In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus identifies himself to those coming to arrest him.
John 18:8 I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
John 18:8 I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.
I told you because I myself am he. Since so, leave these to go away.
Some trials we must face alone, letting our supporters go free.
Lots of little mistakes here. The word is translated as "that" has more the sense of "because." He is explaining that he said he was Jesus because he was Jesus, implying that they might suspect someone was pretending to be Jesus, which is strange because Judas was there. Perhaps this whole discussion implies that Jesus's enemies didn't trust Judas. The word translated as "if" only means "if" with a verb that indicates a possibility. If the verb is declarative, as it is here, the sense is "since." The word that follows, translated as "therefore" and "then" has a special meaning after this "since" as "so." The sense is "if this is so." The verb "go" is an infinitive. It has more the sense of "go away," but we also use "go" generically to mean "go away."
- 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).
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "myself" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "therefore" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WF --Wrong Form - The "go" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to go."
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "their way" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "myself" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "then" doesn't appear here but after the word "if."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "therefore" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "men" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF --Wrong Form - The "go" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to go."
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.
told - The word translated as "told" means "to say" and "to speak." It is one of the two most common words translated "speak," "say" and "tell," but it has more a sense of addressing and proclaiming.
you -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.
that -- The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
I -- The pronoun "I" is used here. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, this pronoun accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.
missing "myself" -- (MW) The subject pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
am -- The verb "am" 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.
he. -- This English objective pronoun is added and not in the Greek source. In Greek, pronoun objects are not repeated after each verb because they are implied by their first occurrence.
if -- (CW) The "if" here expresses a condition but it means nothing regarding whether that condition is met or not when used with the subjective negative. It also means "if ever" and "whenever." However, when used in an "if" clause, the verb is the subjunctive form of possibility. When citing a fact with a declarative verb, indicative, instead of one of possibility with the objective negative, the sense is more "since" or "as sure as." Here, the sense is "since."
therefore -- (CW) 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. However, with the word translated as "if" the sense is "if so."
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
seek -- The Greek verb translated as "seek" has a variety of meanings around the idea of "searching" and "desiring." It has a sense of seeking with a specific aim. It also means to "search," "inquire into," "investigate," and "examine."
me, -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb 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.
let -- The word translated as "forgive" primarily means "to let go" or "to send away." It has the sense of leaving something alone and letting it drop. This same word is usually translated as "leave," "forgive," "suffer," and "let" in the New Testament. See this article for more.
these -- "These" is a demonstrative pronoun that means "this," "here," "the nearer," and "the familiar." It often stands apart from its noun, acting like a pronoun, "this one here" or "this here."
go -- (WF) "Go" is a Greek verb that means literally "go under" or "bring under," and Jesus uses it to mean "go away" and "depart."
their way: -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "their way" in the Greek source.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
told - The word translated as "told" means "to say" and "to speak." It is one of the two most common words translated "speak," "say" and "tell," but it has more a sense of addressing and proclaiming.
you -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.
that -- The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
I -- The pronoun "I" is used here. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, this pronoun accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.
missing "myself" -- (MW) The subject pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
am -- The verb "am" 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.
he. -- This English objective pronoun is added and not in the Greek source. In Greek, pronoun objects are not repeated after each verb because they are implied by their first occurrence.
If -- (CW) The "if" here expresses a condition but it means nothing regarding whether that condition is met or not when used with the subjective negative. It also means "if ever" and "whenever." However, when used in an "if" clause, the verb is the subjunctive form of possibility. When citing a fact with a declarative verb, indicative, instead of one of possibility with the objective negative, the sense is more "since" or "as sure as." Here, the sense is "since."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
are -- This helping verb indicates the present tense of the verb. It is used here to form the present, progressive tense, which doesn't exist in Greek but which can smooth the flow of English sentences.
looking for -- The Greek verb translated as "looking for" has a variety of meanings around the idea of "searching" and "desiring." It has a sense of seeking with a specific aim. It also means to "search," "inquire into," "investigate," and "examine."
me, -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb 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.
then -- (WP, CW) The Greek word translated as "then" 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. This word appears
let -- The word translated as "forgive" primarily means "to let go" or "to send away." It has the sense of leaving something alone and letting it drop. This same word is usually translated as "leave," "forgive," "suffer," and "let" in the New Testament. See this article for more.
these -- "These" is a demonstrative pronoun that means "this," "here," "the nearer," and "the familiar." It often stands apart from its noun, acting like a pronoun, "this one here" or "this here."
men -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "men" in the Greek source.
go -- (WF) "Go" is a Greek verb that means literally "go under" or "bring under," and Jesus uses it to mean "go away" and "depart."
Εἶπον [162 verses] (1st sg aor ind act) "I have told" is eipon, which means "to speak," "to say," "to recite," "to address," "to mention," "to name," "to proclaim," "to plead," "to promise," and "to offer." This is the second most common word Jesus uses for this idea. Perhaps translating it consistently as "tell" would work.
ὑμῖν [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you." to -- This word "to" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "That" is 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."
ἐγώ [162 verses](pron 1st sg masc nom) "I" is ego, which is the first-person singular pronoun meaning "I." It also means "I at least," "for my part," "indeed," and for myself.
εἰμι .[614 verses](verb 1st sg pres ind ac) "Am" 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, the
εἰ [90 verses](conj) "If" is ei, which is the particle used to express conditions "if" (implying nothing about its fulfillment) or indirect questions, "whether." It also means "if ever," "in case," and "whenever." In citing a fact, it can mean "as sure as" or "since." It is combined with various conjunctions to create derivative conditions. When appearing as εἰ δὲ (literally, "if however") the sense is "if this...then that." The construction εἰ οὖν has the sense of "if so." However, it is also used to express a wish. After verbs of wonder, delight, indignation, disappointment, contentment, and similar emotions, the sense is "that" (hoti) with the indicative (not subjunctive).
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."
ἐμὲ [49 verses](pron 1st sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which is the objective first-person, objective, singular pronoun that means "me."
ζητεῖτε, , [36 verses](verb 2nd pl pres ind act) "Ye seek" is zeteo, which means "inquire for," "search for," "seek after," "desire," and "feel the want of."
ἄφετε [73 verses](verb 2nd pl aor imperat act) "Let" is aphiemi, which means "to let fall," "to send away," "give up," "hand over," "to let loose," "to get rid of," "to leave alone," "to pass by," "to permit," and "to send forth from oneself."
τούτους [51 verses] (adj pl masc acc) "These" is toutos, which is a demonstrative pronoun that means "this," "here," "the nearer," and "the familiar."
ὑπάγειν: [47 verses](verb pres inf act) "Go their way" is hypago, which means "to lead under," "to bring under," "to bring a person before judgment," "to lead on by degrees," "to take away from beneath," "to withdraw," "to go away," "to retire," "to draw off," and "off with you."
At this site, we look at Christ's words apart from the larger context, as if they were address not to those around him, discussing a temporary issue, but to us today, about our lives. This verse is a great example. Though spoken to those who came to arrest him, it could be said to any of us about our relationships to God.
Though translated in KJV as "I am he," the Greek is simpler, sounding more like a basic "I am" statement identifying God. The pronoun "I" is unnecessary, but added here to give it weight. It is an emphatic "I am."
A true seeker must let other things go. The word translated as "let" is usually translated as "leave" or, when used with the word for "sin" as "forgive." "Let" is closer to its actual meaning, which is to drop things without caring where they fall. Letting go.