What Does Luke 4:16 Mean in the King James?
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
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 word for “read” belongs to the same word family as “know”, reading brings written words into shared knowing.
THE MEANING
A familiar rhythm brings a person into the gathered assembly, where standing gives the written word a voice the community can hear. Reading carries a text from the page into shared knowing.
THE ROOT
ἀναγνῶναι
anagnōnai
GROWS FROM
γνω-
γνω- (gnō-): knowing, recognizing
The Greek word for reading belongs to the family of knowing and recognizing. Here, standing to read brings what is written into the assembly’s shared knowledge.
ALSO GROWS
ginōskō: know, recognize
γινώσκω
This verb belongs to the same knowing family carried inside the word for reading.
anagnōsis: reading, public reading
ἀνάγνωσις
This noun names the act of reading and shares the γνω- stem.
gnōsis: knowledge
γνῶσις
This word makes explicit the knowing that the reading family carries.
συναγωγήν
synagōgēn
GROWS FROM
ἄγω
ἄγω (agō): to lead, bring
The word for synagogue belongs to a family built around bringing or gathering. The verse places reading within an assembly, where words are received in common.
ALSO GROWS
agō: lead, bring
ἄγω
This verb supplies the core sense within the word for gathering.
agōgē: leading, conduct
ἀγωγή
This related word shares the ἀγω- form and its sense of leading.
synagōgē: gathering, assembly
συναγωγή
This is the same word family as the verse’s synagogue, with συν- (“together”) joined to the gathering sense.
נָצְרַת
Natsrat
GROWS FROM
נצר
נצר (natsar): to watch, guard, keep
Nazareth carries the root-sense of watching or guarding, so the place-name gives the setting a watchful quality. The verse places public reading within this named home.
ALSO GROWS
natsar: watch, guard, keep
נָצַר
This verb expresses the watchful sense carried by the place-name.
nēṣer: shoot, branch
נֵצֶר
This branch shares the same נ־צ־ר consonants, linking the root’s family to what is kept or growing.
THE PATTERN
A written word becomes shared understanding when it is read into the hearing of a gathered people.
When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.THE THREAD
And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.Acts uses ἀνάγνωσις (anagnōsis, reading), from the same Greek word family as Luke’s ἀναγνῶναι (anagnōnai, to read). In both verses, shared reading opens a way for words to be heard by the gathered people.
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