What Does Luke 22:48 Mean in the King James?
But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
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 Greek verb beneath “betrayest” means “hand over,” while the kiss belongs to the language of affection: intimacy becomes the marker of delivery.
THE MEANING
The verse holds a kiss and a handover together: Judas marks Jesus with an affectionate gesture as he gives him over. It reveals how closeness can carry an act of exposure instead of care.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie that an affectionate gesture guarantees faithful intent.
THE ROOT
παραδίδως
paradidōs
GROWS FROM
δίδωμι
δίδωμι (didōmi) means “to give”; joined with παρά, it forms the sense “give over” or “hand over.”
The verb behind “betrayest” is παραδίδως, from παραδίδωμι: to hand over or deliver. The word keeps “giving” visible inside the betrayal, showing Judas transferring Jesus into another’s power.
ALSO GROWS
didōmi: Give, grant, or place into someone’s hands.
δίδωμι
This base verb keeps the act of giving visible inside the compound that names Judas’s handover.
paradidōmi: Give over or deliver into another’s hands.
παραδίδωμι
This is the compound verb behind παραδίδως; it makes the direction of Judas’s act explicit.
φιλήματι
philēmati
GROWS FROM
φιλέω
φιλέω (phileō) means “to love” or “to show affection.”
Luke’s word for “kiss,” φίλημα, belongs to the φιλέω family of love and affection. The Greek holds that affectionate register inside the gesture itself: Judas uses a sign of attachment while handing Jesus over.
ALSO GROWS
philēma: A kiss, an affectionate gesture.
φίλημα
This is the noun used in the verse; its family links the gesture to affection.
philos: A friend or someone dear.
φίλος
Its shared φιλ- stem ties the kiss to the language of closeness and attachment.
philia: Friendship or affection.
φιλία
This related word keeps the affectionate meaning of the shared φιλ- family in view.
יְהוּדָה
Yehudah
GROWS FROM
ידה
יָדָה (yādāh) means “to praise” or “to give thanks”; Yehudah is associated with this root.
The name Judas carries the Hebrew name Yehudah, associated with praise and thanksgiving. The verse places that name beside a kiss that functions as a handover, sharpening the contrast between the name’s meaning and the act.
ALSO GROWS
yādāh: To praise or give thanks.
יָדָה
This is the root associated with the name Yehudah and supplies its praise-bearing sense.
tōdāh: Thanksgiving or thanks.
תּוֹדָה
This related Hebrew form carries the root’s praise and gratitude into the language of thanksgiving.
THE PATTERN
A sign of closeness can conceal the act of handing someone into harm.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.THE THREAD
And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.Mark uses κατεφίλησεν (katephilēsen, “kissed”) from the φιλέω (phileō, “love” or “show affection”) word family behind Luke’s φίλημα (philēma, “kiss”). The shared root keeps affection inside the sign itself: the gesture marks the person Judas hands over.
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