Luke 6:20 Blessed be ye poor

Spoken to
audience

Jesus begins teaching in the plain of Judea, attracting people from all over wanting to be healed.

KJV

Luke 6:20 Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

NIV

Luke 6:20 Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

LISTENERS HEARD

Fortunate these beggars! Because your things belong to this realm of the Divine.

MY TAKE

We are all poor in many ways.

GREEK ORDER

Μακάριοι   οἱ      πτωχοί,   ὅτι           ὑμετέρα       ἐστὶν    βασιλεία     τοῦ θεοῦ.
Fortunate these beggars! Because your things  belong to this realm of the Divine.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The humor in this line is in the first two words instead of the end, as is more common for Jesus's punchlines. Here the first two word mean "fortunate the poor" or "wealthy the poor." This is an obvious contradiction. Since this is the very beginning of his presentation, he wanted to start off on a funny but confounding note.

Jesus changes this line from the Sermon on the Mount version by making it all in the second person. He doesn't do that at the Sermon until after the Beatitudes are finished. However, he doesn't seem to be initially addressing the poor, but the audience. The word translated as "ye.you" in the first verse is the definite article, but the use of that article makes it clear that Jesus is not addressing them. There is no definite article, used when addressing someone. No article is used or they used two other letters. Jesus switches to "yours" in the "because" clause. Jesus often uses "because" to answer a question so perhaps the beggars asked, "why?"

This verse, however, also takes out the humor at the end. It "fixes" a problem with the Matthew 5:3 parallel, changing the word that means "theirs" to that it is no longer a form which creates multiple meanings for "is." It also simplifies the verse by taking out the "in spirit" part that could be interpreted in a variety of ways. These two changes could indicate that Jesus simplified his teaching over time or that the Gospel writer simplified it for him.

The "kingdom of heaven" literally means the "realm of the skies." This article on The Kingdom of Heaven discusses it further and it is updated regularly.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
6

Blessed(CW) be(WN) ye(WWthe) poor(CW): for yours(WF) is the kingdom (MWthe) of God.

  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "blessed" means "blessed" primarily in the sense of "lucky" or "fortunate" without a sense of a "blessing."
  • WN  --Wrong Number- The word "be" is translated as singular but the Greek word is plural.
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "ye" should be something more like "the."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "poor" means "beggar."
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This "yours" doesn't refer to people, but things.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
5

Blessed(CW) are you(WWthe) [who are poor(IP2), for yours(WF) is the kingdom (MWthe) of God.

  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "blessed" means "blessed" primarily in the sense of "lucky" or "fortunate" without a sense of a "blessing."
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "you" should be something more like "the."
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "who are " doesn't exist in the source. This is counted as 2 translation issues, not 1.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "poor" means "beggar." 
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This doesn't refer to people, but things.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
EACH WORD of KJV

Blessed -- (CW) The word "blessed" in Greek is an adjective from a root word meaning "happy" or "fortunate." In Jesus's era, all luck was attributed to divine favor but this is not otherwise a religious word. It has no relationship to the Greek verb "bless" or the noun "blessings." This word can also mean "wealthy". This sets up an interesting play on words that only works in Greek, saying "wealthy the poor,"

be -- (WN) There is no verb "be" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects. This word should not singular but plural because the words it joins are plural.

ye -- (WW) 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. There is no vocative definite article, (despite being shown in Perseus). When the vocative is meant, no article is used or they used two other letters.

poor -- (CW)  The Greek word translated as "poor" means "a beggar." It is the subject of the phrase and plural, "beggars." The first two words are literally, "Lucky these beggars."

for -- The "for" here is a causal adverb that means "seeing that", "because", or "since."

yours -- - (WF)The term translated as "your" is not the common pronoun, but a special term that refers to a group of people, "your people," "your goods," and "your household."Jesus uses it only four times in the Gospels. It is not the common pronoun usually translated as "your." Here it is neuter, plural meaning "your things." This doesn't refer to people, but things.

is  --  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.  With an object in the possessive form the "is" becomes "is of," which can mean "it is descended from," "it is the type of," "it belongs to," "is made of," "is a duty of," "is at the mercy of," or " is dependent on."  Though it is singular, a plural group of things used a single verb as a single things.

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. 

kingdom -- The word translated as "kingdom" can be the region, the reign, the castle or the authority of a ruler. Christ does not seem to use it to mean a physical region, so its translation as "reign" or "realm" seems more appropriate. This is especially true because the "reign" of a king means the execution of his will.

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 nouns. 

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. 

God. -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God," "the Divine" or "the divine one." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.

 

EACH WORD of NIV

Blessed -- (CW) The word "blessed" in Greek is an adjective from a root word meaning "happy" or "fortunate." In Jesus's era, all luck was attributed to divine favor but this is not otherwise a religious word. It has no relationship to the Greek verb "bless" or the noun "blessings." This word can also mean "wealthy". This sets up an interesting play on words that only works in Greek, saying "wealthy the poor,"

are --  There is no verb "be" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects. 

you -- (WW) 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. There is no vocative definite article, (despite being shown in Perseus). When the vocative is meant, no article is used or they used two other letters.

who are -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source.

poor -- (CW)  The Greek word translated as "poor" means "a beggar." It is the subject of the phrase and plural, "beggars." The first two words are literally, "Lucky these beggars."

for -- The "for" here is a causal adverb that means "seeing that", "because", or "since."

yours -- - (WF)The term translated as "your" is not the common pronoun, but a special term that refers to a group of people, "your people," "your goods," and "your household."Jesus uses it only four times in the Gospels. It is not the common pronoun usually translated as "your." Here it is neuter, plural meaning "your things." This doesn't refer to people, but things.

is  --  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.  With an object in the possessive form the "is" becomes "is of," which can mean "it is descended from," "it is the type of," "it belongs to," "is made of," "is a duty of," "is at the mercy of," or " is dependent on."  Though it is singular, a plural group of things used a single verb as a single things.

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. 

kingdom -- The word translated as "kingdom" can be the region, the reign, the castle or the authority of a ruler. Christ does not seem to use it to mean a physical region, so its translation as "reign" or "realm" seems more appropriate. This is especially true because the "reign" of a king means the execution of his will.

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 nouns. 

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. 

God. -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God," "the Divine" or "the divine one." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.

 

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

Μακάριοι [25 verses](adj pl masc nom) "Blessed" is makarios, which means "blessed", "prosperous", "happy", "fortunate," and "blissful."

οἱ [821 verses](article pl masc nom) "ye" 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." There is no vocative definite article, (despite being shown in Perseus). When the vocative is meant, no article is used or they used ω or ε.

πτωχοὶ , [17 verses](adj pl masc nom) "Poor" is ptochos, which means "beggar", "beggar-woman," and "beggarly."

ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "For" is from hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that", "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what", "because", "since," and "wherefore."

ὑμετέρα [4 verses](adj sg masc dat) "Yours" is hymeteros, which means "your", "yours," your goods," and "your house."

ἐστὶν .[614 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "Is" is from eimi (esti), which means "to be", "to exist", "to be the case," and "is possible."

[821 verses](article sg fem nom) "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."

βασιλεία [98 verses](noun sg fem nom) "Kingdom" is basileia, which means "kingdom", "dominion", "hereditary monarchy", "kingly office," (passive) "being ruled by a king," and "reign." "

τοῦ [821 verses](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."

θεοῦ [144 verses](noun sg masc gen) "God" is theos, which means "God," "divine," and "Deity."

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