A man asks Jesus to tell his brother to divide his inheritance with him.
Luke 12:14 Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
Luke 12:14 Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
Sir, who appointed me a judge or divider over you all.
Who appoints any of us to look down on anyone else?
Addressing someone as "man" or "sir" is a bit contemptuous and Jesus might do it here to set up a the humor. This form of address was usually reserved for those addressing those under them. Jesus turns it around here to ask who put him over them. There is no parallel in the other Gospels for this verse. The word translated as "divider" and "arbiter" means "divider" and Jesus only uses it here. The final "you" is plural, referring to both the man and his brother.
- CW --Confusing Word -- It does not have the more general meaning of "arbiter."
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not one of the common words usually translated as "between."
Man, -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples." Used as a form of address, it is a bit contemptuous, "sir."
who -- The Greek word translated as "any" in the singular means "anyone," "someone," "something," and "anything." The same forms are used both for the masculine or feminine so "anyone" works best for a person. In the plural, it means "everyone," "some," "they," and "those." Jesus often uses it to start a question so it means "who," "what," "which," or even "why."
appointed - -The verb translated as "appointed" means "to set down", "to bring down", "to bring into a certain state", "to make", "to be established", "to be instituted," and "to stand against." It is an uncommon verb, but when it is used it is always used by Jesus to mean something like "put in charge" in English. The Greek concept, however, is literally to be "set down", which has the sense of being put in a specific position of authority under a ruler. The prefix of this word means "down" or "under". So the sense is being put "under" someone in authority.
me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
judge- - The word "judges" means "judge" or "interpreter" and it is the noun form of the word meaning "to decide" or "to separate."
or -- "Or" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison. The same word could also be the exclamation "hi" or the adverb meaning "in truth."
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
divider - - "Divider " is from a Greek noun that means "divider", or "distributor". It is used by Jesus uniquely here. It does not have the more general meaning of "arbiter."
over -- The word translated as "between" means "on," "over," "upon," "for," "against," "before," "after," "during," "by" "in the case of." This is not one of the common words usually translated as "between."
you? -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition.
Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?
Man, -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples." Used as a form of address, it is a bit contemptuous, "sir."
who -- The Greek word translated as "any" in the singular means "anyone," "someone," "something," and "anything." The same forms are used both for the masculine or feminine so "anyone" works best for a person. In the plural, it means "everyone," "some," "they," and "those." Jesus often uses it to start a question so it means "who," "what," "which," or even "why."
appointed - -The verb translated as "appointed" means "to set down", "to bring down", "to bring into a certain state", "to make", "to be established", "to be instituted," and "to stand against." It is an uncommon verb, but when it is used it is always used by Jesus to mean something like "put in charge" in English. The Greek concept, however, is literally to be "set down", which has the sense of being put in a specific position of authority under a ruler. The prefix of this word means "down" or "under". So the sense is being put "under" someone in authority.
me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
judge- - The word "judges" means "judge" or "interpreter" and it is the noun form of the word meaning "to decide" or "to separate."
or -- "Or" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison. The same word could also be the exclamation "hi" or the adverb meaning "in truth."
an - There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
arbiter - - (CW) "Arbiter" is from a Greek noun that means "divider", or "distributor". It is used by Jesus uniquely here. It does not have the more general meaning of "arbiter."
between -- (CW) The word translated as "between" means "on," "over," "upon," "for," "against," "before," "after," "during," "by" "in the case of." This is not one of the common words usually translated as "between." It does not have the meaning of "between."
you? -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition.
Ἄνθρωπε, [209 verses] (noun sg masc voc) "Man" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.
τίς [252 verses] (irreg sg masc nom) "Who" 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." Plural, "who are" is τίνες ἐόντες. 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?
ἐμὲ [49 verses](pron 1st sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which is the objective first-person, objective, singular pronoun that means "me." As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
κατέστησεν [7 verses](verb 3rd sg aor ind act) "Made" is kathistemi which means "to set down," "to bring down," "to bring into a certain state," "to make," "to be established," "to be instituted," and "to stand against."
κριτὴν [7 verses] (noun sg masc acc) "Judges" is krites, which means "judge," "umpire," and "interpreter."
ἢ [92 verses](conj/adv) "Or" is e, which is a particle used as a disjunctive, "either," "or," , or as a comparative, "than" or "rather than." It is (explam) also an exclamation, "hi!" and an adverb,(adv) meaning "in truth" and "of a surety." It is used with comparative forms of adjective or with positive adjective implying a comparison.
μεριστὴν [1 verse](noun sg masc acc ) "Arbiter" is meristes, which means "divider", or "distributor".
ἐπὶ [138 verses](prep) "On" is from epi , which means "on," "upon," "at," "by," "before," "across," "for," and "against." With a noun in the possessive, genitive, it means "upon," "on" but not necessarily of Place, "by (of persons)," "deep (with numbers)," "in the presence of," "towards," "in the time of," and "over (referring to a person of authority)." With a noun indirect object, dative, it means of place: "upon," "on," or "over," of people: "against (in a hostile sense)," regarding a situation: "towards" or "in reference to," of an accumulation: "upon," "after," "addition to," and "besides," of position: "after," "behind," "in dependence upon," and "in the power of," of time: "by," and "after," and. in a causal sense: "of the occasion or cause," "for" a person, an end, or purpose," "on condition that," and "for" (a price). With the objective noun, an accusative, it means of place: "upon or on to a height," "up to," "as far as," "a little way," "a little," "towards," "to," in hostile sense: "against," of extension: "over," "over (a space)," of time: "for," "during," "up to" or "till," in a causal sense: "of (the object)," for (this purpose)," "as regards," "according to," and "by (this cause)." With verbs of perceiving, observing, and judging, it means "in the case of."
ὑμᾶς [210 verses](pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural objective form of the second-person pronoun, "you." As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.