What Does Matthew 9:10 Mean in the King James?
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
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 calls these guests “sinners” and then places them reclining with Jesus, so the label does not keep them outside the shared table.
THE MEANING
A label of failure does not place the reader beyond nearness to Jesus. People called sinners come into the house and share the table with him and his disciples. Their missing remains named, yet it does not erase their place in the room.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that a person marked as a sinner must stay distant until worthy of company is undone here: they are already at the table with Jesus.
THE ROOT
ἁμαρτωλοί
hamartōloi
GROWS FROM
ἁμαρτ-
The Greek stem ἁμαρτ- (hamart-) carries the sense of missing, going astray, or erring.
English “sinners” can sound like a fixed kind of person, while the Greek word belongs to a family that names missing or erring. The verse keeps that missing in view while showing that people bearing the label are still near enough to recline with Jesus.
ALSO GROWS
hamartanō: to miss, err
ἁμαρτάνω
It shares the ἁμαρτ- stem and names the action behind ἁμαρτωλός.
hamartia: missing, error, sin
ἁμαρτία
It shares the same stem and names the missing itself, keeping the label connected to an action or condition rather than a separate kind of human.
συνανέκειντο
synanekeinto
GROWS FROM
κει-
The Greek root κει- (kei-), from κεῖμαι (keimai), means to lie or be laid, and in this compound to recline at table.
“sat down with him” in this verse is synanekeinto. The verse uses one compound for Jesus reclining in the house and another for the guests reclining with him; both grow from κει- (kei-, to lie or recline). English gives two different phrases, while Greek makes their shared posture at the meal visible.
ALSO GROWS
anakeimai: to recline at table
ἀνάκειμαι
It shares κει- and is used of Jesus reclining at the meal earlier in this verse.
katakeimai: to lie down, recline
κατάκειμαι
It shares κει- and carries the same reclining root into another setting.
THE PATTERN
A shared table can hold people whose labels or histories would otherwise keep them apart.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.THE THREAD
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.Jesus names sinners again with the same Greek family, ἁμαρτωλός (hamartōlos, one who misses or errs). The table in verse 10 already shows those marked by missing in his company.
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