Matthew 27:40

KJV1611 – Modern English

And saying, You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ λέγοντες, Ὁ καταλύων τὸν ναὸν, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις οἰκοδομῶν, σῶσον σεαυτόν. Εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατάβηθι ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ.

Transliteration

And legontes, The one katalyōn the naon, and in three hēmerais oikodomōn, sōson yourself. If Huios you are of Theou, katabēthi from the staurou.

Grammar Details

• *legontes*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, plural - saying
• *katalyōn*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, singular - destroying
• *naon*: accusative, masculine, singular - temple/sanctuary
• *hēmerais*: dative, feminine, plural - days
• *oikodomōn*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, singular - building
• *sōson*: aorist active imperative, 2nd singular - save
• *Huios*: nominative, masculine, singular - Son
• *Theou*: genitive, masculine, singular - of God
• *katabēthi*: aorist active imperative, 2nd singular - come down
• *staurou*: genitive, masculine, singular - cross/stake

Word Meanings

• *legontes*: saying/stating/speaking
• *katalyōn*: destroying/demolishing/taking down
• *naon*: temple/sanctuary [inner structure, not whole complex]
• *oikodomōn*: building/constructing/rebuilding
• *sōson*: save/rescue/deliver [command]
• *Huios*: Son [title of special relationship]
• *Theou*: of God/deity/divine being
• *katabēthi*: come down/descend [command]
• *staurou*: cross/execution stake

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  'You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  and sayinge: Thou that destroyest the temple of God and byldest it in thre dayes save thy sylfe. If thou be ye sonne of God come doune from the crosse.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  and sayde: Thou that breakest downe the teple of God, and buyldest it in thre dayes, helpe thyself. Yf thou be the sonne of God, come downe from the crosse.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And saying, Thou that destroyest ye Temple, & buildest it in three dayes, saue thy selfe: if thou be ye Sonne of God, come downe fro ye crosse.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And saying: Thou that destroyedst the temple, & buyldest it in three dayes, saue thy selfe. If thou be the sonne of God, come downe from the crosse.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  and saying, "You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!"

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and saying, `Thou that art throwing down the sanctuary, and in three days building `it', save thyself; if Son thou art of God, come down from the cross.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  You who would give the Temple to destruction and put it up again in three days, get yourself free: if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.

• World English Bible (2000)

  and saying, "You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!"

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  and saying,“You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross!”

Referenced Verses

• Matt 26:61 : 61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
• Matt 4:3 : 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If you are the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
• Matt 4:6 : 6 And said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning you, and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you strike your foot against a stone.
• John 2:19-22 : 19 Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then the Jews said, It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days? 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 Therefore, when he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this to them; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
• Rev 11:10 : 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwelt on the earth.
• Matt 26:63-64 : 63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said to him, I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus said to him, You have said it: nevertheless I say to you, Hereafter shall you see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
• Matt 27:42 : 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
• Matt 27:54 : 54 Now when the centurion, and those who were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
• Luke 14:29-30 : 29 Lest perhaps, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.
• Luke 16:31 : 31 And he said to him, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.
• Matt 16:4 : 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. And He left them and departed.
• Gen 37:19-20 : 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer comes. 20 Come now therefore, and let us kill him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast has devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.