What Does Luke 1:2 Mean in the King James?
Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The word reaches you through a chain where firsthand seeing becomes service, and service becomes transmission.
THE MEANING
What reaches you as a word comes through hands: seeing becomes service, and service carries what was seen. The message is not an abstraction; it is handed on by people who bear witness and place themselves in service to the word. You meet it now in that same living chain of receiving and telling.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Anything received through another person must be diluted or unreliable. This verse presents testimony passed on by eyewitnesses who serve the word.
THE ROOT
παρέδοσαν
paredosan
GROWS FROM
δίδωμι
didōmi
To give or grant; with παρά (para, alongside or from one to another), to hand over or pass on.
“delivered” in this verse is paredosan. Here, the word is handed from one set of hands to another. The same Greek verb can describe faithful transmission or betrayal; the root names the handover, while the action gives it its character.
ALSO GROWS
paradosis: A handing down; tradition.
παράδοσις
This branch shows how what is received can be carried onward through a chain of people.
metadosis: Sharing; imparting.
μετάδοσις
The same giving root frames transmission as sharing what has been received.
αὐτόπται
autoptai
GROWS FROM
ὀπ-
opt-
To see or behold; αὐτόπται combines αὐτός (autos, self) with the seeing word, giving the sense of those who saw for themselves.
“eyewitnesses” in this verse is autoptai. Their testimony begins in direct seeing, but the verse does not stop at sight: these witnesses become servants of the word. Perception turns into service, and service carries what was seen.
ALSO GROWS
epoptēs: Eyewitness; spectator.
ἐπόπτης
This related witness word also marks testimony as grounded in seeing.
opsis: Sight; appearance.
ὄψις
The seeing word-family holds both the act of seeing and what comes into view.
THE PATTERN
What is received through seeing and hearing becomes testimony when it is carried onward to others.
We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.THE THREAD
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:The Greek verb rendered “delivered” in Luke is the same verb rendered “betrayed” here. The root names a handover; in Luke, eyewitnesses and servants carry the word onward, while here the same act of handing over takes a different character.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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