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Today's Verse Analysis

Matthew 15:17 Do you not yet understand,

Responding to Peter's request to explain his saying Matthew 15:11 That which goes into the mouth

Spoken to
Apostles

Matthew 15:17 οὐ νοεῖτε ὅτι πᾶν τὸ εἰσπορευόμενον εἰς τὸ στόμα εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν χωρεῖ καὶ εἰς ἀφεδρῶνα ἐκβάλλεται;

KJV Verse

Matthew 15:17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

NIV Verse:

Matthew 15:17 Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?

What His Listeners Heard:

Don't you understand that all this being entered into the mouth makes way into the belly and is tossed out into a sewer.

 

Lost In Translation:

Both English translations are too delicate to use the word "sewer." This remarks is a bit too crude for them to translate accurately. One indication that this was said in humor is his use of the Greek word meaning "tossed out" that he often uses in his more extreme verses.  However, the NIV's translated of the word for "sewer" to "body" is also unintentionally funny, equating our bodies with sewers. 

Jesus's point is that the digestion of food makes it even more unclean, so eating what is unclean doesn't matter. 

KJV w/Translation Issues :

Do not ye yet(IW) understand(CW), that whatsoever(WW) (MW) entereth(WF) in at the mouth goeth(WW) into the belly, and is cast out into the(IW) draught?

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.