Luke 10:38–42
Martha, distracted with much serving, hears Jesus say she is worried and troubled about many things
Study it word by word38Now as they were traveling, he entered into a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him.
39And she had a sister called Mary, who also, sitting at the feet of Jesus, was listening to his word.
40But Martha was distracted with much serving; and coming up, she said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
41But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things;
42but few things are needed, or only one; for Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
In its context
36Which of these three seems to you to have become a neighbor to the one who fell among the bandits?”
37And he said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go, and you do likewise.”
…
Its words in the original
- πορεύεσθαιporeuesthai· go
Go, set out; also live, walk in a way of life.
- εἰσῆλθενeisēlthen· enter, go in
Enter, go in, come in.
- κώμηνkōmēn· village
Village, small town.
- γυνὴgynē· woman, wife
Woman; with a possessive, wife.
- ὀνόματιonomati· name
Name. In the Bible, a name stands for the person himself.
- ΜάρθαMartha· Martha
Martha: sister of Mary and Lazarus, in Bethany.
- ὑπεδέξατοhypedexato· welcome as a guest
Welcome as a guest, receive under one's roof.
- τῇδεtēide· this
This; "such and such", "this here".
- ἦνēn· be
Be, exist.
- ἀδελφὴadelphē· sister
Sister.
- καλουμένηkaloumenē· call
Call; name; invite.
- ΜαριάμMariam· Mary
Mary, the name of several women in the New Testament: Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and others.
- παρακαθεσθεῖσαparakathestheisa· sit beside
Sit beside, sit down next to someone.
- πόδαςpodas· foot
Foot.
- ἸησοῦIēsou· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- ἤκουενēkouen· hear, listen
Hear, listen; also heed.
- λόγονlogon· word
Word, saying, message; also reason, cause, account.
- περιεσπᾶτοperiespato· be distracted
Be distracted, be pulled away by much busyness.
- πολλὴνpollēn· much, many
Much, great; in the plural, many.
- διακονίανdiakonian· service, ministry
Service, ministry: the work of a servant; also help sent to those in need.
- ἐπιστᾶσαepistasa· stand by, come upon
Stand by, appear suddenly beside someone; come upon, arrive; of an event, be at hand, come on.
- εἶπενeipen· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- ΚύριεKyrie· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- μέλειmelei· be of concern
Matter, be a concern to someone.
- μόνηνmonēn· only, alone
Alone, only.
- κατέλειπενkateleipen· leave, abandon
Leave, leave behind; abandon.
- διακονεῖνdiakonein· serve
Serve, attend to; also serve at table.
- συναντιλάβηταιsynantilabētai· help
Help, take hold together with someone to share a load.
- ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheis· answer
Answer, reply; speak up.
- μεριμνᾷςmerimnais· be anxious, care for
Be anxious, worry, be troubled; also care for, be concerned about someone or something.
- θορυβάζῃthorybazēi· be troubled
Be troubled, be in a stir, be upset.
- ὀλίγωνoligōn· little, few
Little, small; in the plural, few.
- χρείαchreia· need
Need; what is lacking.
- ἑνόςhenos· one
One.
- ἀγαθὴνagathēn· good
Good.
- μερίδαmerida· part, share
Part, share, portion; also a district.
- ἐξελέξατοexelexato· choose
Choose, select.
- ἀφαιρεθήσεταιaphairethēsetai· cut off, take away
Take away, cut off.