After healing a blind man by spitting on his eyes.
Mark 8:26 Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
Mark 8:26 Don’t even go into the village.
However, you shouldn't enter into that village.
Once our eyes are opened, we cannot go back to being who we once were.
The beginning word strongly suggests that it is a response to a previous statement that was not recorded. Since There is no other negative in Jesus's words, this is evidence for the Unrecorded Question Theory (see this article) maintains that only Jesus's part of these discussions was recorded and preserved. This verse is evidence.
This is not a command. The verb is in the form of something that should'nt or might not be done.
The last part of this verse in the KJVis missing in the Greek we use today (see this article about Greek sources).
- MW -- Missing Word -- This verb is a subjunctive, which requires a "should" or "might" when outside of a when/if clause.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "go" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WF -- Wrong Form - The verb "go into" is not a command but more of a suggestion.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "nor tell it to any in the town" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "do" should be something more like "you shouldn't."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "go" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WF -- Wrong Form - The verb "go into" is not a command but more of a suggestion.
Neither -- -- The Greek word "neither" is an adverb that means, literally, "not however," "not at all" or "no even." At the beginning of a sentence, always introduces an additional negation, after some negative idea has already been expressed or implied. As a conjunction, it works as both parts of the "neither/nor" constructions. The negative is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests, used with subjunctive verbs. For other verbs, the sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done.
missing "should" or "might"-- (MW) A helping verb is necessary because the following verb is a verb of possibility, a subjunctive, something that "should" or "might" occur. The helping verb is not needed in a clause beginning with an "if" or a "when."
go -- (CW, WF) "Go" is a word that means "enter," "go or come into" and has the double meaning of "coming into one's mind." The word is not in the form of a command. It is not in the form of a command, but something that should or might be done. This is not a simple "go."
into -- The word translated as "into" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in" (a position), "as much as (of measure or limit)," "in regards to" a subject,"up to" limits in time and measure, and "for" a purpose or object.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
town, -- "Town" is an uncommon word for Jesus to use. It means an "unwalled village", "country town," and the ward or quarter of a city.
nor tell it to any in the town. -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "nor tell it to any in the town" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.
Do- -- (WW) This English helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in translation from Greek However, the following verb is a verb of possibility, a subjunctive, something that "should" or "might" occur.
n’t even -- The Greek word "not even" is an adverb that means, literally, "not however," "not at all" or "no even." At the beginning of a sentence, always introduces an additional negation, after some negative idea has already been expressed or implied. As a conjunction, it works as both parts of the "neither/nor" constructions. The negative is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests, used with subjunctive verbs. For other verbs, the sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done.
go -- (CW, WF) "Go" is a word that means "enter," "go or come into" and has the double meaning of "coming into one's mind." The word is not in the form of a command. It is not in the form of a command, but something that should or might be done. This is not a simple "go."
into -- The word translated as "into" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in" (a position), "as much as (of measure or limit)," "in regards to" a subject,"up to" limits in time and measure, and "for" a purpose or object.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
village , -- "Village" is an uncommon word for Jesus to use. It means an "unwalled village", "country town," and the ward or quarter of a city.
Μηδὲ [24 verses] (partic) "Neither" is mede, which means "and not", "but not", "nor," and "not."
εἰς [325 verses](prep) "Into" is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)", "until (of time)", "as much as (of measure or limit)", "as far as (of measure or limit)", "towards (to express relation)", "in regard to (to express relation)", "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."
τὴν [821 verses] (article) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
κώμην [6 verses]( noun sg fem acc) "Town" is kome, which means an "unwalled village", "country town," and the ward or quarter of a city.
εἰσέλθῃς [68 verses]( verb 2nd sg aor subj act) "Go into"is eiserchomai which means both "to go into," "to come in," "to enter," "to enter an office," "to enter a charge," (as in court) and "to come into one's mind."