Jesus begins teaching in the plain of Judea, attracting people from all over wanting to be healed.
Luke 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Luke 6:22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
Fortunate are you whenever those people despise you, and whenever they cut you off and they criticize and toss out that name of yours as worthless on account of the Son of the man.
Jesus never promised us a rose garden.
μακάριοί ἐστε ὅταν μισήσωσιν ὑμᾶς οἱ ἄνθρωποι,
Fortunate are you whenever despise you, those people,
καὶ ὅταν ‘ ἀφορίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ ὀνειδίσωσιν καὶ ἐκβάλωσιν
and whenever they cut off you and criticize and toss out
τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν ὡς πονηρὸν ἕνεκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου:
that name of yours as worthless on account of the Son of the man.
The general sense here is much more light-hearted than the English translation. The verse is an example of humorous exaggeration but the repetitive nature of them, emphasized by all the uses of "and," makes the tone seem less than serious. The specific use of "toss out," is a signal that the verse is lighter than it appears. See this article on this word and how Jesus uses it.
The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since." This is not the more common word for "when." Here, the condition is less certain to happen.
Blessed(CW) are ye, when(CW) (MWthe) men shall(CW) hate you, and when (CW) they shall(CW) separate you [from their company(IP)], and shall(CW) reproach you, and cast out your (CWthe] name as evil(CW), for the Son of (MWthe) man's sake.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "blessed" means "blessed" primarily in the sense of "lucky" or "fortunate" without a sense of a "blessing."
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word that should usually be translated as "when."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "men" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word - This "shall" does not indicate the future tense, but describes a possibility, the subjunctive voice.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word that should usually be translated as "when."
- CW - Confusing Word - This "shall" does not indicate the future tense, but describes a possibility, the subjunctive voice.
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "from their company" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW - Confusing Word - This "shall" does not indicate the future tense, but describes a possibility, the subjunctive voice.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "evil" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "man" is not shown in the English translation.
Blessed(CW) are you when(CW) (MWthe) people hate you, (and) when(CW) they exclude you and insult you and reject(CW) your (MWthe) name as evil(CW),, because of the Son of (MWthe) Man.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "blessed" means "blessed" primarily in the sense of "lucky" or "fortunate" without a sense of a "blessing."
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word that should usually be translated as "when."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "people" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word that should usually be translated as "when."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "reject" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "evil" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "man" is not shown in the English translation.
Blessed -- The word "blessed" in Greek is an adjective a noun meaning "happy" or "fortunate" but with the sense of being favored by God. However, it does not refer to a religious blessing. It can also mean "wealthy" with in the sense of "the wealthy" (men with a fortune).
are -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
ye, -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
when " -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since." This is not the more common word for "when." Here, the condition is less certain to happen.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated 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," and "those"). See this article for more.
men -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples."
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.
hate -- "Hate" is a Greek verb meaning "to hate." The word is not primarily an emotion as it is in English. Instead, it is a negative state, not being devoted to someone and not liking them. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information.
you, -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
when " -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since." This is not the more common word for "when." Here, the condition is less certain to happen.
they -- This is from the third-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.
separate - "Separate" is a verb which means "to mark off boundaries," and "to separate" in the sense of "distinguish" as well as "to banish."
you -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
from their company, -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "from their company, " in the Greek source.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
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.
reproach - -- The Greek verb translated as "revile" means "to chide" and it is translated elsewhere in the Gospels as "upbraid." We would say "scod."
you, -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
cast -- "Cast out" is a verb that means "throw out." Depending on the context, it can mean "toss out," "turn out," or "take out." It is usually translated as "cast out" in the NT. See this article for more detail.
out - This completes the meaning of the verb. It is from the prefix.
your -- The word translated as "your" is a plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so the possessive "of yours."
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated 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," and "those"). See this article for more.
name -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as it does in English, but it doesn't mean the things themselves, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only." It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss." See this article for more.
as -- The word translated as "as" has a very broad meaning, translated as "when," "where," "just as," "like," and related words. It means "how" only in an exclamation with and adjective or adverb like "how wonderful."
evil, -- (CW) The word translated as "evil" means "second-rate" or "worthless." When used as a noun, it has the sense of "worthlessness" or, when referring to an action, a "failure." It doesn't have a sense of malevolence that our word "evil" does. This article explores its meaning in more detail.
for -- "For...sake" is from a preposition means "on account of," "as far as regards," "in consequence of," and "because." This preposition is usually paired with the noun "sake" in English. The word translated as "sake" means "on account of," "because," and "in consequence of."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. 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.
Son -- The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "children." It can refer to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. Jesus also used it metaphorically to describe those who follow a way of thought or set of beliefs that descend from an individual. More about it in this article.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that required 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 "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples."
's -- This word "'s" comes from the possessive form of "son."
sake. -- This word completes the meaning of th earlier proposition.
Blessed -- The word "blessed" in Greek is an adjective a noun meaning "happy" or "fortunate" but with the sense of being favored by God. However, it does not refer to a religious blessing. It can also mean "wealthy" with in the sense of "the wealthy" (men with a fortune).
are -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
you , -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
when " -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since." This is not the more common word for "when." Here, the condition is less certain to happen.
missing "the/these" -- (MW) The untranslated 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," and "those"). See this article for more.
people -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples."
hate -- "Hate" is a Greek verb meaning "to hate." The word is not primarily an emotion as it is in English. Instead, it is a negative state, not being devoted to someone and not liking them. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information.
you, -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
missing "and" -- (MW) The untranslated word "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
when " -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since." This is not the more common word for "when." Here, the condition is less certain to happen.
they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
exclude - "Exclude" is a verb that means "to mark off boundaries," and "to separate" in the sense of "distinguish" as well as "to banish."
you -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
insult - -- The Greek verb translated as "insult" means "to chide" and it is translated elsewhere in the Gospels as "upbraid." We would say "scod."
you, -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
reject -- (CW) "Reject" is a verb that means "throw out." Depending on the context, it can mean "toss out," "turn out," or "take out." It is usually translated as "cast out" in the NT. See this article for more detail. This verb is more of a physical action than merely "reject."
your -- The word translated as "your" is a plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so the possessive "of yours."
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated 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," and "those"). See this article for more.
name -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as it does in English, but it doesn't mean the things themselves, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only." It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss." See this article for more.
as -- The word translated as "as" has a very broad meaning, translated as "when," "where," "just as," "like," and related words. It means "how" only in an exclamation with and adjective or adverb like "how wonderful."
evil, -- (CW) The word translated as "evil" means "second-rate" or "worthless." When used as a noun, it has the sense of "worthlessness" or, when referring to an action, a "failure." It doesn't have a sense of malevolence that our word "evil" does. This article explores its meaning in more detail.
Because -- "Because " is from a preposition means "on account of," "as far as regards," "in consequence of," and "because." This preposition is usually paired with the noun "sake" in English. The word translated as "sake" means "on account of," "because," and "in consequence of."
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that required the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession,
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. 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.
Son -- The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "children." It can refer to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. Jesus also used it metaphorically to describe those who follow a way of thought or set of beliefs that descend from an individual. More about it in this article.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that required 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 "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples."
μακάριοί [25 verses](adj plmasc nom ) "Blessed" is makarios which means "blessed," "prosperous," "happy," "fortunate," and "blissful."
ἐστε [614 verses] (verb 2nd pl pres ind act ) "Are you" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the genitive object, it means "is descended from," "is the type of," "belongs to," "is made of," "is a duty of," "is at the mercy of," or " is dependent on." With the dative object, the object acts like a possessive and "it is to him" becomes "it is his." With the preposition, εἰς, the sense is "consist of."
ὅταν [70 verses](adv/conj) "When" is from hotan, which means "whenever (as a condition)," and "since (as a cause).
μισήσωσιν [20 verses](verb 3rd pl aor subj act) "Hate" is miseo, which means "to hate" and in passive, "to be hated."
ὑμᾶς [210 verses](pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural objective form of the second-person pronoun, "you."
οἱ [821 verses](article pl masc nom) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." Proper nouns do normally not take articles but they are needed when the noun ending cannot be changed to show the noun's role in the sentence as an object, indirect object, or genitive (possessive) form. However, the Greek article is very close to "this" so the purpose of an article like this can also be demonstrative. See this article. -
ἄνθρωποι, [209 verses](noun pl masc nom) "Men" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is 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."
ὅταν [70 verses](adv/conj) "When" is from hotan, which means "whenever (as a condition)," and "since (as a cause)."
ἀφορίσωσιν [3 verses](verb 3rd pl aor subj act ) "They shall separate...from their company" is aphorizo which means "to mark off boundaries," "to separate," "distinguish," "bring to an end," "finish," "grant as a special gift," "banish," "set apart for rejection," and "distinguish."
ὑμᾶς [210 verses](pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural objective form of the second-person pronoun, "you."
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is 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."
ὀνειδίσωσιν [2 verses] (3rd pl aor subj act) "Revile" is oneidizo, which means "to cast in [one's teeth]", "to make a reproach", "to reproach," "to upbraid," and "to chide." -
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is 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."
ἐκβάλωσιν [33 verses](verb 3rd pl aor subj act) "Cast out" is ekballo and means "toss out," "through out of a place,"and "expose." Ek means "out of," "from," and "away from." Ballo is "to throw" or "to scatter."
τὸ [821 verses](article sg neut nom) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." Proper nouns do normally not take articles but they are needed when the noun ending cannot be changed to show the noun's role in the sentence as an object, indirect object, or genitive (possessive) form. However, the Greek article is very close to "this" so the purpose of an article like this can also be demonstrative. See this article. -
ὄνομα [47 verses] (noun sg neut nom) "Name" is onoma, which means "name." It means both the reputation of "fame," and "a name and nothing else," as opposed to a real person. Acting in someone's name means to act on their behalf, as their representative.
ὑμῶν [168 verses](pron 2nd pl gen) "Your/you" is humon, the plural possessive form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you." It is either a possessive pronoun or the object of a preposition.
ὡς (167 verses](adv/conj) "As" is hos, an adverb which means to "thus," "as," "when," "where," "like," "just as," "so far as," "as much as can be," "that," "in order that," "nearly (with numbers)," and "know that." It means "how" only in an exclamation with and adjective or adverb like "how wonderful."
πονηρὸν [38 verses](adj pl masc nom)"Evil" is poneros, which means "burdened by toil," "useless," and "worthless." In a moral sense, it means "worthless," "base," and "cowardly."
ἕνεκεν [17 verses](prep ) "For" is heneka, which is part of the preposition that means "on account of," "as far as regards," "in consequence of," and "because." This preposition is usually paired with the noun "sake" in English.
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." Proper nouns do normally not take articles but they are needed when the noun ending cannot be changed to show the noun's role in the sentence as an object, indirect object, or genitive (possessive) form. However, the Greek article is very close to "this" so the purpose of an article like this can also be demonstrative. See this article.
υἱοῦ[158 verses] (noun sg masc gen) "Son" is huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child." It is used generally to refer to any male descendant.
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." Proper nouns do normally not take articles but they are needed when the noun ending cannot be changed to show the noun's role in the sentence as an object, indirect object, or genitive (possessive) form. However, the Greek article is very close to "this" so the purpose of an article like this can also be demonstrative. See this article. -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. 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.
ἀνθρώπου: [209 verses](noun sg masc gen) "Of man" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate. -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples."
The "cast out your name as evil" phrase more accurately translates to "tossing out your name as worthless" in the sense of tossing out the garbage.
This verse is very different than the verse in Matthew (Matthew 5:11) that is its closest parallel. This is the best evidence that Christ said similar things in very different ways on different occasions. Of course, in this case, Luke describes a very different setting than that of the Sermon on the Mount, so the linguistic content just proves the point. The difference in the previous verse (Luke 6:21) and its Matthew parallel (Matthew 5:6) could be explained by missing parts in one version or the other, but this verse is only similar to its closest parallel in the use of a couple of words.