Sending of the Apostles, Warnings
Matthew 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Matthew 10:23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Matthew 10:23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.
When, however, they might hound you in this city here, escape into the other. Ameni, I am telling you, you all might never complete the cities of Israel until he might show up, a child of the man.
We don't have to convince everyone. There are always more people we can win over.
The verb translated as "persecute" means both "chase away" and "seek after." The best way to translated this word is "hound" because it covers both meanings. The use of "this city here" makes the Greek seem like Jesus is referring to a specific city, perhaps brought up in a question that was not recorded.
The verb translated as "going over/finish going/reached" actually means "completed" and it is the verb form of the word translated as "end" in the previous verse.
The final clause of this verse seems humorous, with a set up and a punch line. The set-up is "until he comes..." and the punch line is "a son of man." This last phrase is surprising because it is not "the son" but "a son."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "shall" does not mean the future tense.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "not" is a both Greek negatives with the sense of "never."
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "have" indicates a future perfect tense, but that is not the tense of the verb which is something that might happen in the future.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "be" does not mean the present tense or passive voice.
- WM - Wrong Mood - The verb "come" is something that might or should happen.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "but" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "you" is not a subject but an object.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "are" does not mean a passive verb but an active one.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "one" should be something more like "this."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "place" should be something more like "city."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "will" does not mean the future tense.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "not" is a both Greek negatives with the sense of "never."
- IP - Inserted phrase-- The phrase "going through" doesn't exist in the source.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "before" should be something more like "until."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- WM - Wrong Mood - The verb "come" is something that might or should happen.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "but" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "you" is not a subject but an object.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "are" does not mean a passive verb but an active one.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "one" should be something more like "this."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "next" should be something more like "another."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "the truth" is not a noun but an adverb.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "will" does not mean the future tense.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "return" should be something more like "come" or "show up."
- WM - Wrong Mood - The verb "return" is something that might or should happen.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "before" should be something more like "until."
- WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "before/until" should appear before "son of man" clause.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "never" is not shown in the English translation.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "have" indicates a future perfect tense, but that is not the tense of the verb which is something that might happen in the future.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "reached" is a word that really means "completed."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "all" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
But -- The Greek word translated as "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.
when -- The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since" comes closer.
they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
persecute -- The word translated as "persecute" means both "chase away" and "seek after." It is in the form that indicates something that might happen. Since the following preposition does not indicate "out of," the sense is hounding someone within a city.
you -- The "you" here is plural, indicating many of Christ's listeners.
in -- The word translated as "in" also means "within" or "among."
this -- The "this" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage. Here, it is in the proper form to modify "city," but it appears after the word, reiterating it.
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.
city, -- 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. It is preceded by an article, "the city." However, since the context doesn't specific what "this" city is, its use may indicate that this is answering a question about a specific city.
flee -- "Flee" is translated from a Greek word that means "to flee," "escape," and "to take flight." It is in the form of either a statement or a command.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
into The word translated as "into" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, and "up to" limits in time and measure.
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.
another: -- The word translated as "another" means "one of two," "other," or "different." It is an adjective used as a noun.
for -- The word translated as "for" can be treated as supporting a dependent clause, or, in written English, as "this is because..." to start a new sentence.
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 "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.
Ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
shall -- (CW) This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English. This verse is less likely the future tense because the next verb indicates a possibility not the future.
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." A word like "never" should be used to avoid confusion with simple negatives.
have -- (WT) This indicates the future perfect tense which is rarely used in ancient Greek.
gone over -- "Gone over" is translated from a Greek word, which means "to complete" and "to accomplish," especially in the sense of having a goal. It also means "to bring to perfection." Notice the use of the verb form of the word translated as "end" in the previous verse. Matthew 10:22.
the -- 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.
cities -- The Greek word for "cities" which meant not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society.
of -- The word translated as "of" come from 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. Here, it precedes a Hebrew word giving it a genitive form.
Israel, -- The word translated as "Israel" comes from the Hebrew, not the Greek.
till -- The word translated as "till" means "until" but it also means "in order that."
the -- (IW) There is no "the" in the Greek. This is very unusual when Jesus uses this phrase to refer to himself. When a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
Son -- The word translated as "son" more generally means "child." Unlike its normal use in the "son of the man" phrase (see this article), there is no article here, not "the son" but "a son."
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.
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.
man -- The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.
be -- (CW) This word seems to indicate either the present tense or passive voice of the following verb, but the verb isn't present or passive. This is not the word "become."
come. -- (WM) The word translated as "come" primarily means "to start out" but Christ usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start," "come," or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. This verb is in a form where it indicates something that "might" or "should" happen, not that it will.
missing "but"-- (MW) The untranslated word "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.
When -- The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since" comes closer.
you -- (WF) The "you" here is plural, indicating many of Christ's listeners. This pronoun is the object of the verb not the subject.
are -- (WF) This helping verb "are" seems to indicate that the verb is passive but it isn't.
persecuted -- The word translated as "persecuted" means both "chase away" and "seek after." It is in the form that indicates something that might happen. Since the following preposition does not indicate "out of," the sense is hounding someone within a city.
in -- The word translated as "in" also means "within" or "among."
one -- (WW) The "one" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage. Here, it is in the proper form to modify "city," but it appears after the word, reiterating it.
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.
place, -- (WW) The Greek word for "place" means not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society. It worked something like the word "community" today. It is preceded by an article, "the city." However, since the context doesn't specific what "this" city is, its use may indicate that this is answering a question about a specific city.
flee -- "Flee" is translated from a Greek word that means "to flee," "escape," and "to take flight." It is in the form of either a statement or a command.
to -- The word translated as "to" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, and "up to" limits in time and measure.
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.
another: -- The word translated as "another" means "one of two," "other," or "different." It is an adjective used as a noun.
missing "for"-- (MW) The untranslated word "for" can be treated as supporting a dependent clause, or, in written English, as "this is because..." to start a new sentence.
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.
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
will -- (CW) This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English. This verse is less likely the future tense because the next verb indicates a possibility not the future.
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." A word like "never" should be used to avoid confusion with simple negatives.
finish -- "Finish" is translated from a Greek word, which means "to complete" and "to accomplish," especially in the sense of having a goal. It also means "to bring to perfection." Notice the use of the verb form of the word translated as "end" in the previous verse. Matthew 10:22.
going through -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "going through" in the Greek source.
the -- 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.
towns -- The Greek word for "cities" which meant not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society.
of -- The word translated as "of" come from 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. Here, it precedes a Hebrew word giving it a genitive form.
Israel, -- The word translated as "Israel" comes from the Hebrew, not the Greek.
before -- (WW) The word translated as "till" means "until" but it also means "in order that."
the -- (IW) There is no "the" in the Greek. This is very unusual when Jesus uses this phrase to refer to himself. When a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
Son -- The word translated as "son" more generally means "child." Unlike its normal use in the "son of the man" phrase (see this article), there is no article here, not "the son" but "a son."
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.
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.
Man -- The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.
comes. -- (WM) The word translated as "come" primarily means "to start out" but Christ usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start," "come," or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. This verb is in a form where it indicates something that "might" or "should" happen, not that it will.
missing "but"-- (MW) The untranslated word "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.
When -- The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since" comes closer.
you -- (WF) The "you" here is plural, indicating many of Christ's listeners. This pronoun is the object of the verb not the subject.
are -- (WF) This helping verb "are" seems to indicate that the verb is passive but it isn't.
persecuted -- The word translated as "persecuted" means both "chase away" and "seek after." It is in the form that indicates something that might happen. Since the following preposition does not indicate "out of," the sense is hounding someone within a city.
in -- The word translated as "in" also means "within" or "among."
one -- (WW) The "one" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage. Here, it is in the proper form to modify "city," but it appears after the word, reiterating it.
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.
town, -- The Greek word for "town" means not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society. It worked something like the word "community" today. It is preceded by an article, "the city." However, since the context doesn't specific what "this" city is, its use may indicate that this is answering a question about a specific city.
flee -- "Flee" is translated from a Greek word that means "to flee," "escape," and "to take flight." It is in the form of either a statement or a command.
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, 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.
next: -- (WW) The word translated as "next" means "another," "one of two," "other," or "different." It is an adjective used as a noun.
missing "for"-- (MW) The untranslated word "for" can be treated as supporting a dependent clause, or, in written English, as "this is because..." to start a new sentence.
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. In Greek, the word also means "to reap." See this article discussing this "amen phrase."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
the -- (IW) There is no "the" in the Greek. This is very unusual when Jesus uses this phrase to refer to himself. When a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
Son -- The word translated as "son" more generally means "child." Unlike its normal use in the "son of the man" phrase (see this article), there is no article here, not "the son" but "a son."
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.
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.
Man -- The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.
will -- (CW) This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English. This verse is less likely the future tense because the next verb indicates a possibility not the future.
return -- (WW, WM) The word translated as "return" primarily means "to start out" but Christ usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start," "come," or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. This verb is in a form where it indicates something that "might" or "should" happen, not that it will.
before -- (WW, WP) The word translated as "till" means "until" but it also means "in order that."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
missing "never"-- (MW) The untranslated word "never" 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." A word like "never" should be used to avoid confusion with simple negatives.
have -- (WT) This indicates the future perfect tense which is rarely used in ancient Greek.
reached -- (CW) "Reached" is translated from a Greek word, which means "to complete" and "to accomplish," especially in the sense of having a goal. It also means "to bring to perfection." Notice the use of the verb form of the word translated as "end" in the previous verse. Matthew 10:22.
all -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "all" in the Greek source.
the -- 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.
towns -- The Greek word for "towns" which meant not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society.
of -- The word translated as "of" come from 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. Here, it precedes a Hebrew word giving it a genitive form.
Israel, -- The word translated as "Israel" comes from the Hebrew, not the Greek.
ὅταν (conj) "When" is from hotan, which means "whenever (as a condition)," and "since (as a cause)."
δὲ (partic) "But" is from 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 cause ("so").
διώκωσιν (3rd pl pres subj act) "Persecute" is from dioko, which means "to cause to run," "to set into motion," "to pursue," "to chase [away]," to follow," "to seek after," "to be hurried (passive)," "to urge on," "to prosecute [legally]," " or "to drive."
ὑμᾶς (pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is from humas which is the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."
ἐν (prep) "In" is from en, which means "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," and "with."
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) "City" is from polis, which means "city," "citadel," "one's city," "one's country," "community," "state," "state affairs," and "civic duties."
ταύτῃ, (adv/adj sg fem dat) "This" 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."
φεύγετε [8 verses](2nd pl pres imperat act or 3rd sg pres ind act) "Fleeth" is pheugo, which means "to flee," "to take flight," "avoid," "escape," "seek to avoid," "to be expelled," "to be driven out," "go into exile," "go into banishment," "to be accused," "to be plead in defense," and "to flee from a charge."
εἰς (prep) "Into" 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)."
τὴν (article sg fem acc) 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."
ἑτέραν: (adj sg fem acc) "Another" is from heteros, which means "one or the other of two," "the second," "the secondary," "the minor," "other things [of like kind]," "another," "different," "other than," "different from," "other than should be," and "in another or a different way." As an adverb, it means "in one or the other way," "differently," "otherwise than should be," "badly," and "wrongly."
ἀμὴν (exclaim) "Verily" is from amen, which is from the Hebrew, meaning "truly," "of a truth," and "so be it." It has no history in Greek before the NT.
γὰρ (partic) "For" comes from gar which is the introduction of a clause explaining a reason or explanation: "for," "since," "because," and "as." In an abrupt question it means "why" and "what."
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 2nd pl dat) "You" is from humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."
οὐ μὴ (partic) "Not" is 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.
τελέσητε [5 verses](2nd pl fut ind act or 2nd pl aor subj act) "Gone over" is teleo, which means "to complete," "to fulfill," and "to accomplish." It also means "to bring to perfection," "to pay what one owes," and "to execute a legal document."
τὰς (article pl fem 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."
πόλεις (noun pl fem acc) "Cities" is from polis, which means "city," "citadel," "one's city," "one's country," "community," "state," "state affairs," and "civic duties."
or, this word could also be: (adj pl masc nom) "Many" is from polys, which means "many (in number)," "great (in size or power or worth)," and "large (of space)."
[τοῦ] (article sg masc gen) "Of" 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.
Ἰσραὴλ (indecl) "Of Israel" is from Israel, which means "Israel."
ἕως (conj) "Till" is from heos which means "until," "till," and "in order that" and "up to the point that."
ἔλθῃ (3rd sg aor subj act) "Be come" is from erchomai, which means "to start," "to set out," "to come," "to go," and any kind of motion. It means both "to go" on a journey and "to arrive" at a place.
ὁυἱὸς (noun sg masc nom) "The Son" is from huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child." --
τοῦ (article sg masc gen)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." --
ἀνθρώπου. (noun sg masc gen) "Of man" is from anthropos, which is "man," and, in the plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.
The word translated as "persecute" means both "chase away" and "seek after."
“So, what do we do if we run unto problems a some city here,” asked the Greek in his practical way.
“When, however, they might hound you all in the city here,” he said, drawing a circle on the ground, “escape into some other.”
He drew a line leaving the circle. He drew another circle around it where the line ended.
“What if we run out of places to run to?” asked the ever nervous Netter.
“Honestly, I am telling you,” the Master said, putting his hand to his heart. “You all are not going to to finish the cities of Israel until…”
He paused dramatically.
“He should show up!” he announced.
“Who might show up?” asked the Rock as if he had lost track of the conversation.
“A son,” the Master said, “of the man.”
He indicated himself.
“I thought you were,” Johnny Boy objected, “the son the man!”
Everyone laughed, but the Master just shrugged.
“No one understand what you mean by giving yourself that name,” noted the Scribbler.