Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things

Spoken to
Apostles

Jesus appears to disciples on a mountain in Galilee. These are the last words of Jesus in Matthew.

KJV

Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

NIV

Matthew 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

LISTENERS HEARD

Teaching them to watch everything over as much as  I ordered you myself. And look! I myself am with you all days until the culmination of this era.

MY TAKE

Jesus is here.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

To reinforce the idea of his presence, Jesus accentuates himself twice in this verse, once using the subjective pronoun and another time using the middle voice. Both are unnecessary, so he is making a point of his personally doing this.

The word translated here as "end" is not the common word translated as "end," which actually means "purpose" or "goal." This word means "culmination."

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
9
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "whatsoever" should be something more like "as much as."
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "have" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
  • WV  - Wrong Voice - The verb is in the middle voice requiring the concept of "myself" as its object.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "lo" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "myself" is not shown in the English translation, but it is needed to capture the pronoun as well as the form of the verb.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "even" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "end" is not the common word usually translated as "end."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "world" should be something more like "age."
  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "amen" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
9
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "and" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "obey" should be something more like "watch over."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "as much as" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "have" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
  • WV  - Wrong Voice - The verb is in the middle voice requiring the concept of "myself" as its object.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "surely" should be something more like "Look."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "myself" is not shown in the English translation, but it is needed to capture the pronoun as well as the form of the verb.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "very" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "end" is not the common word usually translated as "end."
EACH WORD of KJV

Teaching  - The Greek word translated as "teaching" means "to teach," "to instruct," "to indicate," "to explain," and "to give sign of." Christ uses this word and its noun form, "teacher," frequently. This is a different word that the word translated into "teach" in the KJV of the previous verse.

them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  

to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English.

observe  - The term "observe" means "to watch over," "to guard," "to take care of," "to give heed to," "to keep," and "to observe." Christ usually uses it to describe what people should do with teaching or laws.

all  - - The word translated as "all" is from the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything."

things  - There is no word, "things," in the Greek source, but this word comes from the neuter, plural form of the previous "all."

whatsoever  - -  (WW) "Whatsoever" is from a Greek adjective that is used as a comparison "as many as," "as much as," "as great as," "as far as," and "only so far as."

I  - -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

have-- (WT) This helping verb "have" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.

commanded  - "Commanded" is from a Greek verb that primarily means to give verbal commands or orders. Jesus only uses this word six times.

you: -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. 

missing "myself"-- (WV) A phrase is necessary because the form of the previous verb is a middle voice, which means that the subject is to  act on "myself," "for myself" or "by myself."

and,  - The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis "also."

lo,  - (CW) "Lo"  is a verbal command meaning "See!" and "Look!" It is from the most common word meaning "to see" in Greek. In a humorous vein, it is also an adverbial exclamation like we use the phrase "ta-da" in a magic show, or "voila" in French which means "see there". "Look here!" or "See there!" comes closest in English. Jesus uses it both ways.

I  - The pronoun "I" is used here. Since, as the subject of the sentence, it is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.

missing "myself" -- (MW)  The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."

am  - The verb here is the common form of "am" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition.

with  -  - "With" is from the Greek word that is almost always translated as "with" or a related concept such as "among" or "by the means of."

you -- The word translated as "your" is a plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."

al - -- The word translated as "all" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas.

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

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

unto  - The word translated as "unto" means "until" but it also means "in order that."

the .  -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, 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. 

end -- (CW) The word translated as "end" means literally "to bring together for a goal." It means the accomplishment of a shared purpose, so "culmination." It does not mean "end" in the sense of "destruction" of anything since it has the opposite sense of "accomplishment." It is also not the common word usually translated as "end."

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.

the .  -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, 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. 

world.  - - (WW) "World" is from a word that means "life," "lifetime," "age," or "generation." It is the source of our word "aeon." Christ seems to use it in a way to means either a lifetime or an age.

Amen. -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "also" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used. In the KJV, this word is usually translated as "verily," but not here.

EACH WORD of NIV

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

teaching - The Greek word translated as "teaching" means "to teach," "to instruct," "to indicate," "to explain," and "to give sign of." Christ uses this word and its noun form, "teacher," frequently. This is a different word that the word translated into "teach" in the KJV of the previous verse.

them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  

to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English.

obey - (WW) The term "observe" means "to watch over," "to guard," "to take care of," "to give heed to," "to keep," and "to observe." Christ usually uses it to describe what people should do with teaching or laws.

everything - - The word translated as "all" is from the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything."

missing "as much as"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  is from a Greek adjective that is used as a comparison "as many as," "as much as," "as great as," "as far as," and "only so far as."

I  - -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

have-- (WT) This helping verb "have" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.

commanded  - "Commanded" is from a Greek verb that primarily means to give verbal commands or orders. Jesus only uses this word six times.

you: -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. 

missing "myself"-- (WV) A phrase is necessary because the form of the previous verb is a middle voice, which means that the subject is to  act on "myself," "for myself" or "by myself."

And ,  - The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis "also."

surely ,  - (WW) "Surely"  is a verbal command meaning "See!" and "Look!" It is from the most common word meaning "to see" in Greek. In a humorous vein, it is also an adverbial exclamation like we use the phrase "ta-da" in a magic show, or "voila" in French which means "see there". "Look here!" or "See there!" comes closest in English. Jesus uses it both ways.

I  - The pronoun "I" is used here. Since, as the subject of the sentence, it is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.

missing "myself" -- (MW)  The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."

am  - The verb here is the common form of "am" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition.

with  -  - "With" is from the Greek word that is almost always translated as "with" or a related concept such as "among" or "by the means of."

you -- The word translated as "your" is a plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."

al - -- The word translated as "all" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas.

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

to  - The word translated as "to" means "until" but it also means "in order that."

the .  -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, 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. 

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

end -- (CW) The word translated as "end" means literally "to bring together for a goal." It means the accomplishment of a shared purpose, so "culmination." It does not mean "end" in the sense of "destruction" of anything since it has the opposite sense of "accomplishment." It is also not the common word usually translated as "end."

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.

the .  -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, 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. 

age.  - -  "Age" is from a word that means "life," "lifetime," "age," or "generation." It is the source of our word "aeon." Christ seems to use it in a way to means either a lifetime or an age.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

διδάσκοντες [12 verses](part pl pres act masc nom) "Teaching" is from didasko, which means "to teach," "to instruct," "to indicate," "to explain," and "to give sign of."

αὐτοὺς [720 verses](adj pl masc acc) "Them" is from autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."

τηρεῖν [17 verses](verb pres inf act) "To observe" is from tereo, which means "to watch over," "to guard," "to take care of," "to give heed to," "to keep," and "to observe."

πάντα [212 verses](adj pl neut acc) "All" is from pas, which means "all," "the whole," "every," "anyone," "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way," "on every side," "in every way," and "altogether." --

ὅσα [28 verses](adj pl neut acc) "Whatsoever" is from hosos, which means "as many," "as much as," "as great as," "as far as," and "only so far as."

ἐνετειλάμην [6 verses](verb 1st sg aor ind mid) "I have commanded" is entello, which means "to enjoin," "to command" especially verbally, "invest with legal powers," and "authorize to act."

ὑμῖν: [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is from humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "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."

ἰδοὺ [52 verses](adv, verb 2nd sg aor imperat mid)"Lo" is from idou, which means "to behold," "to see," and "to perceive." It acts as an adverbial phrase in this form meaning "Lo! Behold!" and "See there!' It is a form of the verb eido, which means "to see."

ἐγὼ [162 verses](pron 1st sg masc nom)  "I" is from ego, which is the first person singular pronoun meaning "I." It also means "I at least," "for my part," "indeed," and for myself.

μεθ᾽ [103 verses](prep) "With" is from meta, which means "with," "in the midst of," "among," "between," "in common," "along with," "by the aid of," "in one's dealings with," "into the middle of," "coming into," "in pursuit of," "after," "behind," "according to," and "next afterward."

ὑμῶν [168 verses] (pron 2nd pl gen) "You" is from humon, the plural possessive form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."

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

πάσας [212 verses] (adj pl fem acc) "Al--" is from pas, (with hemera below) which means "all," "the whole," "every," "anyone," "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way," "on every side," "in every way," and "altogether." -

τὰς [821 verses](article pl fem acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").

ἡμέρας (noun pl fem acc) "-ways" is from hemera, (with pas above) 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)."

ἕως [63 verses](conj) "Until" is from heos which means "until," "till," and "in order that" and "up to the point that."

τῆς [821 verses](article sg fem gen)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

συντελείας (noun sg fem gen) "End" is from synteleia, which came mean "completion," "end," or "consummation" of a scheme, but which primarily means "joint contribution for the public burdens," "a body of citizens who contributed jointly," "company," and "union of communities" grouped together or united to a larger state. However, the only other time Christ uses this word it is in the context of the gathering of a harvest.

τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

αἰῶνος. (noun sg masc gen) "Age" is from aion, which means "life," "lifetime," "age," or "generation."

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