What Does Mark 11:26 Mean in the King James?
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
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 same Greek verb names both releasing another person’s trespass and the Father’s releasing yours: forgiveness is one movement of letting go in both directions.
THE MEANING
This verse binds two acts of release: you let go of another person’s trespass, and the Father lets go of yours. Its force is reciprocal and direct: the release you withhold is the release you seek from the Father.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
I can keep another person’s offense in my grip and still expect the Father to release my own.
THE ROOT
ἀφίημι
aphíēmi
GROWS FROM
ἀπό + ἵημι (apo + hiēmi)
To send away, let go, release, or leave.
“forgive” in this verse is aphíēmi. The verb ἀφίημι (aphíēmi, release or let go) appears twice here: first for what you do, then for what the Father does. The same verb can describe leaving something behind, so forgiveness carries the image of release.
ALSO GROWS
áphesis: Release, remission, setting free.
ἄφεσις
This related noun names the release of captives in Luke 4:18, joining forgiveness with liberation.
aphéntes: Having left or let go; a form of ἀφίημι.
ἀφέντες
In Matthew 4:20, the disciples leave their nets; the same verb family frames forgiveness as releasing what is held.
παράπτωμα
paraptōma
GROWS FROM
παρά + πίπτω (para + piptō)
To fall beside or away; a false step or lapse.
“trespasses” in this verse is paraptōma. The Greek word παράπτωμα (paraptōma, a misstep or lapse) preserves an image of falling aside from a path. The Father’s release here is specific: it is release of an actual misstep.
ALSO GROWS
píptō: To fall.
πίπτω
This base verb makes the physical image inside “trespass” visible: a fall or misstep.
parapíptō: To fall aside; to lapse.
παραπίπτω
This related verb makes explicit the falling-aside carried by the noun in the verse.
THE PATTERN
A person’s release of another’s offense is joined to the release they receive from God.
A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.THE THREAD
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,Luke’s “deliverance” and “set at liberty” translate ἄφεσις (áphesis, release), from the same word family as ἀφίημι (aphíēmi, release or let go). That shared root opens Mark’s forgiveness as release from what holds a person, with the movement reaching in both directions.
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