Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you:

KJV

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

NIV

Luke 24:49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

LISTENERS HEARD

And look! I myself dispatch this announcement of that Father of mine by you. You yourselves, however? You sit down in the city until in order for this: You are going to put on yourself from above a power.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

There are the last words of Jesus in Luke. The KJV of this verse has a couple of unusual translations and a couple of words Jesus only uses here, but the sense is pretty much the same in Greek. It starts with an exclamation that Jesus usually uses lightheartedly. It also has a surprising unique word in it.

EACH WORD of KJV

The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".

"Behold" is a verbal command meaning "See!" and "Look!" It is from the most common word meaning "to see" in Greek. In a humorous vein, it is also an adverbial exclamation like we use the phrase "tah-dah" in a magic show, or "voila" in French. "Look!" or "See!" comes closest in English. Jesus uses it both ways.

The pronoun "I" is used here. Since, as the subject of the sentence, it is already part of the verb. Its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.

"Send" is an uncommon verb that means  to "dispatch", "send forth", "send away", and "dismiss."  It is a more complicated form of the word that means "send" from which we get our word, "apostle." Its primary meaning of "dispatch" works well in this context because it refers to a message.

 "The promise" is a Greek word that Jesus only uses twice that means "command", "summons", "announcement", "notice", " offer", "promise", "profession", and "undertaking." The verb root means  "to announce." It is a more complicated form of the word that is translated as "angel", which actually means "messenger".  With the word "dispatch," the sense is "announcement".

The "of" comes from the form of the word "father."

"My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun.  This word follows "father" and would be more accurately translated as "of mine".

"Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers". It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father. 

The word translated as "upon" means "on", "over", "upon", "against", "before", "after", "during", "by" or "on."  Since the context is carrying a message, the sense is "by" or in English we would say "with".

The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object.  

The Greek word translated as "but" means "but", "however", and "on the other hand". Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. 

"Tarry" is a Greek verb that means  "to make sit down", "to seat", "to place", "to sit", "to post", "to take seats", "to convene", "to appoint",  and "to establish".

The pronoun "ye" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence and it comes before the 
"however. "Since it is already part of the verb, its use here creates emphasis on the "you" as we might say "you yourselves." It is plural.

The word translated as "in" also means "within", "with," or "among."

The Greek word for "city" meant not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society. It worked something like the word "community" today.

There is no "of Jerusalem" in the Greek we use today not was there in the Latin Vulgate so it was added by Erasmus to the Textus Receptus.

The word translated as "until" means "until" but it also means "in order that."  The form of the next word affects how it can be translated.

There is an important untranslated word here. It is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun ("the one that), especially a connective pronoun ("the one that") introducing a dependent clause. In the form it is here, the meaning is "for this" so the previous word translated best as "in order for this." The next phrase is the dependent clause.

The word translated as "ye be endued" is a verb that means to "go into", "put on [clothes]", "enter", "press into", "sink in" and so on. Jesus mostly uses this word in the context of clothing, where it means "put on" and that works here as well. However, the form is the subject acting on themselves, so "put on yourselves". The tense is likely the future, but it could be the tense that indicates something happening at a point in time, nut then the mood would indicate a possibility not a certainty. 

There is no "with" in the Greek.

"Power" is a word that describes abilities and capacities, what actions a person can do or has done so "power", "might", "influence", "authority," and "force." It does not carry the sense of authority over others, either people or laws. The verb form of this word is translated as "can" in the NT.

The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." In Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases with usually use with "of."

There is no "on" but it is added to make the following word work in English.

"High" is another word that Jesus only uses here. It  means "height" and metaphorically, "summit" and "crown". As an adjective, it means "sublimity", and "grandeur." In English, we might say "above."

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

καὶ  (conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "but." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even", "also," and "just." --

ἰδοὺ (adv, verb 2nd sg aor imperat mid) "Behold is idou, which means "to behold", "to see," and "to perceive." It acts as an adverbial phrase in this form meaning "Lo! Behold!" and "See there!' It is a form of the verb eido, which means "to see."

ἐγὼ (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. --

ἐξαποστέλλω  [uncommon]( verb 1st sg pres ind act) "Send" is exapostellō, which means  to "dispatch", "send forth", "send away", and "dismiss." --

τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν [2 verses](noun sg fem acc) "The promise" is epaggelia, which means "command", "summons", "announcement", "notice", " offer", "promise", "profession", and "undertaking."

τοῦ πατρός ( noun sg masc gen ) "The Father" is pater, which means "father", "grandfather", "author", "parent," and "forefathers." --

μου (pro sg masc gen) "My" is mou, which mean "my," or "mine." --

ἐφ᾽ (prep) "Upon" is epi, which means "on", "over",  "upon", "at", "by", "before", "across," "after" in position, "during", and "against." --

ὑμᾶς (pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you." --

ὑμεῖς  (pron 2nd pl nom) "You" is hymeis (humeis), which are the singular nominative form of the second person, "you." --

δὲ (conj/adv) "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 a weak connective ("and") and explanation of cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). --

καθίσατε ( verb 2nd pl aor imperat act ) "Tarry" is kathizô, which means "to make sit down", "to seat", "to place", "to sit", "to post", "to take seats", "to convene", "to appoint", "to establish", "to put in a certain condition", "to reside", "to sink down", "to run aground [for ships]," "to recline at meals," and "to settle." From the Greek kata("down") hedraios ("to settle") . -- 

ἐν (prep) "In" is en, which means "in", "on", "at", "by", "among", "within", "surrounded by", "in one's hands", "in one's power," and "with".

τῇ πόλει (noun sg fem dat) "The city" is polis, which means "city", "citadel", "one's city", "one's country", "community", "state", "state affairs," and "civic duties."

ἕως (conj) "Until" is heos which means "until", "till," and "in order that" and "up to the point that." --

οὗ ( pron sg neut gen ) Untranslated is hos, which means "this", "that", "he", "she", "which", "what", "who", "whosoever", "where", "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

ἐνδύσησθε ( verb 2nd pl fut ind mid or verb 2nd pl aor subj mid ) "Be endued" is endyo, which means to "go into", "put on [clothes]", "enter", "press into", "sink in", "enter upon it", "undertake it," and "insinuate oneself into." --

ἐξ (prep) "From" 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." --

ὕψους [unique]( noun sg neut gen ) "High" is hypsos, which means "height" and metaphorically, "summit" and "crown". As an adjective, it means "sublimity", and "grandeur."

δύναμιν. ( noun sg fem acc ) "Power" is dynamis (dunamis), which means "power", "might", "influence", "authority", "capacity", "elementary force", "force of a word," and "value of money." Elemental forces are forces such as heat and cold. --

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