LUKE 17:6 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. ὁ
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. R···3NMS
7. he
8. he
9. -
10. -
11. 54595
1. εἶπεν
2. legō
3. said
4. -
5. 30040
6. VIAA3··S
7. said
8. said
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54596
1. Δέ
2. de
3. And
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. Y33
11. 54597
1. ὁ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54598
1. εἶπεν
2. legō
3. -
4. -
5. 30040
6. VIAA3··S
7. said
8. said
9. -
10. -
11. 54599
1. Κύριος
2. kurios
3. master
4. master
5. 29620
6. N····NMS
7. master
8. Lord
9. GN
10. Y33
11. 54600
1. αὐτοῖς
2. autos
3. -
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3DNP
7. ˱to˲ them
8. ˱to˲ them
9. -
10. -
11. 54601
1. Εἰ
2. ei
3. If
4. -
5. 14870
6. C·······
7. if
8. if
9. D
10. Y33
11. 54602
1. ἔχετε
2. eχō
3. you all are having
4. -
5. 21920
6. VIPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ having
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ having
9. -
10. Y33; R54588
11. 54603
1. εἴχετε
2. eχō
3. -
4. -
5. 21920
6. VIIA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓were˒ having
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓were˒ having
9. -
10. -
11. 54604
1. πίστιν
2. pistis
3. faith
4. faith
5. 41020
6. N····AFS
7. faith
8. faith
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54605
1. ὡς
2. hōs
3. as
4. -
5. 56130
6. C·······
7. as
8. as
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54606
1. κόκκον
2. kokkos
3. +a seed
4. -
5. 28480
6. N····AMS
7. ˓a˒ seed
8. ˓a˒ seed
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54607
1. σινάπεως
2. sinapi
3. of mustard
4. mustard
5. 46150
6. N····GNS
7. ˱of˲ mustard
8. ˱of˲ mustard
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54608
1. ἐλέγετε
2. legō
3. you all were saying
4. -
5. 30040
6. VIIA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓were˒ saying
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓were˒ saying
9. -
10. Y33; R54588
11. 54609
1. ἄν
2. an
3. would
4. -
5. 3020
6. T·······
7. would
8. would
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54610
1. τῷ
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DNS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. -
11. 54611
1. ὄρει
2. oros
3. -
4. -
5. 37350
6. N····DNS
7. ˱to˲ mountain
8. ˱to˲ mountain
9. -
10. -
11. 54612
1. τῇ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DFS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54613
1. συκαμίνῳ
2. sukaminos
3. to mulberry tree
4. mulberry
5. 48070
6. N····DFS
7. ˱to˲ mulberry_tree
8. ˱to˲ mulberry_tree
9. -
10. Y33; F54620; F54627; F54635
11. 54614
1. ταύτῃ
2. houtos
3. this
4. -
5. 37780
6. E····DFS
7. this
8. this
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54615
1. τούτῳ
2. houtos
3. -
4. -
5. 37780
6. E····DNS
7. this
8. this
9. -
10. -
11. 54616
1. Μετάβα
2. metabainō
3. -
4. -
5. 33270
6. VMAA2··S
7. move
8. move
9. D
10. -
11. 54617
1. ἐντεῦθεν
2. enteuthen
3. -
4. -
5. 17820
6. D·······
7. from_here
8. from_here
9. -
10. -
11. 54618
1. ἐκεῖ
2. ekei
3. -
4. -
5. 15630
6. D·······
7. ˱to˲ there
8. ˱to˲ there
9. -
10. -
11. 54619
1. Ἐκριζώθητι
2. ekrizoō
3. Be uprooted
4. -
5. 16100
6. VMAP2··S
7. ˓be˒ uprooted
8. ˓be˒ uprooted
9. D
10. Y33; R54614
11. 54620
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54621
1. μετέβαινεν
2. metabainō
3. -
4. -
5. 33270
6. VIIA3··S
7. ˱it˲ ˓was˒ moving
8. ˱it˲ ˓was˒ moving
9. -
10. -
11. 54622
1. καί
2. kai
3. -
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. -
11. 54623
1. τῇ
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DFS
7. ˱to˲ the
8. ˱to˲ the
9. -
10. -
11. 54624
1. συκαμίνῳ
2. sukaminos
3. -
4. -
5. 48070
6. N····DFS
7. mulberry_tree
8. mulberry_tree
9. -
10. -
11. 54625
1. μεταφυτεύθητι
2. metafuteuō
3. -
4. -
5. 33467
6. VMAP2··S
7. ˓be˒ planted_among
8. ˓be˒ planted_among
9. -
10. -
11. 54626
1. φυτεύθητι
2. futeuō
3. be planted
4. plant
5. 54520
6. VMAP2··S
7. ˓be˒ planted
8. ˓be˒ planted
9. -
10. Y33; R54614
11. 54627
1. εἰς
2. eis
3. -
4. -
5. 15190
6. P·······
7. in
8. in
9. -
10. -
11. 54628
1. ἐν
2. en
3. in
4. -
5. 17220
6. P·······
7. in
8. in
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54629
1. τῇ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54630
1. τήν
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. -
11. 54631
1. θαλάσσῃ
2. thalassa
3. sea
4. sea
5. 22810
6. N····DFS
7. sea
8. sea
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54632
1. θάλασσαν
2. thalassa
3. -
4. -
5. 22810
6. N····AFS
7. sea
8. sea
9. -
10. -
11. 54633
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54634
1. ὑπήκουσεν
2. hupakouō
3. it submitted
4. it
5. 52190
6. VIAA3··S
7. ˱it˲ submitted
8. ˱it˲ submitted
9. -
10. Y33; R54614
11. 54635
1. ἄν
2. an
3. would
4. -
5. 3020
6. T·······
7. would
8. would
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54636
1. ὑμῖν
2. su
3. to you all
4. -
5. 47710
6. R···2D·P
7. ˱to˲ you_all
8. ˱to˲ you_all
9. -
10. Y33; R54588
11. 54637

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 17:1–10: Jesus taught his disciples about sin, faith, and duty

At the end of chapter 16, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. He concluded his parable about Lazarus and the rich man. Here in 17:1–10, he spoke to his disciples and taught them about several issues.Scholars have different opinions about whether the teachings in this section are thematically related to Jesus’ teachings in chapter 16. Some scholars say that the teachings in the two chapters are not connected. Other scholars do see a broad connection. Green says, “Especially due to its location adjacent to prior accounts of Jesus’ interaction with Pharisees, this pericope recapitulates Jesus’ message to his followers: They are not to be like the Pharisees!” (p. 611). Liefeld says that “it is also possible to see a logical connection between the end of chapter 16 and the beginning of chapter 17, if we understand ‘the things that cause people to sin’ to be the sins of the Pharisees, such as those mentioned in 16:14.” Scholars also disagree about whether the paragraphs in this section are related to each other. About this, Liefeld says that “there is a common unifying theme of attitudes in the Christian community” (p. 994). Morris also mentions this possible connection: “The connecting link here may be the attitude of the religious leaders. They were in danger of using their wealth wrongly, and they were also in danger of leading their lesser brethren astray—temptations that would confront his disciples as well as people like the Pharisees” (p. 279). Nolland (p. 835) says, “Luke seems to have cobbled a unity together here of three separate blocks of tradition (verses 1–2, 3–4, 5–6). The catchword link “into/in the sea” from verse 2 to verse 6 helps to give a formal unity to the piece, and it is likely that he intends the blocks so juxtaposed, to mutually qualify the meaning of one another.” He also says, “As he opens this new section (17:1–19) Luke has brought together three blocks of tradition to form a unit about the adequacy, despite all human frailty, of even the most meager of kingdom faiths for the radical challenge of Jesus’ teaching” (p. 839).

English versions divide these verses into sections in different ways. For example:

Most versions put 17:1–10 together in one section and have one heading. (The Notes follow these versions.)
Some versions divide 17:1–10 into three sections with a heading for each one. For example, the GNT has:

17:1–4	Sin
17:5–6	Faith
17:7–10	A servant’s duty

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus taught his disciples to not cause others to sin, to forgive others, and to serve him humbly

Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith (NLT)

Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service (NET)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 18:6–7 and 18:15 and in Mark 9:42. However, Jesus may have spoken these passages in a different context from the one in this section.

Paragraph 17:5–6

In previous paragraphs Jesus was speaking to a large group of his disciples. In this paragraph, the twelve apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith.Some scholars believe that this saying is connected to 17:1–4, being the response of the disciples to Jesus’ instruction about the severe punishment for causing a believer to sin and about the unlimited forgiveness that they must offer to believers who offend them. In light of these seemingly impossible standards, they felt the need for an increase in faith. For example, Morris (p. 280) says, “Apparently the apostles…think great faith is needed for forgiveness like that, so they say, ‘Increase our faith.’” Other scholars believe that this saying is unconnected to the preceding ones. Johnson (p. 259) says, “Its presence here may be due in part to the presence of the ‘sea’ in both this saying and that in verse 2.” Jesus’ response indicated that with only a little faith, they could do things that are impossible for human beings to do.

17:6a–b

And the Lord answered: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as the Lord answered is literally “And the Lord said.” The phrase the Lord also occurs in 17:5. In some languages, it may not be natural to repeat it here. You should refer to him here in a way that is natural in your language.

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say…and it will obey you: Jesus responded to the apostles’ request for more faith by indicating that even very small faith is enough to do great things.It is likely that Jesus’ purpose here was to emphasize the great things that the apostles could accomplish even with very little faith. His purpose was not to make a definite statement about whether or not they had as much faith as a grain of mustard seed. Jesus implied that it is not the size of the faith but whether people have any true faith. If they do, then they can use it to accomplish great things (Bock 1390–91). From other passages in Luke (e.g., 9:6), we know that the apostles had used their faith in Jesus to cast out demons and to heal people from their sicknesses, so it would not be true to say that they had no faith. Here Jesus gave an example that showed that they could use their faith to do other things that seemed impossible to them. In some languages it is difficult to express this with an “if” clause, as English and Greek do. Some other ways to translate this are:

Even though your faith is as small as a mustard seed, you can say…and it will obey you.

With very little faith that is like a tiny seed, you can command…and it will obey.

you…you: The pronoun you refers to the apostles.

17:6a

And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,

The Lord said, “If you^(plur) have only a small amount of faith, as small as a tiny/mustard seed,
He replied, “If you^(plur) trusted God just a little,

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed: There are different opinions about what this clause implies about the apostles’ faith:

It does not imply anything definite about the apostles’ faith. Jesus was making a general statement.
It implies that the apostles did not have faith as small as a mustard seed.
It implies that the apostles did already have faith as small as a mustard seed.

Most English versions are ambiguous.No English versions have been listed to support the different interpretations, because English scholars are not in complete agreement about the implications of the phrase “had faith” that is used by some English versions. A number of scholars indicate that the use of past tense in situations like this is not necessarily contrafactual. According to the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, it “entertains the condition as being satisfied in a world which is potentially different from the actual world” (p. 748), and it “is important to emphasize…that a present or past time remote conditional does not entail that P is false” (p. 749; P is the “protasis”). The past tense indicates a somewhat more remote possibility than the present tense. Applying it to this situation, the Notes interpret versions with “had faith” to be admitting the possibility that the disciples did have that much faith. For this reason, no English versions can be unambiguously listed as support for Interpretation (1). It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Jesus used this clause to introduce the statement in 17:6b about the power of very small faith. You should translate this clause in a way that supports this main point.Much has been written about what type of conditional construction this is and what it implies. In Greek, it is a mixed condition, which uses a present indicative verb in the conditional clause, but the main clause has an and the imperfect. Many scholars support either interpretation (2) or interpretation (3). However, the mixed condition makes either interpretation uncertain and, semantically, the context favors interpretation (1). In the main clause Jesus focused on what the apostles could do with only a little faith, not on whether they already had that faith or did not yet have it. See the next note for translation examples.

you: The pronoun you refers to the apostles.

faith the size of a mustard seed: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as faith the size of a mustard seed is literally “faith as/like a mustard seed.” This is a metaphor. For the Jews, this seed symbolized something that was very small. Many English versions make explicit that Jesus was comparing the size of the faith to a tiny mustard seed. For example:

faith even as small as a mustard seed (NLT)

faith the size of a mustard seed (NET)

faith no bigger than a tiny mustard seed (CEV)

In some languages it may not be natural to talk about faith being small. In languages that use a verb such as “believe” to translate faith, it may also not be natural to compare this verb to a mustard seed. Some other ways to translate this comparison are:

Use natural words in your language to describe the way people believe. For example:
If your believing is as little as a tiny mustard seed
Even if the way you trust God was weak like a mustard seed is small
Translate only the meaning without the metaphor. For example:
If you believed a little bit, you could say to this mulberry tree
If you had even weak faith, you could say to this mulberry tree

faith: The word faith also occurs in 17:5. Translate it here in a similar way.

a mustard seed: A mustard seed is a very small seed that grows into a mustard plant. If mustard seeds and plants are not known in your area, some ways to translate this are:

Use a loan word along with a general term if necessary. For example:
a seed of the plant/tree called mustard
Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
a very tiny seed
Transliterate the term mustard and indicate that it is tiny/small. For example:
a tiny mastat seed
Use the name of a local seed that is known to be very small. If you use this option, you may want to indicate the literal name in a footnote. For example, you could say in the footnote:
The Greek text is literally “a mustard seed.”

17:6b–d

you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted…’: In 17:6b–d Jesus gave an example of something that is normally not possible for a person to do. A person cannot make a tree obey him. However, faith in God can make this possible.

You can translate 17:6b–d as either direct or indirect speech:

Translate it as direct speech. For example:
…you could give this order to the mulberry tree: “Pull^(sing) yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea.” And the tree would obey you.
Translate it as indirect speech. For example:
…you could tell this mulberry tree to pull itself up, roots and all, and to plant itself in the ocean. And it would! (CEV)

Consider the most natural way to describe this action in your language. Other ways to do it in English are:

…you could make this mulberry tree uproot itself and go and plant itself in the sea.

At your command this mulberry tree would uproot itself and begin to grow in the sea.

This mulberry tree would uproot itself and plant itself in the sea if you told it to.

17:6b

you can say to this mulberry tree,

you^(plur) could say to this mulberry tree,
you^(plur) could tell this large tree

this mulberry tree: The phrase this mulberry tree indicates that as Jesus was teaching, he referred to a specific tree nearby that his apostles could see.There is a textual issue here. Some Greek manuscripts omit the word “this,” and the Greek NT brackets it in the text, indicating that the decision was difficult. However, all fourteen English versions on TW include it. It was a large tree with many roots. Many scholars think that this tree was the black mulberry tree,See, for example, Roland K. Harrison, “Sycamine Tree,” in ISBE, Volume 4, p. 674. which grows 8–10 meters (25–30 feet) tall.“Plants of the Bible,” in Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Ronald F. Youngblood, p. 1006. It produces small berries that can be eaten.

In some languages there may be no term for this kind of tree. If that is true in your language, some ways to translate it are:

Use a more general description. For example:
this large tree
this big-rooted tree
Transliterate the term mulberry and indicate that it is large or has many roots. For example:
this mulberi tree that has so many roots

Since Jesus was referring to a specific tree that was growing near him, it is best not to substitute a different tree. Notice also that Jesus was not referring to a mustard tree here.

17:6c

‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’

‘Leave^(sing) this place and plant yourself in the sea,’
‘Pull^(sing) yourself up from the ground here and go and plant yourself in the sea/lake,’
to uproot/remove itself and go plant itself in the sea,

Be uprooted and planted: The verbs Be uprooted and planted are commands to the tree to do something to itself. In Greek the forms are passive, but the tree will do the action to itself. Describe this in a natural way in your language. Some other ways to translate it in English are:

dig yourself up and plant yourself in the sea

pull out your roots and go be planted in the sea

pull yourself out of the ground, and enter the sea and plant yourself

17:6d

and it will obey you.

and it would obey you^(plur)!
and it would do what you^(plur) said.”

obey you: The phrase obey you means that the tree would do what you told it to do. If it is impossible in your language to describe a tree as doing something or obeying someone, you could say:

and what you^(plur) say will happen

uW Translation Notes:

ὁ Κύριος

the Lord

Here Luke is referring to Jesus by a respectful title. Alternate translation: [the Lord Jesus]

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

εἰ ἔχετε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐλέγετε ἂν τῇ συκαμίνῳ ταύτῃ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ ὁ Κύριος Εἰ ἔχετε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως ἐλέγετε ἄν τῇ συκαμίνῳ ταύτῃ Ἐκριζώθητι καί φυτεύθητι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καί ὑπήκουσεν ἄν ὑμῖν)

Jesus is describing a hypothetical situation. He is asserting that if the condition is true, then the result will necessarily follow. Alternate translation: [I can assure you that if you had faith like a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / you

ἔχετε & ἐλέγετε & ὑμῖν

˱you_all˲_˓are˒_having & ˱you_all˲_˓were˒_saying & ˱to˲_you_all

Even though Jesus is describing something that an individual might do, you is plural in this verse because he is speaking to his 12 apostles in response to their request.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

εἰ ἔχετε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως

A mustard seed is a very small seed. Jesus is using this seed in a simile to mean a very small amount. Alternate translation: [If you had even a tiny amount of faith]

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

κόκκον σινάπεως

˓a˒_seed ˱of˲_mustard

If your readers would not be familiar with a mustard seed, you could use the name of another small seed with which they would be familiar, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: [a very small seed]

Note 5 topic: translate-unknown

τῇ συκαμίνῳ ταύτῃ

¬the ˱to˲_mulberry_tree this

Jesus likely uses a mulberry tree as an example because it has an extensive root system that makes it very difficult to uproot. If your readers would not be familiar with this tree, you could use the name of another type of tree with extensive roots that they would be familiar with, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: [to this firmly rooted tree]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

ἐλέγετε ἂν τῇ συκαμίνῳ ταύτῃ, ἐκριζώθητι καὶ φυτεύθητι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ

˱you_all˲_˓were˒_saying (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ ὁ Κύριος Εἰ ἔχετε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως ἐλέγετε ἄν τῇ συκαμίνῳ ταύτῃ Ἐκριζώθητι καί φυτεύθητι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καί ὑπήκουσεν ἄν ὑμῖν)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [you could tell this mulberry tree to pull its roots out of the ground and put them down in the sea]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐκριζώθητι καὶ φυτεύθητι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ

If it would be helpful in your language, you could use active forms for both of these verbs. Alternate translation: [Uproot yourself and plant yourself in the sea] or [Take your roots out of the ground and put them down into the sea]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ὑπήκουσεν ἂν ὑμῖν

˱it˲_submitted (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ ὁ Κύριος Εἰ ἔχετε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως ἐλέγετε ἄν τῇ συκαμίνῳ ταύτῃ Ἐκριζώθητι καί φυτεύθητι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καί ὑπήκουσεν ἄν ὑμῖν)

Here, listen to is an idiom that means “obey.” Alternate translation: [the tree would obey you]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear LUKE 17:6

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)