The Nugget:
Luke 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. (KJV)
Luke 10:22 `All things were delivered up to me by my Father, and no one doth know who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may wish to reveal Him .’ (Young’s Literal Translation)
Luke 10:22 All things were delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father; and who is the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may desire to reveal Him. (Literal Translation of the Holy Bible)
Luke 10:22 And after having turned to the disciples, He said, All things were handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and he to whom the Son may wish to reveal Him. (Lavender New Testament)
Luke 10:22 “My Father has turned everything over to me. Only the Father knows who the Son is. And no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.” (God’s Word translation)
Luke 10:22 My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who really knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too. (Contemporary English Version)
My Comment:
Notice how each English translation cited above is slightly different. Some of those differences reflect important distinctions in the underlying Greek text.
It is important to have English translations that preserve important distinctions present in Greek in clear English.
One distinction that is often not brought over into our English translations is the presence in Greek of the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood is properly represented in English translation by the word “may.”
For example, the last part of Luke 10:22 is rendered “and he to whom the Son will reveal him” in the King James Version. Young’s Literal Translation more accurately gives “and he to whom the Son may wish to reveal Him.”
Young’s Literal Translation is correct because it preserves the subjunctive mood in English that is present in the Greek text. Likewise, Lavender’s New Testament is correct, as is the Literal Translation of the Bible.
Whenever the subjunctive mood is present, look for the contingency, or the basis of the conditional aspect of what is being said in the context. The preceding verse provides a powerful clue:
Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
God has revealed spiritual truth to those who exercise the proper disposition toward the truth. God reveals His truth to those who are receptive to His truth.