What Does Luke 24:19 Mean in the King James?

And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

Luke 24:19 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The Greek word for “mighty” opens into capacity: here, power is visible in both what Jesus does and what he says.

THE MEANING

Jesus stands before you as one whose power appears in deed and word. Both are visible before God and people; neither stands alone as a private claim.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the split that treats what is said and what is done as unrelated measures: here both express one power.

THE ROOT

δυνατὸς

dynatos

GROWS FROM

δυν-

dyn-

Ability, power, the capacity to act.

English “mighty” can sound like a fixed quality, while this Greek root connects might with the capacity to act. The verse makes that capacity visible in both deed and word, before God and people.

ALSO GROWS

dynamai: to be able; to have power

δύναμαι

This verb shares the ⁨δυν-⁩ stem and names the capacity behind “mighty.”

dynamis: power; ability

δύναμις

This noun shares the stem and names power as an active force.

ἔργῳ

ergō

GROWS FROM

ἔργ-

erg-

Work, activity, what is done.

The Greek noun behind “deed” can name work as well as a completed act. Paired with speech, it shows that the prophet’s force takes shape in both what he does and what he says.

ALSO GROWS

ergon: work; deed

ἔργον

This is the noun’s base form and shares the ⁨ἔργ-⁩ stem.

ergazomai: to work; to accomplish

ἐργάζομαι

This verb shares the stem and emphasizes work in action.

נָצְרַת

Natzrat

GROWS FROM

נצר

natsar

To guard, watch over, keep.

The place-name carries the image of watching or keeping. Beside the description of Jesus’ deeds and words in view before God and all the people, Nazareth adds a name-level resonance of watchfulness.

ALSO GROWS

natsar: to guard; to keep; to watch over

נָצַר

This verb is the root itself and shares all three consonants with the name.

notser: one who guards or keeps

נֹצֵר

This participle shares the root’s consonants and gives the act of keeping a personal form.

THE PATTERN

A single witness takes shape in both speech and action.

For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

Psalm 33:4 · KJVThe verse holds the LORD’s word and works together as expressions of one true character.

And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

Acts 7:22 · KJVMoses’ might is described in the same pairing of speech and action.

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

John 14:10 · KJVJesus’ words and the Father’s works appear together as one testimony.

THE THREAD

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

Luke 1:49 · KJV

The Greek ⁨δυνατός⁩ (dynatos, mighty) appears in both verses, from ⁨δυν-⁩ (dyn-), the root of ability and power. Here the travelers describe Jesus as mighty in word and deed; Mary uses the same word for the One whose power has done great things for her.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us