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Today's Verse Analysis

Matthew 15:10 Hear, and understand

Responding to being attacked by Pharisees for violating traditions.

Spoken to
audience

Matthew 15:10  Ἀκούετε καὶ συνίετε:

KJV Verse

Matthew 15:10 Hear, and understand :

NIV Verse:

Matthew 15:10 Listen and understand.

What His Listeners Heard:

Listen,    and put [it] together!

Lost In Translation:

The word translated as "understand" means "to bring together." It means "understand" in the same sense that we say "put it together" to mean "understand." This tells us that Christ's idea of "understanding" was more like putting together pieces of a puzzle, not a passive process. It could be a command, but it could also be a simple statement.

Jesus uses a couple of different Greek word that can be translated as "hear." This particular one means not just hearing with the ear, but listening so you can understand. It can also be translated as "understand" though the KJV never does that.

 

 

KJV w/Translation Issues :

 Hear, and understand :

KJV List (See full page for word-by-word analysis):
For analysis of each word of original Greek and biblical verses, click here.

Constantly Updated

My analysis standards and methods are constantly improving. New information on each verse is provided as articles are updated. It requires approximately two years for me to work through updating each of Jesus's verses.

What Jesus's Listeners Heard

The everyday meanings of the Greek words Jesus used were different than the definitions they have been given over time in biblical translation. The word translations here are based upon documents of his time such as the Greek Septuagint, not ideas unknown in his time.

About this Site

See what Jesus said in Greek and see how his words are changed in English translation. My goal is to translate Jesus's words as they were heard when he taught, not the way they are interpreted today. The work here resurrects the humor and cleverness of Jesus's words lost in translation.

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Do Your Own Research

Each article provides detailed information on all the Greek words in each verse with links simplifying your own research. It compares the Greek to popular translations to show where words are confused, changed, left out, and added. This site offers research available nowhere else, such as how often Jesus uses a specific Greek word and links to a list of every verse in which he uses a given word.