If thou canst believe [τ ο ε ι δ υ ν η]. Lit., the if thou canst. The word believe is wanting in the best texts. It is difficult to explain to an English reader the force of the definite article here. "It takes up substantially the word spoken by the father, and puts it with lively emphasis, without connecting it with the further construction, in order to link its fulfilment to the petitioner's own faith" (Meyer). We might paraphrase thus. Jesus said : "that if thou canst of thine - as regards that, all things are possible," etc. There is a play upon the words dunh, canst, and dunata, possible, which cannot be neatly rendered. "If thou canst - all things can be."

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Old Testament