What Does Luke 10:39 Mean?
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat beside the feet of Jesus, and heard his word.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.THE KEY
The Greek imperfect makes Mary’s hearing ongoing: she stays with Jesus’ word rather than catching it only in a moment.
THE MEANING
Receiving the word is a sustained posture: Mary sits near Jesus and continues to hear him. The verse speaks now of attention that remains with what is being said, rather than catching only a passing sound.
THE ROOT
ἤκουεν
ēkouen
GROWS FROM
ἀκούω
to hear, listen, or heed
“heard” in this verse is ēkouen. The form in this verse is imperfect, presenting Mary’s hearing as ongoing. This word family reaches from hearing to heeding, though here the verse describes her continued listening.
ALSO GROWS
akoē: hearing
ἀκοή
It names the act of hearing within the same word family, making Mary’s attention central to the scene.
hypakouō: heed, obey
ὑπακούω
It shows how hearing can extend into response; this verse holds the reader at the listening stage.
epakouō: hear, listen to
ἐπακούω
It shares the hearing root and reinforces that listening is an act of attention.
παρακαθεσθεῖσα
parakathestheisa
GROWS FROM
καθ-
to sit or be seated
“sat” in this verse is parakathestheisa. The verb includes παρά, meaning “beside,” and describes Mary taking her place near Jesus. The English preserves her posture at his feet; the Greek also makes her closeness part of the scene.
ALSO GROWS
kathizō: sit down, seat
καθίζω
It shares the καθ- base and makes the act of taking a seated place explicit.
kathēmai: sit, be seated
κάθημαι
It shares the same consonantal base and links Mary’s posture with the state of being seated.
λόγον
logon
GROWS FROM
λογ-
word, account, or reasoned expression
The word Mary hears belongs to a family that includes speech, account, and dialogue. It is meaningful expression held in attention, not merely sound passing by.
ALSO GROWS
logizomai: reckon, account
λογίζομαι
It shares the λογ- family and carries the sense of forming or giving an account.
dialogos: conversation, dialogue
διάλογος
It shares the same consonantal family and shows the word’s connection to speech exchanged between people.
THE PATTERN
Receiving a voice begins in attentive hearing and opens toward response.
And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for your servant hears and responds.My sheep hear and respond to my voice, and I perceive them, and they follow me.THE THREAD
And he answered, saying to them, My mother and my brothers are these, those who hear the word of God and do it.Luke repeats the same paired words here: “hear” and “word.” In this connected verse, Jesus carries hearing forward into action, showing the wider movement that begins with sustained attention.
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