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Snappy Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
"Into a/the mountain where Jesus"
I quote King James Bible:
"Matthew 28
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them."
It reads "...into a mountain where Jesus had..."
Another version reads:
"...the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into the mountain where Jesus had appointed them."
In my understanding, using an indefinite article before the word "mountain" (i.e., "a mountain where Jesus had appointed them") in this case is okay because it is telling the readers a fact that Jesus had appointed them on a mountain, which has been probably unknown to the readers.
The use of a definite article before the word "mountain" (i.e., "the mountain where Jesus....") is also okay and it is telling the readers that there were no other mountains where Jesus had appointed them.
I would like to hear native speakers' opinions.
By the way, I am not a Christian, but I respect Christians.
May I add the following question?
A different version reads: "But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had given them orders to go."
"where Jesus had given them orders to go" and "where Jesus had appointed them" seem to be different from each other in meaning. I have the impression that "where Jesus had appointed them" means "the place where Jesus had appointed them apostles." Could Christians answer this question?
Thank you in advance.
"Matthew 28
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them."
It reads "...into a mountain where Jesus had..."
Another version reads:
"...the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into the mountain where Jesus had appointed them."
In my understanding, using an indefinite article before the word "mountain" (i.e., "a mountain where Jesus had appointed them") in this case is okay because it is telling the readers a fact that Jesus had appointed them on a mountain, which has been probably unknown to the readers.
The use of a definite article before the word "mountain" (i.e., "the mountain where Jesus....") is also okay and it is telling the readers that there were no other mountains where Jesus had appointed them.
I would like to hear native speakers' opinions.
By the way, I am not a Christian, but I respect Christians.
May I add the following question?
A different version reads: "But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had given them orders to go."
"where Jesus had given them orders to go" and "where Jesus had appointed them" seem to be different from each other in meaning. I have the impression that "where Jesus had appointed them" means "the place where Jesus had appointed them apostles." Could Christians answer this question?
Thank you in advance.
Top answer
As I understand it the disciples had been told a specific place to meet Jesus so I suppose "the" is the correct article. I wouldn't advise using the KJV as a guide to modern English, it was written 400 years ago after all, and the translators were at least as concerned with the poetry of their language as with its grammatical correctness.
- As I understand it the disciples had been told a specific place to meet Jesus so I suppose "the" is the correct article.
- I wouldn't advise using the KJV as a guide to modern English, it was written 400 years ago after all, and the translators were at least as concerned with the poetry of their language as with its grammatical correctness.
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10 Answers
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As I understand it the disciples had been told a specific place to meet Jesus so I suppose "the" is the correct article.
I wouldn't advise using the KJV as a guide to modern English, it was written 400 years ago after all, and the translators were at least as concerned with the poetry of their language as with its grammatical correctness.
I wouldn't advise using the KJV as a guide to modern English, it was written 400 years ago after all, and the translators were at least as concerned with the poetry of their language as with its grammatical correctness.
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i'm a Christian and an AMATEUR bible scholar. I know what tools to use, but I don't have a degree, or even that much experience.
I checked the verse in the original greek. The definite article is used with mountain. So any translation that uses 'a' is just incorrect.
With a little bit of research, the verb for appoint, seems better translated as direct or send. It's a very
I checked the verse in the original greek. The definite article is used with mountain. So any translation that uses 'a' is just incorrect.
With a little bit of research, the verb for appoint, seems better translated as direct or send. It's a very
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Thank you for your advice Ray H and Old Man Gordon. Apart from the Bible, I would like to make sure if it is possible to say like this when I talk to somebody.
"I went to a mountain where I had seen a deer before."
And even if it was the only one mountain where I had seen a deer, this is new information to the person I talk to. Therefore, is "I went to a mountain...." as well as
"I went to a mountain where I had seen a deer before."
And even if it was the only one mountain where I had seen a deer, this is new information to the person I talk to. Therefore, is "I went to a mountain...." as well as
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Snappy:
There are many translations of the Bible. I love the King James version because of its poetic expressiveness. But, as others have posted, it is written in the contemporary English of 400 years ago. The English language has changed a lot over 400 years, in both grammar and vocabulary. The King James uses "thee" and "thou" for "you" and older form (ending -th) of the third person singul
There are many translations of the Bible. I love the King James version because of its poetic expressiveness. But, as others have posted, it is written in the contemporary English of 400 years ago. The English language has changed a lot over 400 years, in both grammar and vocabulary. The King James uses "thee" and "thou" for "you" and older form (ending -th) of the third person singul
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Snappy"I went to a mountain where I had seen a deer before."If you told me this, here is what I would think:
Snappy went to one of the (several or many) mountains on which she had seen deer before.
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AlpheccaStars,
Thank you for your information, but I'm a little confused.
In the thread of "This is a/the * that," you gave me the following advise.
Quote
If I had told my friend on the phone that I had bought a book, then when I see them later I say "This is the book I bought - the one I was telling you about."
If I had never mentioned it before, I would show them t
Thank you for your information, but I'm a little confused.
In the thread of "This is a/the * that," you gave me the following advise.
Quote
If I had told my friend on the phone that I had bought a book, then when I see them later I say "This is the book I bought - the one I was telling you about."
If I had never mentioned it before, I would show them t
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Let me add one thing. Is "I went to a mountain where I had seen a deer before," a little too ambiguous to native speakers of English?
How about the following sentence?
"I went to a beautiful region of mountain land where I had seen a deer before."
Then would you still think that I went to one of the (several or many) beautiful regions of mountain land where I had seen
How about the following sentence?
"I went to a beautiful region of mountain land where I had seen a deer before."
Then would you still think that I went to one of the (several or many) beautiful regions of mountain land where I had seen
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Snappy,
We use the indefinite article to introduce something into a conversation and then the definite thereafter, maybe something like this:
We went to a beautiful mountain. On the mountain we saw a deer. The deer had been hit by a car.
We use the indefinite article to introduce something into a conversation and then the definite thereafter, maybe something like this:
We went to a beautiful mountain. On the mountain we saw a deer. The deer had been hit by a car.
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Huevos,
Thank you for your message.
Do you mean it is okay to use the following sentence structure if I want to say that I went to a mountain and that was where I had seen a deer?
I went to a mountain (introducing a new piece of information) where I had seen a dee
Thank you for your message.
Do you mean it is okay to use the following sentence structure if I want to say that I went to a mountain and that was where I had seen a deer?
I went to a mountain (introducing a new piece of information) where I had seen a dee
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