Mar 11:25 And when you stand praying, forgive...
Mar 11:25 And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Alternative: And whenever you stand praying leave [it] alone if you have anything against anyone because your father in heaven may leave you your slip-ups.
Wordplay: The "if anything against anyone" phrase in the alternative comes closer to the simple and direct formulation in Greek, repeating the same word (tis) for a phrase that comes literally to "if any against any." This is lost in English where the repeated word is translated very differently as "ought" and "any."
Hidden meaning: The words translated as "forgive" and "trespasses" are very different in the original Greek. Though often translated as "forgive" in the NT, the word used, aphiêmi, means letting go and leaving behind, a very general idea without any connection to pass wrongs. The word translated as "trespasses" is also much softer in the Greek, meaning what we would describe simply as "slip-ups" and "blunders."
This is very consistent with the mistranslation of all the ideas related to "sin" and "evil," which, in the original Greek are much, much software almost everywhere in Christ's words. Much more on that here.
Thematically and Linguistically Related Verse(s): Mat 6:14-15 uses much of the same vocabulary to express much the same idea. Mat 18:35 uses much of the same vocabulary but to express a threat if we don't let others alone.
Vocabulary:
"When" is from hotan (hotan), which means "whenever (as a condition)," and "since (as a cause)."
"Stand" is from stêkô (steko), which means "stand."
"Praying" is from proseuchomai (proseuchomai), which means "to offer prayers or vows," and "to pray for a thing."
"Forgive" is from aphiêmi (aphiemi), which means "to let fall," "to send away," "to let loose," "to get rid of," "to leave alone," "to pass by," "to permit," and "to send forth from oneself." This same word is usually translated as "leave," "forgive," "suffer," and "let" in the New Testament.
"If" is from ei (ei), which means "come now (in interjections)," "if," "whether," "if ever," "whenever,"
"Ought" and "any" are from tis (tis) which can mean "someone," "any one," "everyone," "many a one," "whoever," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who," "why," or "what."
"Have" is from echô (echo), which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to maintain," "to hold fast," "to bear," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do."
"Against" is from kata (kata), which means "downwards," "down from," "down into," "against," "down toward," "opposite," "separately," "individually," "at a time," "towards," "in accordance with," "concerning," "corresponding with," "during the course of a period," and "severally."
"That" is from hina (hina), which means "in that place," "there," "where," "when," "that," "in order that," "when," and "because."
"Father" is from pater (pater), which means "father," "grandfather," "author," "parent," and "forefathers."
"Heaven" is from the Greek ouranos (ouranos), which means "heaven as in the vault of the sky," "heaven as the seat of the gods," "the sky," "the universe," and "the climate."
"Trespasses" is a paraptôma, which means "false step," "blunder," and "slip." Only in the NT is is defined as "trespass."
