After the verse about not having power in ourselves.
Luke 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:27 Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
Observe well the lillies. How do they grow? They don't grow weary nor spin. I, however, tell you not even Solomon in all that fame of his robed himself as well as one of these here.
Social fame should not be the same as attractive.
κατανοήσατε τὰ κρίνα πῶς αὐξάνει: οὐ κοπιᾷ οὐδὲ νήθει.
Observe well the lillies. How do they grow? don't They grow weary nor spin.
λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν, οὐδὲ Σολομὼν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ περιεβάλετο ὡς ἓν τούτων.
I tell , however, you not even Solomon in all that fame of his robed himself as well as one of these here.
The verbs here are all singular, but the subject, the lilies, is plural. In Greek, neuter plural nouns can take a singular verb when considered as a group.
The verb translated as "toil/labor" means "to tire" or "to grow weary." The "grow weary" can be a play in the idea of "grow."
The Greek word translated as "glory/splendor" primarily means, as a noun, "expectation" or "reputation." Today, we might say "fame" instead of reputation. " It is not the Greek word that means "splendor", "glory", or "majesty" in a kingly sense or any of the Greek words that mean "glory" in the sense of "brilliance". The English word that seems to capture most of the meanings of this word is "recognition" both in the sense of seeing something familiar and honoring someone. "Fame" also has that sense. In Jesus's time, people and their roles were recognized by their clothing. So the connection between the context, clothing, and recognition was much clearer in Christ's time.
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not(CW); and(WW) yet(IW) I say unto you, that(IW) Solomon in all his (MW) glory(CW) was(WV) not(CW) arrayed like one of these(CW).
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not one of the common words usually translated as "not."
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "but."
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "yet" doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "glory" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "glory" does not capture the word's more general meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not one of the common words usually translated as "not."
- WV --Wrong Voice - The verb "arrayed" here is translated as passive but it is active.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "these" should be either "these here" or "those there" in most situations.
Consider how the wild flowers(CW) grow. They do not labor or(CW) spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his (MW) splendor(CW) was dressed(WV) like one of these(CW).
- CW --Confusing Word -- wild flowers" translation is more general than the word's more meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not one of the common words usually translated as "or."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "splendor " is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "splendor " does not capture the word's more general meaning.
- WV --Wrong Voice - The verb "dressed" here is translated as passive but it is active.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "these" should be either "these here" or "those there" in most situations.
Consider - The word translated as "consider primarily means "observe well" and "understand". It is based on a root word that means "to understand" or "to perceive with the mind". It has a specific sense of coming to understand something.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
lilies- The "lilies " is a straightforward translation for a word that means "lilies" that are regular white lilies. They were then, as now, a symbol of death. The root of this word is the same as the verb translated as "judge" and the masculine noun translated as "judges."
how -- "How" is the adverb that means "how," "by any means," and "I suppose." This is a common interrogatory pronoun used by Jesus.
they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
grow: -- "Grow" is from a Greek verb that means "to grow large," "to increase in power," and "to grow up."
they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
toil - "Toil" means "to be tired," "to grow weary," "to work hard," and "to toil." It is a negative form of a verb that means "to rest from toil." The sense is "the ones growing weary"
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. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.
they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
spin - -The word translated as "they spin" is completely straightforward, meaning only "to spin."
not;-- (CW) The Greek word for "not" is an adverb that means "not at all" or "not even" and, literally, "not, however." As a conjunction, it works as both parts of the "neither/nor" constructions. This is not one of the common words usually translated as "not."
and -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "and" means "but," "however," and "on the other hand." It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. This word doesn't mean "and."
yet -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
say -- The word translated as "say" is the most common word that means "to say," "to tell," and "to speak," but when used with an objective noun or pronoun, the sense is "say of" or "speak of." 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."
unto -- This word "to" comes from the indirect object form of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
you, -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
Solomon -- This is from the Greek word for King Solomon, the son of King David.
in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with an indirect-object form object. About time, it means "during the time," "in the time," "within," and "in." With the direct object form, 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."
all -- The word translated as "all" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." As an adverb, it means "in every way," "on every side," and "altogether."
his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word correctly translated as third-person "his/him" in English. The word appears after the noun so the sense is "of his."
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
glory -- (CW) The Greek noun translated as "glory" means "expectation," "notion," "opinion," "repute," and "popular repute." Translations as "glory" or "splendor" are found primarily in translating the Bible. Though it can have both a positive ("shining reputation") and negative ("bad repute") in Greek, Jesus only uses it to describe the word's "magnificent" aspect. The verb form has the sense of "recognize," but "recognition" while positive in the sense of rewarding people simply means knowing them in the noun form. See this articlefor more
was - -(WV) This helping verb "was" indicates that the verb is passive. The verb here is translated as passive but it is active.
not;-- (CW) The Greek word for "not" is an adverb that means "not at all" or "not even" and, literally, "not, however." As a conjunction, it works as both parts of the "neither/nor" constructions. This is not one of the common words usually translated as "not."
arrayed - The word translated as "arrayed" means "to throw around" or "to expand" or "excel." The best translation is "wrapped" because Jesus doesn't always use this verb se to refer to refer to clothing. See this article about a related word.
like-- The word translated as "like" has a very broad meaning, translated as "when," "where," "just as," "like," and related words. It means "how" only in an exclamation with and adjective or adverb like "how wonderful."
one -- The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."As in English, it can be used as a pronoun, meaning a single person.
of -- This word "of" comes from the possessive form (genitive case) of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
these. -- (CW) The word translated as "these" means "from here" "from there" or "this/that thing/person here/there." As a pronoun by itself, it means "this here" but it can be shortened to just "this." The Bible usually translates it as the adjective "this" when it appears after words modifying them, which is confusing because the definite article, with which it is often used before the word, also can mean "this." It works better as "here," which is how Jesus usually uses it, but it can also mean "there." It often comes after the noun, emphasizing it, "this thing here."
Consider - The word translated as "consider primarily means "observe well" and "understand". It is based on a root word that means "to understand" or "to perceive with the mind". It has a specific sense of coming to understand something.
how -- "How" is the adverb that means "how," "by any means," and "I suppose." This is a common interrogatory pronoun used by Jesus.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
wild flowers- (CW) The "lilies " is a straightforward translation for a Greel word that means "lilies" that are regular white lilies. They were then, as now, a symbol of death. The root of this word is the same as the verb translated as "judge" and the masculine noun translated as "judges." This translation is more general than the word's meaning.
grow: -- "Grow" is from a Greek verb that means "to grow large," "to increase in power," and "to grow up."
They -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
do -- This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English.
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. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.
labor - "Labor" is from a Greek verb acting as a noun, the subject of the sentence. It is not in the second person. The verb means "to be tired," "to grow weary," "to work hard," and "to toil." It is a negative form of a verb that means "to rest from toil." The sense is "the ones growing weary"
or -- (CW) The Greek word for "of" is an adverb that means "not at all" or "not even" and, literally, "not, however." As a conjunction, it works as both parts of the "neither/nor" constructions. This is not one of the common words usually translated as "not."
spin - -The word translated as "they spin" is completely straightforward, meaning only "to spin."
Yet -- The Greek word translated as "yet" means "but," "however," "yet," and "on the other hand." It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. This word doesn't mean "yet."
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
tell -- The word translated as "I tell" is the most common word that means "to say," "to tell," and "to speak," but when used with an objective noun or pronoun, the sense is "say of" or "speak of." 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."
you, -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
not even -- The Greek word for "not even" is an adverb that means "not at all" or "not even" and, literally, "not, however." As a conjunction, it works as both parts of the "neither/nor" constructions.
Solomon -- This is from the Greek word for King Solomon, the son of King David.
in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with an indirect-object form object. About time, it means "during the time," "in the time," "within," and "in." With the direct object form, 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."
all -- The word translated as "all" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." As an adverb, it means "in every way," "on every side," and "altogether."
his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word correctly translated as third-person "his/him" in English. The word appears after the noun so the sense is "of his."
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
splendor -- (CW) The Greek noun translated as "glory" means "expectation," "notion," "opinion," "repute," and "popular repute." Translations as "glory" or "splendor" are found primarily in translating the Bible. Though it can have both a positive ("shining reputation") and negative ("bad repute") in Greek, Jesus only uses it to describe the word's "magnificent" aspect. The verb form has the sense of "recognize," but "recognition" while positive in the sense of rewarding people simply means knowing them in the noun form. See this articlefor more. CW --Confusing Word -- The "glory" does not capture the word's more general meaning.
was - - --(WV) This helping verb "was" indicates that the verb is passive. The verb here is translated as passive but it is active.
dressed- The word translated as "dressed" means "to throw around" or "to expand" or "excel." The best translation is "wrapped" because Jesus doesn't always use this verb se to refer to refer to clothing. See this article about a related word.
like-- The word translated as "like" has a very broad meaning, translated as "when," "where," "just as," "like," and related words. It means "how" only in an exclamation with and adjective or adverb like "how wonderful."
one -- The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."As in English, it can be used as a pronoun, meaning a single person.
of -- This word "of" comes from the possessive form (genitive case) of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
these. -- (CW) The word translated as "these" means "from here" "from there" or "this/that thing/person here/there." As a pronoun by itself, it means "this here" but it can be shortened to just "this." The Bible usually translates it as the adjective "this" when it appears after words modifying them, which is confusing because the definite article, with which it is often used before the word, also can mean "this." It works better as "here," which is how Jesus usually uses it, but it can also mean "there." It often comes after the noun, emphasizing it, "this thing here."
κατανοήσατε [5 verses] (verb 2nd pl aor imperat act) "Considerer" is from katanoeo, which means to "observe well", "understand", "apprehend", "perceive", "learn", "consider", "look at", "view", "to be in one's right mind," and "to be in one's senses."
τὰ [821 verses](article pl neut acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
κρίνα (noun pl neut acc) "Lilies"is krinon, which means "white lily", "Lilium candidum", "symbolic of death", "Egyptian bean", "kind of choral dance", "kind of loaf," and "architectural ornament."
πῶς [36 verses](pron indecl form) "How" is pos, which means "how," "how in the world," "how then," "in any way," "at all," "by any mean," "in a certain way,"and "I suppose."
αὐξάνει: [6 verses] (verb 3rd sg pres ind act) "They grow" is auxano, which means to "increase," "increase in power," "strengthen," "exalt by one's deeds," "glorify," "exalt by one's deeds," "glorify," "amplify," "exaggerate," "bring up," and "sacrifice." In the passive, it means "grow," and "increase" is size, strength, or power.
οὐ [269 verses](adv) "Not" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The negative, οὐ, denies, is absolute, and objective.
κοπιᾷ [3 verses] (verb 3rd sg pres ind ac) "They toil" is kopiao, which means "to be tired," "grow weary," "to be tired," "grow weary," "work hard," "toil," "strive," "struggle," "come to rest," and "arrive at a state of saturation."
οὐδὲ [51 verses](partic) "Neither" is oude, which, as a conjunction, means "but not," "neither," and "nor." As an adverb that means "not at all" or "not even" and, literally, "not, however."
νήθει. [2 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "They spin" is from netho, which means " to spin."
λέγω [264 verses] (1st sg pres ind act) "I tell" 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." When used with an object is has the sense of "call by name." 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." This word is more about making a statement than participating in a discussion. Translating is as "stated" might distinguish it better. When two accusative objects are used, the sense is "say of him this," or "call him this." The form Jesus uses to describe his own speaking can be either indicative, "I say/tell" or subjunctive, "I should/could say/tell."
δὲ [446 verses](conj) "But" is de which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of an indirect cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). In an "if" (εἰ) clause or temporal "when" (ὅταν) clause the sense is "if/when... then." In a series begun by men, it means "on the other hand." In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet." After an interruption, "so then." It can also be an explanation of cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). When used with a conditional starting a clause, the sense is "if/when...then." When used with a particle meaning "indeed" the sense is "on one hand...on the other hand." In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet." After an interruption, "so then."
ὑμῖν [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of the pronoun of the second person, "you." 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. With the "to be," it acts as a possessive, "yours."
οὐδὲ [51 verses](partic) "Neither" is oude, which, as a conjunction, means "but not," "neither," and "nor." As an adverb that means "not at all" or "not even" and, literally, "not, however."
Σολομὼν [4 verses](proper noun) "Solomon" is from Solomon, the Greek word for the Israelite king following David.
ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with its usual indirect (dative) object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during," and "with." With a direct (accusative) object, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during."
πάσῃ [212 verses](adj sg fem dat) "All" is pas, which means "all," "the whole," "every," "anyone," "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way," "on every side," "in every way," and "altogether."
τῇ [821 verses](article sg fem dat) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." --
δόξῃ [26 verses](noun sg fem dat) "Glory" is doxa, which means "expectation," "notion," "opinion," "repute," and "popular repute." Translations as "glory" or "splendor" are found primarily in translating the Bible. The words "recognition," "honor." and "reputation" come closest to capturing the Greek word, but Jesus uses it only in the most positive sense so "prominence" may come closest.
αὐτοῦ [142 verses](adv/adj sg masc gen) "His/" is autou, which means is the singular adjective used as the genitive pronoun, which is used as a possessive form or the object of prepositions and sometimes verbs as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In its adverbial form, this means "just here" or "exactly there." This form is often used as the object of a preposition, him." This form of an object of a preposition means a movement away from something or a position away from something else. The time sense of a genitive object is that the event occurred within a specified time. Though the form is masculine, it refers to masculine words, not people. The masculine form is used to refer to people in general, not just men.
περιεβάλετο[7 verses] (3rd sg aor ind mid) "Was arrayed" is periballo, which means "to throw around", "to put on", "to encompass", "to surround", "to bring under one's power", "amplify", "expand", "appropriate mentally", "comprehend", "to excel", "to surpass", "throw beyond," and "beat in throwing." In the passive, it means "to have put around oneself." "to be involved in," and "to have come into possession of one."
ὡς (167 verses](adv/conj) "How" is hos, an adverb which means to "thus," "as," "when," "where," "like," "just as," "so far as," "as much as can be," "that," "in order that," "nearly (with numbers)," and "know that." It means "how" only in an exclamation with and adjective or adverb like "how wonderful."
ἐν [85 verses](noun sg neut acc ) "One" is heis, which means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same." This noun/adjective is irregular, having a number of forms depending on gender and case. It is always singular.
τούτων. [154 verses] (adj pl neut gen ) "Of these"is toutos, (touto, toutou)which means "from here," "from there," "this [thing] there," or "that [person] here." In the neuter plural form, it is often used as the object of the verb to means "these things."