One House – Many Mansions

John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many mansions” is a portion of Scripture that often creates some amount of confusion and even discrepancy. The confusion or debate usually stems from whether a mansion is bigger than a house and would be able to fit there.

To shed light on this let me take you to the original words in the Greek text. The Greek word oikia means “a house, dwelling” and is translated as “home (6), house (75), household (5), households (1), houses (7).” (Strong, 2010) [The number in the parentheses indicates the number of times each word is translated that way.]

The Greek word moné (say mon-ay), means “an abiding, an abode, lodging, dwelling-place, room, abode, mansion.” Monḗ (is from the verb ménō, “to remain, abide”) and it means an abiding dwelling-place (i.e. not transitory, fleeting or short-lived). Monḗ (“an individual dwelling”) is only used twice in the NT (both times by Christ). (Strong, 2010) John 14:2, 23.

The discrepancy is not in the meaning but the understanding of the words used. Did you know that when the King James Version of the Bible (1611) was written the word “mansion” had a meaning that we do not use today? Yes. Here are some dictionary definitions.

• “Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin mansion-, mansio, from manēre to remain, dwell; akin to Greek menein to remain” (Merriam-Webster.com).

• Archaic. An abode or dwelling place. 1325-75; Middle English – Latin mānsiōn- (stem of mānsiō) ‘an abiding, abode’. (Dictionary.com)

• Late Middle English (denoting the chief residence of a lord): via Old French from Latin mansio – ‘place where someone stays’, from manere ‘remain’. (Oxforddictionaries.com)

John 14:23 aptly illustrates the use of the same word to mean “remain” or “abide”.

So then, verse 2 could read, “In My Father’s house/household/dwelling there are many abodes/lodgings/rooms/dwelling places/places to stay/places to remain/places to abide. For example, in translating, one could say, “In My Father’s dwelling there are many places to stay.” Or, “In My Father’s household, there are many lodgings.” (You can toy with the various possibilities. Have fun!

Here are a few translations:

New International Version – My Father’s house has many rooms

New Living Translation – There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.

English Standard Version – In my Father’s house are many rooms

Berean Study Bible – In My Father’s house are many rooms.

Berean Literal Bible – In My Father’s house there are many mansions.

New American Standard Bible – “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places;

I hope this helped you.

(2016 August 10)