Introduction: Who Made Me Judge Over You?
Jesus responds to a man seeking arbitration over an inheritance:
Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἄνθρωπε, τίς με κατέστησε δικαστὴν ἢ μεριστὴν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς;
“But he said to him, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or divider over you?’”
This question is not simply about legality—it reveals Jesus’ refusal to act as a civil adjudicator. Instead, He redirects attention from temporal disputes to eternal truths, using precise Greek grammar to do it.
Let’s examine Luke 12:14, focusing on the powerful rhetorical question Jesus asks:
ἄνθρωπε, τίς με κατέστησε δικαστὴν ἢ μεριστὴν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς;
“Man, who appointed me a judge or divider over you?”
This verse features:
A rhetorical vocative (ἄνθρωπε)
A question introduced by τίς (“who?”)
The aorist verb κατέστησε (from καθίστημι, “appoint, set in place”)
Two predicate accusatives (δικαστὴν, μεριστὴν)
A prepositional phrase (ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς) that clarifies jurisdiction.
Morphological Breakdown
- ἄνθρωπε {ánthrōpe} –
Form: vocative masculine singular of ἄνθρωπος;
Meaning: “Man!”;
Usage: Vocative of direct address—mildly reproving but not hostile; calls the man to attention. - τίς {tís} –
Form: nominative masculine/feminine singular interrogative pronoun;
Meaning: “Who?”
Function: Subject of the verb κατέστησε. - με {me} –
Form: accusative singular pronoun;
Function: direct object of κατέστησε. - κατέστησε {katéstēse} –
Root: καθίστημι {kathístēmi};
Form: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular;
Meaning: “appointed,” “set in place as”;
Notes: Used frequently in legal and official contexts. - δικαστὴν {dikastḗn} –
Form: accusative masculine singular noun from δικαστής;
Meaning: “judge”;
Usage: predicate accusative — identifying the role into which Jesus was allegedly appointed. - ἢ {ē} –
Function: disjunctive conjunction;
Meaning: “or”;
Usage: distinguishes the two possible roles Jesus denies. - μεριστὴν {meristḗn} –
Form: accusative masculine singular noun from μεριστής;
Meaning: “divider,” “apportioner”;
Usage: predicate accusative, parallel to δικαστὴν. - ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς {ef’ ymás} –
Form: preposition ἐπί with accusative pronoun;
Meaning: “over you,” “with jurisdiction over you”;
Notes: Indicates scope or domain of appointment.
Syntactical Analysis: Predicate Accusatives After κατέστησε
This structure follows a classic double accusative pattern:
– καθίστημι takes:
– a person in the accusative (με)
– and a role/title in the accusative (δικαστήν, μεριστήν)
> τίς με κατέστησε δικαστὴν ἢ μεριστὴν
> “Who appointed me as judge or divider?”
The phrase ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς clarifies the jurisdiction—“over you (all),” meaning the brothers disputing inheritance.
Semantic and Theological Implications
This rhetorical question implies:
– No one has appointed Jesus to that civil role.
– His mission transcends human legal matters.
Jesus refuses to be drawn into property disputes because:
– His kingdom is not of this world.
– His teaching focuses on the heart, not inheritance law.
The Greek grammar helps deliver this with precision:
– The aorist verb suggests a definitive, official act of appointment.
– The predicate accusatives stress the titles Jesus rejects.
Literary and Narrative Significance
This question pivots the scene:
– From social dispute to spiritual teaching
– From earthly inheritance to divine perspective
Jesus soon warns against greed and launches into the parable of the rich fool. This verse sets that up by grammatically and thematically distancing Jesus from material arbitration.
Who Made Me Judge?
The structure τίς με κατέστησε δικαστὴν ἢ μεριστὴν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς; carries more than a question.
It reveals:
– A mission with limits,
– A kingdom without courtrooms,
– And a Christ who came not to divide inheritances,
– But to divide soul and spirit—
as only the Word can do.
