What Does Luke 11:53 Mean in the King James?
And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
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 questions are a way to draw words from his mouth until something can be seized.
THE MEANING
Hostile questioning can multiply around you while appearing to seek your words; its aim can be to draw out a phrase that can be used for accusation. The next verse makes that aim plain: they seek something from his mouth to accuse him with.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie that sustained questioning proves a desire for clarity dissolves here: questions can be bait designed to produce a phrase that can be seized.
THE ROOT
ἀποστοματίζειν
apostomatizein
GROWS FROM
στόμα
stoma
Mouth; the related verb ἀποστοματίζω (apostomatizō) means to question closely or prompt someone to speak.
“provoke him to speak” in this verse is apostomatizein. The Greek word keeps the mouth in view: this is pressure aimed at eliciting speech. The next verse repeats the mouth-root as they seek to catch something from his mouth, revealing that his words themselves are the target.
ALSO GROWS
stoma: mouth
στόμα
Luke 11:54 uses this noun when it says they seek to catch something from his mouth; the questions aim at what he says.
apostomatizō: question closely; prompt someone to speak
ἀποστοματίζω
This related verb names the pressing for speech that the KJV renders as provoking him to speak.
ἐνέχειν
enechein
GROWS FROM
ἔχω
echō
Hold or have; in the compound ἐνέχω (enechō), hold against or be hostile toward.
“Urge vehemently” can sound like forceful debate, but the Greek carries hostility: they press him while holding against him. The many questions arise from antagonism, and the following verse shows them seeking words to use as grounds for accusation.
ALSO GROWS
echō: hold; have
ἔχω
The basic verb supplies the sense of holding carried in ἐνέχω (enechō).
enochē: liability; guilt
ἐνοχή
This related noun names being held liable, echoing the movement from hostile questioning toward accusation.
THE PATTERN
Speech becomes a snare when the listener seeks words to seize rather than meaning to receive.
Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.THE THREAD
Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.The same mouth-root continues: they seek to catch something from his mouth. The next line reveals the purpose of the questioning, to draw out speech that can become an accusation.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us