Luke 22:31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you

Spoken to
Apostles

Last Supper after bequeathing a realm to the Apostles.

KJV

Luke 22:31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

NIV

Luke 22:31 Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.

3RD (NLT, if not otherwise identified)

Our adversaries think they can beg for favors. 

LISTENERS HEARD

Simon, Simon. Look, the adversary begs you for himself, for the winnowing, just like the wheat.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Simon is addressed here with only the command, "see" or "look", translated as "behold" in the KJV and left out of the NIV. The rest of the verse is address to all the apostles. The "sift you" is addressed to the group, not an individual.

"Satan" means "the adversary". See this article for much more. 

There are also two unique words for Jesus in this verse. 

The first is the one translated as "desired" and "asked". It is not the common words translated as these words. It has more the sense of "asked". In the form used here, to means "to ask for oneself". 

The other word is translated as "sifted". This word only appears here in the Greek literature in the Perseus database. It is a verb created from the word that means "sieve". 

This verse is clear proof that, when Jesus's words were recorded, some of the questions and comments of others were left out. Simon is addressed here for some reason, almost certainly because he made a comment or asked a question, but that comment or question was not recorded. We know that this statement wasn't made just about him personally, however, because the "you" here is plural. It is a good example of how the plural "you" in Greek is easily confused with the singular "you" in English.

GREEK ORDER

 

Σίμων Σίμων,   ἰδοὺ      Σατανᾶς  ἐξῃτήσατο           ὑμᾶς       τοῦ σινιάσαι     ὡς τὸν σῖτον:
Simon, Simon. Look, the adversary begs for himself, you    for the winnowing just like the wheat.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
7

Simon, Simon, behold, (MW) Satan(UW) hath(WT) desired(WW) to have(IW) you, [that he may(IP)] sift(WF) you as wheat:

  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "Satan" is not shown in the English translation.
  • UW --Untranslated Word -- The word "satan" means "adversary". It is an untranslated Aramaic word adopted into English.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "has" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "desired" should be something more like "asked".
  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "have" doesn't exist in the source.
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "he may" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This is not a verb but a verbal noun.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
7
Simon, Simon, (MW) (MW) Satan(UW) has(WT) asked(CW) to sift(WF) [all of(IP)] you as wheat.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "see" after "Simon" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "Satan" is not shown in the English translation.
  • UW --Untranslated Word -- The word "satan" means "adversary." It is an untranslated Aramaic word adopted into English.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "has" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "asked".
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This "shift" is not a verb but a verbal noun.
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "all of" doesn't exist in the source.
EACH WORD of KJV

Simon, Simon, -- "Simon" is assumed to be a Hebrew name. Strangely enough, the word also has a meaning in Greek, it is a verb that means "turning up a nose" and this form could also be the noun, "flat nose" or adjective, "snub-nosed". It also means, interestingly, "a confederate in evil".  The name only appears in the New Testament, where twelve different people have this name. This is interesting given that everyone there would recognized the word's Greek meaning. There is also something very entertaining about a man named "Flat-nose" being renamed "Rocky".

behold -- "Behold" is a verbal command meaning "See!" and "Look!". It is from the most common word meaning "to see" in Greek. In a humorous vein, it is also an adverbial exclamation like we use the phrase "tah-dah" in a magic show, or "voila" in French. "Look!" or "See!" comes closest in English. Jesus uses it both ways.

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the", which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these" and "those"). See this article for more. 

Satan-- (UW) "Satan" is from an Aramaic word meaning "adversary" or "opponent". Jesus uses it to refer both to external opposition and our desire to make bad decisions.  See this article on the word and this article on this word and related terms.

hath -- (WT) This helping verb "has" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.

desired -- (WW) "Hath desired" is a Greek verb that only appears here and means to "demand or ask for" (from another) and "demand the surrender" of a person. In the middle voice, which is used here, it means to "ask for oneself", "beg of", "gain" (a pardon) and "release". It does not mean "desire" in any normal sense and there are common words that Jesus uses that mean "desire". When Jesus uses a specific word like this, it is because it has a meaning no other word has. For this word, the idea is that it demands a transfer of control. This word doesn't mean "desired".  

to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.

have -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source

you -- The "you" here is plural. So Jesus is not saying this about Simon personally but about all of his apostles. 

that -- The word translated as "that" is the Greek definite article, "the", which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those") than the English "the". See this article for more. 

he may -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source

sift -- (WF) "Sift" is from a verb that means "to winnow" or "to sift". This verb is found nowhere else in ancient Greek literature, but it is easy to define because it is a verb form of the Greek word for "sieve" and the context of "wheat". The form, however, is interesting. It is a verb in the form of an infinitive that is preceded by an article ("the"). This is the Greek way of creating a noun describing the action. We do the same thing in English but with gerunds not infinitives. Here, "to sift" becomes "the sifting of the wheat". This is not a verb but a verbal noun. 

you -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.

as  --- The word translated as "as" has a very broad meaning, translating as "how", "when", "where", "just as", "like" and related words.

wheat -- "Wheat" is from the Greek noun that means "grain", "wheat", "barley", "food made from grain", "bread" and, most generally, "food".

EACH WORD of NIV

Simon, Simon, -- "Simon" is assumed to be a Hebrew name. Strangely enough, the word also has a meaning in Greek, it is a verb that means "turning up a nose" and this form could also be the noun, "flat nose" or adjective, "snub-nosed". It also means, interestingly, "a confederate in evil".  The name only appears in the New Testament, where twelve different people have this name. This is interesting given that everyone there would recognize the word's Greek meaning. There is also something very entertaining about a man named "Flat-nose" being renamed "Rocky".

missing "see"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  "See!" and "Look!". It is from the most common word meaning "to see" in Greek. In a humorous vein, it is also an adverbial exclamation like we use the phrase "tah-dah" in a magic show, or "voila" in French. "Look!" or "See!" comes closest in English. Jesus uses it both ways.

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, "the", which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these" and "those"). See this article for more. 

Satan-- (UW) "Satan" is from an Aramaic word meaning "adversary" or "opponent." Jesus uses it to refer both to external opposition and our desire to make bad decisions.  See this article on the word and this article on this word and related terms.

has -- (WT) This helping verb "has" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.

asked -- (CW) "Has asked" is a Greek verb that only appears here and means to "demand or ask for" (from another) and "demand the surrender" of a person. In the middle voice, which is used here, it means to "ask for oneself", "beg of", "gain" (a pardon) and "release". It does not mean "desire" in any normal sense and there are common words that Jesus uses that mean "desire". This is also not the word usually translated as "asked". When Jesus uses specific word like this, it is because it has a meaning no other word has. For this word, the idea is that it demands a transfer of control.

to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.

sift -- (WF) "Sift" is from a verb that means "to winnow" or "to sift". This verb is found nowhere else in ancient Greek literature, but it is easy to define because it is a verb form of the Greek word for "sieve" and the context of "wheat". The form, however, is interesting. It is a verb in the form of an infinitive that is preceded by an article ("the"). This is the Greek way of creating a noun describing the action. We do the same thing in English but with gerunds not infinitives. Here, "to shift" becomes "the sifting of the wheat". This is not a verb but a verbal noun. 

all of -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source

you -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.

as  --- The word translated as "as" has a very broad meaning, translating as "how", "when", "where", "just as", "like" and related words.

wheat -- "Wheat" is from the Greek noun that means "grain", "wheat", "barley", "food made from grain", "bread" and, most generally, "food".

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

Σίμων Σίμων,  (proper noun) The Greek letters for the name Simon. In Greek, it means (noun sg masc nom/voc) "a confederate in evil", (part sg pres act masc nom/voc) "turning up a nose", ( adj pl masc gen) "snub-nosed" and ( noun pl masc gen) "flat-nose". Its most common use is as a verb,

ἰδοὺ (adv, verb 2nd sg aor imperat mid) "Behold" is idou, which means "to behold", "to see" and "to perceive". It acts as an adverbial phrase in this form meaning "Lo! Behold!" and "See there". It is a form of the verb eido, which means "to see".

(article sg masc nom ) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones".

Σατανᾶς (Aramaic word) "Satan" is satanas, (satanas) which is an Aramaic word meaning "adversary", "opponent" or "one who opposes another in purpose or act".

ἐξῃτήσατο [1 verse](verb 3rd sg aor ind mid ) "Hath desired" is exaiteō, which means to "demand or ask for" (from another) and "demand the surrender" of a person. In the middle voice, used here, it means to "ask for oneself", "beg of", "gain" (a pardon) and "release".

ὑμᾶς (pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you".

τοῦ ( article sg masc gen ) "That" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones".

σινιάσαι [1 verse]( verb aor inf act ) "He may sift" is siniazō, which means to "sift" and "winnow". This word only appears here in the Greek literature in the Perseus database.

ὡς (adv/conj) "As" is hos, an adverb which means to "thus", "as", "how", "when", "where", "like", "just as", "so far as", "as much as can be", "that", "in order that", "nearly" (with numbers) and "know that".

τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones".

σῖτον: ( noun sg masc acc ) "Wheat" is from sitos (sitos), which means "grain", "wheat", "barley", "food made from grain", "bread" and, most generally, "food".

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