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Today's Verse Analysis

Matthew 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them,

Jesus to Peter regarding paying taxes.

Spoken to
Peter

Matthew 17:27 ἵνα δὲ μὴ σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς, πορευθεὶς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καὶ τὸν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθὺν ἆρον, καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα: ἐκεῖνον λαβὼν δὸς αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ.

KJV Verse

Matthew 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

NIV Verse:

Matthew 17:27 But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.

What His Listeners Heard:

Because, however, we shouldn't trip them up, crossing into a sea, toss a hook.  And that one fish rising up first remove and opening that mouth of it you will find a money piece there, getting, give to them for me and you.

Lost In Translation:

This verse is loaded with words Jesus uses to make points about knowledge and understanding. These are mostly lost in translation. This symbolism does seem to be intentional even though these ideas don't seem to have anything to do with the topic, which is purely functional, even if it is a miracle. However, think about the miracle here: it is one of having knowledge that no one could have.

As we commonly see, Jesus uses a lot of participles, verbal adjectives, which are changed here to active verbs.

KJV w/Translation Issues :

Notwithstanding(CW), lest(CW) we should offend them, go(CW,WF) thou(IW) to the(IW) sea, and(CW) cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh(WW) up; and [when thou(IP)] hast(WT) opened(WF) his (MW) mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take(WF), and(IW give unto them for me and thee.

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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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.