After his opponents leave, Jesus addresses the crowd telling a parable comparing the realm of the skies to a man, a king.
Matthew 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Matthew 22:9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.
Bring yourselves then toward the outlets of the roads, and as many as when you find [them], call into this wedding.
If you want to find people, look for them where people's paths cross.
An uncommon word, one Jesus only uses twice, is translated here as "highways" in KJV and "corners," in NIV version. It actually means "outlets," meaning where the main highway feeds the local roads. This indicates that the common word translated as "street" in NIV and untranslated in KJV means more of a highway than just a road.
The "as many as" here--in the KJV, left out of the NIV--is the object of the verb "find" but it is placed before the beginning of a "when" clause in which the verb appears but that clause is invisible because it is not translated in either the KJV or NIV or any other common translation. This makes the statement seem interrupted, where Jesus started to say one thing, but they said another.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "roads" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "roads" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "so" is not the common word usually translated as "so."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "corners" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "corners" should be something more like "outlets."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "banquet" should be something more like "nuptials."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "anyone" should be something more like "as many as."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
Go -- The Greek verb translated as "go" is the most common verb translated as "go" in the NT. This word means "to lead over," "depart," and "to carry over." This word, however, uniquely means both "to pursue a course" and "to depart from life." In n the passive or middle, its normal form, the subject is either being taken or taking himself and means "going," "crossing over," or "departing" more directly.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
therefore - The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly," "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative.
into - The word translated as "into" means "against," "before," "by" or "on.
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.
highways, - "Highways" is from a noun that means "outlet," "passage," and "roads out of town."
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word 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.
missing "roads" -- (MW) The untranslated word means "way" or "road" but which is used symbolically to mean "a way of doing things" or "a philosophy of life." It is plural indicating more than one ways.
and -- 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 can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
as many as - The word translated as "as many as" means "as great as," "as much as," and similar ideas.
missing "when" -- (MW) The untranslated word meaning "when" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is often how we use the word "when."
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
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.
find, - The term used for "find" is the source of our word, "heuristic," meaning enabling a person to find out something for themselves. It means "find out" and "discover." This is not in the future tense, but a form that indicates something that might happen.
bid - The term translated as "bid" is like our word "call" means both "to summon" and also "to name." The form is a command, so in English, it would usually appear at the beginning of the phrase.
to - The word translated as "to" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, and "up to" limits in time and measure.
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.
marriage. The Greek word for "marriage" means "wedding" and "marriage." It is in the plural, where it was singular in the last verse, Matthew 22:8. However, this word was commonly used in the plural as we might say, "Come to the celebrations" even though there is just one event being celebrated.
So -- (CW) - The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly," "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative. This is not the word usually translated as "so."
go -- The Greek verb translated as "go" is the most common verb translated as "go" in the NT. This word means "to lead over," "depart," and "to carry over." This word, however, uniquely means both "to pursue a course" and "to depart from life." In n the passive or middle, its normal form, the subject is either being taken or taking himself and means "going," "crossing over," or "departing" more directly.
to - The word translated as "to" means "against," "before," "by" or "on.
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.
street -- The Greek word means "street," "way" or "road" but which is used symbolically to mean "a way of doing things" or "a philosophy of life." It is plural indicating more than one ways.
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word 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.
corners , - (WW) "Corners" is from a noun that means "outlet," "passage," and "roads out of town."
and -- 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 can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
invite - The term translated as "invite" is like our word "call" means both "to summon" and also "to name." The form is command, so in English, it would usually appear at the beginning of the phrase.
to - The word translated as "to" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, and "up to" limits in time and measure.
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.
banquet . (WW) The Greek word for "banquet" means "wedding" and "marriage." It is in the plural, where it was singular in the last verse, Matthew 22:8. However, this word was commonly used in the plural as we might say, "Come to the nuptials" even though there is just one event being celebrated.
anyone - (WW) The word translated as "anyone" means "as great as," "as much as," and similar ideas. It is not the Greek word meaning "anyone."
missing "when" -- (MW) The untranslated word meaning "when" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is often how we use the word "when."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
find, - The term used for "find" is the source of our word, "heuristic," meaning enabling a person to find out something for themselves. It means "find out" and "discover." This is not in the future tense, but a form that indicates something that might happen.
πορεύεσθε [54 verses](verb 2nd pl pres imperat mp) "Go ye" is from poreuomai (poreuo) which means "make to go," "carry," "convey," "bring," "go," "march," and "proceed." It is almost always translated as "go" in the NT. -- The Greek verb translated as "go" isn't the common verb almost always translated as "go" in the NT. This word means "to lead over," "depart," and "to carry over." This word, however, uniquely means both "to pursue a course" and "to depart from life."
οὖν [82 verses](adv)"Therefore" is from oun, which means "certainly," "in fact," "really," "in fact," "so" and "then" (continuing a narrative), and "then" and "therefore."
ἐπὶ (prep) "Into" is from epi. which means "on," "upon," "at," "by," "before," "across," and "against."
"τὰς (article pl fem acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
διεξόδους [2 verses](noun pl fem acc) "Highways" is diexodos, which means "outlet," "passage," "roads out of town," and "way out from." Literally, it means "through exit."
τῶν (article pl masc gen) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
ὁδῶν, [27 verses](noun pl masc gen) Untranslated is hodos, which means literally "the way" or "the road" but which is used symbolically to mean "a way of doing things" or "a philosophy of life."
καὶ (conj/adv) "And" is from kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." 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."
ὅσους [28 verses](adj pl masc acc) "As many as" is from hosos, which means "as many," "as much as," "as great as," "as far as," and "only so far as."
ἐὰν [162 verses](conj)Untranslated 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.
εὕρητε [43 verses](verb 2nd pl aor subj act) "You shall find" is heurisko, which means "to find," "to find out," "to discover," "to devise," "to invent," "to get," and "to gain."
καλέσατε [38 verses](verb 2nd pl aor imperat act) "Bid" is kaleo, which means "call," "summon," "invite," "invoke," "call by name," and "demand."
εἰς (prep)"To" is from 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)."
τοὺς (article pl masc acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
γάμους. [10 verses](noun pl masc acc) "The marriage" is from the gamos, which means "marriage," "wedding," and "wedlock."
An untranslated word means "ways" also means different ways of life or philosophies.