Matthew 15:16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? [kjv]
ο δε ειπεν ακμην και υμεις ασυνετοι εστε [gnt]
… adhuc … sine intellectu … [v]
English has ways to unambiguously express a question. In many languages, including Greek, a statement and a question are written in exactly the same way. To make a statement a question, one raises the voice at the end of the statement. These non-written hints are not in the Greek text.
Question: Are you yet without understanding? This is condescending as if Peter asked a stupid question.
Statement: You are sharp and fresh and without an elite snobbish understanding. It is good to not have this kind of understanding. Then, like the "babes" from Matthew 11:25, Jesus will "reveal" the "parable" to the "babes". This explains the part of those "planted" by God.
Jesus does not use the Greek word for
"understanding" in a good sense. Thus, what Jesus says appears to be in a
good sense. The only place Jesus uses this word in a somewhat good sense is in the first kingdom parable in Matthew 13 about the sewer and seed. In that case, Jesus is using
joke-license to make a play on words.
This first statement of Jesus may seem out of place, but provides the
first half of the explanation of the
"plant" "planted" by God. The second half is from the list of sins in later verses. Jesus would normally use the Greek word "
again" to indicate that he was summarizing and extended discourse of many verses. Here, that would not fit very well and it is clear he is "
phrasing" out the parable.
Luke 18:25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. [kjv]
ευκοπωτερον γαρ εστιν καμηλον δια τρηματος βελονης εισελθειν η πλουσιον εις την βασιλειαν του θεου εισελθειν [gnt]
18:26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? [kjv]
ειπαν δε οι ακουσαντες και τις δυναται σωθηναι [gnt]
18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. [kjv]
ο δε ειπεν τα αδυνατα παρα ανθρωποις δυνατα παρα τω θεω εστιν [gnt]
18:28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. [kjv]
ειπεν δε ο πετρος ιδου ημεις αφεντες τα ιδια ηκολουθησαμεν σοι [gnt]
