Matthew 24:34 ...This generation shall not pass,

Spoken to
Apostles

A long section about "the end of the world" or, more precisely, "the culmination of an era."

KJV

Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

NIV

Matthew 24:34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

LISTENERS HEARD

Ameni, I tell you that never might it pass by, this type here, until when all these things happen.

MY TAKE

Some types of opponents will always be with us, especially before a new era begins.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The word translated as "generation" means "type" and it is usually used to refer to Jesus's opponents, which haven't been figured in the context here.  The "shall/will" here doesn't mean the future tense, so this isn't a prophecy as such, but a comment of what could or might happen. The word "fulfilled" in the KJV makes this seem more prophetic than it is.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
5
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "shall" does not mean the future tense.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "not" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WV - Wrong Voice - The verb here is translated as passive but it is the middle voice.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "fulfilled" means "happen."
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
3
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "will" does not mean the future tense.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "have" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
EACH WORD of KJV

Verily -- The word translated as "verily" is the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap."

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the following verb.

say -- The word translated as "I tell" is the most common word that means "to say," and "to speak," but it also means "to teach," which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. 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." Christ usually uses this word to refer to his own speaking or teaching.

unto -- This word "unto" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English, but the translator must decide which preposition to use: a "to" as an indirect object.

you,  -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. 

This  - -- "This" is translated from a Greek word that means "this," "that," "the nearer."

generation  - The word translated as "generation" means "race," "family," and "generation." Jesus uses this term frequently to describe his critics, but that criticism seems more aim at a certain type of person, or, more narrowly, a certain group among his own people, than it is his generation as we used the term. It is the word from which we get the scientific "genus."

shall -- (CW)This helping verb "shall" does not indicate the future tense, but that the following 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.

not -- (CW)The "not" here is both of the Greek negatives used together. Greek has two negatives, one objective, one subjective. The use of both together is more extreme, like saying "you cannot really think" or, more simple, "never."

pass, -- The word "pass " is from a verb that means "go by," "pass by," "outstrip" (in speed), "pass away," "outwit," "past events" (in time), "disregard," and "pass without heading." The form is not the future tense, as translated, but in a form that means something is possible. This idea is emphasized by a word that appears in some good Greek sources, but which is not translated in the KJV.

till -- The word translated as "until" means "until" but it also means "in order that."

missing "when"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  "if might" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is often how we use the word "when."

all -- The word translated as "all" is from the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas.

these -- The "these" is from a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage.

things  -- This "things"  is from the plural, neutral form of the previous adjective. Though the subject  here is plural, the verb is singular because neutral plural verbs are treated as a collective.

be -- (WV) This helping verb "be" seems to indicate that the following verb is passive but it isn't. It is a verb form that indicates the subject is acting on itself.  However, since the verb only indicates a possibility, there should be a "might" here.  Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

fulfilled. -- (CW) The word translated as "fulfilled" means "to become" and "to happen," that is, to enter into a new state. Another Greek word is usually translated as "fulfill" in Greek. It is also not in the future tense, but the form that indicates something that might happen. Since it refers to events, the sense is "happen." The form is that of things acting on themselves, which is captures by our word "happen," which doesn't suggests and outside force.

EACH WORD of NIV

Truly -- The word translated as "truly " is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap." See this article discussing this "amen phrase."

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the following verb.

tell -- The word translated as "say" is the most common word that means "to say," and "to speak," but it also means "to teach," which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. 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." Christ usually uses this word to refer to his own speaking or teaching.

you,  -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.

this - -- "This" is translated from a Greek word that means "this," "that," "the nearer."

generation  - The word translated as "generation" means "race," "family," and "generation." Jesus uses this term frequently to describe his critics, but that criticism seems more aim at a certain type of person, or, more narrowly, a certain group among his own people, than it is his generation as we used the term. It is the word from which we get the scientific "genus."

will -- (CW)This helping verb "will " does not indicate the future tense, but that the following 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.

certainly not -- The "certainly not" here is both of the Greek negatives used together. Greek has two negatives, one objective, one subjective. The use of both together is more extreme, like saying "you cannot really think" or, more simple, "never."

pass, -- The word "pass " is from a verb that means "go by," "pass by," "outstrip" (in speed), "pass away," "outwit," "past events" (in time), "disregard," and "pass without heading." The form is not the future tense, as translated, but in a form that means something is possible. This idea is emphasized by a word that appears in some good Greek sources, but which is not translated in the KJV.

away-- This is from the prefix of the verb that means "from."

until -- The word translated as "until" means "until" but it also means "in order that."

missing "when"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  "if might" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is often how we use the word "when."

all -- The word translated as "all" is from the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas.

these -- The "these" is from a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage.

things  -- This "things"  is from the plural, neutral form of the previous adjective. Though the subject here is plural, the verb is singular because neutral plural verbs are treated as a collective.

have -- (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.

happened. --  The word translated as "happened" means "to become" and "to happen," that is, to enter into a new state. Another Greek word is usually translated as "fulfill" in Greek. It is also not in the future tense, but the form that indicates something that might happen. Since it refers to events, the sense is "happen." The form is that of things acting on themselves, which is captures by our word "happen," which doesn't suggests and outside force.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

 

ἀμὴν [88 verses](exclaim) "Verily" is amen, which is the Hebrew, meaning "truly," "of a truth," and "so be it." It has no history in Greek of this meaning before the NT. However, this is also the infinitive form of the Greek verb amao, which means "to reap" or "to cut." -- The word translated as "verily" is the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap."

λέγω [264 verses](1st sg pres ind act) "I say" 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." 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." -- The word translated as "I tell" is the most common word that means "to say," and "to speak," but it also means "to teach," which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. 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." Christ usually uses this word to refer to his own speaking or teaching.

ὑμῖν,[289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."

ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "That" is from hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."

οὐ μὴ [39 verses](partic) "Not" is from ou me, the two forms of Greek negative used together. Ou is the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. Mê (me) is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." As οὐ (ou) negates fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective.

παρέλθῃ [14 verses](verb 3rd sg aor subj act) "Shall...pass" is parerchomai, which means "go by," "pass by," "outstrip" (in speed), "pass away," "outwit," "past events" (in time), "disregard," and "pass without heeding."

[821 verses](article sg fem nom/acc ) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." -- The word translated as "the" 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. 

γενεὰ [19 verses](noun sg fem nom/acc) "Generation" is from genea, which means "race," "family," "generation," "class," and "kind." It is a from of the word that we get the scientific "genus" from.

αὕτη [137 verses](adj sg fem nom) "This" is houtos, which means "this," "that," "the nearer." As an adverb, it means "therefore," and "that is why."

ἕως  [63 verses](conj) "Till" is from heos which means "until," "till," and "in order that" and "up to the point that."

[ἂν] [162 verses](conj) "If" is ean, which is a conditional particle (derived from ei (if) and an (might), which makes reference to a time and experience in the future that introduces but does not determine an event.

πάντα [212 verses] (adj pl neut acc/nom) "All" is from pas (pas), which means "all," "the whole," "every," "anyone," "all kinds," and "anything."

ταῦτα [96 verses](adj pl neut acc/nom) "These things" is from tauta, which is a referring pronoun meaning "these," "this," "that," and "here." It can mean the nearer or the further depending on usage. As an adverb it can mean "therefore" and "that is why."

γένηται. [117 verses](verb 3rd sg aor subj mid) "Be fulfilled" is ginomai, which means "to become," "to come into being," "to happen," and "to be produced." It means changing into a new state of being. It is the complementary opposite of the verb "to be" (eimi)which indicates existence in the same state.

Wordplay

The word "amen" means both "truly" and "to reap." 

Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings

"Tell you true," he said, returning to his folksy catchphrase. "This race might never pass away, until..."

He paused.

"All this stuff," he said, waving his hand indicating all the omens he had talked about. "Bring themselves into existence."

 

 

 

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