Luke 24:19

Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Ποῖα; Οἱ δὲ εἶπον αὐτῷ, Τὰ περὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃς ἐγένετο ἀνὴρ προφήτης δυνατὸς ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ·

RBT Greek Interlinear:

Strongs 2532; Kai; Καὶ; And; Conj

Strongs 2036; eipen; εἶπεν; said; V-AIA-3S

Strongs 846; autois; αὐτοῖς; to themselves; PPro-DM3P

Strongs 4169; Poia; Ποῖα; What kinds; IPro-ANP

Strongs 3588; hoi; οἱ; the; Art-NMP

Strongs 1161; De; Δὲ; But; Conj

Strongs 2036; eipan; εἶπαν; they said; V-AIA-3P

Strongs 846; autō; αὐτῷ; self/itself/himself; PPro-DM/N3S

Strongs 3588; Ta; Τὰ; the; Art-ANP

Strongs 4012; peri; περὶ; around; Prep

Strongs 2424; Iēsou; Ἰησοῦ; Salvation; N-GMS

Strongs 3588; tou; τοῦ; the; Art-GMS

Strongs 3479; Nazarēnou; Ναζαρηνοῦ; Nazareth; N-GMS

Strongs 3739; hos; ὃς; which/whichever; RelPro-NMS

Strongs 1096; egeneto; ἐγένετο; has become; V-AIM-3S

Strongs 435; anēr; ἀνὴρ; a male; N-NMS

Strongs 4396; prophētēs; προφήτης; a prophet; N-NMS

Strongs 1415; dynatos; δυνατὸς; powerful one; Adj-NMS

Strongs 1722; en; ἐν; within; Prep

Strongs 2041; ergō; ἔργῳ; work; N-DNS

Strongs 2532; kai; καὶ; and; Conj

Strongs 3056; logō; λόγῳ; in word; N-DMS

Strongs 1726; enantion; ἐναντίον; against/opposite; Prep

Strongs 3588; tou; τοῦ; the; Art-GMS

Strongs 2316; Theou; Θεοῦ; God; N-GMS

Strongs 2532; kai; καὶ; and; Conj

Strongs 3956; pantos; παντὸς; all; Adj-GMS

Strongs 3588; tou; τοῦ; the; Art-GMS

Strongs 2992; laou; λαοῦ; people; N-GMS

RBT Hebrew Literal:

ἐγένετο = he became!

And he said to themselves, "Which ones?" And they said to self, "The ones around to Salvation, the Sprout ("Nazarene") whosoever became a male, a prophet, a powerful one, within a work and a word opposite to the God and to the Entire People!⁹⁹

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And Jesus said to them, What things? And they said to him, The things concerning Jesus the Nazarite, who was a man, a prophet, powerful in work and words before God and all the people:

LITV Translation:
And He said to them, What things? And they said to Him, The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a man, a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people;

ESV Translation:
And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

Footnotes

99

How would you feel if someone changed the wording in your own writing?

The Greek verb ἐγένετο (aorist middle of γίγνομαι) is accurately rendered “became” or “came to be,” indicating entry into a state or role rather than its static continuation. English translations have all rendered it simply as “was,” conflating γίγνομαι with εἰμί (to be), whose imperfect ἦν denotes a state of being or existence over time. This semantic distinction is not trivial: ἐγένετο conveys an ontological or historical emergence—Jesus became (ἐγένετο) a prophet in the eyes of the people, aligning with narrative context and the nuance of change or recognition. Translating it as “was” simply erases the dynamic aspect of the role or status being described.

Interchanging the two obscures the semantic distinction between being and becoming, a fundamental contrast in both Greek grammar and philosophy. For instance, ἐγένετο φῶς (Gen. 1:3 LXX) means “light came into being,” not merely “there was light.”

This careless and dishonest swapping of this word happens repeatedly in all the translations throughout the NT:

Modern Translations and Rendering of ἐγένετο ("became")

• NIV (New International Version):
  “He was a prophet…”
  → Translates ἐγένετο as “was” — flattens the nuance of emergence.

• NLT (New Living Translation):
  “He was a prophet…”
  → Same as above; renders dynamic became as static was.

• ESV (English Standard Version):
  “A man who was a prophet…”
  → Retains "was"; no indication of transition or becoming.

• Berean Standard Bible:
  “This man was a prophet…”
  → “Was” again replaces “became.”

• King James Version (KJV):
  “Which was a prophet…”
  → Early precedent for using “was” in place of ἐγένετο.

• NASB (New American Standard Bible):
  “Who proved to be a prophet…”
  → Quite the crafty attempt to conflate the two. Who are they tricking here? Themselves?

• Legacy Standard Bible:
  “Who was a mighty prophet…”
  → Uses “was”; loses the aoristic “became” sense.

• Amplified Bible:
  “Who was a prophet…”
  → Again, stative rather than dynamic. Amplified falsehood?

• CSB (Christian Standard Bible):
  “Who was a prophet…”

• American Standard Version (ASV):
  “Who was a prophet…”

• Douay-Rheims Bible (Catholic):
  “Who was a prophet…”

• New American Bible (Catholic):
  “Who was a prophet…”
  → Says the "true" church

• Aramaic Bible in Plain English:
  “A man who was the Prophet…”
  → Adds the definite article and title; retains “was.”

• Young's Literal Translation:
  “Who became a man — a prophet…”
  → Correctly reflects the Greek ἐγένετο as “became”; preserves the dynamic nuance, but notice the craftiness to limit the meaning to becoming a man only.

• Literal Standard Version:
  “Who became a man—a prophet…”
  → Faithful to the Greek's aorist and its implication of transition or emergence, but following the craftiness of Young's Literal.

• Smith's Literal Translation:
  “Who was a man…”

• Godbey New Testament:
  “Who was a prophet-man…”

By what authority do these translators tamper with the basic language fundamentals like this? Is this integrity? Honest?