means which means "even as," "how," and, in relating to time, "as" and "when."

missing "the"  -- (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," "those"). See this article for more. 

Scripture -- - (CW) "Scriptures" is a noun that means "writing", "the art of writing," and "that which is written," so, the "writings." It doesn't have the specific sense of religious writing that "scriptures" does. It might also be worth noting that the Greek word translated as "scriptures" literally means "a drawing." For the Greeks, both drawings and words created a "picture" or a man-made, artificial representation of reality.

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.

said, - The word translated as "speak" means "to say" and "to speak." It is one of the two most common words translated "speak," "say" and "tell," but it has more a sense of addressing and proclaiming.

rivers   - The word translated as "rivers" means a "river," and similar existing bodies of water

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.

living -- The verb means "live," "to be alive,” “to be full of life," "to be strong," and "to be fresh." So it is life in the sense of having a vital life, strong and growing. Perhaps in English, “thrive” would be more precise.

water. -- "Water" is the noun that means "water," "spring water," "drinking water," "rain water," "rain," "time running out" (from the water clocks used in courts),  "liquid," the constellation Aquarius, the winter solstice, and a place with mineral waters.

will -- (WT) This helping verb "will " does not indicate the future tense, but that the verb describes a possibility, the subjunctive voice. 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.

flow   -  "Flow" is a verb "to flow", "to stream", "to run", "to fall", and "to be in a state of perpetual flux and change," [of persons].

from -- The Greek preposition translated as "from " means "out of" or "from." The word also means "beyond," "on," "in," "since," or "by"based upon its context. However, in Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases that are translated into English "of" phrases.

missing "the"  -- (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," "those"). See this article for more. 

within -  (WW) "Belly" is from the Greek word meaning any abdomen, referring generally to any opening in the body. In Greek, the home of the most basic emotions, food, sex, and other forms of immediate gratification.  The Greeks considered the belly the source of our animal impulses and desires: food, sex, and other forms of immediate gratification.

them.  -- (WF, WN) The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."

 

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

[821 verses](article sg masc nom)  "He" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

πιστεύων [69 verses](part sg pres act masc nom) "That believeth" 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) "On" 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)."

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

καθὼς [36 verses] (adv) "As" is kathos, which means "even as," "how," and, in relating to time, "as" and "when."

εἶπεν [162 verses] (3rd sg aor ind act ) "Hath said" is eipon, which means "to speak," "to say," "to recite," "to address," "to mention," "to name," "to proclaim," "to plead," "to promise," and "to offer." 

[821 verses](article sg fem nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

γραφή, [13 verses](noun sg fem nom) "Scriptures" is graphe, which means "representing by means of lines," "a drawing," "writing," "the art of writing," and "that which is written."

ποταμοὶ [5 verses] (noun pl masc nom) "Rivers" is potamos, which means "river", "stream", "artificial river," and "canal."  - The word translated as "floods" means a "river," and similar existing bodies of water

ἐκ [121 verses] (prep) "Out 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."

τῆς [821 verses](article sg fem gen)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("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. 

κοιλίας [6 verses ] (noun sg fem gen) "Belly" is from the Greek, koilia, which means the "cavity within the body" (from the Greek, koilos, for "hollow"), "belly," "abdomen," "intestines,""excrement," "womb," any hollow in the body, and "a hollow in the earth." From the Greek, koilos, for "hollow."

αὐτοῦ [720 verses](adj sg masc gen) "His" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there."

ῥεύσουσιν [1 verse](3rd pl aor subj act) "Shall flow" is rheo, which means "to flow", "to stream", "to run", "to fall", "to drop off", "to liquefy", "to be in a state of perpetual flux and change," [of persons] "to be inclined," [of a ship] "to leak," and "to have a flux."

ὕδατος [12 verses](noun sg neut gen)  "The water" is hydor, which means "water," "spring water," "drinking water," "rain water," "rain," "time running out" (from the water clocks used in courts), "liquid," the constellation Aquarius, the winter solstice, and a place with mineral waters.

ζῶντος. [15 verses] (part sg pres act masc/neut gen) "Living" is zao, which means "to live," "the living," and "to be alive." It is a metaphor for "to be full of life," "to be strong," and "to be fresh."

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