What Does Mark 2:15 Mean in the King James?
And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
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 people called sinners are already reclining beside Jesus and his disciples, and already following him.
THE MEANING
Jesus shares his house and meal with people publicly named as tax collectors and sinners. They are with him at the table while they follow him; closeness is already present in the scene.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that people must first leave the category “sinner” before coming close to Jesus loosens here: those named by their missing are already eating and following alongside him.
THE ROOT
ἁμαρτωλοί
hamartōloi
GROWS FROM
ἁμαρτ- (hamart-), from ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō)
To miss or fail to reach; this word family carries the sense of missing the mark.
English “sinners” holds a moral category; the Greek word family also carries the image of missing. Those named by that missing are already at the table with Jesus, not standing outside the scene.
ALSO GROWS
hamartia: Missing, missing the mark
ἁμαρτία
This related noun makes the shared root visible: the people called sinners are described through the language of missing.
hamartanō: To miss, fail to reach
ἁμαρτάνω
The verb beneath the word family keeps the image of a mark or aim not reached within the verse’s label.
κατακεῖσθαι
katakeisthai
GROWS FROM
κεῖμαι
keimai
To lie, be laid, or recline.
“sat at meat / sat together” in this verse is katakeisthai. English says “sat,” but the Greek pictures Jesus reclining and the others reclining alongside him. The repeated posture makes this a shared meal, with the group gathered at the same table.
ALSO GROWS
anakeimai: Recline, especially as a meal guest
ἀνάκειμαι
It illuminates the meal posture shared by Jesus and those with him.
katakeimai: Lie down or recline
κατάκειμαι
This is the verb used for Jesus’ posture in the opening phrase, echoed by the others reclining alongside him.
THE PATTERN
The shared table crosses boundaries drawn around who is welcome among God’s people.
And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.THE THREAD
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.The same Greek word family for “sinners” appears in both verses: those marked by missing are the very people Jesus calls. The call is toward turning, so the meal scene holds them in his company as that movement is underway.
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