Matthew 10:15 ...It shall be more tolerable

Spoken to
Apostles

Sending of Apostles, rejection

KJV

Matthew 10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha on the day of judgment, than for that city.

NIV

Matthew 10:15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

3RD (NLT, if not otherwise identified)

Matthew 10:15 I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.

LISTENERS HEARD

Ameni, I am telling you. It is going to be more comfortable in a land of Sodoms and Gomorras in a time of trial than for that city there.

 

MY TAKE

Not only people. but entire cultures can go bad.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

First, notice the change in topic from the previous verse, Matthew 10:14, That verse was talking about a single person rejecting you, while this one applies to an entire city. The context change is possibly from a question that someone asked that was not recorded.

This verse does not refer to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It refers to "a land of Sodomites and Gomorrans." The Greek words are plural, referring to the people not the city. Note, the Greek does not say "the land" but "a land."  The "the" is added in the KJV and the "land" is left out in the NIV and changed to "cities" in the NLT.

There is also no "the" before "day of judgment." The phrase refers to "a day of judgment."

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
5
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "a."
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "Sodom" is translated as singular but it is plural "Sodomites."
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "Gomorra" is translated as singular but it is plural "Gomorrans."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "a."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
7
  •  
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "land" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The form "Sodom" justifies an "of" not a "for."
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "Sodom" is translated as singular but it is plural "Sodomites."
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The form "Gomorra" justifies an "of" not a "for."
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "Gomorra" is translated as singular but it is plural "Gomorrans."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "a."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
# 3RD TRANSLATION ISSUES
8
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "the truth" is not a noun but an adverb, "truly."
  • IP - Inserted phrase-- The phrase "the wicked" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "cities" should be something more like "land."
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "cieties" is translated as plural but it is singular.
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "Sodom" is translated as singular but it is plural "Sodomites."
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "Gomorra" is translated as singular but it is plural "Gomorrans."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "a" should be something more like "the."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "a."
EACH WORD of KJV

Verily -- The word translated as "verily" 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.

say -- 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.

unto -- This word "tuo" 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.

It -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

shall  -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

be --The phrase "be" is from the verb "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It is in the future tense.

more -- This is from the comparative form of the next adjective.

tolerable -- "Tolerable" is the comparative form of an adjective which means "bearable" or "sufferable."

for -- This word "for" 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, a "with" for instruments, an "in" for locations, an "as" for purposes, an "of" for possession, a "by" for agents, an "as" for comparisons, "at" or "on" a time, and an "in" for area of effect.

the -- (WW) There is nothing that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source. There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

land -- The word translated as "land" is the Greek word usually translated as "earth," and refers to the physical ground or land, not the society. See this article for more on these words. It is in the form of an indirect object, which is used for an object of a comparison. The form of this word, feminine, does not match the comparative (more tolerable) which is either masculine or neuter, but the adjective can also be seen as an adverb. There is no article, "the" before the word, so not "the land" but "a land."

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of," "which is," "than" (in comparisons), or  "for," "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

Sodom -- (WN) "Sodom" is the Greek letters for the biblical town. but it has a Greek plural ending so it refers to the people not the city.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also") and, In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also."

Gomorrha -- (WN) "Gomorra" is the Greek letters for the biblical town, but it has a Greek plural ending so it refers to the people not the city.

on -- The word translated as  "on" means "during" when referring to time and also means "in," "within" or "among."

the  -- (WW) There is definite article here in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article "a" can be added in English translation.

day -- The Greek word translated as "day" also means "time," in general, and refers specifically to the "daytime."

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of," "which is," "than" (in comparisons), or  "for," "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

judgment, -- The Greek word translated as "judgment" means distinguishing among choices and "separating" things. Christ uses it in a variety of ways, though the KJV usually translates it as "judgment." It also means a "turning point," since it is the source of the meaning of "crisis" has in English. Only secondarily does it means "judgment" as in a court judgment. While we have come to read lines like this as referring to the Last Judgment, in the Greek there is no article to distinguish this as "the day of judgment." The meaning here seems to be the challenge of any crisis or decision point.

than "Than" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison.

for -- This word "for" 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, a "with" for instruments, an "in" for locations, an "as" for purposes, an "of" for possession, a "by" for agents, an "as" for comparisons, "at" or "on" a time, and an "in" for area of effect.

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. 

that -- The word translated as "that" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there."

city -- The Greek word for "city" meant not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society.

EACH WORD of NIV

Truly -- The word translated as "verily" 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.

it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

will -- This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

be --The phrase "be" is from the verb "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It is in the future tense.

more -- This is from the comparative form of the next adjective.

bearable -- "Bearable " is the comparative form of an adjective which means "bearable" or "sufferable."

for -- This word "for" 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, a "with" for instruments, an "in" for locations, an "as" for purposes, an "of" for possession, a "by" for agents, an "as" for comparisons, "at" or "on" a time, and an "in" for area of effect.

missing "land"-- (MW) The untranslated word "land" is the Greek word usually translated as "earth," and refers to the physical ground or land, not the society. See this article for more on these words. It is in the form of an indirect object, which is used for an object of a comparison. The form of this word, feminine, does not match the comparative (more tolerable) which is either masculine or neuter, but the adjective can also be seen as an adverb. There is no article, "the" before the word, so not "the land" but "a land."

Sodom -- (WF, WN) "Sodom" is the Greek letters for the biblical town. but it has a Greek plural ending so it refers to a land with many Sodoms. The form is not justify the "for" above but an "of."

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also") and, In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also."

Gomorrha -- (WF, WN) "Gomorra" is the Greek letters for the biblical town, but it has a Greek plural ending so it refers to manhy Gamorrhas.

on -- The word translated as  "on" means "during" when referring to time and also means "in," "within" or "among."

the  -- (WW) There is definite article here in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article "a" can be added in English translation.

day -- The Greek word translated as "day" also means "time," in general, and refers specifically to the "daytime."

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of," "which is," "than" (in comparisons), or  "for," "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

judgment, -- The Greek word translated as "judgment" means distinguishing among choices and "separating" things. Christ uses it in a variety of ways, though the KJV usually translates it as "judgment." It also means a "turning point," since it is the source of the meaning of "crisis" has in English. Only secondarily does it means "judgment" as in a court judgment. While we have come to read lines like this as referring to the Last Judgment, in the Greek there is no article to distinguish this as "the day of judgment." The meaning here seems to be the challenge of any crisis or decision point.

than "Than" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison.

for -- This word "for" 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, a "with" for instruments, an "in" for locations, an "as" for purposes, an "of" for possession, a "by" for agents, an "as" for comparisons, "at" or "on" a time, and an "in" for area of effect.

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. 

that -- The word translated as "that" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there."

town -- The Greek word for "town" meant not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society.

EACH WORD 3RD (NLT or as noted)

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.

the truth -- (WF) The word translated as "the truth" is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. The word is an adverb not a noun.

the wicked -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "the wicked" in the Greek source.

cities -- (WW, WN)The word translated as "cities" is the Greek word usually translated as "earth," and refers to the physical ground or land, not a city. See this article for more on these words. It is in the form of an indirect object, which is used for an object of a comparison. The form of this word, feminine, does not match the comparative (more tolerable) which is either masculine or neuter, but the adjective can also be seen as an adverb. There is no article, "the" before the word, so not "the land" but "a land."

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of," "which is," "than" (in comparisons), or  "for," "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

Sodom -- (WN) "Sodom" is the Greek letters for the biblical town. but it has a Greek plural ending so it refers to the people not the city. The form is not justify the "for" above but an "of."

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also") and, In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also."

Gomorrha -- (WN) "Gomorra" is the Greek letters for the biblical town, but it has a Greek plural ending so it refers to the people not the city.

it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

will -- This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

be --The phrase "be" is from the verb "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It is in the future tense.

better off -- "Better off" is the comparative form of an adjective which means "bearable" or "sufferable."

than "Than" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison.

than -- This word "for" 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, a "with" for instruments, an "in" for locations, an "as" for purposes, an "of" for possession, a "by" for agents, an "as" for comparisons, "at" or "on" a time, and an "in" for area of effect.

such -- The word translated as "such" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there."

-- (WW) This word is the Greek definite article, "the" 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. 

town -- The Greek word for "town" meant not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society.

on -- The word translated as  "on" means "during" when referring to time and also means "in," "within" or "among."

the  -- (WW) There is definite article here in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article "a" can be added in English translation.

judgment, -- The Greek word translated as "judgment" means distinguishing among choices and "separating" things. Christ uses it in a variety of ways, though the KJV usually translates it as "judgment." It also means a "turning point," since it is the source of the meaning of "crisis" has in English. Only secondarily does it means "judgment" as in a court judgment. While we have come to read lines like this as referring to the Last Judgment, in the Greek there is no article to distinguish this as "the day of judgment." The meaning here seems to be the challenge of any crisis or decision point.

day -- The Greek word translated as "day" also means "time," in general, and refers specifically to the "daytime."

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

ἀμὴν (exclam indeclform_ "Verily" is from amen, which is from the Hebrew, meaning "truly," "of a truth," and "so be it." Though of Hebrew origin, it resembles a Greek word with a similar sound and meaning, the Greek word men, which is generally used to express certainty and, like amen, means "indeed," "certainly," "surely," and "truly."

λέγω (1st sg pres ind act) "I tell" is from lego means "pick up," "choose for oneself," "pick out," and "count," "recount," "tell over," "say," "speak," "teach," "mean," "boast of," "tell of," "recite," "nominate," and "command."

ὑμῖν, (pron pl masc acc) "You" is from humas the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."

ἀνεκτότερον [4 verses](adj sg masc/neut acc comp OR adv comp) "More tolerable" is anektoteros (the comparative "more" form of anektos), which "bearable," "sufferable," "that which can be endured," or "tolerable."

ἔσται (3rd sg fut ind mid) "It shall be" is from eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," and "is possible." It can also mean "must" with a dative.

γῇ (noun sg fem dat) "For the land" is from ge, which means "the element of earth," "land (country)," "arable land," "the ground," and "the world" as the opposite of the sky. Like our English word "earth," it means both dirt and the planet.

Σοδόμων (noun pl masc dat) "Sodom" is from Sodoma, which means the biblical town of Sodom.

καὶ (conj) "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."

Γομόρρων (noun pl masc dat) "Gomorra" is from Gomora, which is the name of the biblical town of Gomorra.

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

ἡμέρᾳ (noun sg fem dat) "The day" is from hemera, which, as a noun, means "day" "a state or time of life," "a time (poetic)," "day break" and "day time." It is also and also has a second meaning, of "quiet," "tame (animals)," "cultivated (crops)," and "civilized (people)."

κρίσεως (noun sg fem gen) "Judgment" is from krisis, which means "separating," "distinguishing," "judgment," "choice," "election," "trial," "dispute," "event," and "issue."

(adv/conj) "Than" is from e which is a particle meaning "either," "or," or "than."

τῇ (article sg fem dat) Untranslated 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." --

πόλει (noun sg fem dat) "For...city" is from polis, which means "city," "citadel," "one's city," "one's country," "community," "state," "state affairs," and "civic duties." OR (3rd sg pres ind act) verb poleo, which means to "go about," "range over," "haunt," "revolve," "turn up the earth with the plough," and "plough."

ἐκείνῃ. (adj sg fem dat) "He" is ekeinos, which means "the person there," "that person," "that thing," "in that case," "in that way," "at that place," and "in that manner."

Wordplay

 The play of the physical destruction of land against the historical destruction of a society. 

Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings

“Can a city even exist if no one in it is deserving?” Brother James wondered aloud.
“Remember Sodom and Gomorrah?” suggested Nathaniel?
“Even those cities had one deserving man,” pointed out Philip, “Remember Lot?”
“So, is a city where no one will listening to us worse than Sodom and Gomorrah?” Rock asked the Master.
“Honestly, I am telling you,” the Master responded, putting his hand over his heart.
“It is going to be more comfortable for a land of Sodoms and Gomorrahas of that day of trial than for that city there.”

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