After being condemned by the Pharisees for letting a woman "sinner" wash his feet with her tears, Jesus performs a scene with Simon the Pharisee to make a point.
Luke 7:42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Luke 7:42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
With their not having it to give back, he graced both. Which. then, of them should care more for him?
We should care about how much we are given.
The beginning phrase is a Greek form called the "genitive absolute" that indicates something happening at the same time as the main clause. This is a participle phrase, "their not having." It require a word like "when," "while," or "with" to indicate this. The phrase "not having" require and object in English, so an "it" should be added because the object is often assumed in Greek.
The verb translated as "forgave" is not the common word translated as "forgive" but a verb that only appears in this verse. It is a verb form of the word that means "grace" or "favor." It should be "graced" with carries the meaning needed here.
The word translated as "will love" expresses a lot of different ideas including to care for," "to be fond of", "to greet with affection", "to persuade", and "to be contented with." See this article on love for more information. Jesus uses it in it in relationships where their is an obligation to care for someone. The tense could be the future, but it is more likely a form that indicates something he "should" do.
The Greek word translated as "more/most" is an adjective that means "more" in many different senses of the word. It is not the superlative form ("most"), but the comparative ("more"). But with two people, "more" and "most" are the same.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "and" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not a subject form of an active verb but a subject of a participle so "their."
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, ending with "-ing" or, in past tenses, "-ed," so "having."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "pay" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "frankly forgave" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "tell" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "of them" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- CW - Confusing Word - This is one of two different verbs with different meanings translated as "love" so the translation confuses them.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
- WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "no" doesn't appear here but negates the verb.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, ending with "-ing" or, in past tenses, "-ed," so "having."
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "the money" doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "him" doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "so" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "forgave" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "the debts of" doesn't exist in the source.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "now" should be something more like "then."
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "of them" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW - Confusing Word - This is one of two different verbs with different meanings translated as "love" so the translation confuses them.
And -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as this in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.
when - This comes from the genitive absolute structure indicating an action happening at the same time as the main clause. It is better translated as "while."
they -- (WF) The word translated as "they" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person pronoun. The form is the third person, plural in the genitive form. It is used as a possessive or the object of a verb or preposition. As a preposition's object means a movement away from something or a position away from something else. This pronoun follows the noun so "of theirs." In a genitive absolute, it form the subject.
had -- (WF) The word translated as "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "hold in," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. When its object is an infinitive verb, it means "it could," not "in must" as in English. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as the helper verb does in English. Nor does it have the sense of "must" when used with infinitives.
nothing -- The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, verbs of possibility, and requests. Used with verbs in the mood of possibility to express a prohibition. It is used with verbs of subjective action--thinking, feeling, seeing, etc. While it is not the Greek word meaning "nothing," in English "having," "holding," and "possessing" all need an object so the negative object is needed here.
to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English.
pay, -- (CW) "Pay" is a compound verb that means "to give back," "to give over," and "to transmit." It literally means "to give from." The form is singular, "it has been given over."
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
frankly forgave - (CW) The verb translated as "frankly forgave" is used only here by Jesus. It means to "say or do something agreeable", "gratify", "give graciously or cheerfully", and "give freely" of a thing, It is not the word translated as "forgive" most commonly in the Gospels. The sense is "gave cheerfully".
them both. -- The word translated as "both" means "both sides" and "both ways" as well as "both together." It is chosen because unlike the common word for "both," it implies two different ways or sides together.
Tell -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as this in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.
me -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. IW - Inserted Word -- The "me" doesn't exist in the source.
therefore, -- The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly," "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative, "then," "therefore." Jesus uses it to respond positively to questions, but in parables, it can continue the story.
which -- The Greek word translated as "which" in the singular means "anyone," "someone," "something," and "anything." The same forms are used both for the masculine or feminine so "anyone" works best for a person. In the plural, it means "everyone," "some," "they," and "those." Jesus often uses it to start a question so it means "who," "what," or even "why."
of them -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as this in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.
will -- This helping verb "will " indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. A "might" or "should" could work here or nothing at all in an "if/when/whoever" clause which implies a possibility. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
love -- (CW) The word translated as "love" expresses a lot of different ideas including "to be fond of," "to greet with affection," "to persuade," and "to be contented with." Jesus however, applies it to relationships where we have a duty to care for others: family, God, etc. Another word, also translated as "love," is used to for relationships of affectionate friendship that are more voluntary. To distinguish this word, translating it as "cares for" seems to work best. See this article on love for more information.
him -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person pronoun. The form is the third person, singular, masculine as an object of a verb or preposition. However, masculine pronouns refer to masculine nouns, not just masculine people so this word can mean "it" as well as "he." As a preposition's object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement. Events may show the amount of time.
most? -- The Greek word translated as "most" is an adjective that means "more" in many different senses of the word. Used as a noun, it means "a majority."
missing "when/while" -- (MW) The untranslated word is a word indicating that this clause happens at the same time as the following sentence.
Neither -- (WP) The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, verbs of possibility, and requests. Used with verbs in the mood of possibility to express a prohibition. It is used with verbs of subjective action--thinking, feeling, seeing, etc. While this is not the Greek word meaning "neither," and it modifies the verb, not the pronoun,
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.
them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person pronoun. The form is the third person, plural in the genitive form. It is used as a possessive or the object of a verb or preposition. As a preposition's object means a movement away from something or a position away from something else. This pronoun follows the noun so "of theirs." In a genitive absolute, it form the subject.
had -- (WF) The word translated as "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "hold in," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. When its object is an infinitive verb, it means "it could," not "in must" as in English. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as the helper verb does in English. Nor does it have the sense of "must" when used with infinitives.
the money -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source.
to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English.
pay, -- "Are delivered" is a compound verb that means "to give back," "to give over," and "to transmit." It literally means "to give from." The form is singular, "it has been given over."
him -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
back, - This completes the meaning of the verb. It is from the prefix.
so-- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
forgave - (CW) The verb translated as "frankly forgave" is used only here by Jesus. It means to "say or do something agreeable", "gratify", "give graciously or cheerfully", and "give freely" of a thing, It is not the word translated as "forgive" most commonly in the Gospels. The sense is "gave cheerfully".
the debts of -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source.
both. -- The word translated as "both" means "both sides" and "both ways" as well as "both together." It is chosen because unlike the common word for "both," it implies two different ways or sides together.
Now -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly," "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative, "then," "therefore." Jesus uses it to respond positively to questions, but in parables, it can continue the story. There should not be "now.".
which -- The Greek word translated as "which" in the singular means "anyone," "someone," "something," and "anything." The same forms are used both for the masculine or feminine so "anyone" works best for a person. In the plural, it means "everyone," "some," "they," and "those." Jesus often uses it to start a question so it means "who," "what," or even "why."
of them -- -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source.
will -- This helping verb "will " indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. A "might" or "should" could work here or nothing at all in an "if/when/whoever" clause which implies a possibility. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
love -- (CW) The word translated as "love" expresses a lot of different ideas including "to be fond of," "to greet with affection," "to persuade," and "to be contented with." Jesus however, applies it to relationships where we have a duty to care for others: family, God, etc. Another word, also translated as "love," is used to for relationships of affectionate friendship that are more voluntary. To distinguish this word, translating it as "cares for" seems to work best. See this article on love for more information.
him -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person pronoun. The form is the third person, singular, masculine as an object of a verb or preposition. However, masculine pronouns refer to masculine nouns, not just masculine people so this word can mean "it" as well as "he." As a preposition's object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement. Events may show the amount of time.
more? -- The Greek word translated as "most" is an adjective that means "more" in many different senses of the word. Used as a noun, it means "a majority."
μὴ [447 verses](conj) "Nothing" is me , which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." The negative, μή, rejects, is relative, and subjective. It is used in imperative and subjunctive clauses because both express opinions. This negative applies to will and thought. With pres. or aor. subjunctive, it is used in a warning or statement of fear, "take care" It can be the conjunction "lest" or "for fear that." Used before tis with an imperative to express a will or wish for something in independent sentences and, with subjunctives, to express prohibitions. It is used with infinitives that express a purpose.
ἐχόντων [181 verses](part pl pres act masc gen) "Had" is echo, which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to have due to one," "to maintain," "to hold fast," "to hold in," "to bear," "to carry," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do." In aorist, it can mean "acquire," or "get." The main sense when it has an object is "to have" or "to hold." It can also mean "to without" or "keep back" a thing.
αὐτῶν [86 verses](pron/adj pl masc/fem/neut gen) "They auton, is the genitive case of the third-person, plural adjective that is used as a pronoun. The word also means "the same," "one's true self," and "the soul" as opposed to the body. It also means "of one's own accord."
ἀποδοῦναι [22 verses](verb aor inf act) "To pay" is apodidomi which means "to give back," "to restore," and "to deliver." It has the economic sense of "to sell" or "to give something for one's own profit." It begins with apo the preposition of separation and origin, the idea of "from" in English, -didômi which means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," and "to describe."
ἀμφοτέροις [5 verses](adj pl masc dat) "Them both" is amphoteroi, which means "either," "both of two," "both together," "towards both sides," "both ways," "on both sides," and "all together."
ἐχαρίσατο. [1 verse](verb 3rd sg aor ind mp) "He frankly forgave" is charizomai, which means to "say or do something agreeable", to "oblige", "humor", "make oneself agreeable", "comply", "gratify or indulge a humour", "give graciously or cheerfully", "give freely" of a thing, "give up as a favour", and, in the passive, "to do things pleasing to one". It is the verb form of a noun that is usually translated as "grace" or "favor."
τίς [252 verses](irreg sg masc nom) "Which" is tis, which can mean "someone," "something," "any one," "everyone," "they [indefinite]," "many a one," "whoever," "anyone," "anything," "some sort," "some sort of," "each," "any," "the individual," "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who," "why," or "what." Plural, "who are" is τίνες ἐόντες. It has specific meanings with certain prepositions, διὰ τί; for what reason? ἐκ τίνος; from what cause? ἐς τί; to what point? to what end?
οὖν [82 verses](adv) "Therefore" is oun, which means "certainly," "in fact," "really," "in fact," "so" and "then" (continuing a narrative), and "then" and "therefore."
πλεῖον [15 verses](adj sg neut acc comp) "Most" is pleion, which means "more [of number, size, extent]," "longer [of time]," "greater than," "further than," (with an article) "the greater number," "the mass or crowd," "the greater part," "the advantage." As an adverb, "more," or "rather." Used as a noun, it means "a majority."
ἀγαπήσει [32 verses] (verb 3rd sg aor subj act or verb 3rd sg fut ind act or verb 3rd sg fut perf ind act) "Will love" is agapao, which means "to be fond of," "to greet with affection," "to persuade," "to caress," "to prize," "to desire," "to be pleased with," and "to be contended with." This love is more associated with affection in relationships where we are obligated. Jesus uses another word. Jesus uses another word, phileô, which means "to love," "to like," "to be fond of doing," and "to show affection" to express "love" in the sense of like and dislike.He never uses the word eros, which describes romantic, sexual love.
αὐτὸν [124 verses](pron/adj sg masc acc) "Him/It" is auton, is the masculine, accusative case of the third-person, singular adjective that is used as a pronoun. Masculine pronouns can refer to things as well as people, so it can be it." The word also means "the same," and "of one's own accord." An accusative object of a preposition indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement. Events may show the amount of time