What Does Luke 22:17 Mean in the King James?
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
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 cup moves from thanks into distribution: gratitude becomes a shared portion.
THE MEANING
The cup reaches you as something received with thanks, then becomes a portion shared among you. The verse holds receiving and distributing together, so gratitude takes shape in what passes from one hand to another.
THE ROOT
διαμερίσατε
diamerisate
GROWS FROM
μερίζω
merizō
To apportion, divide, or assign into shares.
English “divide” can sound like an ending, but this verb also carries the sense of assigning portions. Here the cup’s division carries one received thing into the hands of many.
ALSO GROWS
meros: A part, share, or portion.
μέρος
The cup is divided into parts that each person can receive.
meris: A share, portion, or allotment.
μερίς
This related word makes the cup’s division a distribution of portions among the group.
εὐχαριστήσας
eucharistēsas
GROWS FROM
χάρις
charis
Favor, freely given kindness.
“gave thanks” in this verse is eucharistēsas. The verb for giving thanks carries the language of favor within it. Thanks recognizes what is received as favor, just before the cup is passed into shared hands.
ALSO GROWS
charizomai: To grant freely or bestow as a favor.
χαρίζομαι
The cup’s movement from the one who gives it to the group echoes the root’s sense of freely bestowing.
charisma: A gift or gracious endowment.
χάρισμα
This related word for a gift links thanksgiving with receiving what is given.
THE PATTERN
Provision received as a gift becomes shared life when it is portioned among many.
And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.THE THREAD
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.The verb for dividing the cup also appears when the soldiers part Jesus’ garments. One scene distributes a cup among companions; the other parcels his clothing among executioners, and the shared verb makes the contrast in what is divided impossible to miss.
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