Mark

Mark front

Introduction to the Gospel of Mark

Part 1: General Introduction

Outline of the book of Mark

1. Introduction (1:1-13)
2. The ministry of Jesus in Galilee
   • Early ministry (1:14-3:6)
   • Jesus becomes more popular among the people (3:7-5:43)
   • Moving away from Galilee and then returning (6:1-8:26)
3. Progress toward Jerusalem, repeated times when Jesus predicts his own death; the disciples misunderstand, and Jesus teaches them how difficult it will be to follow him (8:27-10:52)
4. Last days of ministry and preparation for final conflict in Jerusalem (11:1-13:37)
5. The death of Christ and the empty tomb (14:1-16:8)

What is the book of Mark about?

The Gospel of Mark is one of four books in the New Testament that describe some of the life of Jesus Christ. The authors of the gospels wrote about who Jesus was and what he did during his life. Mark wrote much about how Jesus suffered and died on the cross. He did this to encourage his readers who were being persecuted. Mark also explained Jewish customs and some Aramaic words. This may indicate that Mark expected most of his first readers to be Gentiles.

How should the title of this book be translated?

Translators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, “The Gospel of Mark,” or “The Gospel According to Mark.” They may also choose a title that may be clearer, such as, “The Good News about Jesus that Mark Wrote.” (See: How to Translate Names)

Who wrote the book of Mark?

The book does not give the name of the author. However, since early Christian times, most Christians have thought that the author was Mark. Mark was also known as John Mark. He was a close friend of Peter. Mark may not have witnessed what Jesus said and did. Many experts think that Peter the Apostle was the source of what Mark wrote about Jesus.

Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts

What were Jesus’ teaching methods?

The people regarded Jesus as a rabbi. A rabbi is a teacher of God’s law. Jesus taught in similar ways to other religious teachers in Israel. He had students who followed him wherever he went. These students were called disciples. Jesus often taught by telling parables, stories that teach moral lessons. (See: law, law of Moses, law of Yahweh, law of God and disciple and parable)

Part 3: Important Translation Issues

What are the Synoptic Gospels?

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels because they have many similar passages. The word “synoptic” means to “see together.”

The texts are considered “parallel” when they are the same or almost the same among two or three of the gospels. When translating parallel passages, translators should use the same wording and make them as similar as possible.

Why does Jesus refer to himself as the “Son of Man”?

In the Gospels, Jesus calls himself the “Son of Man.” This phrase could mean a few things:

*The phrase “son of man” can simply be describing that someone’s father is also a human being. Therefore, the person being described is literally a son of a man, or a human being.

*The phrase sometimes is a reference to Daniel 7:13-14. In this passage there is a person described as a “Son of Man.” This description tells us that the person ascending to the throne of God looked like a human being. This description is different than the first because God gives this Son of Man authority forever. Therefore, the title Son of Man became a title for the Messiah.

Translating the title “Son of Man” can be difficult in many languages. Readers may misunderstand a literal translation. Translators can consider alternatives, such as “The Human One.” It may also be helpful to include a footnote to explain the title.

Why does Mark frequently use terms indicating short periods of time?

The Gospel of Mark uses the word “immediately” 42 times. Mark does this to make the events more exciting and vivid. It moves the reader quickly from one event to the next.

Sabbath/Sabbaths

Often in the culture of the Bible, religious festivals would be written in the plural form of the word instead of a singular form. This occurs in Mark as well. In the ULT, the word should be kept plural, “Sabbaths.” This is simply for the sake of rendering the translated text as close to the original text as possible. In the UST, Sabbath it is changed to singular to make more sense of the use of the word in its context, “Sabbath.”

What are the major issues in the text of the book of Mark?

Some verses found in older versions of the Bible are not included in most modern versions. Translators are advised not to include these verses. However, if there are older versions of the Bible in the translator’s region that include one or more of these verses, the translators can include them. If they are included, they should be surrounded by square brackets ([]) to indicate that they were probably not original to Mark’s Gospel. * “If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” (7:16) * “where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched” (9:44) * “where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched” (9:46) * “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘He was counted with the lawless ones’” (15:28)

The following passage is not found in the earliest manuscripts. Most Bibles include this passage, but modern Bibles put it in brackets ([]) or indicate in some way that this passage may not have been original to Mark’s Gospel. Translators are advised to do something similar to the modern versions of the Bible. * “Early on the first day of the week, after he arose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who were with him, while they were mourning and weeping. They heard that he was alive and that he had been seen by her, but they did not believe. After these things he appeared in a different form to two of them, as they were walking out into the country. They went and told the rest of the disciples, but they did not believe them. Jesus later appeared to the eleven as they were reclining at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he rose from the dead. He said to them, ‘Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to the entire creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, and he who does not believe will be condemned. These signs will go with those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons. They will speak in new languages. They will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.’ After the Lord had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. The disciples left and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that went with them.” (16:9-20)

(See: Textual Variants)

Mark 1

Mark 1 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 1:2-3, words from the Old Testament.

Special Concepts in this Chapter

“You can make me clean”

Leprosy is a disease of the skin. It made a person unclean and unable to properly worship God. Jesus is capable of making people physically “clean” or healthy as well as spiritually “clean” or right with God. (See: clean, wash)

“The kingdom of God is near”

Scholars debate whether the “kingdom of God” was present at this time or is something that is still coming. English translations frequently use the phrase “at hand,” but this can create difficulty for translators. Other versions use the phase “is coming” and “has come near.”

Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter

The historic present

To call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 12, 21, 30, 37, 40 and 44. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: Predictive Past)

Mark 1:1

ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, Υἱοῦ Θεοῦ

This verse introduces the reader to the history of Jesus the Messiah as told by Mark. This functions as an introduction to the entire book of Mark. Use the natural form in your language for beginning the telling of something that actually happened. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/writing-newevent/01.md)

Υἱοῦ Θεοῦ

Son of God is an important title that describes the relationship between God and Jesus. If this would be misunderstood, you could use the alternate translation: “who is God’s Son” (See: Translating Son and Father)

Mark 1:2

καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ

If it would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an active form. Alternate translation: “Just as Isaiah the prophet wrote” (See: Active or Passive)

καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ

Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: “Just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, it says,” or “Just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, he wrote,” (See: Quotations and Quote Margins)

ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ

Mark is leaving out some of the words that this sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could supply these words. Alternate translation: “in the scroll of Isaiah the prophet” (See: Ellipsis)

Ἠσαΐᾳ

Isaiah is the name of a man. (See: How to Translate Names)

πρὸ προσώπου σου

Here, before your face is an idiom which means that “the messenger” was sent first, and then the second person came after them. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could clarify. Alternate translation: “first” or “before you”. (See: Idiom)

ἰδοὺ

The term Behold focuses the attention of the listener on what the speaker is about to say. Though it literally means “look” or “see,” in this case “seeing” figuratively means giving notice and attention. Alternate translation: “Pay attention!” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metaphor/01.md)

προσώπου σου…τὴν ὁδόν σου

Here, both of the words your refer to Jesus and are singular. (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου

That the messenger will prepare your way represents preparing the people for the Lord’s arrival. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you can express this explicitly. Alternate translation: “who will prepare the people for your arrival” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 1:3

φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ,

Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: “The voice of someone crying out in the wilderness is heard, saying:” or “They hear the sound of someone calling out in the wilderness, saying:” (See: Quotations and Quote Margins)

φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ

Here there is a direct quotation nested inside a direct quotation as Mark quotes Isaiah who quotes the messenger. If this would be confusing in your language, you could translate the second direct quotation as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “a voice crying out in the wilderness, telling people to make ready the way of the Lord and to make his paths straight” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

φωνὴ βοῶντος

Here, a voice figuratively refers to the messenger who uses his voice to cry out. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or use plain language. Alternate translation: “people will hear his voice as he cries out” (See: Synecdoche)

ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ

Make ready the way of the Lord and make his paths straight mean the same thing. If this would be confusing in your language, you could combine the two. See the next note for alternate translations. (See: Parallelism)

ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου

Isaiah uses a metaphor here of preparing paths or the way that someone will travel on. If someone prepares a path for another, they make the path walkable. If a person in high authority were coming, the people would make sure the roads were clear of any hazards. So this metaphor means that the people should prepare themselves to receive the Lord’s message when he comes. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture or use plain speech. Alternate translation: “Prepare to hear and obey the Lord’s message when he comes” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metaphor/01.md)

Κυρίου

In this quote from Isaiah, the Lord refers to God, but Mark is showing how it also refers to Jesus the Messiah. However, do not translate this as “Jesus” here, because this double reference must be maintained. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-extrainfo/01.md)

ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν

The imagery of paths or the way is figuratively used here to indicate that John will prepare the people to listen to the Lord’s message. If someone prepares a path for another person, the people make the path walkable. If someone in high authority were coming, they would make sure the roads were clear from any hazards. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you can use an alternate translation: “Prepare the people for the arrival of the Lord ” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-idiom/01.md)

ἑτοιμάσατε…ποιεῖτε

These words are both plural, addressing people in general. (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

Mark 1:4

Ἰωάννης

John is the name of a man. (See: How to Translate Names)

καὶ κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν

The baptism of repentance proclaimed by John likely has its origin in baptisms done by Gentiles who were converting to Judaism. This baptism was done one time and showed that these people were converting from their former way of life to the new way of life. If this would be misunderstood, you can express it explicitly. Alternate translation: “and preaching that he must baptize them to show that they have turned from their former evil ways, accepted God’s forgiveness for their sins, and were now following God” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

καὶ κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind repentance, forgiveness, and sins, you could express those ideas with verbs. Alternate translation: “and preaching that he must baptize them to show that they have repented of their former evil way of living and that God has forgiven them for sinning against him” (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 1:5

πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία χώρα

The word region of Judea is used here to refer to the people living within Judea. Alternate translation: “the people from Judea” (See: Synecdoche)

πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία χώρα καὶ οἱ Ἱεροσολυμεῖται πάντες

Here, the whole region and all the inhabitants are generalizations that refer to a great number of people, not to every single person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or use plain language. Alternate translation: “many people from Judea and Jerusalem” (See: Hyperbole)

καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ, ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν

If it would be more natural in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “and he was baptizing them” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 1:6

καὶ ἦν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου, καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσθων ἀκρίδας καὶ μέλι ἄγριον.

This verse helps provide background to John. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. (See: Background Information)

ἦν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου

The camels’ hair that John wore had been made into clothing. This would have been a rough, coarse material. If that would not be understood by your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “John wore rough clothing woven from camel’s hair” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

καμήλου

If your readers would not know what a camel is, you could include a description in a footnote or use a more general term. Alternate translation: “animal” (See: Translate Unknowns)

ἀκρίδας

If your readers would not know what locusts are, you could include a description in a footnote or use a more general term. Alternate translation: “grasshoppers” or “insects” (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 1:7

ἐκήρυσσεν λέγων

Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: “he announced loudly to the people” or “he proclaimed these things, saying” (See: Quotations and Quote Margins)

ἐκήρυσσεν

The pronoun he is referring to John. Alternate translation: “John was proclaiming” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἔρχεται…ὀπίσω μου

Here, coming after me means that this mightier person would come at a later time than John came. It does not mean that he is behind John, chasing John, or a disciple of John.

κύψας λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ

Untying the straps of sandals was a duty of a slave. John is saying implicitly that the one who is coming will be so great that John is not even worthy to be his slave. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “I am not even worthy to be his slave” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

Mark 1:8

αὐτὸς δὲ βαπτίσει ὑμᾶς ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ

This metaphor compares John’s baptism with water to the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which Jesus will give. The point of the comparison is how people are made clean from sin. John baptized people to show that they wanted to be cleansed of their sin, and Jesus will enable them to be fully cleansed of sin by the Holy Spirit. If possible, use the same word for baptize here as you used for John’s baptism to aid the comparison between the two. If this is not possible, you could use a simile or plain language. Alternate translation: “but he will join you to the Holy Spirit” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metaphor/01.md)

δὲ

Here, baptism by water and baptism by the Holy Spirit are being contrasted. Use a natural way in your language to introduce a contrast. (See: Connect — Contrast Relationship)

Mark 1:9

καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις

And it happened that in those days marks the beginning of a new event in the storyline. Use the natural form in your language for introducing a new event (See: Introduction of a New Event)

ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις

The phrase those days refers to the time period when John was preaching and baptizing people at the Jordan River. If this is not clear in your language, you can state it more clearly. Alternate translation: “John was preaching and baptizing people when” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἐβαπτίσθη…ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express this idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “John baptized him” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-activepassive/01.md)

ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲτ τῆς Γαλιλαίας

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “Jesus went from Nazareth in Galilee” or “Jesus went out from Nazareth in Galilee” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 1:10

τὸ Πνεῦμα ὡς περιστερὰν καταβαῖνον ἐπ’ αὐτόν

The phrase like a dove could mean: (1) the Spirit looked like a dove as he descended upon Jesus. Alternate translation: “the Spirit came down from heaven, looking like a dove” (2) the Spirit descended upon Jesus as a dove descends from the sky toward the ground. Alternate translation: “the Spirit of God came down from heaven as a dove comes down” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-simile/01.md)

εὐθὺς

The word immediately occurs often throughout the book of Mark. As used here, it usually means that the event it introduces occurs directly after the previous event. Use a natural way in your language that communicates this. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-time-sequential/01.md)

εἶδεν σχιζομένους τοὺς οὐρανοὺς

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express this idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “he saw the heavens bursting open” or “he saw that God was tearing heaven open” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-activepassive/01.md)

Mark 1:11

καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν

Mark speaks figuratively of this voice as if it were a living thing that could come from heaven to earth. Alternate translation: “And God spoke from heaven and said” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-personification/01.md)

ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός

Son is an important title for Jesus. The title Son describes Jesus’ relationship with God the Father. (See: Translating Son and Father)

Mark 1:12

εὐθὺς

See how you translated the word immediately in Mark 1:10

τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτὸν ἐκβάλλει εἰς τὴν ἔρημον

Alternate translation: “the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness”

Mark 1:13

πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express this idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “while Satan tempted him” or “during which Satan kept trying to persuade him to disobey God” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-activepassive/01.md)

ἦν μετὰ τῶν θηρίων

Alternate translation: “Jesus was living among the wild animals”

οἱ ἄγγελοι διηκόνουν αὐτῷ.

Comparing this account with the one in Matthew 4:1-11, we see that Mark is only listing a brief summary of the events here. So the phrase the angels were serving him could mean: (1) the angels were taking care of Jesus during this time to keep him safe or (2) the angels came to give him food and water at the end of the 40 days.

Mark 1:14

μετὰ δὲ τὸ παραδοθῆναι τὸν Ἰωάννην

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express this idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “But after the governor Herod had John arrested” or “But after Herod’s soldiers arrested John” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-activepassive/01.md)

μετὰ δὲ τὸ παραδοθῆναι τὸν Ἰωάννην

The governor Herod Antipas had John arrested and put into prison because John continually rebuked Herod Antipas for his sins. See 6:14-29. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could put this information in a footnote.

μετὰ δὲ τὸ παραδοθῆναι τὸν Ἰωάννην

This phrase provides background information that sets the time period for Jesus’ ministry. Jesus did not begin his ministry until John had been arrested. Use the natural form in your language for expressing this information. Alternate translation: “Later, John was arrested. After that” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-time-background/01.md)

ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Also, it might be more natural to indicate that Jesus was returning to Galilee. Alternate translation: “Jesus went back to Galilee” or “Jesus returned to Galilee” (See: Go and Come)

κηρύσσων τὸ εὐαγγέλιον

Alternate translation: “telling the people there about the good news”

Mark 1:15

πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς καὶ ἤγγικεν ἡ Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ

The phrase The time has been fulfilled is an idiom that means that something which God said would happen has finally happened. Often, this refers to prophecy of the Old Testament being fulfilled in the New Testament. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you can state this plainly. Alternate translation: “God said that his rule would come near, and now it has come near” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-idiom/01.md)

καὶ λέγων

Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: “and he said” or “and informing them” (See: Quotations and Quote Margins)

πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express this idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “The time has come” or “What God promised is now happening” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-activepassive/01.md)

ἤγγικεν

The phrase has come near could mean: (1) has begun. Alternate translation: “God is now creating his kingdom among you” or (2) will soon begin. Alternate translation: “God will soon bring people into his kingdom”

Mark 1:16

Σίμωνα καὶ Ἀνδρέαν

The phrase has come near could mean: (1) has begun. Alternate translation: “God is now creating his kingdom among you” or (2) will soon begin. Alternate translation: “God will soon bring people into his kingdom”

ἀμφιβάλλοντας ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ

The purpose of throwing the net was to catch fish in it. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “were throwing a net into the water to catch fish” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

ἦσαν γὰρ ἁλιεῖς

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. You may also wish to start a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “Because they were fishermen, they were casting a net into the sea” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

Mark 1:17

δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου

Come after me is an idiom which means to become a disciple of someone. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “Join the group of my followers” or “Become my disciples” (See: Idiom)

ποιήσω ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων

fishers of men means Simon and Andrew will teach people God’s message so others will also follow Jesus. If your readers would not understand, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express Paul’s meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “I will teach you to gather men to me like you gather fish” (See: Metaphor)

ἀνθρώπων

Here, men refers not just to men but to people in general. Alternate translation: “of people” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

Mark 1:18

καὶ εὐθέως

See note on 1:10. (See: Connect — Sequential Time Relationship)

ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ

Here, they followed him means that they went with Jesus and intended to remain with him as his disciples. Make sure that you use a phrase that does not imply that they followed him with any evil intention or followed far behind him. Alternate translation: “they walked away with Jesus to learn from him”

Mark 1:19

καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα

Here, mending refers to restoring something, usually by sewing, to make it ready to use. Since a net is made of ropes, this probably meant stitching, weaving, or tying it together. Alternate translation: “repairing their nets”

Mark 1:20

ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς

If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express explicitly what Jesus called James and John to do. Alternate translation: “having called them to come with him” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

ἀπῆλθον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ

Here, they refers to James and John. It does not refer to the servants, who stayed in the boat. If this is not clear in your language, you can express it more clearly. Alternate translation: “James and John followed Jesus” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἀπῆλθον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ

The phrase, they went away after him means the same as “they followed him” in verse 18. Alternate translation: “James and John followed Jesus”

Mark 1:22

ἦν γὰρ διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων, καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἱ γραμματεῖς

The author intentionally leaves out the repeated information in this sentence. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you can clarify. Alternate translation: “for he was teaching them as someone who has authority teaches and not as the scribes teach” (See: Ellipsis)

ἦν γὰρ διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων, καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἱ γραμματεῖς.

Here, Jesus’ teaching is being contrasted with the way that the Jewish teachers taught. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. (See: Connect — Contrast Relationship)

ἐξεπλήσσοντο

Alternate translation: “the people in the synagogue were amazed”

Mark 1:23

καὶ εὐθὺς ἦν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν ἄνθρωπος ἐν πνεύματι ἀκαθάρτῳ

The person with the unclean spirit enters the synagogue while Jesus is preaching. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “While Jesus was teaching, a man who was controlled by an evil spirit entered the synagogue” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 1:24

τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί, Ἰησοῦ Ναζαρηνέ?

The demons ask this rhetorical question, meaning there is no reason for Jesus to interfere with them and that they desire him to leave them alone. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Jesus of Nazareth, leave us alone! There is no reason for you to interfere with us.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἦλθες ἀπολέσαι ἡμᾶς

Here, us refers to many spirits. Often times in the biblical passages about evil spirits, there are multiple spirits controlling one person (Mark 5:1-20). If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Have you come to destroy all of us evil spirits” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἦλθες ἀπολέσαι ἡμᾶς

The demons ask this rhetorical question to urge Jesus not to harm them. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Do not destroy us!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 1:28

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἡ ἀκοὴ αὐτοῦ εὐθὺς, πανταχοῦ εἰς ὅλην τὴν περίχωρον τῆς Γαλιλαίας

This is a metaphor which means that the story of what just happened in the synagogue spread from person to person until many heard about it in the region of Galilee. If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternate translation: “The story about Jesus quickly spread from person to person throughout all of Galilee” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 1:29

ἦλθον

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “They went into the house of Simon and Andrew” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 1:30

ἡ…πενθερὰ Σίμωνος κατέκειτο πυρέσσουσα

This phrase gives background information about Peter’s mother-in-law. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. (See: Background Information)

πυρέσσουσα

A fever is a symptom of an illness in which the temperature of the body temporarily increases. This results in the need to lie down in bed and rest as Peter’s mother-in-law was doing. If your reader would not be familiar with this, you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “being feverish from illness” or “being ill with an elevated temperature” (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 1:31

ἤγειρεν αὐτὴν, κρατήσας τῆς χειρός

Here, the author mentions Jesus helping her up before mentioning that Jesus took her by the hand, even though it happened in the opposite order. If this is confusing in your language, you could make the order of events clear. Alternate translation: “Jesus took her hand and helped her up out of bed” (See: Order of Events)

ἀφῆκεν αὐτὴν ὁ πυρετός

This is a metaphor meaning that Jesus healed her of the fever. If your readers would not understand, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternate translation: “Jesus healed her of the fever” (See: Metaphor)

διηκόνει αὐτοῖς

If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say explicitly that she likely served them food. Alternate translation: “she provided them with food and drinks” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 1:32

ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης, ὅτε ἔδυ ὁ ἥλιος

Now when it became evening, after the sun had set gives background information which helps the reader know the time in the day when this was occurring. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. (See: Background Information)

πάντας τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας καὶ τοὺς δαιμονιζομένους

The word all is an exaggeration to emphasize the great number of people who came. It is not likely that every single sick person was brought to Jesus. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language. Alternate translation: “a great number who were sick or possessed by demons” (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 1:33

ἦν ὅλη ἡ πόλις ἐπισυνηγμένη πρὸς τὴν θύραν

The word city is a metonym for the people who lived in the city. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “many people from that city gathered outside of Simon’s house” (See: Metonymy)

καὶ ἦν ὅλη ἡ πόλις ἐπισυνηγμένη πρὸς τὴν θύραν

The entire city did not gather at his door. This expression, the whole city, is used to express that a large number of people came to him. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “Many people from the city gathered at Simon’s door” (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 1:37

πάντες ζητοῦσίν σε

The word Everyone is an exaggeration to emphasize that many people were looking for Jesus. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “Many people are looking for you” (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 1:38

ἄγωμεν ἀλλαχοῦ

Here, Jesus uses the word us to refer to himself, along with Simon, Andrew, James, and John. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

εἰς τὰς ἐχομένας κωμοπόλεις

Which towns the surrounding towns are is clarifed in the following passages. Since the expression is explained in the next verse, you do not need to explain its meaning further here. (See: When to Keep Information Implicit)

Mark 1:39

κηρύσσων, εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς αὐτῶν εἰς ὅλην τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλων

Jesus’ was both preaching and casting out demons. Jesus was not necessarily doing these in any order. Use the appropriate connecting word or phrase to show that Jesus was doing both of these things together. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-time-simultaneous/01.md)

ἦλθεν…εἰς ὅλην τὴν Γαλιλαίαν

The words in all are an exaggeration used to emphasize that Jesus went to many locations during his ministry. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language that conveys this idea. Alternate translation: “he went to many places in Galilee” (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 1:41

σπλαγχνισθεὶς

Here, the word moved is an idiom meaning to feel emotion about another person’s need. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “Jesus, having felt compassion for him” (See: Idiom)

σπλαγχνισθεὶς

If your language does not use an abstract noun for this idea, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun compassion in another way. Alternate translation: “Jesus felt compassionate” (See: Abstract Nouns)

θέλω

If I am willing would be misunderstood in your language, you could supply what Jesus is willing to do from the context. Alternate translation: “I am willing to make you clean” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 1:43

The word him used here refers to the leper whom Jesus healed.

Mark 1:44

σεαυτὸν δεῖξον τῷ ἱερεῖ

Jesus told the man to show himself to the priest so that the priest could look at his skin to see if his leprosy was really gone. The law of Moses required people to present themselves to the priest for inspection if they had been unclean but were now clean. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “get inspected by the priest to confirm that you are healed of the leprosy” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

σεαυτὸν δεῖξον

Here, the word yourself represents the skin of the leper. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or plain language. Alternate translation: “show your skin” (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 1:45

ἤρξατο κηρύσσειν πολλὰ καὶ διαφημίζειν τὸν λόγον

Here, spread the word widely is a metaphor for telling people in many places about what had happened. If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternate translation: “began to tell people in many places about what Jesus had done” (See: Metaphor)

πάντοθεν

The word all sides is a hyperbole used to emphasize from how very many places the people came. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language. Alternate translation: “from all over the region” (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 2

Mark 2 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

1. Jesus heals the paralytic (2:1-12)
2. Jesus tells Levi to follow him (2:13,14)
3. The feast at Levi’s house (2:15-17)
4. Questions about fasting (2:18-22)
5. Picking grain on the Sabbath (2:22-28)

Special Concepts in this Chapter

“Sinners”

When the people of Jesus’ time spoke of “sinners,” they were talking about people who did not obey the law of Moses and instead committed sins like stealing or sexual sins. When Jesus said that he came to call “sinners,” he meant that only people who believe that they are sinners can be his followers. This is true even if they are not what most people think of as “sinners.” (See: sin, sinful, sinner, sinning)

Fasting and Feasting

People would fast, or not eat food for a long time, when they were sad or were showing God that they were sorry for their sins. When they were happy, like during weddings, they would have feasts, or meals where they would eat much food. (See: fast, fasting)

Important figures of speech in this chapter

Rhetorical Questions

The Jewish leaders used rhetorical questions to show that they were angry because of what Jesus said and did and that they did not believe that he was God’s Son (Mark 2:7). Jesus used them to show the Jewish leaders that they were arrogant (Mark 2:25-26). (See: Rhetorical Question)

The Historic Present

To call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 1, 3, 7, 14, 15, 18, 25, . If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: Predictive Past)

Mark 2:1

ἠκούσθη ὅτι ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν

If it would be more natural in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “The people there heard that he was staying at his home” (See: Active or Passive)

καὶ εἰσελθὼν πάλιν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ

The author tells us that Jesus entered again to remind us that he has already been in Capernaum in 1:21. You could make this more explicit in your language. Use a natural way in your language for introducing background information. Alternate translation: “Jesus came a second time to the town called Capernaum” (See: Connect — Background Information)

ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν

There is some debate over whose house this is. It could possibly be (1) Peter’s house. Peter’s house functioned as the place where Jesus always returned to when we was in the town of Capernaum. Alternate translation: “He was in Peter’s house” or (2) you could leave it generic, and not specify whose house it was. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 2:3

παραλυτικὸν

A paralytic is someone who is not able to completely use their body. Sometimes they just can’t use their legs, but sometimes they can’t use anything. (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 2:4

ἀπεστέγασαν τὴν στέγην ὅπου ἦν, καὶ ἐξορύξαντες, χαλῶσι

Houses where Jesus lived had flat roofs made of clay and covered with tiles. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “they removed the tiles from the part of the roof above where Jesus was. And when they had dug through the clay roof, they lowered” or “they made a hole in the roof above where Jesus was, and then they lowered” (See: Translate Unknowns)

κράβαττον

A mat was a portable bed that could also be used to transport a person. Think of something in your culture that you might carry an injured person on to get them medical attention. Alternate translation: “a stretcher” or “a cot” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-unknown/01.md)

Mark 2:5

ἰδὼν…τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν

The implication is that Jesus recognized that the friends of this paralyzed man strongly believed that he could heal him. Their actions proved that. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “When Jesus recognized that the man’s friends were convinced that he could heal him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τέκνον

The word Child here shows Jesus cared for the man as a father cares for a son. This man was not actually Jesus’ son. If your language has a term like this, you can clarify. Alternate translation: “Beloved” (See: Kinship)

Mark 2:6

διαλογιζόμενοι ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν

Here, hearts is a metonym for the people’s thoughts. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “were thinking to themselves” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 2:7

τί οὗτος οὕτως λαλεῖ?

These religious leaders do not expect someone to tell them who Jesus is. Instead, they are using the question form to emphasize how inappropriate they think it is for Jesus to tell someone that he forgives their sins. As the next sentence explains, they think this means Jesus was claiming to be God, and so in their view, he would be speaking blasphemies. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate their words as a statement or exclamation. Alternate translation: “This man is speaking blasphemies!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

τίς δύναται ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ Θεός?

The scribes used this question to say that since only God is able to forgive sins, then Jesus should not say “Your sins are forgiven.” If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Only God can forgive sins, not a man!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 2:8

τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦ

Here, spirit is a metonym for Jesus inner thoughts. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “in his inner being” or “within himself” (See: Metonymy)

ἐπιγνοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦ

This phrase implies that Jesus had supernatural knowledge. It indicates that Jesus knew what the scribes were saying even though he did not hear what they said. If it would be helpful to your readers, your could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Even though no one told Jesus, he knew” or “Even though Jesus had not heard them, he was fully aware”(See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τί ταῦτα διαλογίζεσθε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν?

Jesus uses this question to tell the scribes that what they are thinking is wrong. It also shows that He knows what they are thinking without them saying it out loud. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “What you are thinking is wrong.” or “Do not think that I am blaspheming.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ταῦτα…ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν

The word hearts is a metonym for their inner thoughts and desires. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “this inside yourselves” or “these things” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 2:9

τί ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον, εἰπεῖν τῷ παραλυτικῷ, ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, ἢ εἰπεῖν, ἔγειρε καὶ ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει?

Jesus is using the form of a question in order to teach. He wants to make the scribes and Pharisees reflect on the situation and realize something. There are many implications. For example, these religious leaders may take the question in the sense, “Which is easier to get away with saying?” The answer would be, “Your sins are forgiven,” because people don’t expect visual proof of that, whereas if someone says, “Get up and walk,” and nothing happens, that proves the speaker doesn’t have the power to heal. Jesus likely intends the question in a different sense: “Which is the easier way to deal with a situation like this?” It appears that the man’s sickness has something to do with his sins, because Jesus forgives them. In such a situation, it would not be sufficient to say, “Get up and walk,” since that would address the effect but not the cause. To say, “Your sins are forgiven,” would deal with both the cause and the effect, so that would be the easier way to deal with the situation. There are many other implications that could also be drawn out as well—too many to include in the text of a translation. Since the question form is intrinsic to Jesus’ teaching method, you may wish simply to retain it in your translation. However, to show that he is teaching, not asking for information, you could introduce his question with a phrase that indicates its purpose. Alternate translation: “Think about this. Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” (See: Rhetorical Question)

τί ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον, εἰπεῖν τῷ παραλυτικῷ, ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, ἢ εἰπεῖν, ἔγειρε καὶ ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “Is it easier to tell someone that his sins are forgiven, or to tell him to get up, take his mat, and walk?” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

Mark 2:10

εἰδῆτε

The word you refers to the scribes and the crowd. If this would be misunderstood, you can state this explicitly.

ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

By calling himself the Son of Man Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If this is confusing in your language, you can use the first person. Alternate translation: “God has given me, the Son of Man, authority” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

Mark 2:11

ἔγειρε ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου, καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου

get up, take up your mat, and go were not commands that the man was able to obey. Instead, this was a command that directly caused the man to be healed. Alternate translation: “I heal you, so you can get up” (See: Imperatives — Other Uses)

Mark 2:10

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

By calling himself the Son of Man Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If this is confusing in your language, you can use the first person. Alternate translation: “God has given me, the Son of Man, authority” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

Mark 2:12

ἔμπροσθεν πάντων

Alternate translation: “in the presence of everyone in the house”

ἠγέρθη, καὶ εὐθὺς ἄρας τὸν κράβαττον, ἐξῆλθεν ἔμπροσθεν πάντων

The implication is that the man was able to get up because Jesus had healed him. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “And all at once the man was healed, so he got up” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 2:13

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν πάλιν παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτούς

This phrase acts as background information to tell the reader where the next event is taking place. Use a natural way in your language for introducing background information. (See: Connect — Background Information)

πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτόν

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “A large crowd went to him” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 2:14

Λευεὶν τὸν τοῦ Ἁλφαίου

Alphaeus was the name of a man. (See: How to Translate Names)

ἀκολούθει μοι

In this context, to follow someone means to become that person’s disciple. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “Become my disciple” or “Come, follow me as your teacher” (See: Idiom)

Mark 2:15

ἦσαν γὰρ πολλοὶ, καὶ ἠκολούθουν αὐτῷ

Alternate translation: “There were many tax collectors and sinful people who followed Jesus”

καὶ πολλοὶ τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ συνανέκειντο τῷ Ἰησοῦ

These two groups are used to express that Jesus and his students were eating with many people who the religious leaders looked down upon. (See: Hendiadys)

Mark 2:16

οἱ γραμματεῖς τῶν Φαρισαίων

This phrase tells the reader that these scribes were members of the group known as the Pharisees. Alternate translation: “The scribes, who were members of the Pharisees” (See: Possession)

ὅτι μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει?

The Pharisees and scribes are using the question form to express their disapproval. They believed that religious people should separate themselves from people whom they considered to be sinners. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate their words as a statement or exclamation. Alternate translation: “You should not eat and drink with sinful tax collectors!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 2:17

οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ, ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες

Jesus begins his response by quoting or creating a proverb, a short saying about something that is generally true in life. This proverb draws a figurative comparison. Just as sick people need to see a doctor to be healed, so sinners need to see Jesus in order to be forgiven and restored. But since Jesus explains the comparison in the next verse, you do not need to explain it here. Rather, you can translate the proverb itself in a way that will be meaningful in your language and culture. Alternate translation: “People who are well do not need to see a doctor; people who are sick do” (See: Proverbs)

οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ, ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες. οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς

Those who are sick are equated with those who are wanting to be saved by Jesus. The healthy are equated with those who do not think they need Jesus. Jesus does not actually think those who do not want him are healthy, but the opposite. He says this because those people think they are healthy in their own eyes and do not need Jesus. If this would be confusing in your language, you be more explicit. Alternate translation: “Those who suppose themselves to be healthy do not need a doctor. It is those who know that they are sick who need a doctor”. (See: Irony)

οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ, ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες

The words have a need of a physician are assumed in the second phrase. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: Those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but those whoa re sick need a doctor” (See: Ellipsis)

οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι…ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς

The words I came...to call are understood from the phrase before this. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “but I came to call sinners” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 2:18

ἔρχονται

They came refers to an unknown group of people. It is best to leave this unknown, as it is not clear who is being talked about here. Alternate translation: “A group of unknown men came” (See: When to Keep Information Implicit)

καὶ ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι νηστεύοντες

This fast is likely referring to the fast which the religious leaders performed twice per week. You can make this explicit in your translation. Alternate translation: “Now, the students of John and the Pharisees were performing their bi-weekly fast” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

καὶ ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι νηστεύοντες.

This phrase provides background information. The author is telling us this to help us to understand why Jesus was being asked this question. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. Alternate translation: “Now, it happened at the time when the students of John the Baptizer and the Pharisees were fasting.” (See: Background Information)

Mark 2:19

μὴ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐν ᾧ ὁ νυμφίος μετ’ αὐτῶν ἐστιν νηστεύειν?

Jesus is using the question form to teach. He wants the scribes and Pharisees to reflect on the actions of his disciples in light of a situation they are already familiar with. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate his words as a statement or exclamation. Alternate translation: “No one tells the groom’s party at a wedding to fast while the groom is still with them!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

μὴ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐν ᾧ ὁ νυμφίος μετ’ αὐτῶν ἐστιν νηστεύειν?

It is best to keep this verse the way it is. Do not clarify that it is about Jesus. (See: When to Keep Information Implicit)

οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ

The expression sons of is a Hebrew idiom that means a person shares the qualities of something. In this case, Jesus is describing people who share the quality of being an integral part of a wedding. These are the male friends who attend the groom during the ceremony and the festivities. Alternate translation: “the groom’s party” (See: Idiom)

Mark 2:20

ἀπαρθῇ…ὁ νυμφίος

If it would be more natural in your language, you could say the bridegroom may be taken away with an active form. Alternate translation: “the bridegroom will leave his friends” (See: Active or Passive)

τότε

then here shows the reader that the bridegroom must first leave, and then the friends will begin fasting. Make sure this is clear in your language. (See: Connect — Sequential Time Relationship)

Mark 2:21

οὐδεὶς ἐπίβλημα ῥάκους ἀγνάφου ἐπιράπτει ἐπὶ ἱμάτιον παλαιόν

When a piece of clothing gets a hole in it, another piece of cloth, a patch, is sewn onto the clothing to cover the hole. If this patch has not yet been washed, it will shrink and tear the piece of clothing, making the hole worse than it was to begin with. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

οὐδεὶς ἐπίβλημα ῥάκους ἀγνάφου ἐπιράπτει ἐπὶ ἱμάτιον παλαιόν; εἰ δὲ μή αἴρει τὸ πλήρωμα ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ, τὸ καινὸν τοῦ παλαιοῦ, καὶ χεῖρον σχίσμα γίνεται.

This verse is a parable, as well as verse 22. (See: Parables)

Mark 2:22

ἀσκοὺς

These were bags made out of animal skins where wine was stored. If they were old and used, and someone put new wine in them, they would tear. This would happen because the wine expands as it sits for a long time and the old wine skins could no longer stretch with the wine. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

ἀλλὰ οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινούς

In this phrase, it is assumed that new wine is being poured into fresh wineskins. If this would be confusing in your language, you can clarify. Alternate translation: “But you should pour new wine into new wineskins” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 2:23

τίλλοντες τοὺς στάχυας

Plucking grain in others’ fields and eating it was not considered stealing. It was actually a commandment of the Law to leave the grain on the edges of your field standing so that those who were hungry could eat it. The question was whether it was lawful to do this on the Sabbath. If this would be misunderstood In your culture, you can clarify. Alternate translation: plucking heads of grain, as the Law permitted” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τοὺς στάχυας

The heads are the topmost part of the wheat plant, which is a kind of tall grass. The heads hold the mature grain or seeds of the plant. The disciples were picking the heads of grain to eat the kernels, or seeds, in them. This can be worded to show the full meaning. Alternate translation: “picking heads of grain and eating the seeds”. If this would be misunderstood in your language, think of a type of food that you have to remove from a shell or casing. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 2:24

ἴδε, τί ποιοῦσιν τοῖς Σάββασιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν?

The Pharisees ask Jesus a question to condemn him. You can translate this as a statement. Alternate translation: “Look! They are breaking the Jewish law concerning the Sabbaths.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

τί ποιοῦσιν τοῖς Σάββασιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν

The Pharisees considered even the small action of plucking and rubbing heads of grain to be harvesting, and therefore work. You could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “You are harvesting grain, and that is work that the law does not permit you to do on the Sabbath!” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἴδε

“Look at this” or “Listen.” This is a word used to get the attention of someone to show them something. If there is a word in your language that is used to draw a person’s attention to something, you could use that here. (See: Exclamations)

Mark 2:25

οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε τί ἐποίησεν Δαυεὶδ

Jesus does not expect the Pharisees to tell him whether they have read this passage in the Scriptures. Instead, he is using the question form to emphasize that the Pharisees should have learned a principle from that passage that indicates that they are wrong to criticize the disciples. You can state this (1) as a command. Alternate translation: “Remember what you read about what David did” or (2) as a statement. Alternate translation: “you have read that David did the same thing when he and those with him were hungry” (See: Rhetorical Question)

οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε τί ἐποίησεν Δαυεὶδ

Jesus refers to reading about David in the Old Testament. You can translate this showing the implicit information. Alternate translation: “Have you not read in the scriptures what David did” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὅτε χρείαν ἔσχεν καὶ ἐπείνασεν

had need and hungry are two words that being used to express the same idea. If it would be misunderstood in your language, you can combine the two words in your translation. Alternate translation: “When he was in need of food” (See: Doublet)

Mark 2:26

τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς Προθέσεως

This refers to the 12 loaves of bread that were placed on a golden table in the tabernacle or temple building as a sacrifice to God during Old Testament times. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ

Jesus is figuratively describing the tabernacle as the house of God. He is speaking as if it were the place where God lived, since God’s presence was there. Alternate translation: “David went into the tabernacle” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metaphor/01.md)

Mark 2:27

τὸ Σάββατον διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐγένετο

Jesus makes clear why God established the Sabbath. You can state this in active form. Alternate translation: “God made the Sabbath for mankind” (See: Active or Passive)

τὸν ἄνθρωπον

man is a word which refers to both men and women. (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

τὸν ἄνθρωπον

man is a generic noun. It does not refer to any specific person, but to mankind as a whole. (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

οὐχ ὁ ἄνθρωπος διὰ τὸ Σάββατον

The words was made are understood from the previous phrase. They can be repeated here. Alternate translation: “man was not made for the Sabbath” or “God did not make man for the Sabbath” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 2:28

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

See how you translated the title Son of Man in 2:10.

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

By calling himself the Son of Man Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If this is confusing in your language, you can use the first person. Alternate translation: “I, the Son of Man” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

ὥστε Κύριός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου καὶ τοῦ Σαββάτου

There are two major interpretations of this passage. (1) Many think that Jesus is here appealing to his heavenly authority to speak about the Sabbath day to the religious leaders. Alternate translation: “Therefore, I, the Son of Man, am Lord of the Sabbath.” (2) son of man is a popular title used in the Old Testament to refer to a human being. Jesus could be saying (functioning as the conclusion to the previous verse) that mankind has authority over the Sabbath, and that the Sabbath does not have authority over mankind. Alternate translation: “Therefore, mankind has authority over the Sabbath”.

Mark 3

Mark 3 General Notes

Special concepts in this chapter

Sabbath

It was against the law of Moses to do work on the Sabbath. The Pharisees believed healing a sick person on the Sabbath was “work,” so they said that Jesus did wrong when he healed a person on the Sabbath. (See: law, law of Moses, law of Yahweh, law of God)

“Blasphemy against the Spirit”

No one knows for sure what actions people perform or what words they say when they commit this sin. However, they probably insult the Holy Spirit and his work. Part of the Holy Spirit’s work is to make people understand that they are sinners and that they need to have God forgive them. Therefore, anyone who does not try to stop sinning is probably committing blasphemy against the Spirit. (See: blasphemy, blaspheme, blasphemous and Holy Spirit, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit)

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

The twelve disciples

The following are the lists of the twelve disciples:

In Matthew:

Simon (Peter), Andrew, James son of Zebedee, John son of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.

In Mark:

Simon (Peter), Andrew, James the son of Zebedee and John the son of Zebedee (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder), Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.

In Luke:

Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon (who was called the Zealot), Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot.

Thaddaeus is probably the same person as Jude, the son of James.

Brothers and Sisters

Most people call those who have the same parents “brother” and “sister” and think of them as the most important people in their lives. Many people also call those with the same grandparents “brother” and “sister.” In this chapter Jesus says that the most important people to him are those who obey God. (See: brother)

Important figures of speech in this chapter

The Historic Present

To call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 3, 13, 20, 31, 32, 33, and 34. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: Predictive Past)

Mark 3:2

ἵνα κατηγορήσωσιν αὐτοῦ

If Jesus were to heal the man that day, the Pharisees would accuse him of breaking the law by the working on the Sabbath. Alternate translation: “so that they could accuse him of wrongdoing” or “so that they could accuse him of breaking the law of Moses” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 3:1

καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πάλιν εἰς συναγωγήν, καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπος, ἐξηραμμένην ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα

Luke uses this phrase to introduce a new event in the story. Use a word, phrase, or other method in your language that is natural for introducing a new event. (See: Introduction of a New Event)

καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπος

This expression introduces a new character into the story. If your language has an expression of its own that serves this purpose, you can use it here. (See: Introduction of New and Old Participants)

ἐξηραμμένην ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα

This means that the man’s hand was damaged in such a way that he could not stretch it out. It was probably bent almost into a fist, making it look smaller. Alternate translation: “his hand was shriveled” or “his hand was atrophied” (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 3:2

ἵνα κατηγορήσωσιν αὐτοῦ

This phrase tells the reader why the Pharisees were watching Jesus. Alternate translation: “They were doing this so that they could accuse him of working on the jewish rest day” (See: Connect — Goal (Purpose) Relationship)

Mark 3:3

ἔγειρε εἰς τὸ μέσον

midst here is referring to the group people who were gathered inside of the synagogue. If this would be confusing in your language, you can be explicit. Alternate translation: “Stand up in front of all of those meeting here”

Mark 3:4

ἔξεστιν τοῖς Σάββασιν ἀγαθοποιῆσαι ἢ κακοποιῆσαι, ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἢ ἀποκτεῖναι?

Jesus said this to challenge them. He wanted them to acknowledge that it is lawful to obey God and do good on the Sabbath. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you may state these questions as sentences. Alternate translation: “It is allowed for people to do good on the sabbath, but not to do evil. Likewise it is allowed to save someone on the sabbath, but not to kill” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἀγαθοποιῆσαι ἢ κακοποιῆσαι, ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἢ ἀποκτεῖναι

Is it lawful on the Sabbaths to do good, or to do harm; to save a life, or to kill are similar in meaning, except that the second is more extreme. The two phrases are trying to make the same point. (See: Parallelism)

ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἢ ἀποκτεῖναι

The phrase is it lawful is assumed here. If this would be misunderstood, you may clarify and add it again for the second phrase. Alternate translation: “is it lawful to save a life, or is it lawful to kill” (See: Ellipsis)

ψυχὴν

This refers to physical life and is a metonym for a person. Alternate translation: “someone from dying” or “someone’s life” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 3:5

τῇ πωρώσει τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν

hardness of heart is a common metaphor which describes stubbornness towards God’s will. The Pharisees were stubborn about their unwillingness to do anything on the Sabbath — whether good or evil. They therefore leave this man to suffer with his crippled hand. Alternate translation: “by their stubbornness” (See: Metaphor)

ἀπεκατεστάθη ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ

You can state this with an active form. Alternate translation: “Jesus restored his hand” or “Jesus healed his hand” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 3:6

τῶν Ἡρῳδιανῶν

This is the name of a group of people who supported the ruler Herod Antipas. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 3:8

τῆς Ἰδουμαίας

This is the region, previously known as Edom, which covered the southern half of the province of Judea.

ὅσα ἐποίει

This refers to the miracles Jesus was performing. Alternate translation: “the great miracles that Jesus had performed” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 3:9

εἶπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πλοιάριον προσκαρτερῇ αὐτῷ διὰ τὸν ὄχλον, ἵνα μὴ θλίβωσιν αὐτόν

As the large crowd was pushing forward toward Jesus, he was in danger of being crushed by them. They would not crush him intentionally. It was because there were so many people. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 3:10

πολλοὺς γὰρ ἐθεράπευσεν, ὥστε ἐπιπίπτειν αὐτῷ, ἵνα αὐτοῦ ἅψωνται ὅσοι εἶχον μάστιγας

This tells why so many people were crowding around Jesus that he thought they might crush him. Alternate translation: “For, because Jesus had healed many people, everyone pressed against him so that they might touch him” See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

ἐπιπίπτειν αὐτῷ, ἵνα αὐτοῦ ἅψωνται ὅσοι εἶχον μάστιγας

They did this because they believed that touching Jesus would make them well. This can be expressed clearly. Alternate translation: “all the sick people pushed forward eagerly trying to touch him so that they might be healed” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὥστε ἐπιπίπτειν αὐτῷ

To press against someone means that they are drawing very close to them. Usually this has to do with crowds surrounding someone. If this would be misunderstood, think of a way in your language which this could be expressed. Alternate translation: “so a large number of people surrounded him closely” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 3:11

προσέπιπτον αὐτῷ καὶ ἔκραζον λέγοντα

Here, they refers to the unclean spirits. It is they who are causing the people they possess to do things. This can be made explicit. Alternate translation: “they caused the people they were possessing to fall down before him and to cry out to him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

προσέπιπτον αὐτῷ καὶ ἔκραζον λέγοντα

The spirits knew who Jesus is without Him telling them. This is because Jesus is God, and He is the one who created them. If readers would misunderstand this, you can make it explicit. Alternate translation “they caused the people whom they controlled to fall down because of Jesus’ power, and they cried out” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ

This is an important title for Jesus. (See: Translating Son and Father)

Mark 3:13

ἀναβαίνει εἰς τὸ ὄρος

he goes up on the mountain does not refer to a specific mountain. This phrase is an idiom which means that Jesus traveled to the mountainous regions. If this would be misunderstood, you may state it explicitly. Alternate translation: “Jesus went up into the mountainous regions” or “Jesus went up into area with many hills” (See: Idiom)

Mark 3:16

καὶ ἐποίησεν τοὺς δώδεκα

Some manuscripts do not include the words and he appointed the Twelve. This is likely original, but some writers decided to leave it out because verse 14 has a similar phrase. (See: Textual Variants)

τοὺς δώδεκα

Luke is using the adjective Twelve as a noun in order to indicate a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this word with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “his 12 apostles” or “the 12 men whom he had appointed to be apostles” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

τοὺς δώδεκα

Alternatively, even if your language does not ordinarily use adjectives as nouns, you may be able to do that in this case, with the Twelve, since this is a title by which the apostles were known. Even though it is a number, if you translate it as a title, as ULT does, follow the conventions for titles in your language. For example, capitalize main words and write out numbers rather than use digits. (See: How to Translate Names)

καὶ ἐπέθηκεν ὄνομα τῷ Σίμωνι, Πέτρον

Simon is the first man listed. All of the names listed here are names of men. (See: How to Translate Names)

ἐπέθηκεν ὄνομα τῷ Σίμωνι, Πέτρον

In ancient times, people changed their names to show that they are changing something about them. Here, Jesus changes Peter’s name to show that Peter is now one of his followers. This also happens in the next verse. If this would be misunderstood, think of something in your language that people do to signify a major change in their lives. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 3:17

ὀνόματα Βοανηργές, ὅ ἐστιν υἱοὶ βροντῆς

Jesus called them this because they were like thunder. Alternate translation: “the name Boanerges, which means men who are like thunder” or “the name Boanerges, which means thunder men” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 3:19

ὃς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτόν

This note tells the reader that Judas Iscariot stood out from the rest of the Apostles, in that he later would betray the Lord. Alternate translation: “who later betrayed Jesus” (See: Background Information)

Mark 3:20

καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς οἶκον

This is likely the same house which was mentioned previously. See note on 2:1

μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς μηδὲ ἄρτον φαγεῖν

The word bread represents food. Alternate translation: “Jesus and his disciples could not eat at all” or “they could not eat anything” (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 3:21

ἔλεγον γὰρ

Here, they could refer to: (1) his relatives. (2) some people in the crowd.

ἐξέστη

This idiom describes how they think he is acting. Alternate translation: “He is crazy” (See: Idiom)

Mark 3:23

πῶς δύναται Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν?

Jesus asked this rhetorical question in response to the scribes saying that he cast out demons by Beelzebul. This question can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: “Satan cannot cast out himself!” or “Satan does not go against his own evil spirits!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Σατανᾶν

The name Satan is used here to refer to Satan’s “kingdom”, and not just him. If a reader would misunderstand this, you can make it explicit. Alternate translation: “his own power” or “his own evil spirits” (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 3:24

καὶ ἐὰν βασιλεία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δύναται σταθῆναι ἡ βασιλεία ἐκείνη

Jesus uses this parable to show why scribes are wrong to think Jesus is controlled by Satan. He is saying that if a group of people are not united, they will not be able to exist together. (See: Parables)

ἐὰν βασιλεία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ

The word kingdom refers to the people who live in the kingdom. Alternate translation: “If the people who live in a kingdom are divided against each other” (See: Synecdoche)

οὐ δύναται σταθῆναι

This phrase is a metaphor meaning that the people will no longer be united and they will fall. Alternate translation: “will no longer exist” (See: Metaphor)

οὐ δύναται σταθῆναι

You can state this phrase in positive form. Alternate translation: “will fall” (See: Litotes)

Mark 3:25

οἰκία

This is a metonym for the people who live in a house. Alternate translation: “a family” or “a household” (See: Metonymy)

καὶ ἐὰν οἰκία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δυνήσεται ἡ οἰκία ἐκείνη σταθῆναι

This is another parable which shows the religious leaders why they are wrong. (See: Parables)

καὶ ἐὰν οἰκία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δυνήσεται ἡ οἰκία ἐκείνη σταθῆναι

This parable is identical to the previous one. If the repetition would confuse readers, you can use one or the other. (See: Parallelism)

Mark 3:26

εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς ἀνέστη ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐμερίσθη

The word himself is a reflexive pronoun that refers back to Satan. (See: Reflexive Pronouns)

καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς ἀνέστη ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐμερίσθη, οὐ δύναται στῆναι, ἀλλὰ τέλος ἔχει

While this parable is similar to the previous two, it would be good to keep it, as the parable refers back to the original problem. (See: Parallelism)

οὐ δύναται στῆναι, ἀλλὰ τέλος ἔχει

This is a metaphor meaning he will fall and not endure. Alternate translation: “he will cease to be united and will be finished” or “he cannot endure and has come to an end” or “he will fall and come to an end” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 3:27

ἀλλ’ οὐ δύναται οὐδεὶς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ εἰσελθὼν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον τὸν ἰσχυρὸν δήσῃ; καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει.

This parable tells about how Jesus is binding Satan and his evil spirits, and saving the people whom he had controlled previously. (See: Parables)

οὐδεὶς

This doe not refer to a specific person, but to people in general. (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

Mark 3:28

ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν

Jesus uses this phrase to emphasize the truth of the statement that follows. Use a natural form in your language for emphasizing the truth and/or importance of a statement in this context. Alternate translation: “What I am about to tell you is very true” or “I can assure you”

τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων

Here, the phrase sons of men is an idiom which means the people. Alternate translation: “of people” or “of mankind” (See: Idiom)

Mark 3:29

ὃς δ’ ἂν

Whoever here does not refer to anyone, but is a generic word for a person. (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

Mark 3:30

πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον ἔχει

This is an idiom that means to be possessed by an unclean spirit. Alternate translation: “an unclean spirit is controlling him” (See: Idiom)

Mark 3:31

καὶ ἔρχονται ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ

Alternate translation: “Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived”

Mark 3:33

τίς ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου, καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου?

Jesus uses this question to teach the people that he considers those who follow God to be his beloved These are people who belong to his spiritual family. He has not forgotten who his family members are. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you may make it explicit. Alternate translation: “I will tell you who I consider to be my mother and brothers” or “I will tell you who I love as a mother or brother” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἡ μήτηρ μου, καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου

Jesus is using the words mother and brother here not referring to biological relatives, but to those whom he loves and whom obey God. (See: Kinship)

Mark 3:35

ὃς

whoever does not refer to any specific person, but to any person who does these things. (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

οὗτος ἀδελφός μου καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ μήτηρ ἐστίν

This is a metaphor that means Jesus’ disciples belong to Jesus’ spiritual family. This is more important than belonging to his physical family. Alternate translation: “that person is like a brother, sister, or mother to me” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 4

Mark 4 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Mark 4:3-10 forms one parable. The parable is explained in 4:14-23.

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 4:12, which are words from the Old Testament.

Special concepts in this chapter

Parables

The parables were short stories that Jesus told so that people would easily understand the lesson he was trying to teach them. He also told the stories so that those who did not want to believe in him would not understand the truth.

Important figures of speech in this chapter

The Historic Present

To call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 1, 13, 35, 36, 37 and 38. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: Predictive Past)

Mark 4:1

ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ἐμβάντα, καθῆσθαι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ

Jesus stepped into the boat because the crowd was so big that it would have been very difficult for them all to hear him. If this would not be clear in your language, you can state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Because the crowd was so large, Jesus went out onto a boat so the crowd could hear his teaching.” See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

Mark 4:2

καὶ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς ἐν παραβολαῖς πολλά, καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ

Mark provides this background information about Jesus’ actions to help readers understand what happens while Jesus is on the boat. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. (See: Background Information)

Mark 4:3

ἀκούετε! ἰδοὺ, ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων σπεῖραι

Jesus teaches the crowd about what happens when different people hear Jesus’ teaching. (See: Parables)

ἀκούετε

This is an imperative which Jesus speaks to get his listeners to hear what he is about to say. Use a form in your language that would be used in this type of situation. Alternate translation: “Listen to what I am about to say!” (See: Imperatives — Other Uses)

Mark 4:4

ἐν τῷ σπείρειν, ὃ μὲν ἔπεσεν παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν

Many cultures, when they plant seeds, bury them after planting them to protect them from animals that eat seeds. The seeds on path did not have a chance to be hidden from the birds, so they ate them. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you can state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “As we was scattering the seeds, some of them fell unprotected from animals onto the path. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 4:5

καὶ ἄλλο ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸ πετρῶδες

In this verse and in the following 4 verses, the word other is referring to seeds that fell in different areas as the sower was planting. If this would be misunderstood, see the UST. (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 4:6

ἀνέτειλεν ὁ ἥλιος

the sun rose is an idiom which means when the sun got to its highest and hottest point in the sky. If this would be misunderstood, you state it explicitly. Alternate translation: “when the hottest time of the day came” (See: Idiom)

ἐκαυματίσθη

If it would be more natural in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “it scorched the plants” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 4:7

ἄλλο ἔπεσεν

See the note on 4:5

Mark 4:8

αὐξανόμενα, καὶ ἔφερεν εἰς τριάκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν

The amount of grain produced by each plant is being compared to the single seed from which it grew. Ellipsis is used here to shorten the phrases but they can be written out. Alternate translation: “Some plants bore 30 times as much grain, some produced 60 times as much grain, and some produced 100 times as much grain” (See: Ellipsis)

τριάκοντα…ἑξήκοντα…ἑκατόν

“thirty … sixty … a hundred.” These may be written as numerals. (See: Numbers)

Mark 4:9

ὃς ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω

The phrase has ears here is a metonym for the willingness to understand and obey. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “Whoever is willing to understand, let him understand and obey” (See: Metonymy)

ὃς ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω

Since Jesus is speaking directly to his audience, you may prefer to use the second person here. Alternate translation: “If you are willing to listen, listen” or “If you are willing to understand, then understand and obey” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

Mark 4:10

ὅτε ἐγένετο κατὰ μόνας

This does not mean that Jesus was completely alone. Rather, it means that the crowds were gone and Jesus was only with the twelve and some of his other close followers.

τοῖς δώδεκα

See how you translated the phrase the Twelve in 11:7. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Mark 4:11

ὑμῖν τὸ μυστήριον δέδοται τῆς Βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ

If it would be more natural in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “I have given you the mystery of the kingdom of God” (See: Active or Passive)

ἐκείνοις…τοῖς ἔξω

to those who are outside refers to the people who are not a part of Jesus’ group of disciples. If this would be misunderstood, you can state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “to those who are outside of this group” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 4:12

βλέπωσι καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν

see here is a metaphor for being spiritually blind. Alternate translation: “When they see my works, they will not know why I am doing them” (See: Metaphor)

ἵνα βλέποντες, βλέπωσι καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν; καὶ ἀκούοντες, ἀκούωσι καὶ μὴ συνιῶσιν

Mark is quoting Jesus, and Jesus is quoting the prophet Isaiah. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. For clarity, you could also indicate the source of the words that Jesus is quoting. Alternate translation: “so that as the prophet Isaiah said, though they see, they will not perceive, and though they hear, they will not understand” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotesinquotes/01.md)

μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσιν

turn is a metaphor for “repent.” If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture or state it in plain language. Alternate translation: “so that they would not repent” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 4:13

οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην, καὶ πῶς πάσας τὰς παραβολὰς γνώσεσθε?

Jesus used Do you not understand this parable? and how will you understand all the parables? to show how disappointed he was that his disciples could not understand his parable. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent comparison or express this meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “If you cannot understand this parable, think about how hard it will be for you to understand all of the other parables” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 4:14

ὁ σπείρων τὸν λόγον σπείρει

If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express Marks’s meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternative translation, “The one sowing the seed represents a person who proclaims God’s message to others” (See: Metaphor)

τὸν λόγον σπείρει

Here, the word means the gospel which Jesus was proclaiming. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “sowed the message which Jesus was proclaiming” or “sowed the gospel message” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τὸν λόγον σπείρει

Sowing the message represents teaching it. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express Paul’s meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “the one who teaches people God’s message” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 4:15

οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν

If your readers would not understand this metaphor, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternative translation, “Some people represent the instance when the seeds fell along the path. ” (See: Metaphor)

οὗτοι

These is a generic noun for people. If this would be misunderstood in your language, use a more natural phrase. Alternate translation: “Certain people” (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

Mark 4:16

καὶ οὗτοί εἰσιν ὁμοίως οἱ ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη σπειρόμενοι

If your readers would not understand this metaphor, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternative translation, “Some people represent the seeds which the farmer sowed upon the rocky soil. ” (See: Metaphor)

οὗτοί

See the note on these in the previous verse. (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

οἱ ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη σπειρόμενοι

If it would be more natural in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “the ones which the sower sowed on the rocky soil” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 4:17

οὐκ ἔχουσιν ῥίζαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς

This is a comparison to young plants that have very shallow roots. This metaphor means that the people were first excited when they received the word, but they were not strongly devoted to it. If your readers would not understand what they have no root in themselves means, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express Paul’s meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “they did not fully grasp the message” (See: Metaphor)

οὐκ…ῥίζαν

They have no root in themselves is an exaggeration to emphasize how small the roots were. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language. (See: Hyperbole)

σκανδαλίζονται

to stumble is an idiom which means to stop believing. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “they stop believing in God’s message” (See: Idiom) (See: Metaphor)

Mark 4:18

ἄλλοι εἰσὶν οἱ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπειρόμενοι

If your readers would not understand this metaphor, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternative translation, “Some people represent the seeds which the farmer sowed into the thorny plants.” (See: Metaphor)

ἄλλοι

See note about others on 4:15 (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

Mark 4:19

αἱ μέριμναι τοῦ αἰῶνος

Alternate translation: “the worries in this life” or “the concerns about this present life”

εἰσπορευόμεναι, συνπνίγουσιν τὸν λόγον

Jesus uses the metaphor choke to depict what these peoples’ desires to to them. Similarly to how a thorny plant chokes a baby plant, worldly desire chokes faith. If your readers would not understand this metaphor, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “did not allow the faith to grow” (See: Metaphor)

ἄκαρπος γίνεται

unfruitful is a metaphor used to depict whether one is a follower of Jesus or not. If a tree is fruitful, it is living and healthy. If it is not fruitful, it is dead or unhealthy. If your readers would not understand this metaphor, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “the person does not do good works showing that they follow Jesus” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 4:20

ἐκεῖνοί εἰσιν οἱ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν σπαρέντες

If your readers would not understand this metaphor, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternative translation, “Some people represent the seeds which the farmer sowed upon the good soil. ” (See: Metaphor)

ἓν τριάκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν

This refers to the grain that the plants produce. Alternate translation: “some produce 30 grains, some produce 60 grains, and some produce 100 grains” or “some produce 30 times the grain that was sown, some produce 60 times the grain that was sown, and some produce 100 times the grain that was sown” (See: Ellipsis)

τριάκοντα…ἑξήκοντα…ἑκατόν

You can state the numbers as text. Alternate translation: “thirty … sixty … a hundred” (See: Numbers)

Mark 4:21

αὐτοῖς

Them could also possibly be referring to (1) the crowd. Alternate translation: “the crowd”. or (2) if you do not know, you can make it vague. Alternate translation: “them”

μήτι ἔρχεται ὁ λύχνος ἵνα ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον τεθῇ, ἢ ὑπὸ τὴν κλίνην?

Jesus is using a rhetorical question here to emphasize the truth of what he is saying. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You certainly do not bring a light inside the house to put it under a basket, or under a bed!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἵνα ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον τεθῇ, ἢ ὑπὸ τὴν κλίνην

Mark mentions two household items here for the sake of emphasis. If your language does not use repetition in this way, you could combine these phrases. Alternate translation: See the UST (See: Doublet)

Mark 4:22

οὐ γάρ ἐστιν κρυπτὸν, ἐὰν μὴ ἵνα φανερωθῇ; οὐδὲ ἐγένετο ἀπόκρυφον, ἀλλ’ ἵνα ἔλθῃ εἰς φανερόν

You can state this in positive form. Alternate translation: “For everything that is hidden will be made known, and everything that is secret will come out into to open” (See: Litotes)

οὐ…ἐστιν κρυπτὸν…οὐδὲ ἐγένετο ἀπόκρυφον

there is nothing that is hidden…there is nothing that is secret Both of the phrases have the same meaning. Jesus is emphasizing that everything that is secret will be made known. If saying the same thing twice might be confusing for your readers, you can combine the phrases into one. Alternate translation: “Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed?” (See: Parallelism)

Mark 4:23

εἴ τις ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω

See how your translated this in 4:09

Mark 4:24

ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς

See how you translated 4:21

ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε

This is a metaphor in which Jesus speaks of “understanding” as if it were “measuring.” If your readers would not understand, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express Paul’s meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternative translation, “The one who thinks carefully about the things I have said, God will allow him to understand even more” (See: Metaphor)

μετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν, καὶ προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν

If it would be more natural in your language, you can state this in active form. Alternate translation: “God will measure that amount for you, and he will add it to you” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 4:25

δοθήσεται αὐτῷ…ἀρθήσεται ἀπ’ αὐτο

If it would be more natural in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “to him God will give more … from him God will take away” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 4:26

οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ Βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ

Jesus tells the people parables to explain the kingdom of God. (See: Parables)

ὡς ἄνθρωπος βάλῃ τὸν σπόρον

Jesus likens the kingdom of God to a man who may throw his seed. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent comparison or express this meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “The kingdom of God grows like when a man throws seed on the ground” (See: Simile)

ὡς ἄνθρωπος βάλῃ τὸν σπόρον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

The word man is not speaking of any specific person, but people who scatter seed in general. If this would be misunderstood in your language, use a more natural phrase. Alternate translation: “As people who scatter seed upon the ground” (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

Mark 4:28

πρῶτον…εἶτα…εἶτα

These words show that this happened one after another. Make sure that this is clear to your audience in your translation. Alternate translation: “First, the stalks appeared. After this, the heads appeared. Finally, the mature grain in the heads” (See: Connect — Sequential Time Relationship)

Mark 4:29

εὐθὺς ἀποστέλλει τὸ δρέπανον

Here, the sickle is a metonym that stands for the farmer or the people whom the farmer sends out to harvest the grain. Alternate translation: “he immediately goes into the field with a sickle to harvest the grain” or “he immediately sends people with sickles into the field to harvest the grain” (See: Metonymy)

δρέπανον

A sickle is a curved blade or a sharp hook used to cut tall crops down to the ground to be harvested. If this would be misunderstood, use a tool in your language that is used to do this job.

ὅτι παρέστηκεν ὁ θερισμός

Here the phrase has come is an idiom for the grain being ripe for harvest. Alternate translation: “because it was time for the farmers to harvest the grain” (See: Idiom)

Mark 4:30

πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν?

Jesus asked this question to cause his hearers to get the listeners attention, as he was about to speak another parable about the kingdom of God. Alternate translation: “With this parable I can explain what the kingdom of God is like.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 4:31

ὅταν σπαρῇ

If it would be more natural in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “when someone sows it” or “when someone plants it” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 4:32

καὶ ποιεῖ κλάδους μεγάλους

The mustard tree is described as causing its branches to grow large. If this might be confusing for your readers, you could express this meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “with large branches” (See: Personification)

Mark 4:33

καὶ τοιαύταις παραβολαῖς πολλαῖς, ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον, καθὼς ἠδύναντο ἀκούειν

This verse marks the end of this section of Jesus’ parables. Use the natural form in your language for expressing the conclusion of a story. (See: End of Story)

Mark 4:34

χωρὶς δὲ παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς

Luke uses a figure of speech that expresses a strong positive meaning by using a negative word together with a word that is the opposite of the intended meaning. If this is confusing in your language, you can express the meaning positively. Alternate translation: See the UST (See: Litotes)

ἐπέλυεν πάντα

Here, everything does not actually mean everything, but rather, all of his parables which he had spoken. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could state this clearly. Alternate translation: “he explained all his parables” (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 4:38

οὐ μέλει σοι ὅτι ἀπολλύμεθα?

The disciples asked this question to convey their fear. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “you need to pay attention to what is happening; we are all about to die!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Διδάσκαλε

Teacher is a respectful title. You could translate it with an equivalent term that your language and culture would use.

ἀπολλύμεθα

The word we includes the disciples and Jesus. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

Mark 4:39

σιώπα, πεφίμωσο

These two phrases are similar and used to emphasize what Jesus wanted the wind and the sea to do. If your language does not use repetition in this way, you could combine these phrases. Alternate translation: “Be calm!” (See: Doublet)

Mark 4:40

τί δειλοί ἐστε? οὔπω ἔχετε πίστιν

Jesus asks these questions to make his disciples consider why they are afraid when he is with them. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You should not be afraid. You need to have more faith.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 4:41

τίς ἄρα οὗτός ἐστιν, ὅτι καὶ ὁ ἄνεμος καὶ ἡ θάλασσα ὑπακούει αὐτῷ?

The disciples ask this question in amazement at what Jesus did. This question can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: “This man is not like ordinary men; even the wind and the sea obey him!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 5

Mark 5 General Notes

Possible translation difficulties in this chapter

“Talitha, koum”

The words Talitha, koum (Mark 5:41) are from the Aramaic language. Mark writes them the way they sound and then translates them. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

Important figures of speech in this chapter

The Historic Present

To call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 7, 9, 19, 22, 23, 31, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40 and 41. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: Predictive Past)

Mark 5:1

καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης, εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γερασηνῶν

This verse acts as an introduction to the next story. Use the natural form in your language for introducing a new event. Alternate translation: “After this, they came to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to the region where the Geresenes lived” (See: Introduction of a New Event)

ἦλθον

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “they went” (See: Go and Come)

τῶν Γερασηνῶν

This name refers to the people who live in Gerasa. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 5:2

ἐν πνεύματι ἀκαθάρτῳ

This is an idiom meaning that the man is controlled by the unclean spirit. Alternate translation: “that an unclean spirit controlled” (See: Idiom)

Mark 5:4

διὰ τὸ αὐτὸν πολλάκις πέδαις καὶ ἁλύσεσι δεδέσθαι, καὶ διεσπάσθαι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ τὰς ἁλύσεις καὶ τὰς πέδας συντετρῖφθαι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἴσχυεν αὐτὸν δαμάσαι

This verse and the next verse function as background information to tell the reader about this man who was controlled by an evil spirit. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. Alternate translation: See the UST (See: Background Information)

αὐτὸν πολλάκις…δεδέσθαι

If your language does not use the passive form in this way you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “People had bound him many times” (See: Active or Passive)

τὰς πέδας συντετρῖφθαι

If your language does not use the passive form in this way you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “he shattered his shackles” (See: Active or Passive)

πέδαις

shackles are pieces of metal that people wrap around the arms and legs of prisoners. The shackles are then attach with chains to objects that do not move so the prisoners cannot move. Think of an object in your culture that is used to constrain people. (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 5:6

καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπὸ μακρόθεν, ἔδραμεν καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ

After having seen Jesus the man then ran to him. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could show this relationship by using a fuller phrase. Alternate translation: “After the man saw Jesus from a distance, he then ran to him and bowed down before him” (See: Connect — Sequential Time Relationship)

Mark 5:7

The information in these two verses may be reordered to present the events in the order that they happened, as in the UST. (See: Order of Events)

τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί Ἰησοῦ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου?

The unclean spirit asks this question out of fear. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! There is no reason for you to interfere with me.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου

This is an important title for Jesus. (See: Translating Son and Father)

Mark 5:9

λέγει αὐτῷ, Λεγιὼν ὄνομά μοι, ὅτι πολλοί ἐσμεν.

The spirit who is speaking is speaking on behalf of all of the spirits who are possessing the man. we here includes him and all of the other spirits. Make sure that this is understood in your translation. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

Λεγιὼν ὄνομά μοι, ὅτι πολλοί ἐσμεν

A legion is the name of a large group of Roman soldiers. The unclean spirit uses this name to tell Jesus that they many. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you can state this explicitly. Alternate translation “My name is Legion. This is our name because there are many of us” (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 5:10

καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν πολλὰ, ἵνα μὴ αὐτὰ ἀποστείλῃ ἔξω τῆς χώρας

Mark inserts this verse and the following verse to give important information about what Jesus does with the spirits. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. Alternate translation. (See: Background Information)

Mark 5:13

ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτοῖς

It may be helpful to state clearly what Jesus allowed them to do. Alternate translation: “Jesus allowed the unclean spirits to do what they asked permission to do” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὡς δισχίλιοι

“about two thousand pigs” (See: Numbers)

ἐξελθόντα

Your language may say “gone” rather than come in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “having gone out” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 5:15

τὸν λεγεῶνα

This was the name of the many demons that were in the man. See how you translated this in Mark 5:9.

σωφρονοῦντα

This is an idiom meaning that he is thinking clearly. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “being of a normal mind” or “thinking clearly” (See: Idiom)

Mark 5:18

ἵνα μετ’ αὐτοῦ ᾖ

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express this as a direct quotation. Alternate translation: See the UST (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

Mark 5:19

καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτόν

Jesus was not allowing the an into the boat. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “But he did not allow the man to come with them in the boat” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 5:20

τῇ Δεκαπόλει

This is the name of a region that means “Ten Cities.” It is located to the southeast of the Sea of Galilee. (See: How to Translate Names)

πάντες ἐθαύμαζον

It may be helpful to state who the people were that were marveling. Alternate translation: See the UST (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 5:22

Ἰάειρος

This is the name of a man. (See: How to Translate Names)

ἔρχεται εἷς τῶν ἀρχισυναγώγων

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “one of the leaders of the synagogue went” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 5:23

ἐπιθῇς τὰς χεῖρας

lay your hands often refers to a prophet or teacher placing his hand on someone and imparting either healing or a blessing. In this case, Jarius is asking Jesus to heal his daughter. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “you might heal her” or “you might lay your hands on her to heal her” (See: Idiom)

ἵνα σωθῇ

If your language does not use the passive form in this way you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “in order that you might heal her” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 5:25

καὶ γυνὴ οὖσα

This introduces the woman as a new character in the story. Consider how new people are introduced into a story in your language. (See: Introduction of New and Old Participants)

ἐν ῥύσει αἵματος δώδεκα ἔτη

The woman did not have an open wound. Rather, her monthly flow of blood would not stop. Your language may have a polite way to refer to this condition. (See: Euphemism)

δώδεκα ἔτη

“for twelve years” (See: Numbers)

Mark 5:27

τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ

She had heard reports about how Jesus healed people. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “that Jesus healed people” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 5:28

ἔλεγεν γὰρ

This verse tells the reader that the woman had determined to touch his clothes in her mind before she actually touched Jesus’ cloak. Think of a way in your language which makes it apparent that this is the reason why she touches Jesus’ cloak. (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

σωθήσομαι

If your language does not use the passive form in this way you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: See the UST (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 5:29

ἴαται ἀπὸ τῆς μάστιγος

If your language does not use the passive form in this way you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “the sickness had left her” or “she was no longer sick” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 5:30

τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν

When the woman touched Jesus, Jesus felt his power healing her. Jesus himself did not lose any of his power to heal people when he healed her. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “his power went out from him and healed someone” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 5:33

ἡ δὲ γυνὴ, φοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα

Both words fear and trembling are similar words used to show that the woman was very afraid. If your language does not use repetition in this way, you could combine these phrases. Alternate translation: “The woman was very afraid” (See: Doublet)

εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν

The phrase the whole truth refers to how she had touched him and became well. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “told him the whole truth about how she had touched him” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 5:34

θυγάτηρ

Jesus was using this term figuratively to refer to the woman as a believer. She was not actually his daughter. Make sure this is understood by your readers. (See: Kinship)

Mark 5:35

τί ἔτι σκύλλεις τὸν διδάσκαλον?

This question can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: “It is useless to bother the teacher any longer.” or “There no need to bother the teacher any longer.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἡ θυγάτηρ σου ἀπέθανεν; τί ἔτι σκύλλεις τὸν διδάσκαλον?

your daughter died explains why he asks the question here. If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases. Alternate translation: “Why trouble the teacher any longer? For your daughter died” (See: Information Structure)

Mark 5:39

τί θορυβεῖσθε καὶ κλαίετε?

Jesus asked this question to help them see their lack of faith. This may be written as a statement. Alternate translation: “This is not a time to be upset and crying.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

τὸ παιδίον οὐκ ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλὰ καθεύδει

The words The child are assumed in the second phrase. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “The child is not dead, but the child is sleeping” (See: Ellipsis)

τὸ παιδίον οὐκ ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλὰ καθεύδει

sleep here refers to death. Jesus is likely using it to mean a temporary end to the girls life, but not a permanent end. If this would be misunderstood in your language, use a different polite way of referring to this or you could state this plainly. Alternate translation: “The child is not permanently dead, but she has died for a short time” (See: Euphemism)

Mark 5:41

ταλιθὰ, κοῦμ!

This is an Aramaic sentence which Jesus spoke to the little girl in her language. In your translation you can spell it the way it sounds in your language and then explain its meaning. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

Mark 5:42

ἦν…ἐτῶν δώδεκα

“she was twelve years old” (See: Numbers)

καὶ εὐθὺς ἀνέστη τὸ κοράσιον καὶ περιεπάτει, ἦν γὰρ ἐτῶν δώδεκα

Mark includes this information to help the readers understand how it was that she immediately rose up and began walking. She was able to get up and walk because she was old enough to do so. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. It may be helpful to make this a separate sentence. Alternate translation: “And immediately the little girl rose up and was walking. She was able to do this because she was 12 years old” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 5:43

καὶ εἶπεν δοθῆναι αὐτῇ φαγεῖν

You can state this as a direct quote. Alternate translation: “and he told them, ‘Give her something to eat’” (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

Mark 6

Mark 6 General Notes

Special concepts in this chapter

“Anointed with oil”

In the ancient Near East, people would try to heal sick people by putting olive oil on them.

Important figures of speech in this chapter

The Historic Present

To call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 1, 7, 30, 31, 37, 38, 45, 48, 49 and 55. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: Predictive Past)

Mark 6:1

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσιν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ

This introduces a new event that happened some time after the events the story has just related. The story does not say how long after those events this new event happened. Use the natural form in your language for introducing a new event. Alternate translation: “Some time later, Jesus and his disciples went out from there” (See: Introduction of a New Event)

ἐξῆλθεν…ἔρχεται εἰς

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “he came out … went into” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 6:2

τίς ἡ σοφία ἡ δοθεῖσα τούτῳ

If your language does not use the passive form in this way you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “what is this wisdom that God gave to him?” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 6:3

οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τέκτων, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς Μαρίας, καὶ ἀδελφὸς Ἰακώβου, καὶ Ἰωσῆτος, καὶ Ἰούδα, καὶ Σίμωνος? καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν αἱ ἀδελφαὶ αὐτοῦ ὧδε πρὸς ἡμᾶς?

If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST (See: Rhetorical Question)

οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τέκτων, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς Μαρίας, καὶ ἀδελφὸς Ἰακώβου, καὶ Ἰωσῆτος, καὶ Ἰούδα, καὶ Σίμωνος? καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν αἱ ἀδελφαὶ αὐτοῦ ὧδε πρὸς ἡμᾶς?

Those who were in the synagogue with Jesus asked all of these questions to emphasize that they know who Jesus is. Use a form in your language that someone would use to list things in this way. (See: Litany)

Ἰακώβου…Ἰωσῆτος…Ἰούδα…Σίμωνος

These are the names of men. (See: How to Translate Names)

ἐν αὐτῷ

The people in the synagogue were not offended by who Jesus was. They were offended by what he was teaching them. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or plain language. Alternate translation: See the UST (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 6:4

οὐκ ἔστιν προφήτης ἄτιμος, εἰ μὴ

Jesus uses a figure of speech that expresses a strong positive meaning by using a negative word together with a word that is the opposite of the intended meaning. If this is confusing in your language, you can express the meaning positively. Alternate translation: “A prophet is always honored, except” or “The only place a prophet is not honored is” (See: Double Negatives)

ἐν τῇ πατρίδι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς συγγενεῦσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ

Jesus lists hometown, relatives, house to emphasize that prophets are often never welcome where they are most well known. Use a form in your language that someone would use to list things like Jesus does here. (See: Litany)

τοῖς συγγενεῦσιν

relatives refers to people who are related to Jesus, but are not his siblings, mother, or father. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use a way in your language of expressing this.

ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ

Jesus uses in his own house to refer to his closest relatives, lie his father, mother, or siblings. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “among his closest family members” or “by his father, mother, or siblings” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 6:7

δύο δύο

“2 by 2” or “in pairs” (See: Numbers)

Mark 6:6

καὶ περιῆγεν τὰς κώμας, κύκλῳ διδάσκων.

Come back to this

Mark 6:7

τοὺς δώδεκα

See how you translated the phrase the Twelve in 11:7. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Mark 6:8

μηδὲν αἴρωσιν εἰς ὁδὸν, εἰ μὴ ῥάβδον μόνον

Jesus uses a figure of speech that expresses a strong positive meaning by using a negative word together with a word that is the opposite of the intended meaning. If this is confusing in your language, you can express the meaning positively. Alternate translation: “Only bring on your journey a staff” (See: Double Negatives)

μὴ ἄρτον

Here, bread is a synecdoche for food in general. Alternate translation: “no food” (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 6:11

ἐκτινάξατε τὸν χοῦν τὸν ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν

shake off the dust that {is} under your feet was an expression of strong rejection in this culture. It showed that someone did not want even the dust of a town to remain on them. If there is a similar gesture of rejection in your culture, you could consider using it here in your translation. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-symaction/01.md)

Mark 6:14

Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτίζων ἐγήγερται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “God has caused John the Baptist to live again” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 6:15

ἄλλοι δὲ ἔλεγον, ὅτι Ἠλείας ἐστίν

It may be helpful to state why some people thought he was Elijah. Alternate translation: “Some others said, ‘He is Elijah, whom God promised to send back again.’” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἄλλοι δὲ ἔλεγον, ὅτι Ἠλείας ἐστίν; ἄλλοι δὲ ἔλεγον, ὅτι προφήτης, ὡς εἷς τῶν προφητῶν

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express this as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “Some were saying that he is Elijah, while others were saying that he is like one of the prophets who lived long ago” (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

Mark 6:16

ὃν ἐγὼ ἀπεκεφάλισα

Here Herod uses the word I to refer to himself. The word I is a metonym for Herod’s soldiers. Alternate translation: “whom I commanded my soldiers to behead” (See: Metonymy)

ἠγέρθη

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “is alive again” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 6:17

αὐτὸς…ὁ Ἡρῴδης, ἀποστείλας ἐκράτησεν τὸν Ἰωάννην, καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν ἐν φυλακῇ

You can state this clearly that Herod sent his soldiers to put John in prison. Alternate translation: “Herod sent his soldiers to arrest John and had them bind him in prison” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

γὰρ

Mark is providing this background information to help readers understand why Herod was saying that John rose from the dead. Use a natural way in your language for introducing background information. Alternate translation: “He was saying this because” (See: Connect — Background Information)

τὴν γυναῖκα Φιλίππου, τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ

Herod’s brother Philip is the name of a man. This is not the same Philip who was an evangelist in the book of Acts or the Philip who was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 6:18

ἔλεγεν γὰρ ὁ Ἰωάννης τῷ Ἡρῴδῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔξεστίν σοι ἔχειν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου

Herod put John into prison because he was saying It is not lawful for you to have the wife of your brother. Make sure this is clear in your language. Alternate translation: “Herod told his soldiers to arrest John because he was saying, ‘God’s law does not allow you to marry the wife of your brother.’” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

Mark 6:19

Ἡρῳδιὰς…ἤθελεν αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι

Herodias is a metonym, as she wants someone else to execute John for her. Alternate translation: “she wanted someone to kill him” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 6:20

εἰδὼς αὐτὸν ἄνδρα δίκαιον καὶ ἅγιον

righteous and holy mean basically the same thing. The repetition is used to emphasize that John was a holy man before God. If your language does not use repetition to do this, you could use one phrase and provide emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Because he knew that he was a righteous man” (See: Doublet)

Mark 6:21

Ἡρῴδης τοῖς γενεσίοις αὐτοῦ δεῖπνον ἐποίησεν, τοῖς μεγιστᾶσιν αὐτοῦ

Here, Herod is a metonym for his servants whom he would have commanded to prepare a meal. Alternate translation: “Herod had his servants prepare a dinner for his officials” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 6:22

εἰσελθούσης τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ Ἡρῳδιάδος

There are a few possible understandings of this passage. (1) This could be saying that Herod’s daughter’s name was Herodias. Alternate translation: “And Herodias his daughter came in” or (2) This could be speaking about the daughter of Herodias emphatically. Alternate translation: “Herodias’ daughter herself came in” (See: Textual Variants)

Mark 6:25

εὐθὺς…μετὰ σπουδῆς…ἐξαυτῆς

immediately, with haste, and at once are all words which give a sense of urgency. Make sure that this comes across in your language.

δῷς μοι

Herodias is telling her daughter that she wants King Herod to cut off John the Baptizer’s head. give is a polite way of referring to something unpleasant. If this would be misunderstood in your language, use a different polite way of referring to this or you could state this plainly. Alternate translation: “Cut off John’s head and bring it to me” (See: Euphemism)

Mark 6:26

διὰ τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τοὺς συνανακειμένους

You can state clearly the content of the oath, and the relationship between the oath and the dinner guests. Alternate translation: “because his dinner guests had heard him make the oath that he would give her anything she asked for” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 6:27

ἐνέγκαι τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ

See how you handled the note in verse 25. Euphemism)

Mark 6:33

καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν πολλοί

There are a few possible understandings of recognized. (1) The people recognized where Jesus and his disciples were going. Alternate translation: “and they knew where Jesus and his disciples were going” (2) The people knew that it was Jesus and his disciples were leaving, and so followed them. Alternate translation: “and they recognized that it was Jesus and his disciples leaving”

Mark 6:34

ἦσαν ὡς πρόβατα μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα

Jesus compares the people to sheep who are confused when they do not have their shepherd to lead them. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or plain language. Alternate translation: “they were confused because they did not have someone to lead them. (See: Simile)

Mark 6:35

καὶ ἤδη ὥρας πολλῆς γενομένης

This means it was late in the day. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “And when it was getting late” or “And late in the afternoon” (See: Idiom)

ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος

This refers to a place where there are no people. See how you translated this in Mark 6:31.

Mark 6:37

ἀπελθόντες, ἀγοράσωμεν δηναρίων διακοσίων ἄρτους, καὶ δώσομεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν?

The disciples ask this question to say that there is no way they could afford to buy enough food for this crowd. Alternate translation: “We could not buy enough bread to feed this crowd, even if we had two hundred denarii!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἀπελθόντες, ἀγοράσωμεν δηναρίων διακοσίων ἄρτους, καὶ δώσομεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν

The disciples are using a hypothetical situation to express how expensive it would be to buy enough food for all of the people. Use the natural form in your language for expressing a hypothetical situation. Alternate translation: “Suppose we go out to the market, how could we afford to spend 200 denarii on food to feed all of these people?” (See: Hypothetical Situations)

δηναρίων διακοσίων

The singular form of the word denarii is “denarius.” A denarius was a Roman silver coin worth one day’s wages. Alternate translation: “200 days’ wages” (See: Biblical Money)

δηναρίων διακοσίων

“two hundred denarii” (See: Numbers)

Mark 6:39

τῷ χλωρῷ χόρτῳ

Describe the grass with the color word used in your language for healthy grass, which may or may not be the color green. (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 6:40

πρασιαὶ, κατὰ ἑκατὸν καὶ κατὰ πεντήκοντα

This refers to the number of people in each of the groups. Alternate translation: “about fifty people in some groups and about a hundred people in other groups” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 6:41

ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν

This means that he looked up toward the sky, which is associated with the place where God lives. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Jesus looked up to the sky” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 6:43

δώδεκα κοφίνων

“twelve baskets” (See: Numbers)

Mark 6:44

πεντακισχίλιοι ἄνδρες

“five thousand men” (See: Numbers)

καὶ ἦσαν οἱ φαγόντες τοὺς ἄρτους, πεντακισχίλιοι ἄνδρες

Mark provides this background information about Jesus’ location to help readers understand how many people they fed. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. (See: Background Information)

ἦσαν οἱ φαγόντες τοὺς ἄρτους, πεντακισχίλιοι ἄνδρες

The number of women and children was not counted. If it would not be understood that women and children were present, it can be made explicit. Alternate translation: “And there were 5,000 men who ate the loaves. They did not even count the women and children” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 6:45

Βηθσαϊδάν

This is a town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 6:48

τετάρτην φυλακὴν

This is the time between 3 AM and sunrise. If your reader would not be familiar with this, you can state this explicitly. (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 6:50

θαρσεῖτε…μὴ φοβεῖσθε

Take courage and Do not be afraid are similar in meaning, emphasizing to his disciples that they did not need to be afraid. They can be combined into one if necessary. Alternate translation: “Do not be afraid of me!” (See: Parallelism)

Mark 6:52

ἐπὶ τοῖς ἄρτοις

Here the phrase the loaves refers to when Jesus multiplied the loaves of bread. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “what it meant when Jesus multiplied the loaves of bread” or “what it meant when Jesus caused the few loaves to become many” (See: Metonymy)

ἦν αὐτῶν ἡ καρδία πεπωρωμένη

Their stubborn attitude is spoken of as if their hearts had been hardened. If the heart is not the body part your culture uses to refer to a person’s will, consider using whichever organ your culture would use for this image. Alternate translation: “they were stubborn” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 6:53

Γεννησαρὲτ

This is the name of the region to the northwest of the Sea of Galilee. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 6:55

περιέδραμον…ἤκουον

The word they refers to the people who recognized Jesus, not to the disciples.

Mark 6:56

ἐτίθεσαν

Here, they refers to the people. It does not refer to Jesus’ disciples.

τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας

This phrase refers to people. Alternate translation: “the sick people” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

εἰς κώμας, ἢ εἰς πόλεις, ἢ εἰς ἀγροὺς

Mark lists villages, cities, and countryside to emphasize that everywhere Jesus went, they were bringing sick people to him. Use a form in your language that someone would use to list different places. (See: Litany)

Mark 7

Mark 7 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 7:6-7, which are words from the Old Testament.

Special concepts in this chapter

Hand washing

The Pharisees washed many things that were not dirty because they were trying to make God think that they were good. They washed their hands before they ate, even when their hands were not dirty. and even though the law of Moses did not say that they had to do it. Jesus told them that they were wrong and that people make God happy by thinking and doing the right things. (See: law, law of Moses, law of Yahweh, law of God and clean, wash)

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

“Ephphatha”

This is an Aramaic word. Mark wrote it the way it sounds using Greek letters and then explained what it means. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

Important figures of speech in this chapter

The Historic Present

To call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 1, 18, 32, 34. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: Predictive Past)

Mark 7:1

καὶ συνάγονται πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι καί τινες τῶν γραμματέων, ἐλθόντες ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων

This verse introduces a new event that happened some time after the events the story has just related. The story does not say how long after those events this new event happened. Use the natural form in your language for introducing a new event. Alternate translation: “Some time later, some Pharisees and some men who teach the Jewish laws who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus” (See: Introduction of a New Event)

Mark 7:2

The following verses explain the significance of this verse. Since it is explained in the following verses, you do not need to explain its meaning here. (See: When to Keep Information Implicit)

Mark 7:3

γὰρ

This verse, as well as the next verse, are added to explain to the reader why the Jewish leaders did not approve of what Jesus’ disciples were doing. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. Alternate translation: “They were appalled because” (See: Background Information)

κρατοῦντες τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων

The traditions of the elders were teachings that were handed down from generation to generation. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “observing strictly the teachings which past generations had taught them” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 7:4

χαλκίων

See the note in the previous verse. (See: Background Information)

ποτηρίων καὶ ξεστῶν καὶ χαλκίων

cups…pots…copper vessels would have been used for consuming food and drinks. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Cups, pots, and copper vessels for eating and drinking” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 7:5

διὰ τί οὐ περιπατοῦσιν οἱ μαθηταί σου κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων

walk is a common way of speaking which means “obey.” If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent way of speaking from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “Why do your disciples not obey what the elders have taught us” (See: Metaphor)

ἀλλὰ

but is used to contrast what the Pharisees thought Jesus’ disciples should be doing, with what they were actually doing. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. (See: Connect — Contrast Relationship)

ἄρτον

bread is a synecdoche, representing food in general. Alternate translation: “food” (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 7:6

ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι καλῶς ἐπροφήτευσεν Ἠσαΐας περὶ ὑμῶν τῶν ὑποκριτῶν, ὡς γέγραπται, ὅτι οὗτος ὁ λαὸς τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ

If the direct quotation inside a direct quotation would be confusing in your language, you could translate the second direct quotation as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “Jesus said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied well about you hypocrites when God wrote through him that people honor him with their lips, but their desires are for other things’” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

τοῖς χείλεσίν

Here, lips is used to signify speaking. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “by what they say” (See: Metonymy)

ἡ…καρδία αὐτῶν

The word heart is a metonym for their inner thoughts and desires. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “their desires” (See: Metonymy)

ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ

This is a way of saying the people are not truly devoted to God. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “but they do not really love me” (See: Idiom)

Mark 7:8

κρατεῖτε

To hold fast means to obey something without ceasing. If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent way of speaking from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternative translation: “You obey” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 7:9

καλῶς ἀθετεῖτε τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα τὴν παράδοσιν ὑμῶν τηρήσητε

Jesus says You do well at rejecting the commandment of God so that you may keep your tradition to rebuke his listeners for forsaking God’s commandment. If this would be misunderstood in your language, consider expressing the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “You think you have done well in how you have rejected the commandment of God so you may keep your own traditions, but what you have done is not good at all” (See: Irony)

Mark 7:10

Μωϋσῆς γὰρ εἶπεν, τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου; καί, ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα θανάτῳ τελευτάτω

If the direct quotation inside a direct quotation would be confusing in your language, you could translate the second direct quotation as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “For Moses said to honor your father and mother. He also said that the one who speaks evil against his father or mother deserves to die.” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

Mark 7:11

κορβᾶν

Corban is a Hebrew word that refers to things that people promise to give to God. Translators normally transliterate it using the target language alphabet. Some translators translate its meaning, and then leave out Mark’s explanation of the meaning that follows. In your translation you can spell it the way it sounds in your language and then explain its meaning. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

ὅ ἐστιν δῶρον

The author says that is a gift to provide background information to his audience who may not have understood this word. Use a natural way in your language for introducing background information. Alternate translation: “this word means a gift” (See: Connect — Background Information)

Mark 7:14

ἀκούσατέ μου πάντες καὶ σύνετε

The words Listen and understand are related. Jesus uses them together to emphasize that his hearers should pay close attention to what he is saying. If your language does not use repetition to do this, you could use one phrase and provide emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “All of you, take head to what I am about to say to you” (See: Doublet)

Mark 7:15

οὐδέν…ἔξωθεν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου

Jesus is speaking about what a person eats. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “nothing which a person could eat” (See: Idiom)

τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκπορευόμενά

Jesus is speaking about the thoughts and desires of a person. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “the things which a person thinks and does” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 7:17

καὶ ὅτε

and when is a comment about what happened after the story as a result of the events within the story itself. Use the natural form in your language for expressing the conclusion of a story. (See: End of Story)

Mark 7:18

οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀσύνετοί ἐστε?

Jesus uses this question to express his disappointment that they do not understand. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “After all I have said and done, I am amazed that you still do not understand.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

πᾶν τὸ ἔξωθεν εἰσπορευόμενον εἰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὐ δύναται αὐτὸν κοινῶσαι

See the note in verse 15. See: Metonymy)

Mark 7:19

οὐκ εἰσπορεύεται αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν

Here, heart is a metonym for a person’s inner being or mind. Here Jesus means that food does not affect a person’s character. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “it cannot go into his inner being” or “it cannot go into his mind” (See: Metonymy)

καθαρίζων πάντα τὰ βρώματα

making all foods clean explains to the reader what the significance of what Jesus’ sayings was. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. Alternate translation: “Jesus was traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee” (See: Background Information) (COME BACK TO THIS)

Mark 7:20

τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκπορευόμενον

What is coming out from the man means the thoughts and intentions of a person. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or plain language. Alternate translation: “It is the thoughts and desires of a person” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 7:21

ἐκ τῆς καρδίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ διαλογισμοὶ οἱ κακοὶ ἐκπορεύονται

Here, heart is a metonym for a person’s inner being or mind. Alternate translation: “out of the inner being of a person, come evil thoughts” or “out of the mind of a person, come evil thoughts” (See: Metonymy)

πορνεῖαι, κλοπαί, φόνοι

Mark lists out a number of sins here and in the next verse. Use a form in your language that someone would use to list things that someone has done wrong. (See: Litany)

Mark 7:24

καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς οἰκίαν, οὐδένα ἤθελεν γνῶναι, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνάσθη λαθεῖν

and having entered into a house, he was wanting no one to know it, but he was not able to hide provides background information to what Jesus was thinking as he travelled to this area. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. Alternate translation: “Having entered someones house, he was hoping to not be found, but he was unable to hide from the people of that place” (See: Background Information)

Mark 7:26

ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἦν Ἑλληνίς, Συροφοινίκισσα τῷ γένει

This sentence gives us background information about the woman. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. (See: Background Information)

Συροφοινίκισσα

This is the name of the woman’s nationality. She was born in the Phoenician region in Syria. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 7:27

ἄφες πρῶτον χορτασθῆναι τὰ τέκνα; οὐ γάρ ἐστιν καλόν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, καὶ τοῖς κυναρίοις βαλεῖν

Here Jesus speaks about the Jews as if they are children and the Gentiles as if they are dogs. This is not in a derogatory remark, but he is talking in terms of whether they are Israelites or not. If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “Let the children of Israel first eat. For it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the Gentiles, who are like household pets compared to them” (See: Metaphor)

ἄφες πρῶτον χορτασθῆναι τὰ τέκνα

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “We must first feed the children of Israel” (See: Active or Passive)

ἄρτον

This refers to food in general. Alternate translation: “food” (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 7:29

ὕπαγε

Jesus was implying that she no longer needed to stay to ask him to help her daughter. He would do it. Alternate translation: “you may go now” or “you may go home in peace” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐξελήλυθεν τὸ δαιμόνιον, ἐκ τῆς θυγατρός σου

The demon left the daughter because Jesus commanded it too. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “I have commanded the demon to leave your daughter” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 7:31

Δεκαπόλεως

This is the name of a region that means Ten Cities. It is located to the southeast of the Sea of Galilee. See how you translated this in Mark 5:20. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 7:32

παρακαλοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἵνα ἐπιθῇ αὐτῷ τὴν χεῖρα

Prophets and teachers would put their hands on people in order to heal them or bless them. In this case, people are begging Jesus to heal a man. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “they begged Jesus to put his hand on the man to heal him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 7:33

πτύσας

It may be helpful to state that Jesus spit on his fingers. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “after spitting on his fingers” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 7:34

ἐφφαθά

Here the author speaks to the mans ears with an Aramaic word. This word should be copied as is into your language using your alphabet. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

Mark 7:35

ἠνοίγησαν αὐτοῦ αἱ ἀκοαί

his ears were opened means he was able to hear. Alternate translation: “his ears were opened and he was able to hear” or “he was able to hear” (See: Idiom)

ἐλύθη ὁ δεσμὸς τῆς γλώσσης αὐτοῦ

You can state his tongue was released in active form. Alternate translation: “Jesus took away what prevented his tongue from speaking” or “Jesus loosened his tongue” (See: Active or Passive)

ἐλύθη ὁ δεσμὸς τῆς γλώσσης αὐτοῦ

the band of his tongue was released means he was able to speak. Alternate translation: “his tongue was free and he was able to speak” or “he was able to speak” (See: Idiom)

Mark 7:36

ὅσον…αὐτοῖς διεστέλλετο, αὐτοὶ

The refers to him ordering them not to tell anyone about what he had done. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “the more he ordered them not to tell anyone” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 7:37

τοὺς κωφοὺς…ἀλάλους

These refer to people. Alternate translation: “deaf people … mute people” or “people who cannot hear … people who cannot speak” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 8

Mark 8 General Notes

Special concepts in this chapter

Bread

When Jesus worked a miracle and provided bread for a large crowd of people, they probably thought about when God miraculously provided food for the people of Israel when they were in the wilderness.

Yeast is the ingredient that causes bread to become larger before it is baked. In this chapter, Jesus uses yeast as a metaphor for things that change the way people think, speak, and act. (See: Metaphor)

“Adulterous generation”

When Jesus called the people an “adulterous generation,” he was telling them that they were not faithful to God. (See: faithful, faithfulness, trustworthy and people of God)

Important figures of speech in this chapter

The Historic Present

To call attention to a development in the story, John uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 1, 2, 6, 12, 17, 19, 20, 22, 29 and 33. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you can use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “John testified about him” (See: Predictive Past)

Rhetorical Questions

Jesus used many rhetorical questions as a way of both teaching the disciples (Mark 8:17-21) and scolding the people (Mark 8:12). (See: Rhetorical Question)

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

Paradox

A paradox is a true statement that appears to describe something impossible. Jesus uses a paradox when he says, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mark 8:35-37).

Mark 8:1

ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις

This introduces a new event that happened some time after the events the story has just related. The story does not say how long after those events this new event happened. Use the natural form in your language for introducing a new event. (See: Introduction of a New Event)

μὴ ἐχόντων τι φάγωσιν

Jesus explains following this why the crowd did not have anything to eat. Since the expression is explained in the next verse, you do not need to explain its meaning further here. (See: When to Keep Information Implicit)

Mark 8:3

καὶ ἐὰν ἀπολύσω αὐτοὺς νήστεις εἰς οἶκον αὐτῶν, ἐκλυθήσονται ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ

Mark is using a hypothetical situation to bring to the disciples attention the dangers of making the people return home without eating. Alternate translation: “If I should send them to their houses hungry, some of them might collapse on the way home” (See: Connect — Hypothetical Conditions)

Mark 8:4

πόθεν τούτους δυνήσεταί τις ὧδε χορτάσαι ἄρτων ἐπ’ ἐρημίας?

The disciples are expressing surprise that Jesus would expect them to be able to find enough food for the crowd. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate their words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “This place is so deserted that there is no place here for us to get enough loaves of bread to satisfy these people!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 8:6

παραγγέλλει τῷ ὄχλῳ ἀναπεσεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express to recline on the ground as a direct quotation. “Jesus commanded the crowd, ‘Sit down on the ground’” (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

Mark 8:7

εἶπεν καὶ ταῦτα παρατιθέναι

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express to recline on the ground as a direct quotation. “Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Serve these fish also’” (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

Mark 8:8

περισσεύματα κλασμάτων ἑπτὰ σπυρίδας

This refers to the broken pieces of bread that were left over after the people ate. Alternate translation: “the remaining broken pieces of bread, which filled seven large baskets” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 8:9

ἦσαν δὲ ὡς τετρακισχίλιοι

Mark includes Now there were about 4,000 to help his reader to know how many people are there. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. Alternate translation: “There were approximately 4000 people that Jesus fed” (See: Background Information)

Mark 8:10

καὶ εὐθὺς ἐμβὰς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ

And immediately, having gotten into the boat with his disciples is a comment concluding the story of Jesus feeding the 4,000 people. Use the natural form in your language for expressing the conclusion of a story. (See: End of Story)

ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ μέρη Δαλμανουθά

They got to Dalmanutha in a boat. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “he sailed around the Sea of Galilee to the region of Dalmanutha” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Δαλμανουθά

Dalmanutha is the name of a place on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 8:11

σημεῖον ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ

They wanted a sign that would prove that Jesus’ power and authority were from God. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “a sign from God” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 8:12

ἀναστενάξας τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦ

This means that he groaned or that he let out a long deep breath that could be heard. It probably shows Jesus’ deep sadness that the Pharisees refused to believe him. See how you translated this in Mark 7:34.

τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦ

in his spirit means within himself or to himself. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “to himself” (See: Metonymy)

τί ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη ζητεῖ σημεῖον?

Jesus asks Why does this generation seek for a sign to show that they have not understood the miracles that he has done up until this point. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “This generation should not seek a sign.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

τί ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη ζητεῖ σημεῖον

When Jesus speaks of this generation, he is referring to some of the people who lived at that time who were not following God. He was not speaking of every single person alive. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or plain language. Alternate translation: “Why do you Pharisees ask for a sign” (See: Synecdoche)

εἰ δοθήσεται…σημεῖον

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “I will not give you a sign” (See: Active or Passive)

εἰ δοθήσεται τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ σημεῖον

if a sign will be given to this generation is an idiom which means that a sign certainly will not be given. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “I will certainly not give you a sign” (See: Idiom)

Mark 8:13

ἀφεὶς αὐτοὺς, πάλιν ἐμβὰς

Jesus’ was not the only one who left, but his disciples were with him also. If this might confuse your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “Jesus and his disciples left them and got into the boat again” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

εἰς τὸ πέραν

to the other side describes the Sea of Galilee. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “to the other side of the Sea of Galilee” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 8:14

καὶ ἐπελάθοντο λαβεῖν ἄρτους, καὶ εἰ μὴ ἕνα ἄρτον οὐκ εἶχον μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ

If it would appear in your language that Mark was making a statement here and then contradicting it, you could reword this to avoid using an exception clause. Alternate translation: “Jesus’ disciples only brought one loaf of bread onto the boat with them” (See: Connect — Exception Clauses)

Mark 8:15

ὁρᾶτε, βλέπετε

Keep watch and Be on guard have a common meaning and are repeated here for emphasis. If your language does not use repetition to do this, you could use one phrase and provide emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Keep watch” (See: Doublet)

βλέπετε ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ τῆς ζύμης Ἡρῴδου

Jesus is comparing the Pharisees’ and Herod’s teachings to yeast. When yeast it put into bread, it affects the entire batch of bread which is made. You should not explain this when you translate it, for the disciples themselves did not understand it. (See: When to Keep Information Implicit)

Mark 8:16

ἄρτους οὐκ ἔχουσιν

The word no is an exaggeration. The disciples did have one loaf of bread (Mark 8:14), but that was not for all of them on the boat. Alternate translation: “they have very little bread” (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 8:17

τί διαλογίζεσθε ὅτι ἄρτους οὐκ ἔχετε?

Here Jesus is rebuking his disciples because they should have understood what he had been talking about. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You should not be thinking that I am talking about actual bread.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

οὔπω νοεῖτε, οὐδὲ συνίετε?

These questions have the same meaning and are used together to emphasize that they do not understand. If saying the same thing twice might be confusing for your readers, you can combine the phrases into one. Alternate translation: “Do you not yet understand?” (See: Parallelism)

οὔπω νοεῖτε, οὐδὲ συνίετε?

If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You should perceive and understand by now the things I say and do.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

πεπωρωμένην ἔχετε τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν?

Here, hearts is a metonym for a person’s mind. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “Have you become stubborn” (See: Metonymy)

πεπωρωμένην ἔχετε τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν?

The phrase hearts become hardened is a metaphor for not being able or willing to understand something. If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. (See: Metaphor)

πεπωρωμένην ἔχετε τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν?

Jesus uses a question to scold the disciples. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Your thinking has become so dull!” or “You are so slow to understand what I mean!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 8:18

ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντες, οὐ βλέπετε? καὶ ὦτα ἔχοντες, οὐκ ἀκούετε? καὶ οὐ μνημονεύετε?

Jesus continues to rebuke his disciples by asking them questions. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You have eyes, but you do not understand what you see. You have ears, but you do not understand what you hear. You should remember the things that I have said and done.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

οὐ βλέπετε…οὐκ ἀκούετε

do you not see and do you not hear are idioms meaning that the disciples did not understand. They heard and saw everything Jesus did, but they did not understand what it meant. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “Do you not understand the things which I have said and done the whole time you have been with me?” (See: Idiom)

Mark 8:19

τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους

“the five thousand people” (See: Numbers)

Mark 8:20

τοὺς τετρακισχιλίους

“the four thousand people” (See: Numbers)

Mark 8:21

πῶς οὔπω συνίετε?

Jesus is mildly rebuking his disciples for not understanding what he has done in front of their eyes. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You should understand by now the things I say and do.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 8:22

ἔρχονται εἰς Βηθσαϊδάν

Your language may say “went” rather than come in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “they went to Bethsaida” (See: Go and Come)

ἔρχονται εἰς Βηθσαϊδάν

Jesus and his disciples traveled to Bethsaida in a boat. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “They came to Bethsaida in a boat” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Βηθσαϊδάν

Bethsaida is a town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. See how you translated the name of this town in Mark 6:45. (See: How to Translate Names)

ἵνα αὐτοῦ ἅψηται

They wanted Jesus to touch the man in order to heal him. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “to touch him in order to heal him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 8:24

βλέπω τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι ὡς δένδρα ὁρῶ περιπατοῦντας

The man sees people walking around, yet they are not clear to him. To the man, people just look like tall figures, so he compares them to trees. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent comparison or express this meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “Yes, I see people! They are walking around, but I cannot see them clearly. They look like trees” (See: Simile)

Mark 8:25

καὶ διέβλεψεν καὶ ἀπεκατέστη

The phrase was restored can be written in active form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “Jesus restored the man’s sight, and then the man opened his eyes” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 8:27

ἐξῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς κώμας

Your language may say “came” rather than went in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “they came out into the villages” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 8:28

ἄλλοι…ἄλλοι

The two occurrences of others refers to other people. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “other people say you are … other people say you are” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 8:30

ἐπετίμησεν αὐτοῖς ἵνα μηδενὶ λέγωσιν περὶ αὐτοῦ

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express they might tell no one about him as a direct quotation. Alternate translation: “Jesus warned them, ‘Do not tell anyone that I am the Christ’” (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

Mark 8:31

τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

See how you translated the title Son of Man in 2:10.

ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ τῶν γραμματέων, καὶ ἀποκτανθῆναι, καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστῆναι

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “that the elders and the chief priests and the scribes would reject him, and that men would kill him, and that after three days he would rise up from the dead” (See: Active or Passive)

καὶ ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ τῶν γραμματέων, καὶ ἀποκτανθῆναι, καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστῆναι

The events of this verse progress in chronological order. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could show this relationship by using a fuller phrase. Alternate translation: “first, the elders and the chief priests and the scribes will reject me. Then, people will kill me. But after that, on the third day, I will rise from the dead” (See: Connect — Sequential Time Relationship)

δεῖ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου πολλὰ παθεῖν

By referring to himself as the Son of Man Jesus is speaking of himself in the third person. If this would be confusing in your language, you can use first person. Alternate translation: “it was necessary that he, the Son of Man, should suffer many things” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

Mark 8:33

ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ

Jesus means that Peter is acting like Satan because Peter is trying to prevent Jesus from accomplishing what God sent him to do. If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “Get behind me, because you are acting like Satan!” (See: Metaphor)

ἀλλὰ

Jesus is saying that Peter is acting in a way that he ought not act. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. Alternate translation: “instead of” (See: Connect — Contrast Relationship)

οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ

To set your mind on something means to think about it. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “you are not thinking about what God desires” (See: Idiom)

οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων

Jesus leaves some words out in the second phrase that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “You are not thinking about what God desires, but you are thinking about what man desires” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 8:34

ὀπίσω μου ἀκολουθεῖν

To follow Jesus here represents being one of his disciples. If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “be my disciple” or “be one of my disciples” (See: Metaphor)

ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι

The cross here represents suffering and death because you follow Jesus. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “something he said” (See: Metonymy)

εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἀκολουθεῖν ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι

Jesus is using a hypothetical situation to show the seriousness of being his follower. Use the natural form in your language for expressing a hypothetical situation. Alternate translation: See the UST (See: Hypothetical Situations)

Mark 8:35

ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ

Jesus is speaking of people in general, not of one particular person. If this would be misunderstood in your language, use a more natural phrase. Alternate translation: “For if a person desires” (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν, ὃς δ’ ἂν ἀπολέσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, σώσει αὐτήν

The first time the word life occurs in each phrase, it means life before a person dies, that is, earthly life. The second occurrence of life in each phrase means life after death, that is, everlasting life. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “For whoever desires to save his earthly life will not have everlasting life with God after he dies. Whoever loses his earthly life for my sake, and for the sake of the good news, will have everlasting life with God after he dies” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἀπολέσει αὐτήν

lose it is a polite way to say that God will judge the person who tries to save their own soul. If this would be misunderstood in your language, use a different polite way of referring to this or you could state this plainly. Alternate translation: “God will judge them” (See: Euphemism)

Mark 8:36

τί γὰρ ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον, κερδήσῃ τὸν κόσμον ὅλον καὶ ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ?

Jesus asks this question to emphasize that If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Even if a person gains the whole world, it will not benefit him if he forfeits his soul.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἄνθρωπον

Mark is using the phrase a man here in a generic sense that includes both men and women. Alternate translation: “a person” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

κερδήσῃ τὸν κόσμον ὅλον

The phrase the whole world is an exaggeration, meaning that the person might gain great riches. Alternate translation: “to gain everything he desires” (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 8:37

τί γὰρ δοῖ ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ?

Jesus asks this question to emphasize the value of the soul of each person. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “There is nothing a person can give in exchange for his life.” or “No one can give anything in exchange for his life.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 8:38

ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ, τῇ μοιχαλίδι καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ

Jesus speaks of this generation as adulterous, meaning that they are unfaithful in their relationship with God. If your readers would not understand what it means, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “in this generation of people who have committed adultery against God and are very sinful” or “in this generation of people who are unfaithful to God and are very sinful” (See: Metaphor)

τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ

See how you translated this generation in 8:12 (See: Synecdoche)

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

This is an important title for Jesus. (See: Translating Son and Father)

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

See how you translated the title Son of Man in 2:10.

Mark 9

Mark 9 General Notes

Special concepts in this chapter

“transfigured”

Scripture often speaks of God’s glory as a great, brilliant light. When people see this light, they are afraid. Mark says in this chapter that Jesus’ clothing shone with this glorious light so that his followers could see that Jesus truly was God’s Son. At the same time, God told them that Jesus was his Son. (See: glory, glorious, glorify and fear, afraid, frighten)

Important figures of speech in this chapter

Hyperbole

Jesus said things that he did not expect his followers to understand literally. When he said, “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off” (Mark 9:43), he was exaggerating so that his hearers would pay close attention to what he was saying and realize how important it is to avoid sin.

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

Elijah and Moses

Elijah and Moses suddenly appear to Jesus, James, John, and Peter, and then they disappear. All four of them saw Elijah and Moses, and because Elijah and Moses spoke with Jesus, the reader should understand that Elijah and Moses appeared physically.

“Son of Man”

Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man” in this chapter (Mark 9:31). Your language may not allow people to speak of themselves as if they were speaking about someone else. (See: Son of Man, son of man and First, Second or Third Person)

Paradox

A paradox is a true statement that appears to describe something impossible. Jesus uses a paradox when he says, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

Mark 9:1

ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς

Here, the pronoun he refers to Jesus. If your readers would not understand this, you can state who he refers to in your translation. Alternate translation: “Jesus was saying to them” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν

See how you translated the statement Truly I say to you in 3:28.

ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν

Here, the word you is plural, in the original language that Mark wrote this Gospel in, and refers to everyone that Jesus is speaking to. Your language may require you to mark this form. Alternate translation: “Truly I say to all of you” (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου

The phrase taste death is an idiom which means “to experience death.” If your readers would not understand this idiom you can use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning using plain language. Alternate translation: “who will certainly not die” (See: Idiom)

οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of death, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun death by using the verb form. Alternate translation: “who may certainly not die” (See: Abstract Nouns)

ἕως ἂν ἴδωσιν τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐληλυθυῖαν ἐν δυνάμει

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of power, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun power by using an adverb such as “powerfully.” Alternate translation: “before they would see the kingdom of God come powerfully” (See: Abstract Nouns)

τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐληλυθυῖαν ἐν δυνάμει

The phrase the kingdom of God come with power represents God showing himself as king. If it would help your readers understand the meaning you can state this plainly. The phrase the kingdom of God come with power probably refers to God powerfully confirming that Jesus is the Messianic king through the transfiguration of Jesus which immediately follows this verse in 9:2-10. Alternate translation: “God powerfully showing himself as king” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 9:2

κατ’ ἰδίαν μόνους

Mark uses the reflexive pronoun themselves here to emphasize that they were alone and that only Jesus, Peter, James, and John went up the mountain. (See: Reflexive Pronouns)

μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν

The word transfigured means to be changed in appearance or form. If your readers would not be familiar with the meaning of this word, you could state the meaning of this word in plain language. Alternate translation: “Jesus’ appearance was changed in front of them” or “when they looked at him, his appearance was different from what it had been” (See: Translate Unknowns)

μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express the meaning of the phrase he was transfigured before them with an active form and say who did the action. Alternate translation: “God changed Jesus’ appearance before them” or “God transfigured Jesus before them” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 9:3

οἷα γναφεὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οὐ δύναται οὕτως λευκᾶναι

The word launderer refers to a person who worked with cloth and would clean and bleach it. If your readers would not be familiar with the meaning of this word, you could state the meaning in plain language. Alternate translation: “whiter than any person who bleached cloth could make them” or “such as no person on earth who bleached cloth could make them” (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 9:4

Ἠλείας

Elijah is the name of a man. See how you translated his name in Mark 6:15. (See: How to Translate Names)

Μωϋσεῖ

Moses is the name of a man. See how you translated his name in Mark 1:44. (See: How to Translate Names)

αὐτοῖς

Here, the word them refers to Peter, James, and John. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἦσαν συνλαλοῦντες

Here, the word they refers to Elijah and Moses. Alternate translation: “Elijah and Moses were talking with” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

καὶ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς Ἠλείας σὺν Μωϋσεῖ

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express the passive phrase were seen with an active form. Alternate translation: “And they saw Elijah and Moses” (See: Active or Passive)

αὐτοῖς

The word them refers to Peter, James, and John. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 9:5

ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῷ Ἰησοῦ

Here, the word answering is used to introduce Peter into the conversation. Peter was not answering a question.

καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι

Here, the pronoun us could: (1) refer only to Peter, James, and John, in which case us would be exclusive. (2) include Jesus, in which case us would be inclusive. Your language may require you to mark these forms. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

σκηνάς

Shelters are simple, temporary places in which to sit or sleep. (See: Translate Unknowns)

Μωϋσεῖ

Moses is the name of a man. See how you translated his name in Mark 1:44. (See: How to Translate Names)

Ἠλείᾳ

Elijah is the name of a man. See how you translated his name in Mark 6:15. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 9:6

οὐ γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἀποκριθῇ; ἔκφοβοι γὰρ ἐγένοντο

This entire verse is a parenthetical statement which gives background information about Peter, James, and John. (See: Background Information)

ἔκφοβοι…ἐγένοντο

Alternate translation: “they were very frightened” or “they were very afraid”

Mark 9:7

ἐγένετο…ἐπισκιάζουσα αὐτοῖς

Alternate translation: “appeared and covered them”

ἐγένετο φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης

Mark speaks figuratively of this voice as if it were a living thing that could come from the cloud to earth. Alternate translation: “God spoke from the cloud and said” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-personification/01.md)

ὁ Υἱός μου

Son is an important title for Jesus. The title Son describes Jesus’ relationship with God the Father. (See: Translating Son and Father)

ἀκούετε

Listen is a command or instruction to Peter, James, and John. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

Mark 9:8

οὐκέτι…εἶδον

Here, they refers to Peter, James, and John. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 9:9

αὐτῶν

The first occurrence of the word they in this verse refers to Jesus and Peter and James and John. Alternate translation: “Jesus, Peter, James and John” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

διεστείλατο αὐτοῖς

Here, the pronoun he refers to Jesus. Alternate translation: “Jesus ordered them” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

διεστείλατο αὐτοῖς ἵνα μηδενὶ ἃ εἶδον διηγήσωνται

Here, the pronoun them and the second and third occurrence of the pronoun they all refer to Peter and James and John. Alternate translation: “Jesus ordered Peter and James and John not to tell anyone about what they had just seen” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

διεστείλατο αὐτοῖς ἵνα μηδενὶ ἃ εἶδον διηγήσωνται

Alternate translation: “Jesus ordered them not tell anyone about what they had just seen”

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

See how you translated the title Son of Man in 2:10.

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

By calling himself the Son of Man Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If this is confusing in your language, you can use the first person. Alternate translation: “he, the Son of Man” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ

Jesus speaks figuratively in this way of coming back to life, since it involves rising out of the grave. Alternate translation: “would come back to life” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 9:10

καὶ τὸν λόγον ἐκράτησαν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς

Here, Mark is using the term word in a specific sense. Alternate translation: “And they kept the matter to themselves”

ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι

See how you translated the phrase “rise from the dead” in the previous verse.

Mark 9:11

ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες

Here, the pronoun they refers to Peter, James, and John. Alternate translation: “Peter, James, and John were questioning Jesus, saying” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν

Here, the pronoun him refers to Jesus. Alternate translation: “they were questioning Jesus” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Ἠλείαν

Elijah is the name of a man. See how you translated his name in Mark 6:15. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 9:12

ἔφη

Here, the pronoun he refers to Jesus. Alternate translation: “Jesus was saying” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

καὶ πῶς γέγραπται ἐπὶ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου, ἵνα πολλὰ πάθῃ καὶ ἐξουδενηθῇ?

Jesus uses a rhetorical question here to remind his disciples that the Scriptures also teach that the Son of Man must suffer and be despised. You could translate this question as a statement. Alternate translation: “But I also want you to consider what is written about the Son of Man. The Scriptures say that he must suffer many things and be hated” (See: Rhetorical Question)

καὶ πῶς γέγραπται ἐπὶ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου, ἵνα πολλὰ πάθῃ καὶ ἐξουδενηθῇ

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express the meaning behind the phrase been written with an active form. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Active or Passive)

ἐξουδενηθῇ

If it would be more natural in your language, you can state the phrase would be despised in active form. Alternate translation: “that people would hate him” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 9:13

ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ ὅσα ἤθελον

If it would help your readers, consider stating explicitly what the Jewish people did to Elijah. Alternate translation: “our leaders treated him very badly, just as they wanted to” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 9:14

ἐλθόντες πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς

Alternate translation: “When Jesus, Peter, James, and John returned to the other disciples who had not gone with them up the mountain”

αὐτοὺς…αὐτούς

Here, both occurrences of the pronoun them refers to the other disciples of Jesus who had not went up on the mountain with Jesus and Peter, James, and John. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 9:15

αὐτὸν…προστρέχοντες…αὐτόν

All three of the occurrences of the pronoun him in this verse, refer to Jesus. If it would help your readers you can clarify this in your translation in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 9:16

καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτούς

Here, the first occurrence of the pronoun them could refer to: (1) the disciples of Jesus who had not went up on the mountain. Alternate translation: “And Jesus asked his disciples” (2) the people in the crowd. Alternate translation: “And Jesus asked the people in the crown” (3) the scribes. Alternate translation: “And Jesus asked the scribes” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 9:17

Διδάσκαλε

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

Mark 9:18

ξηραίνεται

Alternate translation: “his body becomes rigid”

οὐκ ἴσχυσαν

The phrase the were not strong enough refers to the disciples not being about to drive the spirit out of the boy. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “they could not drive it out of him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 9:19

ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτοῖς λέγει

Here, the pronoun them is plural so Jesus is addressing more than one person. However, it is not clear exactly who them refers to. It could refer to the disciples, the crowd, the boy and his father, some some combination of them, or to all of them at once. Here,them probably refers to everyone who was present. Use the form in your language that would be used for addressing a group of people. Alternate translation: “But answering all of them, Jesus said” or “Addressing them all, Jesus said” or “Addressing everyone present, Jesus said” (See: When to Keep Information Implicit)

ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of a generation, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun generation in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος

Jesus uses the term generation figuratively to mean all the people who were alive at that time in history and specifically to refer to all the people who were present with him. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metonymy/01.md)

ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος! ἕως πότε πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔσομαι? ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν

Here, Jesus uses two rhetorical questions, until when will I be with you and Until when will I bear with you, to show his frustration and disappointment with unbelief. If you do not use rhetorical questions for this purpose in your language, you could translate Jesus’ words as a statement or as an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You unbelieving generation. You test my patience” or “You unbelieving generation. Your unbelief tires me! I wonder how long I must bear with you” or “You have all gone wrong because you do not believe, so I hope I do not have to stay here and put up with you for very long” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἕως πότε πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔσομαι? ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν?

The question until when will I be with you and the question Until when will I bear with you have very similar meanings. Jesus uses these two similar questions together in order to emphasize his frustration and disappointment. If saying the same thing twice might be confusing for your readers, you can combine the phrases into one. Alternate translation: “how long will I have to be with you and endure your unbelief” (See: Parallelism)

ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν

Alternate translation: “Until when should I endure you” or “Until when must I put up with you” or “How long must I endure you”

φέρετε αὐτὸν πρός με

In the original language that Mark wrote this Gospel in, the word bring is a command or instruction written in the plural form. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people.

Mark 9:20

πνεῦμα

See how you translated the word spirit in Mark 9:17.

καὶ ἤνεγκαν αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτόν. καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν, τὸ πνεῦμα εὐθὺς συνεσπάραξεν αὐτόν

In this verse the first and fourth occurrence of the pronoun him refer to the man’s “son” who was possessed by a mute spirit and mentioned in Mark 9:17. If it would help your readers, consider clarifying this in your translation in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: “And they brought the man’s son to Jesus, and having seen him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

καὶ ἤνεγκαν αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτόν. καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν, τὸ πνεῦμα εὐθὺς συνεσπάραξεν αὐτόν

In this verse, the second and third occurrence of the pronoun him refer Jesus. If it would help your readers, consider clarifying this in your translation in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: “And they brought the man’s son to Jesus, and having seen Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 9:21

καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ, πόσος χρόνος ἐστὶν ὡς τοῦτο γέγονεν αὐτῷ? ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, ἐκ παιδιόθεν

Alternate translation: “And Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long of a time has this been happening to him?’ And the father said, ‘This has been happening to him since childhood’”

Mark 9:22

βοήθησον ἡμῖν, σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς

In the sentence help us, having had compassion on us, Mark records the father using a figure of speech in which the logical flow of events is altered in order to put what is most important in the mind of the speaker first. The normal way of saying this would be, “having had compassion on us, help us”, because it shows the natural order of events, since having had compassion on someone normally precedes helping them. Mark records the father saying help us first because receiving help was what was most important to the father. If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases. Alternate translation: “have compassion on us and help us” (See: Information Structure)

σπλαγχνισθεὶς

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of compassion, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun compassion in another way, such as by using the verb “pity.” Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 9:23

εἰ δύνῃ?

The phrase If you are able is Jesus repeating back to the man what the man had just said to Jesus. Jesus does this in order to rebuke the man’s doubt. If it would be more natural in your language you can express this as a statement or in some other way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “You should not say to me, ‘If you are able’” or “You ask me if I am able. Of course I am able” or “Why do you say ‘If you are able’”

πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ πιστεύοντι

Alternate translation: “Everything is possible for the person who believes” or “Anything is possible for the person believing in God”

τῷ πιστεύοντι

The word believing refers to belief in God, and here it specifically refers to belief in Jesus and his power. The phrase the one means “any person” or “any one.” If it would help your readers you can say these things explicitly. Alternate translation: “for anyone who believes that God is able to do them” or “for any person who believes in God’s power” or “for anyone one who believes in me” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 9:24

βοήθει μου τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ

The sentence Help my unbelief does not mean that the man had no belief in Jesus or his power but rather these words express that the man realized he did not believe fully or believe to the extent that he should. The man is asking Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief and increase his faith. If it would help your readers you can say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Help me to have more faith” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

βοήθει μου τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of unbelief, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun unbelief in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 9:25

ἐπισυντρέχει ὄχλος

This means that more people were running toward where Jesus was and that the crowd there was growing larger. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “many people were gathering around them” or “people were gathering quickly around them” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐπισυντρέχει ὄχλος

The word crowd is a singular noun that refers to a group of people. If your language does not use singular nouns in that way, you can use a different expression. Alternate translation: “a group of people was running to them” or “many people were running to them” (See: Collective Nouns)

τὸ ἄλαλον καὶ κωφὸν πνεῦμα

The words mute and deaf can be explained if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “You unclean spirit, who are causing this boy to be unable to speak and unable to hear” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἔξελθε ἐξ αὐτοῦ

Your language may say “go out” rather than come out in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “go out from him” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 9:26

κράξας

Alternate translation: “after the unclean spirit cried out”

ἐξῆλθεν

Your language may say “went out” rather than came out in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “it went out” or “the spirit went out of the boy” (See: Go and Come)

ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ νεκρὸς

Mark is using the adjective dead as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: “the boy appeared dead” or “the boy looked like a dead person” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ὥστε τοὺς πολλοὺς λέγειν

Alternate translation: “so that many people said”

Mark 9:27

ἤγειρεν αὐτόν

Alternate translation: “helped him get up”

Mark 9:28

εἰσελθόντος αὐτοῦ εἰς οἶκον

Your language may say “come” rather than “went” in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “when he had come into a house” (See: Go and Come)

εἰσελθόντος αὐτοῦ εἰς οἶκον

Alternate translation: “when he had entered into a house”

κατ’ ἰδίαν

Alternate translation: “privately”

Mark 9:29

τοῦτο τὸ γένος ἐν οὐδενὶ δύναται ἐξελθεῖν, εἰ μὴ ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ

The words nothing and except are both negative words. If this double negative would be misunderstood in your language, you could translate it as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “This kind can be cast out only by prayer and fasting” (See: Double Negatives)

τοῦτο τὸ γένος

Here, the phrase This kind refers to kinds of unclean spirits. If it would help your readers you can say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “This kind of unclean spirit” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τοῦτο τὸ γένος…δύναται ἐξελθεῖν

Your language may say “go out” rather than “come out” in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “This kind is able to go out” (See: Go and Come)

προσευχῇ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of prayer, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun prayer in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

νηστείᾳ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of fasting, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun fasting in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 9:31

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

See how you translated the title Son of Man in 2:10.

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται

By calling himself the Son of Man Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If this is confusing in your language, you can use the first person as modeled by the UST. (See: First, Second or Third Person)

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται

If it would be more natural in your language, you could translate the phrase is being delivered with an active form and you can say who did the action. Alternate translation: “Evil men will deliver the Son of Man” (See: Active or Passive)

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται

Alternate translation: “The Son of Man is being betrayed”

εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων

Here, hands is a metonym for control. Alternate translation: “into the control of men” or “into the custody of men” (See: Metonymy)

ἀποκτανθεὶς, μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστήσεται

If it would be more natural in your language, you could translate the phrase having been killed with an active form and you can say who did the action. Alternate translation: “after they kill him, he will rise again after three days” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 9:33

ἦλθον εἰς Καφαρναούμ

Your language may say “they went” rather than they came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “they went to Capernaum” (See: Go and Come)

ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ γενόμενος

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “having went into the house” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 9:34

τίς μείζων

Here, greatest refers to who was the greatest among the disciples. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “who was the greatest among them” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 9:35

τοὺς δώδεκα

See how you translated the phrase the Twelve in 3:16. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ἔσται πάντων ἔσχατος καὶ πάντων διάκονος

Jesus is using a future statement to give an instruction. If this is confusing in your language, you can use a more natural form for instruction. Alternate translation: “he must act as if he is the least important and serve everyone” (See: Statements — Other Uses)

εἴ τις θέλει πρῶτος εἶναι, ἔσται πάντων ἔσχατος

Being first figuratively represents people who are esteemed by others because of their social position, wealth, and privileges. Being last figuratively represents people who are not esteemed by others because they lack social position, wealth, and privileges. Jesus speaks of being the “most important” as being first and of being the “least important” as being last. If your readers would not understand what it means to be first and last in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Metaphor)

εἴ τις θέλει πρῶτος εἶναι, ἔσται πάντων ἔσχατος

Jesus is using the adjective first as a noun in order to describe a type of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: “If anyone wants to be most important in God’s sight, he should act as if he is the least important” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

πρῶτος

If your language does not use ordinal numbers such as first, you can express the meaning behind the word first in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: see the UST. (See: Ordinal Numbers)

ἔσται πάντων ἔσχατος καὶ πάντων διάκονος

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “he will be last of all people and a servant of all people” (See: Ellipsis)

ἔσται…ἔσχατος

Jesus is using the future statement he will be last to give an instruction. If this is confusing in your language, you can use a more natural form for instruction. Alternate translation: “he must be” (See: Statements — Other Uses)

πάντων…πάντων

Alternate translation: “of all people … of all people”

Mark 9:36

ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν

The pronoun them refers to the 12 disciples. If it would help your readers you could state that explicitly in your translation. Alternate translation: “in the midst of his disciples” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 9:37

ἓν τῶν τοιούτων παιδίων

Alternate translation: “a child such as this one”

ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου

Here, name is a figurative way of referring to a person by reference to something associated with him. Alternate translation: “on my behalf” (See: Metonymy)

οὐκ ἐμὲ δέχεται, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με

does not receive me but the one who sent me means that the people who receive Jesus are not just receiving him but are also receiving God who sent him. If it would help your readers you can state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “receives not just me, but also receives God who has sent me” or “receives not only me, but receives God who sent me to represent him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με

Jesus assumes that his disciples will know that the one refers to God. If it would help your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “God, who has sent me” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 9:38

ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου

Here, name is a figurative way of referring to a person by reference to something associated with him. This expression means the person was acting with the power and authority of Jesus. Alternate translation: “on your behalf” or “as your representative” or “by your authority” (See: Metonymy)

Διδάσκαλε

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

οὐκ ἠκολούθει ἡμῖν

Here, following does not seem to mean to be one of Jesus’ disciples, since this man was acting in Jesus’ name. Here, following us means that this man did not travel in the group of Jesus and his disciples. Alternate translation: “he does not travel with you in our group” or “he is not part of our group” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 9:39

μὴ κωλύετε αὐτόν

Jesus is figuratively expressing a positive meaning by using a negative word together with a word that is the opposite of the intended meaning. You can state this positively. Alternate translation: “Allow him to continue” (See: Litotes)

ὀνόματί

See how you translated name in the previous verse 9:39. (See: Metonymy)

κακολογῆσαί

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of evil, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun evil by using an adjective to describe it or by expressing it some other way that is natural in language. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 9:40

οὐκ ἔστιν καθ’ ἡμῶν

Alternate translation: “is not opposing us”

Mark 9:41

ποτίσῃ ὑμᾶς ποτήριον ὕδατος ἐν ὀνόματι, ὅτι Χριστοῦ ἐστε

Jesus speaks about giving someone a cup of water as an example of how one person may help another. This is a figurative way of referring to any possible way that a person might help someone else. Here, giving one of the disciples a cup of water in Jesus’ name refers to helping them because they represent Jesus and are doing his work. If your readers would not understand this you can use a similar expression from your language or say this using plain language. Alternate translation: “gives you a cup of water because you are working for me” or “helps you on my account” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὀνόματι

See how you translated name in 9:37. (See: Metonymy)

ἐν ὀνόματι

Here, the phrase in the name leaves out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “in my name” or “in the name of me” (See: Ellipsis)

ἐν ὀνόματι, ὅτι Χριστοῦ ἐστε

in the name because is an idiom which means to do something for the sake of someone. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “because you belong to Christ” or “because you serve me” (See: Idiom)

οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ

Here, Jesus uses the negative phrase certainly not together with the negative word loseto express a strong positive meaning. If this is confusing in your language, you can express the meaning positively. Alternate translation: “he will certainly receive” (See: Litotes)

οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of reward, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun reward by using a verb phrase. Alternate translation: “he will certainly be rewarded” or “God will certainly reward that person” (See: Abstract Nouns)

οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ

Although the pronouns he and his are masculine, they are being used here in a generic sense that includes both men and women. Alternate translation: “that person will certainly not lose their reward” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

Mark 9:42

ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων

The phrase these little ones could be: (1) a reference to children who love Jesus and who are physically little compared to adults. Alternate translation: “one of these children who believe in me” (2) a figurative reference to people whose faith is new and has not yet become mature and strong. Alternate translation: “one of these new believers” or (3) a figurative reference to people who are not important from a human perspective. Alternate translation: “one of these common people” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metaphor/01.md)

καλόν ἐστιν αὐτῷ μᾶλλον εἰ

Jesus is drawing a comparison to the punishment for causing people to sin. He means that this person’s punishment for causing people to sin will be worse than if he had drowned in the sea. No one would actually put a stone around his neck and throw him into the sea as an alternative to that punishment, and Jesus is not saying that anyone will do so. Alternate translation: “The punishment he will receive will be worse than if” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

μύλος ὀνικὸς

large millstones* were round stones used for grinding grain into flour. They were so heavy that they required a donkey or an ox to turn them. If your readers would not be familiar with this, you could use the name of an object in your area that is very heavy, or you could use a general expression such as “a very heavy stone”. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Translate Unknowns)

περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ

The implication is that someone would tie the stone around the person’s neck. Alternate translation: “if someone were to attach a millstone around his neck” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

Mark 9:43

ἐὰν σκανδαλίσῃ σε ἡ χείρ σου

Here, hand is a metonym for doing, or desiring to do something sinful with your hand. Alternate translation: “if you want to do something sinful with one of your hands” or “if you are doing something sinful with one of your hands” (See: Metonymy)

ἐὰν σκανδαλίσῃ σε ἡ χείρ σου, ἀπόκοψον αὐτήν

When Jesus says, if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, he is using hyperbole in order to emphasize the seriousness of sin and the importance of avoiding it. Jesus is not being literal when he says to cut off your hand because Judaism taught against harming one’s body and Jesus taught in Mark 7:14-23, and elsewhere, that the human heart is what causes people to sin. If it would be helpful to your readers you can clarify this in a footnote if you are using footnotes. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Hyperbole)

κυλλὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν

When Jesus speaks of entering into eternal life maimed he is not being literal, but rather is using hyperbole in order to emphasize the importance of striving against sin and things that could prevent one from receiving eternal life. The Bible teaches that when people enter into eternal life with God, he will restore their bodies of any physical defects. If it would be helpful to your readers you can clarify this in a footnote if you are using footnotes. (See: Hyperbole)

εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν

Here, the phrase enter into life is referring to living eternally with God after one’s life on earth has ended. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “to enter into eternal life” or “to die and live forever” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of life, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun life in another way. Alternate translation: “live with God forever” (See: Abstract Nouns)

εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον

Alternate translation: “where the fire cannot be put out”

Mark 9:45

ἐὰν ὁ πούς σου σκανδαλίζῃ σε

Here, the word foot is a metonym for going, or desiring to go someplace for the purpose of sinning. Alternate translation: “if you use your foot to walk someplace in order to sin” (See: Metonymy)

εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν

See how you translated the phrase enter into life in Mark 9:43. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν χωλὸν

When Jesus speaks of entering into eternal life lame he is not being literal, but rather is using hyperbole in order to emphasize the importance of striving against sin and things that could prevent one from receiving eternal life. The Bible teaches that when people enter into eternal life with God, he will restore their bodies of any physical defects. If it would be helpful to your readers you can clarify this in a footnote if you are using footnotes in your translation. (See: Hyperbole)

βληθῆναι εἰς τὴν Γέενναν

If your language does not use the active form in this way, you could express the phrase to be thrown in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that “God” is the one who will do it. Alternate translation: “for God to throw you into Gehenna” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 9:47

ἐὰν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου σκανδαλίζῃ σε, ἔκβαλε αὐτόν

Here, eye is a metonym for desiring to sin as a result of looking at something which God has prohibited. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could express this in plain language. Alternate translation: “if you want to sin because of looking at something, tear your eye out” or “if you want to do something sinful because of what you look at, tear your eye out” (See: Metonymy)

μονόφθαλμον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ

Here, the phrase enter into the kingdom of God is referring to living eternally with God after one’s life on earth has ended and has a similar meaning to the phrase “to enter into life” that was used in Mark 9:43 and Mark 9:45. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “to enter into God’s kingdom and live with him forever with only one eye” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

μονόφθαλμον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ

When Jesus speaks of entering into the kingdom of God with one eye he is not being literal, but rather is using hyperbole in order to emphasize the importance of striving against sin and things that could prevent one from receiving eternal life. The Bible teaches that when people enter into eternal life with God, he will restore their bodies of any physical defects. If it would be helpful to your readers you can clarify this in a footnote if you are using footnotes. (See: Hyperbole)

βληθῆναι εἰς τὴν Γέενναν

See how you translated the phrase to be thrown into Gehenna in Mark 9:45. (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 9:49

πᾶς…πυρὶ ἁλισθήσεται

If your language does not use the active form in this way, you could express the phrase will be salted in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that “God” is the one who will do it. Alternate translation: “God will salt everyone with fire” (See: Active or Passive)

πυρὶ ἁλισθήσεται

Here, fire is a metaphor for suffering, and putting salt on people is a metaphor for purifying them. So will be salted with fire is a metaphor for being purified through suffering. Alternate translation: “will be made pure in the fire of suffering” or “will suffer in order to be purified as a sacrifice is purified with salt” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 9:50

ἄναλον γένηται

“loses its salty taste”

ἐν τίνι αὐτὸ ἀρτύσετε?

with what will you season it is a rhetorical question. can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: “you cannot make it salty again.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

αὐτὸ ἀρτύσετε

“will you make it taste salty again”

ἔχετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἅλα

Jesus speaks of doing good things for one another as if good things were salt that people possess. Alternate translation: “Do good to each other, like salt adds flavor to food” (See: Metaphor)

ἔχετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἅλα

The plural reflexive pronoun yourselves is used here to emphasize that Jesus wanted each of his 12 disciples to apply what he was saying to themselves personally. Use a way that is natural in your language to indicate this. Alternate translation: “make sure that each of you has salt within yourself” (See: Reflexive Pronouns)

εἰρηνεύετε ἐν ἀλλήλοις

be at peace with one another is a command or instruction to all of Jesus’ 12 disciples. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

Mark 10

Mark 10 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Some translations set quotations from the Old Testament farther to the right on the page than the rest of the text. The ULT does this with the quoted material in 10:7-8.

Special concepts in this chapter

Jesus’ teaching about divorce

The Pharisees wanted to find a way to make Jesus say that it is good to break the law of Moses, so they asked him about divorce. Jesus tells how God originally designed marriage to show that the Pharisees taught wrongly about divorce.

Important figures of speech in this chapter

Metaphor

Metaphors are mental pictures of visible objects that speakers use to explain invisible truths. When Jesus spoke of “the cup which I will drink,” he was speaking of the pain he would suffer on the cross as if it were a bitter, poisonous liquid in a cup.

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

Paradox

A paradox is a true statement that appears to describe something impossible. Jesus uses a paradox when he says, “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:43).

Mark 10:1

ἐκεῖθεν ἀναστὰς, ἔρχεται

Jesus’ disciples were traveling with him. They were leaving Capernaum. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “getting up, Jesus and his disciples left Capernaum and went from that place” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἔρχεται

Your language may say “comes” rather than goes in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “he comes” (See: Go and Come)

καὶ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου

Alternate translation: “and to the land on the other side of the Jordan River” or “and to the area east of the Jordan River”

συνπορεύονται…ὄχλοι πρὸς αὐτόν

Your language may say “went” rather than come in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “the crowds went together to him” (See: Go and Come)

εἰώθει

Alternate translation: “was his custom” or “he usually did”

Mark 10:5

τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν

Here, heart is a metonym for a person’s inner being or mind. (See: Metonymy)

τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν

The phrase hardness of heart is an idiom which describes stubbornly choosing to resist God’s will and instead choosing one’s own will. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. See how you translated the phrase “the hardness of their heart” in Mark 3:5. Alternate translation: “your stubbornness” (See: Idiom)

Mark 10:6

ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς

Here, the adjectives male and female are being used as nouns in order to describe two groups of people, males and females. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this in another way. Alternate translation: “God made people male and female” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ἀπὸ δὲ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως, ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς

Beginning in the previous verse Jesus begins directly addressing the Pharisees with the words “Because of your hardness of heart” and this verse and the next two verses continue his direct speech to the Pharisees. However, in this verse, beginning with the phrase He made them male and female* Jesus begins quoting two Old Testament scripture passages, Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24 which he concludes at the end of Mark 10:9. Jesus entire address is enclosed with double quotation marks and his quotation of the Old Testament is enclosed with single quotation marks because it is a quote within a quote. If the direct quotation inside a direct quotation would be confusing in your language, you could translate Jesus’ direct quotation of the Old Testament as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “But from the beginning of creation the Scriptures tell us that God made people male and female” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

Mark 10:7

καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα

Here, the word man is a singular noun that refers to a group of people. If your language does not use singular nouns in that way, you can use a different expression. Alternate translation: “men will leave their fathers and mothers” or “men will leave their parents” (See: Collective Nouns)

καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα

The phrase a man will leave his father and mother does not mean that a man necessarily has to stop living in his father’s and mother’s home once he gets married. Rather it means (COME BACK) If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 10:8

καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν; ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο, ἀλλὰ μία σάρξ

In this verse Jesus finishes his quotation of Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24. Jesus began quoting Genesis in the second half of Mark 10:6.

οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο, ἀλλὰ μία σάρξ

A husband and wife no longer being two but instead being one flesh is metaphor to illustrate a husband and wife’s close union as a couple. If your readers would not understand what this means you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture or clarify this using plain language. Alternate translation: “the two people are like one person” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 10:9

ὃ οὖν ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξεν, ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω

The phrase what God joined together refers to any married couple. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Therefore since God has joined together husband and wife, let no one tear them apart” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω

Here, although the term man is masculine, it is used in a generic sense to refer to any person, male or female. If it would help your readers you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “should not be separated by any person” or “let people not separate” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

Mark 10:10

περὶ τούτου ἐπηρώτων αὐτόν

The word this refers to the conversation that Jesus had just had with the Pharisees about divorce. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “asked Jesus about the conversation he had just had with the Pharisees” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 10:11

ὃς ἂν

Alternate translation: “Anyone who”

Mark 10:12

μοιχᾶται

Here, the phrase she commits adultery means that a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man commits adultery against her previous husband. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “she commits adultery against the first man she married” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 10:13

καὶ

Here, the word And introduces a new event. Use the natural form in your language for introducing a new event. Alternate translation: “And it happened that” or “After this” (See: Introduction of a New Event)

προσέφερον

Here, they refers to people. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

αὐτῶν ἅψηται

Here, he might touch them means that Jesus would lay his hands on the children and bless them. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “he might touch them with his hands and bless them” or “Jesus might lay his hands on them and bless them” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 10:14

ἄφετε τὰ παιδία ἔρχεσθαι πρός με, καὶ μὴ κωλύετε αὐτά

The phrase Permit the little children to come to me and the phrase do not prevent them mean basically the same thing. The repetition is used for emphasis. If your language does not use repetition in this way, you could combine these phrases. Alternate translation: “Be sure to allow the little children to come to me” (See: Doublet)

μὴ κωλύετε

If the double negative do not prevent would be misunderstood in your language, you could translate it as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “allow” (See: Double Negatives)

Mark 10:15

ὃς ἂν μὴ δέξηται τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς παιδίον, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτήν

Alternate translation: “if anyone will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, that person will definitely not enter it”

ὡς παιδίον

The point of the comparison as a little child is that Jesus is comparing how people must receive the kingdom of God to how little children would receive things. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent comparison or express this meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “with humble faith” (See: Simile)

οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτήν

Here, the word it refers to the kingdom of God. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “will certainly not enter the kingdom of God” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 10:16

ἐναγκαλισάμενος αὐτὰ

Alternate translation: “embracing the children in his arms”

Mark 10:17

ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω

Here, the word inherit means “be given” or “receive” and is being used metaphorically to mean “receive eternal life” or “be given eternal.” If your readers would not understand what it means to “inherit eternal life” in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “in order to receive eternal life” or “in order to obtain eternal life” (See: Metaphor)

Διδάσκαλε

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

ζωὴν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of life, you could express the idea behind life by using a verbal form like “live.” Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 10:18

τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν?

Jesus’ question “Why are you calling me good” is a rhetorical question which Jesus is asks in order to make a point. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate Jesus’ words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You do not understand what you are saying when you call me good” (See: Rhetorical Question)

τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν? οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς, εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ Θεός

By saying, Why are you calling me good? No one {is} good except God alone, Jesus is asking the man a rhetorical question in order to make a point. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God and Jesus affirms elsewhere that he believes that he is God. Make sure that your translation does not portray Jesus as denying his own moral perfection or divinity here.

τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν? οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς, εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ Θεός

By saying, Why are you calling me good? No one is good except God alone, Jesus is correcting the man’s misunderstanding regarding eternal life and what it takes to please God. In the previous verse, the man called Jesus “Good Teacher” thinking that Jesus was a good man but not knowing that Jesus was God. In this verse, Jesus redirects the man’s focus away from people and towards God. As evidenced by the man’s question to Jesus in the previous verse, the man thinks that in order to merit God’s approval and “inherit eternal life” a person simply needs to know the right things to do and do them. Jesus’ words in this verse are meant to correct the man’s thinking and show the man that only God is fully good and that to please God a person must focus on God and put their trust in God’s character.

Mark 10:19

τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας: μὴ φονεύσῃς, μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, μὴ κλέψῃς, μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς, μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς, τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα

In the previous verse Jesus begins directly addressing the man who came to him. This verse continues Jesus’ direct speech to the man. However, in this verse, beginning with the phrase Do not kill, Jesus begins quoting several Old Testament passages. If the direct quotation inside a direct quotation would be confusing in your language, you could translate Jesus’ direct quotation of the Old Testament as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “You know that the scriptures tell us that we should not kill, commit adultery, steal, testify falsely, or defraud others, and that each person must honor their father and mother” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς

Alternate translation: “do not testify falsely against anyone” or “do not lie about someone in court”

Mark 10:20

Διδάσκαλε

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

Mark 10:21

ἕν σε ὑστερεῖ

Here, lack is a metaphor for needing to do something. If your readers would not understand what it means to lack in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “One thing you need to do” or “There is one thing you have not yet done” or (See: Metaphor)

δὸς τοῖς πτωχοῖς

Here, the word it refers to the money the man would receive from selling his possessions. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τοῖς πτωχοῖς

Jesus is using the adjective poor as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: “people who are poor” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ

Jesus speaks figuratively of rewards in heaven as if these rewards are treasure. If your readers would not understand what it means to have treasure in heaven in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternative translation, “you will be rewarded in heaven” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 10:22

τῷ λόγῳ

Although the term word is singular, Mark is using this term to refer to all of the instructions that Jesus gave the man in the prior verse. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or plain language. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Synecdoche)

ἔχων κτήματα πολλά

Alternate translation: “someone who owned many things”

Mark 10:24

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν ἀποκριθεὶς λέγει αὐτοῖς

Alternate translation: “but Jesus said to his disciples again”

τέκνα

Here, Jesus is using the term Children figuratively to describe the disciples. They are under his spiritual care and Jesus teaches them as a father would instruct his children, and so Jesus regards them in that sense as if they were his own children. If your readers would not understand the use of the term Children in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture or you could translate this in a non-figurative way as UST does. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metaphor/01.md)

Mark 10:25

εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν

This entire verse is an exaggeration which Jesus uses to emphasize how difficult it is for rich people to enter into the kingdom of God. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language that expresses the difficulty of something happening. (See: Hyperbole)

εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν

the eye of a needle refers to the small hole at the end of a sewing needle that thread passes through. If your readers are not familiar with camels and/or needles, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture, or you could state this in plain language without using hyperbole and express the emphasis another way. Alternate translation: “It is extremely difficult for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God” (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 10:27

ἀνθρώποις

Here, although the term men is masculine, it is used with a generic sense to refer to people in general, both male and female. If it would help your readers you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

Mark 10:28

ἰδοὺ

Behold is an exclamation word which is used to draw attention to the words that come next. Use an exclamation that is natural in your language for communicating this. Alternate translation: See the UST.(See: Exclamations)

Mark 10:29

οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃς ἀφῆκεν

The phrase there is no one who has left is a litotes. Jesus uses the negative word no to negate one in order to emphasize that every single person who leaves things for Jesus’ sake will receive the rewards that he lists in the next verse. If this is confusing in your language, you can express the meaning positively. Alternate translation: “everyone who has left” or “every person who has left” (See: Litotes)

ἢ ἀγροὺς

Alternate translation: “or the land that he owns”

Mark 10:30

ἐὰν μὴ λάβῃ

The phrase not receive in this verse, when combined with the phrase “no one” in the previous verse, creates a double negative. If this is confusing in your language you can state the entire sentence positively. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Double Negatives)

ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ

Alternate translation: “in this present age”

Mark 10:31

πολλοὶ…ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι, καὶ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι

Jesus is using the adjectives first and last as nouns in order to indicate groups of people. See how you translated the words first and last in Mark 9:35. Alternate translation: “many people who are now important will not be, and the people who are not now important, will be” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-nominaladj/01.md)

ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι, καὶ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι

Here, Jesus is using the words first and last metaphorically. See how you translated these words in Mark 9:35. (See: Metaphor)

Mark 10:32

οἱ…ἀκολουθοῦντες

Some people were walking behind Jesus and his twelve disciples. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “those people who were following behind them” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τοὺς δώδεκα

See how you translated the phrase the Twelve in 3:16. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Mark 10:33

ἰδοὺ

Behold is an exclamation word which Jesus is using to draw attention to the words that he says next next. Use an exclamation that is natural in your language for communicating this. “Pay attention to what I am about to tell you” (See: Exclamations)

ἀναβαίνομεν

When Jesus says we, he is speaking of himself and the 12 disciples so we would be inclusive. Your language may require you to mark this form. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ γραμματεῦσιν, καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτὸν θανάτῳ, καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: “I, the Son of Man, will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn me to death and deliver me to the Gentiles” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-123person/01.md)

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου παραδοθήσεται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way you can express the meaning behind the phrase will be delivered by using an active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “they will hand the Son of Man over” (See: Active or Passive)

καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτὸν θανάτῳ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of death, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun death by using a verbal form of this word. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

Alternate translation: “put him under the control of the Gentiles”

Mark 10:34

ἐμπαίξουσιν

In this verse Jesus continues referring to himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-123person/01.md)

ἐμπαίξουσιν

The pronoun they refers to “the Gentiles” mentioned in the previous verse. Alternate translation: “the Gentiles will mock him” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἀναστήσεται

The phrase he will rise refers to rising from the dead. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “he will rise from being dead” or “he will rise from the dead” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 10:35

θέλομεν…αἰτήσωμέν…ἡμῖν

Here, the pronouns we and us refer only to James and John and so they would be exclusive. Your language may require you to mark these forms. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

Διδάσκαλε

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

Mark 10:36

αὐτοῖς

The pronoun them refers to James and John. Alternate translation: “to James and John” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 10:37

οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ

The pronoun they refers to James and John. Alternate translation: “And James and John said to him” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

δὸς ἡμῖν…καθίσωμεν

Here, the pronouns us and we refer only to James and John and so they would be exclusive. Your language may require you to mark these forms. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου

The phrase in your glory refers to when Jesus is glorified and gloriously rules over his kingdom. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “with you when you rule in your kingdom” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of glory, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun glory in another way such as using a verbal form of the word. Alternate translation: “next to you when you are glorified” or “sit by you when you are glorified” (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 10:38

οὐκ οἴδατε

“You do not understand”

πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ πίνω

Drinking a cup is an idiom which refers to suffering some experience which is difficult to undergo. In the Bible suffering is often referred to as drinking from a cup. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “drink the cup of suffering that I will drink” or “drink from the cup of suffering that I will drink from” (See: Idiom)

τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι βαπτισθῆναι

The phrase to be baptized with the baptism is a metaphor which refers to being overwhelmed by difficult circumstances. Just as water covers a person during baptism, suffering and trials overwhelm a person. Here, this metaphor for suffering refers specifically to Jesus’ future suffering in Jerusalem and death by crucifixion. If your readers would not understand this metaphor for suffering, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture or use plain language. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Metaphor)

ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι

The phrase I am being baptized is passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 10:39

οἱ…αὐτοῖς

Here, the pronouns they and them refer to James and John. Alternate translation: “James and John … to James and John” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ πίνω, πίεσθε

The cup that I drink is an idiom. See how you translated this idiom in the previous verse. (See: Idiom)

τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι, βαπτισθήσεσθε

In this verse Jesus continues to use baptism metaphorically. See how you translated Jesus’ metaphorical use of baptism in the previous verse. (See: Metaphor)

ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι, βαπτισθήσεσθε

The phrase I am being baptized and the phrase you will be baptized are both passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state these two phrases in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 10:40

ἀλλ’ οἷς ἡτοίμασται

The word it refers to the places at Jesus’ right and left hand. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “but those places are for those for whom they have been prepared” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἡτοίμασται

The phrase it has been prepared is passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus says in Matthew 20:23 that God the Father is the one who will prepare these places. Alternate translation: “God has prepared it” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 10:41

ἀκούσαντες

The word this refers to James and John asking to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

οἱ δέκα

the ten refers to the other ten disciples of Jesus. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 10:42

προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς

Alternate translation: “after Jesus called his disciples to him, he”

κατεξουσιάζουσιν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of authority, you could express the idea behind this abstract noun in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 10:43

οὐχ οὕτως…ἐστιν ἐν ὑμῖν

The phrase it is not this way among you means “this is not the reality you live by as my followers” or “it should not be this way among you” and refers back to the way that Jesus said the Gentile rulers governed in the previous verse. If it would be helpful to your readers you can indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “But you live by a different set of principles than the Gentile rulers do” or “But you are to act differently than the Gentile rulers” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

μέγας γενέσθαι

Alternate translation: “to be highly respected” or “to be greatly respected”

ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος

Jesus is using the future statement will be your servant to give an instruction. See how you translated the phrase “will be” in Mark 9:35 where it occurs with the same meaning and in a similar context. Alternate translation: “must be your servant” (See: Statements — Other Uses)

Mark 10:44

εἶναι πρῶτος

Here, to be first is a metaphor for being the most important. See how you translated first in Mark 9:35. Alternate translation: “to be the most important” (See: Metaphor)

ἔσται πάντων δοῦλος

Jesus is using the future statement will be a slave of all to give an instruction. See how you translated the phrase “will be” in 10:43, where it occurs with the same meaning. Alternate translation: “must be a slave of all” (See: Statements — Other Uses)

δοῦλος

Jesus speaks figuratively of being a slave to emphasize the great lengths Jesus’ followers should go to in order to serve others. If Jesus’ exaggeration would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language that shows service or you could clarify that Jesus is teaching that his followers must act similar to slaves in their service to others. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 10:45

καὶ γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-123person/01.md)

οὐκ ἦλθεν

Your language may say “leave” and “go” rather than come in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “did not leave heaven and go to earth” (See: Go and Come)

διακονηθῆναι

The phrase to be served is passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “to have people serve him” (See: Active or Passive)

διακονηθῆναι, ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαι

Alternate translation: “to be served by people, but to serve people”

ἀντὶ πολλῶν

Alternate translation: “in place of many people” or “in exchange for many people”

Mark 10:46

ἔρχονται εἰς Ἰερειχώ

Your language may say “went” rather than come in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “they went into Jericho” (See: Go and Come)

ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ

Your language may say “coming out” rather than going out in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “as he is coming out” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 10:47

Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζαρηνός

The people call Jesus the Nazarene because he was from the town of Nazareth in Galilee. Alternate translation: “Jesus from the town of Nazareth” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-names/01.md)

καὶ

Here, Mark uses And to introduce a reason result statement. And introduces the reason having heard that it was Jesus which resulted in Bartimaeus beginning to cry out and to say, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” When the blind man learned that Jesus was walking by, he knew that Jesus would hear him if he called out, so as a result, he shouted to him. Alternate translation: “So” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result/01.md)

Υἱὲ Δαυεὶδ

The blind man is using the word Son figuratively to mean “descendant.” Alternate translation: “Descendant of David” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metaphor/01.md)

Υἱὲ Δαυεὶδ

David was Israel’s most important king, and God had promised him that one of his descendants would be the Messiah. So the title Son of David implicitly meant “Messiah.” Alternate translation: “Messiah” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

ἐλέησόν με

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of mercy, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun mercy by using an adjective form such as “merciful” or by expressing it some other way. Alternate translation: “be merciful to me” (See: Abstract Nouns)

ἐλέησόν με

This is an imperative, but it should be translated as a polite request rather than as a command. It may be helpful to add an expression such as “please” to make this clear. Alternate translation: “please be merciful to me” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-imperative/01.md)

ἐλέησόν με

The blind man assumes that Jesus will know that he is asking specifically to be healed. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “please have mercy on me and heal me” or “please be merciful to me by healing me” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

Mark 10:48

ἐπετίμων αὐτῷ πολλοὶ ἵνα σιωπήσῃ

Alternate translation: “many people kept telling him not to shout”

πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔκραζεν

The phrase was crying out much more could mean: (1) that the blind man shouted even louder to Jesus. Alternate translation: See the UST. (2) that the blind man called out even more persistently. Alternate translation: “called out even more persistently”

Υἱὲ Δαυείδ, ἐλέησόν με

See how you decided to translate this phrase in 10:47. Alternate translation: “Messiah, please have mercy on me and heal me” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-explicit/01.md)

Mark 10:49

φωνοῦσι

Here, the pronoun they refers to the crowd. If this might confuse your readers, you could state explicitly who they refers to. Alternate translation: “some people in the crowd called” or “some people in the front of the crowd called” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

θάρσει

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of courage, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun courage by using an adjective form such as “courageous” or by expressing it some other way. Alternate translation: “Be courageous” (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 10:52

ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε

This phrase is written this way to place emphasis on the man’s faith. Jesus heals the man because he believes that Jesus can heal him. This can be made explicit. Alternate translation: “I am healing you because you believed in me” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of faith, you could express the idea behind this word by using a verb such as “trusted” or by expressing it some other way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

ἀνέβλεψεν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of sight, you could express the idea behind this word by using a verb such as “see” or by expressing it some other way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 11

Mark 11 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 11:9-10, 17, which are words from the Old Testament.

Special concepts in this chapter

The donkey and the colt

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on an animal. In this way he was like a king who came into a city after he had won an important battle. Also, the kings of Israel in the Old Testament rode on a donkeys. Other kings rode on horses. So Jesus was showing that he was the king of Israel and that he was not like other kings.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all wrote about this event. Matthew and Mark wrote that the disciples brought Jesus a donkey. John wrote that Jesus found a donkey. Luke wrote that they brought him a colt. Only Matthew wrote that there were both a donkey had a colt. No one knows for sure whether Jesus rode the donkey or the colt. It is best to translate each of these accounts as it appears in the ULT without trying to make them all say exactly the same thing. (See: Matthew 21:1-7 and Mark 11:1-7 and Luke 19:29-36 and John 12:14-15)

Mark 11:1

ἐγγίζουσιν

Your language may say “went” rather than come in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “they went near” (See: Go and Come)

Βηθφαγὴ

Bethphage is the name of a village. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 11:2

ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν κώμην

Your language may say “Come” rather than Go in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “Come into the village” (See: Go and Come)

ὑμῶν…εὑρήσετε

Since the word you applies to the two disciples in both of these instances, it would be dual, if your language uses that form. Otherwise, it would be plural. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-youdual/01.md)

πῶλον

The term colt refers to a young donkey. If your readers would not be familiar with what a donkey is, you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “a young donkey” or “a young riding animal” (See: Translate Unknowns)

οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων οὔπω ἐκάθισεν

Although the term man is masculine, Mark is using the word here in a generic sense that includes both men and women. He means that “no one” had yet sat on the donkey. Alternate translation: “no person has yet sat” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων οὔπω ἐκάθισεν

Jesus is using the term sat to refer to riding on an animal by association with the way people sit on an animal they are riding. Alternate translation: “no person has ever ridden” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metonymy/01.md)

Mark 11:3

καὶ ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ, τί ποιεῖτε τοῦτο? εἴπατε, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει, καὶ εὐθὺς αὐτὸν ἀποστέλλει πάλιν ὧδε

This verse contains two direct quotations within a direct quotation. If this would be confusing in your language, you could translate the two direct quotations in this verse as indirect quotations. Alternate translation: “And if anyone asks you why you are untying the donkey tell them that the Lord needs it and will send it back here as soon as he is done using it” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

ποιεῖτε

The owners of the colt are speaking to the two disciples, so you would be dual, if your language uses that form. Otherwise, it would be plural. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-youdual/01.md)

τί ποιεῖτε τοῦτο?

If it would be helpful to your readers you can say explicitly what the word this refers to. Alternate translation: “Why are you untying and taking the colt” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of need, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “needs it” (See: Abstract Nouns)

εὐθὺς αὐτὸν ἀποστέλλει πάλιν ὧδε

Alternate translation: “will immediately send it back when he no longer needs it”

Mark 11:4

ἀπῆλθον

Here, they refers to the two disciples mentioned in 11:1. If it would help your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

πῶλον

See how you translated colt in Mark 11:2. Alternate translation: “a young donkey” or “a young riding animal”

Mark 11:7

τὰ ἱμάτια

The word cloaks refers to outer garments. You could translate this with the name of an outer garment that your readers would recognize, or with a general expression. Alternate translation: “coats” or “outer garments” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-unknown/01.md)

ἐπιβάλλουσιν αὐτῷ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν

The disciples did this to show that the person riding the colt was special and important. In this culture, animals that important people rode were draped with rich fabrics. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “draped the colt with their cloaks as a sign of honor” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 11:8

πολλοὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἔστρωσαν εἰς τὴν ὁδόν, ἄλλοι δὲ στιβάδας κόψαντες ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν

Spreading cloaks on the road and branches was a way of showing honor to someone. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. It may be helpful to make this a separate sentence. Alternate translation: “many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread branches they had cut from the fields. They did this in order to honor Jesus” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

πολλοὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἔστρωσαν εἰς τὴν ὁδόν, ἄλλοι δὲ στιβάδας κόψαντες ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν

The words many, others, and they all refer to other people besides the disciples. Alternate translation: “many people spread their cloaks on the road, and other people spread branches they had cut” (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-symaction/01.md)

ἱμάτια

See how you translated the word cloaks in 11:7. Alternate translation: “coats” or “outer garments”

ἄλλοι δὲ στιβάδας κόψαντες ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν

It was a tradition to lay palm branches on the road in front of an important people to honor them. Alternate translation: “and others spread branches on the road that they had cut from the fields, also to honor him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 11:9

ὡσαννά

The word Hosanna is a Hebrew word. Mark spelled it out using Greek letters so his readers would know how it sounded. Hosanna had an original meaning of “save now” but by the time of this event it had become a way of praising God. In your translation you can spell Hosanna the way it sounds in your language or you can translate it according to how it was used, as the UST does. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου

The word Blessed is passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, “God” is the one doing the blessing. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Active or Passive)

εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου

The phrase Blessed is the one could be: (1) a request for God to bless Jesus. Alternate translation: “May God bless the one who comes in his name” (2) stating that God had already blessed Jesus. Alternate translation: “God has blessed the one who comes in his name”

εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος

Here, the phrase the one refers to Jesus. If it would be helpful to your readers you can state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Blessed are you, the one who comes” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου

Here, the phrase in the name of is used figuratively for authority. The phrase in the name of the Lord means the “with the authority of the Lord.” If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or express this with plain language. Alternate translation: “with the authority of the Lord” or “with the Lord’s authority” (See Metonymy)

Mark 11:10

εὐλογημένη

The word Blessed is passive in form. See how you translated this word in 11:9. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Active or Passive)

εὐλογημένη ἡ ἐρχομένη βασιλεία τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, Δαυείδ

The phrase Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David could be: (1) an exclamation proclaiming that the future messianic kingdom promised to a descendant of David is blessed by God. Alternate translation: See the UST. (2) a prayer expressing the desire that God would bless the coming messianic kingdom. Alternate translation: “May God bless the coming kingdom of our father David”

τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, Δαυείδ

Here, the term father figuratively means “ancestor.” If your readers would not understand the figurative use of father in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “of our ancestor David” (See: Metaphor)

ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις

See how you translated the word Hosanna in 11:9. The phrase * Hosanna in the highest* could be (1) an exclamation of praise to God. Alternate translation: See the UST. (2) a prayer to God for salvation from Israel’s enemies. Alternate translation: “Please save us now God in the highest”

ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις

The phrase * in the highest* is a figurative way or referring to heaven where God dwells. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state this explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 11:11

ἱερόν

Since only priests could enter the temple building, here the word temple means the temple courtyard. Mark is using the word for the entire building to refer to one part of it. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Synecdoche)

ἐξῆλθεν εἰς Βηθανίαν

Your language may say “came” rather than went in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “he came to Bethany” (See: Go and Come)

τῶν δώδεκα

See how you translated the phrase the Twelve in 3:16. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Mark 11:12

ἐξελθόντων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Βηθανίας

Your language may say “went” rather than come in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “when they had went out from Bethany” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 11:13

ἦλθεν

Your language may say “came” rather than went in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “he came” (See: Go and Come

ἐλθὼν ἐπ’ αὐτὴν

Your language may say “went” rather than come in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “having went to it” (See: Go and Come)

οὐδὲν εὗρεν εἰ μὴ φύλλα

Mark is using a negative expressions to emphasize that there were only leaves on the tree. If this is confusing in your language, you can express the meaning positively. Alternate translation: “he found only leaves” (See: Litotes)

ὁ…καιρὸς οὐκ ἦν σύκων

Alternate translation: “it was not the time of year for figs”

Mark 11:14

εἶπεν αὐτῇ, μηκέτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἐκ σοῦ μηδεὶς καρπὸν φάγοι

Jesus is figuratively addressing something that he knows cannot hear him, the fig tree, in order to teach his listeners something. If this is confusing in your language, consider expressing this feeling by talking about the fig tree. (See: Apostrophe)

εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

The phrase to eternity is a Jewish expression which means “forever.” In this context it specifically means “ever again.” Mark assumed his readers would be familiar with this expression. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state the meaning of the expression to eternity explicitly. Alternate translation: “ever again” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

μηκέτι…ἐκ σοῦ μηδεὶς καρπὸν φάγοι

The phrase no one will any longer is a double negative. Jesus uses a double negative here for emphasis. If the meaning of this phrase would be misunderstood in your language, you could translate it using only one negative statement and show the emphasis some other way. Alternate translation: “Surely, no one will eat from you” (See: Double Negatives)

Mark 11:15

ἔρχονται εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα

Your language may say “going” rather than coming in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “going to Jerusalem” (See: Go and Come)

ἱερὸν

See how you translated the word temple in 11:11 where it is used with the same meaning. (See: Synecdoche)

ἐκβάλλειν

Alternate translation: “to throw out” or “to force out” or “to drive out”

τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ τοὺς ἀγοράζοντας

Alternate translation: “the people who were buying and selling”

ἱερῷ

See how you translated the word temple in 11:11 where it is used with the same meaning. (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 11:16

ἱεροῦ

See how you translated the word temple in 11:11 where it is used with the same meaning. (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 11:17

οὐ γέγραπται, ὅτι ὁ οἶκός μου, οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν?

Has it not been written is a rhetorical question which Jesus is using to emphasize God’s purpose for the temple as recorded in the Old Testament scriptures. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate Jesus’ words as a statement and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Listen to me! You should have payed closer attention to the scripture which says” (See: Rhetorical Question)

οὐ γέγραπται, ὅτι ὁ οἶκός μου, οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν? ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐποιήσατε αὐτὸν σπήλαιον λῃστῶν

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “God says in the Scriptures that ‘his temple will be a place of prayer for all nations,’ but you have made it ‘a den of robbers’” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

οὐ γέγραπται

If your readers would misunderstand the phrase been written, you could say this with an active form, and you could say who has done the action. Alternate translation: “Has God not said in the Scriptures” (See: Active or Passive)

οἶκός μου

God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, refers figuratively to his temple as his house, because his presence is there. Alternate translation: “My temple” (See: Metaphor)

οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, refers figuratively to a place where people would pray as a house. Alternate translation: “will be called a place where people from all nations can pray to me” (See: Metaphor)

οἶκός μου, οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται

The phrase will be called is passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, it is people who are calling God’s temple a house of prayer. Alternate translation: “People will call my house a house of prayer” (See: Active or Passive)

προσευχῆς…πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of prayer, you could express the same idea with a verbal form such as “pray.” Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

σπήλαιον λῃστῶν

God, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, refers figuratively to a place where thieves would gather to hide and plot their crimes as if it were a wild animal’s den or lair. Alternate translation: “a place where thieves gather” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 11:18

ἐζήτουν πῶς

Alternate translation: “they were looking for a way”

Mark 11:19

ὅταν ὀψὲ ἐγένετο

Alternate translation: “in the evening”

Mark 11:20

τὴν συκῆν ἐξηραμμένην ἐκ ῥιζῶν

The phrase the fig tree had been withered from the roots means that the fig tree had shriveled and dried up and was dead. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “the fig tree had withered down to its roots and died” or “the fig tree was dried and shriveled down to its roots and had completely died” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐξηραμμένην

The phrase had been withered is passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “was withered” or “had dried up” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 11:21

ἀναμνησθεὶς

The phrase having been reminded is passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Active or Passive)

ἐξήρανται

The phrase has been withered away is passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “was withered away” or “has dried up” or “has died” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 11:22

ἔχετε πίστιν

In the original language that Mark wrote this Gospel in, the phrase have faith is a command or instruction written in the plural form. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. Alternate translation: “Every one of you have faith” (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

ἔχετε πίστιν Θεοῦ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of faith, you could express the same idea with a verbal form such as “trust.” Alternate translation: “Trust in God” (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 11:23

ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν

See how you translated the statement Truly I say to you in 3:28.

ὅτι ὃς ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ, ἄρθητι καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν

Jesus is using hyperbole to teach. He is using an extreme example to emphasize to his disciples the point that God can do anything in response to believing prayer. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language. Alternate translation: “for example, that whoever might ask God and say, ‘God please take up this mountain and cast it into the sea,’” (See: Hyperbole)

ὅτι ὃς ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ, ἄρθητι καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν

Here, Jesus uses mountain figuratively to represent anything that would seem difficult or impossible to do. If your readers would not understand Jesus’ figurative use of mountain in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternative translation: “that anyone of you who encounters a difficult task and asks God to do it” or “that anyone of you who encounters a difficult task and asks God to accomplish it” (See: Metaphor)

ἄρθητι καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν

This would not be a command that the mountain would be capable of obeying. Instead, it would be a command that directly caused the mountain to be taken up and cast into the sea by the power of God. Alternate translation: “May God lift you up and cast you into the sea” (See: Imperatives — Other Uses)

ὄρει τούτῳ

Here, the phrase this mountain refers to the Mount of Olives which was mentioned in 11:1. (See: When to Keep Information Implicit)

ἄρθητι καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν

The phrases Be taken up and *be cast are both passive in form. If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express these ideas in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Mark implies that “God” is the one doing it. Alternate translation: “May God lift you up and cast you into the sea” (See: Active or Passive)

μὴ διακριθῇ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ πιστεύῃ

In the expression doubt in his heart the word heart figuratively represents a person’s mind or inner being. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or use plain language. Alternate translation: “if he does not doubt but believes” or “if he truly believes in his mind” (See: Metonymy)

μὴ διακριθῇ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ πιστεύῃ

The phrase not doubt is a double negative. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could translate it as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “if he truly believes in his mind” (See: Double Negatives)

ἔσται αὐτῷ

Alternate translation: “God will make it happen”

Mark 11:24

διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν

Alternate translation: “For this reason, I say to you”

ὑμῖν…προσεύχεσθε…ἐλάβετε…ὑμῖν

In this verse, all four occurrences of the word you are plural and apply to Jesus’ disciples. Your language may require you to mark these as plural. (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

πιστεύετε

In the original language that Mark wrote this Gospel in, the word believe is a command or instruction written in the plural form. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. Alternate translation: “every one of you must believe” (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

ἔσται ὑμῖν

In the phrase it will be to you the implication is that God will provide what is asked for. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 11:25

στήκετε…ἔχετε…ὑμῶν…ὑμῖν…ὑμῶν

In this verse every occurrence of the word you and your is plural and applies to Jesus’ disciples. Your language may require you to mark these as plural. (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

ὅταν στήκετε προσευχόμενοι

It is common in Hebrew culture to stand when praying to God. Jesus assumes that his readers would be familiar with this practice. If this would be misunderstood in your culture you can abbreviate it. Alternate translation: “when you are praying” (See: Making Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information Explicit)

ἀφίετε

In this verse, the first occurrence of the word forgive is a command or instruction written in the plural form. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. Alternate translation: “each of you must forgive” (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

ἀφίετε

In the original language that the author of Mark wrote this Gospel in, the word forgive is a command or instruction written in the plural form. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. Alternate translation: “every one of you must believe” (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

εἴ τι ἔχετε κατά τινος

Here, have something against anyone refers to any anger, unforgiveness, or grudge a person holds against against another person for offending or sinning against them. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἵνα

The phrase so that introduces a purpose clause. Jesus says forgive, if you have something against anyone with the goal that your Father who {is} in the heavens may also forgive you your trespasses. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a purpose clause. Alternate translation: “in order that” (See: Connect — Goal (Purpose) Relationship)

τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of trespasses, you could express the same idea with a verbal form such as “sinned” or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “for the times you have sinned” (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 11:27

ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ περιπατοῦντος αὐτοῦ

The phrase, he is walking around in the temple means that Jesus was walking around in the temple courtyard; he was not walking in the temple since only priests were allowed in inside the temple building. See how you translated the word temple in 11:15. (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 11:28

ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς? ἢ, τίς σοι ἔδωκεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην, ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇς?

This could mean: (1) both of these questions have the same meaning and are asked together to strongly question Jesus’ authority and so can be combined. Alternate translation: “Who gave you authority to do these things?” (2) these are two separate questions, the first asking about the nature of the authority and the second about who gave it to him. (See: Parallelism)

ἐξουσίᾳ…ἐξουσίαν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of authority, you could express the same idea with a verbal form such as “authorized” or express the meaning some other way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 11:29

ἐξουσίᾳ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of authority, you could express the same idea with a verbal form such as “authorized” or express the meaning some other way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

ἕνα λόγον

Here, Jesus is using the term word in a specific sense. Alternate translation: “a question”

Mark 11:30

τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ Ἰωάννου, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων

Jesus knows that John’s authority came from God, so he is not asking the Jewish leaders for information. However, this is not a rhetorical question that could be translated as a statement, for example, “Surely you must admit that God, not people, gave John the authority to baptize.” This is an actual question that Jesus wants the Jewish leaders to try to answer, because he knows that either way they answer, they will have a problem. So his words should be translated as a question. Alternate translation: “Was it God who told John to baptize people, or did people tell him to do it?”

τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ Ἰωάννου

Alternate translation: “The baptism that John performed”

ἐξ οὐρανοῦ

In order to honor the commandment not to misuse God’s name, Jewish people often avoided saying the word “God” and used the word heaven instead. That seems to be what Jesus is doing here. Alternate translation: “from God” (See: Euphemism)

ἀνθρώπων

Here, Jesus is using the term men in a generic sense that includes all people. Alternate translation: “people” or “humanity” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων

Alternate translation: “was it authorized by God or by men”

ἀποκρίθητέ μοι

In the original language that Mark wrote this book in the word Answer is a command written in the plural form. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

Mark 11:31

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἐρεῖ, διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ

The Jewish leaders are describing a hypothetical situation. Use the natural form in your language for expressing a hypothetical situation. Alternate translation: “Suppose we say, ‘From heaven.’ Then he will ask, ‘Then why did you not believe him’” (See: Connect — Hypothetical Conditions)

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἐρεῖ, διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “If we say that John’s authority came from God, Jesus will ask us why we did not believe him” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

ἐξ οὐρανοῦ

See how you translated the expression From heaven in 11:30. Alternate translation: “From God” (See: Euphemism)

Mark 11:32

ἀλλὰ εἴπωμεν, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων

Here, the Jewish leaders are describing another hypothetical situation. Use the natural form in your language for expressing a hypothetical situation. Alternate translation: “But suppose we say, ‘From men.’” (See: Connect — Hypothetical Conditions)

ἀλλὰ εἴπωμεν, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων

The phrase From men refers to the source of the baptism of John. If it would help your readers you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “But if we say, ‘John’s baptism was from men,’” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐξ ἀνθρώπων

See how you translated the phrase From men in 11:30. Alternate translation: “From people” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

ἀλλὰ εἴπωμεν, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “But if we say that John’s authority came from people” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

ἀλλὰ εἴπωμεν, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων?

The religious leaders do not finish their statement, since they all understand what will happen if they say John’s baptism is not from God. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “But if we say, ‘From men,’ that would not be good” (See: Ellipsis)

ἐφοβοῦντο τὸν ὄχλον, ἅπαντες γὰρ εἶχον τὸν Ἰωάννην, ὄντως ὅτι προφήτης ἦν

The author of Mark is providing this background information to help readers understand what happens next. Use a natural way in your language for introducing background information. Alternate translation: “They said this to each other because they were afraid of the crowd, for all the people in the crowd believed that John really was a prophet” or “They did not want to say that John’s baptism was from men because they were afraid of the crowd, since all the people in the crowd believed that John truly was a prophet” (See: Connect — Background Information)

ἐφοβοῦντο τὸν ὄχλον

The word crowd is a singular noun that refers to a group of people. If your language does not use singular nouns in that way, you can use a different expression. Alternate translation: “They were afraid of the group of people gathered there” or “They were afraid of the many people” (See: Collective Nouns)

ἅπαντες γὰρ εἶχον

Here, the word all refers to the people in the crowd. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “for everyone in the crowd held” or “for all those who were in the crowd believed” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 11:33

καὶ

Here, Mark uses the word And to introduce the results of what the previous sentences described. Alternate translation: “So” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

οὐκ οἴδαμεν

The reply We do not know leaves out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “We do not know where the baptism of John came from” or “We do not know where John’s authority to baptize came from” (See: Ellipsis)

οὐδὲ ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν

With the words Neither do I say to you, Jesus is indicating that this is the result of what the Jewish leaders told him. Alternate translation: “Then I will not tell you” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

ἐξουσίᾳ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of authority, you could express the same idea with a verbal form such as “authorized” or express the meaning some other way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 12

Mark 12 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 12:10-11, 36, which are words from the Old Testament.

Important figures of speech in this chapter

Hypothetical Situations

Hypothetical situations are situations that have not actually happened. People describe these situations so they learn what their hearers think is good and bad or right and wrong. (See: Connect — Hypothetical Conditions)

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

A paradox is a statement that describes two things that seem as if they cannot both be true at the same time, but which actually are both true. In this chapter, Jesus quotes a psalm that records David calling his son “lord,” that is, “master.” However, to the Jews, ancestors were greater than their descendants, so a father would not call his son “master.” In this passage, Mark 12:35-37, Jesus is trying to lead his hearers to the true understanding that the Messiah will be divine, and that he himself is the Messiah. So David is speaking to his son, that is, his descendant, as the Messiah, and it is appropriate for him to address him as his “Lord.”

Mark 12:1

καὶ ἤρξατο αὐτοῖς ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖν

To help the people understand what the Jewish leaders were doing by rejecting him and John the Baptist, Jesus tells a brief story that provides an illustration. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Jesus told the people stories to help them understand better” (See: Parables)

ἀμπελῶνα ἄνθρωπος ἐφύτευσεν

Jesus uses the phrase A man planted a vineyard to introduce the main character into the story. Use a natural form in your language for introducing the main character into a story. Alternate translation: “There once was a man who planted a vineyard” (See: Introduction of New and Old Participants)

ἐξέδετο αὐτὸν γεωργοῖς

As the rest of the story shows, the man rented the vineyard not for regular cash payments, but under an arrangement that entitled him to a share of the crop in exchange for the use of the land. If an arrangement like that would not be familiar to your readers, you could translate this in a way that explains it. Alternate translation: “allowed some grape farmers to use it in exchange for a share of the crop” (See: Translate Unknowns)

γεωργοῖς

While farmers is a general term for anyone who farms the ground, in this context it refers to people who tend grape vines and grow grapes. Alternate translation: “vine growers” or “grape farmers”

Mark 12:2

τῷ καιρῷ

This refers to the time of harvest. This can be made clear. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

γεωργοὺς…γεωργῶν

See how you translated farmers in 12:1.

καρπῶν

The word fruit could be: (1) intended literally. Alternate translation: “some of the grapes they had grown” (2) figurative. Alternate translation: “some of what they had produced from the grapes they had grown” or “some of the money they had earned by selling their produce” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 12:3

ἀπέστειλαν κενόν

Jesus speaks figuratively of this servant as if he were a container with nothing in it. Here, the word empty means that they did not give him any of the fruit. Alternate translation: “sent him away without giving him anything” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 12:4

καὶ ἠτίμασαν

Alternate translation: “and humiliated”

Mark 12:6

λέγων, ὅτι ἐντραπήσονται τὸν υἱόν μου

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “thinking that they would respect his son” or “thinking to himself that the farmers would respect his son” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

Mark 12:7

ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οἱ γεωργοὶ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς εἶπαν, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κληρονόμος; δεῦτε, ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἡμῶν ἔσται ἡ κληρονομία

It may be helpful to state explicitly that this happened after the owner sent his son and he arrived as the UST does. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

γεωργοὶ

See how you translated farmers in 12:1.

ἡ κληρονομία

By inheritance, the farmers mean the vineyard, which the son would inherit. Alternate translation: “this vineyard, which he is going to inherit” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 12:8

καὶ

Jesus uses the word And to introduce the results of what the previous sentence described. The farmers carried out the plan they had decided on. Alternate translation: “So” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

Mark 12:9

τί οὖν ποιήσει ὁ κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος?

Jesus does not want the people to tell him what the owner of the vineyard will do. Rather, he is using the question form to get his listeners to pay attention to what he says the owner will do. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “So now, listen to what the lord of the vineyard will do to them” or “So I will tell you what the owner of the vineyard will do.” (See: Rhetorical Question)

γεωργούς

See how you translated farmers in 12:1.

δώσει τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ἄλλοις

See how you translated the similar expression in 12:1. Alternate translation: “allow different grape farmers to use it in exchange for a share of the crop” (See: Translate Unknowns)

δώσει τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ἄλλοις

The word others refers to other vine growers who will care for the vineyard. If it would help your readers you can say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “he will give the vineyard to other farmers to care for it” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 12:10

οὐδὲ τὴν Γραφὴν ταύτην ἀνέγνωτε: λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “And surely you have read the Scripture that says that the stone which the builders rejected became the cornerstone” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

οὐδὲ τὴν Γραφὴν ταύτην ἀνέγνωτε:

Jesus does not want the Jewish leaders to tell him whether or not they have read the scripture he quotes to them. He knows that they have read the scripture. He is using the question form for emphasis and to rebuke them. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “And surely you have read this scripture” or “And you should remember this scripture” or “And you should pay attention to this scripture” (See: Rhetorical Question)

λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας

This is a quotation from Psalm 118, and it is a metaphor. It refers to the Messiah as if he were a stone that builders chose not to use. This means that people will reject him. When the psalm says that this stone became the cornerstone, this means figuratively that God will nevertheless make the Messiah the ruler of these people. However, since this is a quotation from Scripture, translate the words directly rather than providing a non-figurative explanation of them, even if your language does not customarily use such figures of speech. If you want to explain the meaning of the metaphor, we recommend that you do that in a footnote rather than in the Bible text. (See: Metaphor)

λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες

The psalm refers implicitly to the way people in this culture used stones to build the walls of houses and other buildings. Alternate translation: “The stone that the builders thought was not good enough to use for building” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

κεφαλὴν γωνίας

The phrase the head of the corner is an idiom that refers to a large stone with straight edges that builders would place down first and use as a reference to make sure that the walls of a stone building were straight and that the building was oriented in the right direction. Your language may have its own term for such a stone. You could also use a general expression. Alternate translation: “the cornerstone” or “the reference stone for the whole building” (See: Idiom)

Mark 12:11

παρὰ Κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη, καὶ ἔστιν θαυμαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν

This entire verse is a continuation of Jesus’ quotation from Psalm 118. If you chose not to translate 12:10 as a quotation within a quotation then you should do the same with this verse. Alternate translation: “and which says that it was the Lord who did it and those who saw it marveled as they looked at it” or “and that it was the Lord who did it and those who saw it marveled when they saw what the Lord had done” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

ἔστιν θαυμαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν

in our eyes is a figurative way of referring to the act of seeing. Here, the act of seeing could be referring to “thinking” about or “considering” what is seen. Alternate translation: “we have seen it and think that it is marvelous” or “we think that it is wonderful” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 12:12

ἐζήτουν

Here, the pronoun they refers to the chief priests, scribes, and elders mentioned in 11:27. If this might confuse your readers, you could refer to this group as “the Jewish leaders.” Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν τὸν ὄχλον

Mark is providing this background information to help readers understand what happens next. The religious leaders fear of the crowd is why they left Jesus and went away. Use a natural way in your language for introducing background information. Alternate translation: “but because they were afraid of the crowd they did not” or “but they did not because they feared the crowd” (See: Connect — Background Information)

καὶ ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν κρατῆσαι, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν τὸν ὄχλον; ἔγνωσαν γὰρ ὅτι πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὴν παραβολὴν εἶπεν. καὶ ἀφέντες αὐτὸν, ἀπῆλθον

If it would be more natural in your language, you could change the order of these phrases to show the logical sequence of events. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Information Structure)

καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν τὸν ὄχλον

Here, Mark uses the word but to introduce a contrast between what the Jewish leaders wanted to do and this reason why they were not able to do. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. Alternate translation: “however they were afraid of what the people might do” (See: Connect — Contrast Relationship)

Mark 12:13

καὶ ἀποστέλλουσιν

Here, the pronoun they refers to the chief priests, scribes, and elders mentioned in 11:27. If it would help your readers, you could refer to this group as “the Jewish leaders.” Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

τῶν Ἡρῳδιανῶν

the Herodians supported the Roman Empire and Herod Antipas. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἵνα αὐτὸν ἀγρεύσωσιν

Here, Mark describes tricking Jesus as “trapping him.” If your readers would not understand what it means to be trapped in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “to trick him” (See: Metaphor)

λόγῳ

Here, Mark uses the term word figuratively to mean something Jesus might say by using words. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “in something he might say” or “with something he might say” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 12:14

λέγουσιν

Mark could mean that one person spoke to Jesus on behalf of the whole group. So instead of they, you could say “one of them,” as UST does. (See: Synecdoche)

Διδάσκαλε

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

οἴδαμεν

The spies are speaking only of themselves, so we would be exclusive, if your language marks that distinction. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός

Alternate translation: “you do not try to earn people’s favor but rather fearlessly teach the truth without worrying about people’s opinion”

οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων

The phrase not look at the face of men is a Hebrew expression that means to not give attention to people’s outward appearances. Outward appearance in this context refers to social position and whether or not a person was wealthy or influential or had a high religious position. This phrase taken as a whole here means that Jesus was impartial in his judgement and teaching and did not show favoritism. Alternate translation: “for you pay no attention to external things when you speak” or “for you do not regard people’s position or status when you teach” (See: Idiom)

πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων

The Jewish leaders are using the term face figuratively to mean “external status and position.” Alternate translation: “the status and position of people” (See: Metonymy)

ἀνθρώπων

Although the term men is masculine, Mark is using the word here in a generic sense that includes both men and women. Alternate translation: “of people” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ

The Jewish leaders speak figuratively of how God wants people to live as if it were a way or path that people should follow. Alternate translation: “how God wants people to live” (See: Metaphor)

ἐπ’ ἀληθείας

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of truth, you could express the same idea with an adverb such as “truthfully”, or in some other way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

ἔξεστιν

The Jewish leaders are asking about God’s law, not the law of the Roman government. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Does God’s law permit” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Καίσαρι

The Jewish leaders are referring figuratively to the Roman government by Caesar’s name, since he was its ruler. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Metonymy)

Mark 12:15

ὁ δὲ εἰδὼς αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπόκρισιν, εἶπεν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of hypocrisy, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “But Jesus knew that they were not being sincere, so he said” or “But Jesus realized that they were trying to trick him, and so he said” (See: Abstract Nouns)

τί με πειράζετε

Jesus is not asking for information, but is using the question form here as a rebuke and for emphasis. If you would not use a rhetorical question for these purposes in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “I know that you are trying to make me say something wrong so you can accuse me” (See: Rhetorical Question)

δηνάριον

A denarius was a silver coin equivalent to a day’s wage. Alternate translation: “a Roman coin” (See: Biblical Money)

Mark 12:16

οἱ δὲ ἤνεγκαν

Alternate translation: “So the Pharisees and the Herodians brought a denarius”

Καίσαρος

Here, Caesar’s refers to Caesar’s likeness and inscription. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “They are Caesar’s likeness and inscription” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 12:17

τὰ Καίσαρος ἀπόδοτε Καίσαρι

See how you translated Caesar in 12:14. Alternate translation: “Give to the Roman government the things that belong to the Roman government” (See: Metonymy)

καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “and give to God the things that belong to God” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 12:18

οἵτινες λέγουσιν ἀνάστασιν μὴ εἶναι

Mark provides this background information about the Sadducees to help readers understand what happens in this episode. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. Alternate translation: “who are a sect who deny the resurrection of the dead” (See: Background Information)

καὶ ἔρχονται Σαδδουκαῖοι πρὸς αὐτόν, οἵτινες λέγουσιν ἀνάστασιν μὴ εἶναι

Mark uses the statement Sadducees … come to him to introduce these new characters into the story. It may be helpful to introduce them more fully in your translation. Alternate translation: “Some members of the group of Jews called the Sadducees, who say there is not resurrection, then came to Jesus” (See: Introduction of New and Old Participants)

Σαδδουκαῖοι…οἵτινες λέγουσιν ἀνάστασιν μὴ εἶναι

This phrase is identifying the Sadducees as a group of Jews that said no one would rise from the dead. It is not identifying the Sadducees who came to question Jesus as members of that group who held that belief, as if other members did not. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could begin a new sentence here to clarify this. Alternate translation: “Sadducees believe that no one will rise from the dead” (See: Distinguishing Versus Informing or Reminding)

οἵτινες λέγουσιν ἀνάστασιν μὴ εἶναι

The word resurrection refers to becoming alive again after being dead. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

λέγοντες

Mark could mean that one Sadducee spoke on behalf of the whole group, and you could indicate that as UST does. If you decide to do that, it may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “One of them said to Jesus” (See: Synecdoche)

Mark 12:19

Διδάσκαλε

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

Μωϋσῆς ἔγραψεν ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἐάν τινος ἀδελφὸς ἀποθάνῃ

These Sadducees are figuratively describing Moses giving this instruction in the law by association with the way that he wrote it down. Alternate translation: “Moses instructed us in the law” (See: Metonymy)

ἔγραψεν ἡμῖν

Here, the word us would be inclusive, if your language marks that distinction. The Sadducees mean “us Jews,” and they are speaking to Jesus, who is also a Jew. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

ἐάν τινος ἀδελφὸς ἀποθάνῃ, καὶ καταλίπῃ γυναῖκα καὶ μὴ ἀφῇ τέκνον

Alternate translation: “if a man’s brother dies who is married but who does not have children” (See: Hypothetical Situations)

ἵνα λάβῃ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα

Alternate translation: “that man should marry his dead brother’s widow” or “that the man should marry his brother’s wife”

καὶ ἐξαναστήσῃ σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ

The Sadducees assume that Jesus will know that this law specified that if the widow had children by her dead husband’s brother, those children would be considered the children of her dead husband. Alternate translation: “and have children who will be considered his brother’s descendants” (See: Metaphor)

σπέρμα

The term seed figuratively means “offspring.” It is a word picture. Just as plants produce seeds that grow into many more plants, so people can have many offspring. Alternate translation: “offspring” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 12:20

ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ ἦσαν; καὶ ὁ πρῶτος ἔλαβεν γυναῖκα, καὶ ἀποθνῄσκων, οὐκ ἀφῆκεν σπέρμα

While the Sadducees describe this as if it happened, they are actually asking about a hypothetical possibility in order to test Jesus. Alternate translation: “Suppose there were seven brothers, and the oldest brother got married, but he died before he had any children” (See: Hypothetical Situations)

ὁ πρῶτος

Jesus is using the adjective first as a noun in order to indicate a particular person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can specify the person. Alternate translation: “the first brother” or “the oldest brother” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ὁ πρῶτος

If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you can use a cardinal number here. Alternate translation: “brother number one” (See: Ordinal Numbers)

σπέρμα

See how you translated this figurative sense of the word seed in 12:19.. Alternate translation: “descendants” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 12:21

καὶ

The Sadducees are continuing to describe a hypothetical situation. It may be helpful to make this a separate sentence. Alternate translation: “And suppose that” (See: Hypothetical Situations)

ὁ δεύτερος

Jesus is using the adjective second as a noun in order to indicate a particular person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can specify the person. Alternate translation: “the second brother” or “the next oldest brother” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ὁ δεύτερος

If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you can use a cardinal number here. Alternate translation: “brother number two” or “the next oldest brother” (See: Ordinal Numbers)

σπέρμα

See how you translated this figurative sense of the word seed in 12:19.. Alternate translation: “descendants” (See: Metaphor)

καὶ ὁ τρίτος ὡσαύτως

The Sadducees are speaking in a compact way in order to keep the story short. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could supply the information they leave out from the context. It may be helpful to make this a separate sentence. Alternate translation: “In the same way, the third brother married this widow, but also died before they had any children” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὁ τρίτος

Jesus is using the adjective third as a noun in order to indicate a particular person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can specify the person. Alternate translation: “the third brother” or “the next oldest brother” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ὁ τρίτος

If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you can use a cardinal number here. Alternate translation: “brother number three” or “the next oldest brother” (See: Ordinal Numbers)

Mark 12:22

οἱ ἑπτὰ

The Sadducees are leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “the seven brothers” (See: Ellipsis)

σπέρμα

See how you translated this figurative sense of the word seed in 12:19.. Alternate translation: “descendants” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 12:23

ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει

The Sadducees did not actually believe that there would be a resurrection. Your language may have a way of showing this. Alternate translation: “in the supposed resurrection” or “when people supposedly rise from the dead”

οἱ…ἑπτὰ

The Sadducees are leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “the seven brothers” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 12:24

οὐ διὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰς Γραφὰς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ?

Jesus is not asking for information, but is using the question form here to emphasize the fact that the Sadducees do not correctly understand the scriptures or God’s power. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You are greatly misunderstanding this matter because you do not know the scriptures nor the power of God” (See: Rhetorical Question)

οὐ διὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰς Γραφὰς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “You are greatly mistaken because you do not know the scriptures or God’s power” (See: Active or Passive)

τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ

Alternate translation: “how powerful God is”

Mark 12:25

ὅταν γὰρ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῶσιν, οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίζονται

Both uses of the pronoun they refer to men and women in general. If it would help your readers, you could clarify this in your translation. Alternate translation: “For when men and women rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage” or “For when men and women rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

νεκρῶν

Jesus is using the adjective dead as a noun in order to indicate a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: “the people who have died” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίζονται

If your language does not use passive verbal forms, but your culture does use different expressions for men and women when they marry, you can use two different active verbal forms here, and you can say who does the action in the second case. Alternate translation: “men marry wives and parents give their daughters in marriage to husbands” (See: Active or Passive)

οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίζονται

In this culture, the idiom was to say that men married their wives and that women were given in marriage to their husbands by their parents. If your culture does not use different expressions like that, you can use a single term here. Alternate translation: “they do not get married” (See: Idiom)

ἀλλ’ εἰσὶν ὡς ἄγγελοι ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς

Jesus assumes that his listeners will know that angels do not marry. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “because they will be like the angels, who do not marry” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἀλλ’

What follows the word but here is in contrast to what is currently the case on earth. Jesus is using this contrast to show the Sadducees that they mistakenly thought that men and women being raised from the dead automatically meant that their existence would follow the same pattern or order of things as their former lives did. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. Alternate translation: “but rather” (See: Connect — Contrast Relationship)

Mark 12:26

τῶν νεκρῶν

Jesus is using the adjective dead as a noun in order to indicate a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this with an equivalent expression. See how you translated the phrase the dead in 12:25. Alternate translation: “people who have died” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

τῶν νεκρῶν, ὅτι ἐγείρονται

If your readers would misunderstand this, you can say this with an active form, and you can say who does the action. Alternate translation: “the matter of God bringing back to life people who have died” (See: Active or Passive)

οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ Μωϋσέως

Jesus is not asking for information, but is using the question form here for emphasis in order to rebuke the Sadducees for not correctly understanding the scriptures. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “you have surely read in the book of Moses” (See: Rhetorical Question)

τῇ βίβλῳ Μωϋσέως

Here, Jesus is using the possessive form to describe the book that Moses wrote, the Pentateuch. Jesus is not using the possessive form to indicate a book that Moses owned this book. If this is not clear in your language, you could clarify this in your translation. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Possession)

ἐπὶ τοῦ βάτου

Jesus assumes that his listeners will know that he means the bush in the desert that was burning without being consumed, at which Moses encountered God. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “at the burning bush” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐπὶ τοῦ βάτου

Jesus is not referring to the actual encounter that Moses had with God at the burning bush, since during that encounter Moses did not say the words that Jesus attributes to him here. Rather, God said those words about himself, and Moses recorded them in the Scriptures. So Jesus is referring by association to the passage in which Moses describes his encounter with God at the burning bush. Alternate translation: “in the passage where he wrote about the burning bush” or “in the scripture about the burning bush” (See: Metonymy)

λέγων

In many languages, it is conventional to use the present tense to describe what a writer does within a composition. However, if that would not be natural in your language, you could use the past tense here. Alternate translation: “he called” (See: Verbs)

ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ

The implication is that God would not have identified himself as the God of these men if they were not alive. This must mean that God brought them back to life after they died. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly, as UST does. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 12:27

νεκρῶν

Jesus is using the adjective dead as a noun in order to indicate a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: “people who have died” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ζώντων

Jesus is using the adjective living as a noun in order to indicate a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: “people who are alive” or “people whom he has brought back to life” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

πολὺ πλανᾶσθε

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “You are greatly mistaken” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 12:28

καὶ…εἷς τῶν γραμματέων

Mark uses the statement And one of the scribes to introduce this new character into the story. Use the natural form in your language for introducing a new character. The expression “one of the scribes” identifies him as a teacher who had carefully studied the Law of Moses. Since he is a new participant, if it would be helpful to your readers, you could call him something like “A man who taught the Jewish laws” as the UST does. (See: Introduction of New and Old Participants)

ἰδὼν

Here, Mark is using the word seen figuratively to mean “understood” or “knew.” He is figuratively describing something a person would perceive with their mind by association with eyes. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “He understood” (See: Metonymy)

ποία ἐστὶν ἐντολὴ πρώτη πάντων

Here, the scribe is using the word first figuratively to represent to mean “most important.” If your readers would not understand the figurative use of first in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture or state the meaning using plain language, as the UST does. (See: Metaphor)

ποία ἐστὶν ἐντολὴ πρώτη πάντων

If your language does not use ordinal numbers such as first, you can express the meaning behind the word first in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: see the UST. (See: Ordinal Numbers)

Mark 12:29

πρώτη

Here, Jesus continues the figurative use of the word first. See how you translated the phrase The first in 12:28 where it is used with the same meaning. (See: Metaphor)

πρώτη

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “The first commandment is this” (See: Ellipsis)

πρώτη

If your language does not use ordinal numbers such as first, you can express the meaning behind the word first in a way that would be natural in your language. See how you translated the phrase The first in 12:28 where it is used with the same meaning. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Ἰσραήλ

Jesus is citing a scripture from Deuteronomy in which God is referring figuratively to all of the people of Israel as if they were a single person, their ancestor, Israel. Alternate translation: “O Israelites” (See: Personification)

Κύριος εἷς ἐστιν

the Lord our God, the Lord is one could be: (1) an affirmation of the exclusiveness of the Lord as Israel’s god for the purpose of reminding Israel that the Lord was to be the only god they should worship. Alternate translation: “the Lord alone is our God” (2) an affirmation of the uniqueness of the Lord. Alternate translation: “the Lord our God, the Lord is special”

Mark 12:30

ἀγαπήσεις

Here, Jesus is quoting a scripture in which a future statement is used to give an instruction. If this is confusing in your language, you can use a more natural form for instruction. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Statements — Other Uses)

ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος σου

Jesus is citing a scripture from Deuteronomy in which God is referring figuratively to the entirety of a person by listing different parts. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “with the entirety of your being” or “completely with your entire person” (See: Merism)

ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου

Here, the term heart figuratively represents a person’s mind and specifically the mind as the center and source of persons thinking and will. Alternate translation: “with all your mind” or “with your whole mind” (See: Metaphor)

ἐξ…ἐξ…ἐξ…ἐξ

Alternate translation: “with”

ψυχῆς

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of soul, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

διανοίας

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of mind, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

ἰσχύος

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of strength, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 12:31

δευτέρα αὕτη

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “The second commandment is this” (See: Ellipsis)

δευτέρα

Here, Jesus is using the word second figuratively to mean “most important.” If your readers would not understand the figurative use of first in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture or state the meaning using plain language. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Metaphor)

δευτέρα

If your language does not use ordinal numbers such as second, you can express the meaning behind the word first in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: see the UST. (See: Ordinal Numbers)

ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “You will love your neighbor as you love yourself” (See: Ellipsis)

ἀγαπήσεις

Here, Jesus is quoting a scripture in which a future statement is used to give an instruction. If this is confusing in your language, you can use a more natural form for instruction. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Statements — Other Uses)

τούτων

Here, the word these refers to the two commandments that Jesus has just quoted. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 12:32

Διδάσκαλε

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

ἀληθείας

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of truth, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

εἷς ἐστιν

See how you translated the phrase is one in 12:29.

οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλος

The scribe is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context.. Alternate translation: “that there is no other god” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 12:33

καρδίας

See how you translated the phrase whole heart in 12:30. Alternate translation: “with all your mind” or “with your whole mind” (See: Metaphor)

συνέσεως

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of understanding, you could express the same idea in another way as the UST does. (See: Abstract Nouns)

ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος

See how you translated the phrase whole strength in 12:30. (See: Abstract Nouns)

τὸ ἀγαπᾶν τὸν πλησίον ὡς ἑαυτὸν

The scribe is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “to love your neighbor as you love yourself” (See: Ellipsis)

περισσότερόν ἐστιν

Alternate translation: “is even more important than” or “is greater than”

Mark 12:34

ἰδὼν αὐτὸν

See how you translated the use of the word seen in 12:28 where it is used with the same figurative meaning. Alternate translation: “having understood” (See: Metonymy)

οὐ μακρὰν εἶ ἀπὸ τῆς Βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ

If it would help your readers you can state this in positive form. Alternate translation: “You are very close to the kingdom of God”

οὐ μακρὰν εἶ ἀπὸ τῆς Βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ

Here, Jesus speaks of the man being ready to submit to God as being physically close to the kingdom of God, as if it where a physical place. Alternate translation: “You are close to submitting to God as king” (See: Metaphor)

Βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of kingdom, you could express the same idea in another way, as the UST does. (See: Abstract Nouns)

οὐδεὶς οὐκέτι ἐτόλμα

If this double negative would be misunderstood in your language, you could translate it as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “everyone was afraid” (See: Double Negatives)

Mark 12:35

ἱερῷ

See how you translated the word temple in 11:11 where it is used with the same meaning. (See: Synecdoche)

πῶς λέγουσιν οἱ γραμματεῖς ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς, υἱὸς Δαυείδ ἐστιν?

This does not seem to be a rhetorical question that Jesus is using as a teaching tool. Rather, it seems to be a question that Jesus wanted his listeners to try to answer. They had asked him some difficult questions, and they had admitted that he answered them well. Now, in return, he is asking them a difficult question. None of them will be able to answer it, and this will demonstrate his wisdom even further. His question actually will teach something to those who are able to recognize its implications. But it would be appropriate to leave it in question form and not translate it as a statement. (See: Rhetorical Question)

υἱὸς Δαυείδ

Here, Jesus is using the term son figuratively to mean “descendant.” Alternate translation: “a descendant of David” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 12:36

αὐτὸς Δαυεὶδ

Jesus uses the word himself here to emphasize to that it was David, the very person whom the scribes call the father of the Christ, who spoke the words in the quotation that follows. Use a way that is natural in your language to indicate this emphasis. Alternate translation: “None other than David” or “David, the very person whom you call the father of the Christ” (See: Reflexive Pronouns)

εἶπεν ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ, εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου, κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν σου

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation, and then another quotation within that one. Alternate translation: “said, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that the Lord told his Lord to sit at his right side until he made his enemies a footstool for his feet” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ

Alternate translation: “inspired by the Holy Spirit” or “by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit”

εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου

Here, the term Lord does not refer to the same person in both instances. The first instance is representing the name Yahweh, which David actually uses in this psalm. In order to honor the commandment not to misuse God’s name, Jewish people often avoided saying that name and said Lord instead. The second instance is the regular term for “lord” or “master.” The ULT and UST capitalize the word because it refers to the Messiah. Alternate translation: “The Lord God said to my Lord” or “God said to my Lord” (See: Euphemism)

κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου

The seat at the right side of a ruler was a position of great honor and authority. By telling the Messiah to sit there, God was symbolically conferring honor and authority on him. Alternate translation: “Sit in the place of honor beside me” (See: Symbolic Action)

κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου

In this quotation, Yahweh is using the adjective right as a noun in order to indicate his right side. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could state that specifically. Alternate translation: “Sit at my right side” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν σου

To place an enemy under one’s feet is symbolic for conquering an enemy and making them submit and so here it means that Yahweh would make His enemies stop resisting the Messiah and submit to him. Alternate translation: “until I conquer your enemies for you” (See: Symbolic Action)

Mark 12:37

αὐτὸς Δαυεὶδ λέγει αὐτὸν, Κύριον

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “David himself calls the Messiah his Lord” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

λέγει αὐτὸν

Here, the word him refers to the Messiah. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly as the UST does. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

αὐτὸς Δαυεὶδ

See how you translated the word himself in 12:36 where it is used with the same meaning. Alternate translation: “None other than David” or “David, the very person” or “David, whom we all respect” (See: Reflexive Pronouns)

αὐτὸς Δαυεὶδ λέγει αὐτὸν, Κύριον

In this culture, an ancestor was more respected than a descendant. But to call someone Lord was to address that person as the more respected one. As the General Notes to this chapter describe, this is a paradox, that is, is a statement that describes two things that seem as if they cannot both be true at the same time, but which actually are both true. Jesus is calling attention to this paradox to get his listeners to think more deeply about who the Messiah is. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate explicitly what makes this a paradox. Alternate translation: “David therefore addresses the Messiah respectfully as his Lord. But if the Messiah is his descendant, David should be the more respected person” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

καὶ πόθεν υἱός αὐτοῦ ἐστιν?

Like the question in 12:35, this seems to be a question that Jesus wanted his listeners to try to answer, even though he is also using it to teach. It is a difficult question, like the ones they asked him, which he answered well. They will not be able to answer his question, and this should give them a further appreciation for his wisdom, in addition to what they might learn from reflecting on the question later. So it would be appropriate to leave it in question form and not translate it as a statement. Alternate translation: “So why do people say that the Messiah is David’s descendant” (See: Rhetorical Question)

καὶ

Jesus is using the word and to show that a conclusion should be drawn as a result of what he has just said, and that this conclusion would be different from what his listeners had previously believed. Alternate translation: “so” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

υἱός

Jesus is using the term son figuratively to mean “descendant” as he did in 12:35. See how you translated the term son there. Alternate translation: “descendant” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 12:38

καὶ

Mark uses the word And to indicate that after asking his own difficult question to the people who had been trying to trap him, Jesus turned to speak to his disciples. Alternate translation: “Then” (See: Connect — Sequential Time Relationship)

βλέπετε

In the original language that Mark wrote this Gospel in, the phrase Watch out is a command or instruction written in the plural form. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. Alternate translation: “All of you watch out for” or “Every one of you watch out for” (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

βλέπετε ἀπὸ τῶν γραμματέων

Jesus says Watch out to warn about the influence of these people. He is not saying that the scribes themselves are physically dangerous, but that it would be dangerous spiritually to follow their example. Alternate translation: “Be careful not to follow the example of the scribes” (See: Metonymy)

τῶν θελόντων ἐν στολαῖς περιπατεῖν

In this culture, long robes were a symbol of wealth and status. To walk around in public in a long robe was to assert wealth and status. Alternate translation: “who like to walk around looking important in their long robes” (See: Symbolic Action)

ἀσπασμοὺς

The implication is that these would be respectful greetings, in which the scribes would be addressed by important titles. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “desire respectful greetings” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 12:39

πρωτοκαθεδρίας…πρωτοκλισίας

Both uses of the word first here figuratively mean “best.” Alternate translation: “the best seats … the best places” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 12:40

οἱ κατεσθίοντες τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν

Jesus speaks figuratively of the houses of widows to mean their wealth and possessions, which they would have in their houses. Alternate translation: “They defraud widows of everything they own” (See: Metonymy)

οἱ κατεσθίοντες τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χηρῶν

Jesus says figuratively that the scribes are devouring or eating up the possessions of widows to mean that they continually ask the widows for money until the widows have none left. Alternate translation: “They defraud widows of everything they own” (See: Metaphor)

καὶ προφάσει μακρὰ προσευχόμενοι

Here, pretext refers to something that someone would do in order to appear a certain way. Alternate translation: “in order to seem godly, they offer long prayers”

οὗτοι λήμψονται περισσότερον κρίμα

Jesus is using the word condemnation figuratively to mean the punishment that a person would receive after being condemned (found guilty) for doing something wrong. Alternate translation: “These scribes will receive greater punishment” (See: Metonymy)

οὗτοι λήμψονται περισσότερον κρίμα

The implication seems to be that these proud and greedy scribes will receive greater punishment than they would have if they had not pretended to be so godly. It is also implicit that God will be the one who punishes them. Alternate translation: “God will punish these scribes more severely because they do all these wrong things while pretending to be godly” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 12:41

καὶ

Mark uses the word And to introduce background information that will help readers understand what happens next in the story. Alternate translation: “Now” (See: Background Information)

καθίσας κατέναντι τοῦ γαζοφυλακίου, ἐθεώρει πῶς ὁ ὄχλος βάλλει χαλκὸν εἰς τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον; καὶ πολλοὶ πλούσιοι ἔβαλλον πολλά

This background information that Mark provides introduces a new event in the story. Alternate translation: “after Jesus sat down he was watching the crown put money into the offering box and noticed that there were many rich people who were placing gifts of money in the offering boxes” (See: Introduction of a New Event)

τοῦ γαζοφυλακίου…τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον

Mark is figuratively describing the boxes in the temple courtyard where people put money that they were giving to God by association with the name of the place where this money would be kept until it was needed, the treasury. Alternate translation: “the offering boxes … the offering boxes” (See: Metonymy)

ὁ ὄχλος

The word crowd is a singular noun that refers to a group of people. If your language does not use singular nouns in that way, you can use a different expression such as “many people” as modeled by the UST. (See: Collective Nouns)

πλούσιοι

Mark is using the adjective rich as a noun in order to indicate a type of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this with an equivalent expression such as “rich people” as the UST does. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

πολλά

Mark is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “much money” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 12:42

λεπτὰ δύο, ὅ ἐστιν κοδράντης

The word lepta is the plural of “lepton.” A lepton was a small bronze or copper coin used by the Jews which was equivalent to a few minutes’ wages. It was the least valuable coin that people used in this culture. You could try to express this amount in terms of current monetary values, but that might cause your Bible translation to become outdated and inaccurate, since those values can change over time. So instead you might use the name of the least valuable coin in your culture, or a general expression. Alternate translation: “two pennies” or “two small coins of little value” (See: Biblical Money)

ὅ ἐστιν κοδράντης

A quadrans was the smallest Roman coin. Mark is seeking to help his readers, who are Roman, understand the value of two leptas in their currency. You could clarify in your translation that a quadrans is a Roman coin, as the UST does, or you can leave this information untranslated. (See: Biblical Money)

Mark 12:43

In verse 43 Jesus says that the widow put more money in the offering than the rich people put in, and in verse 44 he tells his reason for saying that. The information can be reordered so that Jesus tells his reason first and then says that the widow put in more, as in the UST. (See: Verse Bridges)

ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν

See how you translated the statement Truly I say to you in 3:28.

ἡ χήρα αὕτη ἡ πτωχὴ

Even though it is not literally true that the widow has put more money into the offering box than all the rich people, this is still not figurative language. As Jesus explains in the next verse, he means that she has put in proportionately more than all the others, relative to her means, and that is literally true. But Jesus makes the seemingly untrue statement first, to get his disciples to reflect on how it can be true. So it would be appropriate to translate Jesus’ words directly and not interpret them as if they were figurative. For example, it would be a figurative interpretation to say, “God considers what this poor widow has given to be more valuable than the gifts of all the others” (See: Metaphor)

πάντων…τῶν βαλλόντων

In context, all means specifically all of the rich people who were putting large monetary gifts in the collection boxes. Alternate translation: “all of those rich people putting” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

γαζοφυλάκιον

See how you translated this term in 12:41.

Mark 12:44

γὰρ

Here, the word For introduces the reason for what Jesus said in 12:43. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. Alternate translation: “Because” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύοντος αὐτοῖς ἔβαλον

Alternate translation: “had a lot of money but only gave a small portion of it”

αὕτη δὲ, ἐκ τῆς ὑστερήσεως αὐτῆς, πάντα ὅσα εἶχεν ἔβαλεν, ὅλον τὸν βίον αὐτῆς

Alternate translation: “but she only had a very little money but gave everything she had to live on”

τῆς ὑστερήσεως αὐτῆς

Alternate translation: “her lack” or “the little she had”

τὸν βίον αὐτῆς

Alternate translation: “she had to survive on”

Mark 13

Mark 13 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 13:24-25, which are words from the Old Testament.

Special concepts in this chapter

The return of Christ

Jesus said much about what would happen before he returned (Mark 13:6-37). He told his followers that bad things would happen to the world and bad things would happen to them before he returned, but they needed to be ready for him to return at any time.

Mark 13:1

Διδάσκαλε

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

ποταποὶ λίθοι καὶ ποταπαὶ οἰκοδομαί

Here, stones refers to the very large stones which the temple walls were built with. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “How wonderful these huge blocks of stones are and how wonderful these buildings are” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 13:2

βλέπεις ταύτας τὰς μεγάλας οἰκοδομάς

Jesus is not asking for information, but is using the question form here to draw attention to the buildings and emphasize what he is about to say. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Look at these great buildings” (See: Rhetorical Question)

οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον, ὃς οὐ μὴ καταλυθῇ

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could express this with an active form, and you can state who will do the action. Alternate translation: “Your enemies will not leave one stone upon another here, but will tear them down” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 13:3

καὶ καθημένου αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ Ὄρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν κατέναντι τοῦ ἱεροῦ, ἐπηρώτα αὐτὸν κατ’ ἰδίαν Πέτρος, καὶ Ἰάκωβος, καὶ Ἰωάννης, καὶ Ἀνδρέας

Here, the pronouns he and him refer to Jesus. If this might confuse your readers, you could clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “And as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew were asking him by privately” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

κατ’ ἰδίαν

Alternate translation: “when they were alone” or “privately”

Mark 13:4

πότε ταῦτα ἔσται, καὶ τί τὸ σημεῖον ὅταν μέλλῃ ταῦτα συντελεῖσθαι πάντα

Both occurrences of the phrase these things refer to what Jesus said in 13:2. If it would help your readers you could say explicitly what the phrase these things refers to as the UST models. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὅταν μέλλῃ ταῦτα συντελεῖσθαι πάντα

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that “God” will do it. Alternate translation: “God will fulfill all these things” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 13:5

λέγειν αὐτοῖς

The pronoun them refers to Peter, James, John, and Andrew who are mentioned in 13:3. If it would help your readers you can clarify this in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: “to say to these four disciples” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

βλέπετε

In the original language that Mark wrote this Gospel in, the phrase Be careful is a command or instruction written in the plural form. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. Alternate translation: “All of you be careful that” (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

Mark 13:6

ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου

Here, Jesus uses the word name figuratively to mean identity and the authority that comes with the identity. The people he is talking about will likely not say that their name is Jesus, but they will claim to be the Messiah. Alternate translation: “claiming to be me” (See: Metonymy)

πολλοὶ ἐλεύσονται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου λέγοντες, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι

If the direct quotation inside a direct quotation would be confusing in your language, you could translate the second direct quotation as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “Many will come in my name claiming to be me” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

πολλοὶ…πολλοὺς

Here, both uses of the word many refer to many people. If it would help your readers you can say that explicitly as the UST does. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐγώ εἰμι

The implication is that he means the Messiah. Alternate translation: “I am the Messiah” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 13:7

πολέμους καὶ ἀκοὰς πολέμων

The phrase “wars and rumors of wars” could mean: (1) reports of wars that are currently happening and reports of wars that might happen in the future. Alternate translation: See the UST. (2) reports of wars that are already taking place near by and reports of wars happening in distant places. Alternate translation: “reports of wars that are close or wars that far away”

ἀλλ’ οὔπω τὸ τέλος

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “but the end will not happen immediately” or “but the end will not happen until later” (See: Ellipsis)

τὸ τέλος

Here, the end implicitly means the end of the world. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly as the UST models. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 13:8

ἐγερθήσεται…ἔθνος ἐπ’ ἔθνος, καὶ βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. Jesus is likely using repetition for emphasis. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could combine these phrases. Alternate translation: “Different groups of people will attack each other” (See: Parallelism)

ἐγερθήσεται…ἔθνος ἐπ’ ἔθνος

The word nation represents nations in general, not one particular nation. Alternate translation: “The people of some nations will attack the people of other nations” (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

ἐγερθήσεται…ἔθνος ἐπ’ ἔθνος

The term nation refers figuratively to the people of one nationality or ethnic group. Alternate translation: “The people of some nations will attack the people of other nations” (See: Metonymy)

ἐγερθήσεται…ἐπ’

The phrase rise against is an idiom that means to attack. Alternate translation: “The people of some nations will attack the people of other nations” (See: Idiom)

βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “and the people of some kingdoms will attack the people of other kingdoms” (See: Ellipsis)

βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν

The word kingdom represents kingdoms in general, not one particular kingdom. Alternate translation: “the people of some kingdoms will attack the people of other kingdoms” (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν

The term kingdom figuratively represents the people of a kingdom. Alternate translation: “the people of some kingdoms will attack the people of other kingdoms” (See: Metonymy)

ταῦτα

these things refers to the things that Jesus has said will happen. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “these things that I have just described” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἀρχὴ ὠδίνων ταῦτα

Jesus uses birth pains figuratively here for the sufferings he has just described. Jesus speaks of these things as the beginning of birth pains because more severe things will happen after them. Jesus uses the metaphor of birth pains because in the same way that the pain a woman experiences when giving birth to a child is eventually replaced by joy when the child is born, so the suffering that is experienced by true believers will eventually give way to joy in the future when Christ returns. Because giving birth is something that happens in all cultures you should retain this metaphor in your translation. Alternate translation: “These events will be like the first pains a woman suffers when she is about to bear a child” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 13:9

βλέπετε…ἑαυτούς

Jesus figuratively uses a word for seeing to indicate a need for paying attention or being ready. If your readers would not understand what it means to watch yourselves in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “pay attention to yourselves” (See: Metaphor)

βλέπετε…ἑαυτούς

In the original language that Mark wrote this Gospel in, the phrase watch yourselves is a command or instruction written in the plural form. Use the most natural form in your language to give direction to a group of people. Alternate translation: “all of you watch yourselves” (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Singular)

βλέπετε δὲ ὑμεῖς ἑαυτούς

Jesus uses the word yourselves to draw the disciples’ attention to themselves because he now transitions from telling them about general signs and begins telling them about specific trials that they themselves will personally encounter. Use a way that is natural in your language to indicate this. Alternate translation: “But give heed to yourselves personally” (See: Reflexive Pronouns)

παραδώσουσιν

The pronoun They refers to people in general who will persecute Jesus’ followers. If this might confuse your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “People will deliver” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

δαρήσεσθε

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “they will beat you” (See: Active or Passive)

σταθήσεσθε

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “they will make you stand” (See: Active or Passive)

ἐπὶ…σταθήσεσθε

Here, stand figuratively means to be put on trial and judged. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “you will be put on trial before” or “you will be brought to trial and judged by” (See: Metonymy)

εἰς μαρτύριον

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of testimony, you could express the same idea in another way as the UST does or use a verb form such as “testify.” Alternate translation: “to testify” (See: Abstract Nouns)

εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς

Alternate translation: “to testify about me to them”

εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς

The pronoun them refers to governers and kings mentioned in this verse. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 13:10

πρῶτον

Here, Jesus uses the ordinal number first in order to indicate position in an order of events. If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you can express this same idea in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: “before the end comes” (See: Ordinal Numbers)

κηρυχθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that “people” will be the ones who proclaim the gospel. Alternate translation: “people to proclaim the gospel” (See: Active or Passive)

πάντα τὰ ἔθνη

The term nations refers figuratively to the people within each nation. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “people from all nations” or “people within each nation” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 13:11

παραδιδόντες

handing … over means to deliver to the control of someone else. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “giving you over to the authorities” (See: Idiom)

δοθῇ

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus says later in this verse that it is the Holy Spirit who will give the disciples the words to say. Alternate translation: “whatever the Holy Spirit” (See: Active or Passive)

ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ

Jesus is using the term hour figuratively to refer to a specific time. If this idiom would confuse your readers you can state the meaning in plain language as the UST models. (See: Idiom)

οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑμεῖς οἱ λαλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον

The phrase for you will not be the ones speaking, but the Holy Spirit implicitly means that it is the Holy Spirit who will give the disciples the words to say. This does not mean that the Holy Spirit audibly speaks for the disciples. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “for the Holy Spirit will give you the words to say” or “for the Holy Spirit will instruct you what to say” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “but the Holy Spirit will speak through you” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 13:12

παραδώσει ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν εἰς θάνατον, καὶ πατὴρ τέκνον; καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς καὶ θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς

Here, the implication is that these people will do these bad things to their family members because they hate Jesus and because their family members believe in Jesus. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “because people hate me they will deliver their own family members who believe in me to the authorities in order to have them killed” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

παραδώσει ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν εἰς θάνατον, καὶ πατὴρ τέκνον; καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς

Here, Jesus is explaining to his disciples what “some” brothers and “some” fathers and “some” children will do to their family members. He is speaking in general terms and is not saying that “all” brothers or fathers or children will do this. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly as modeled by the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

παραδώσει ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν

Although the term brother is masculine, Jesus is using the word here in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful to your readers you can say this. Alternate translation: “brothers and sisters will deliver their siblings” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

θάνατον…θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of death, you could express the same idea with a verb form as modeled by the UST. Alternate translation: “be killed … have them killed” (See: Abstract Nouns)

πατὴρ τέκνον

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “a father will deliver up his child to death” (See: Ellipsis)

πατὴρ τέκνον

Although the term father is masculine, Jesus is probably using the word here in a generic sense that includes both fathers and mothers. If it would be helpful to your readers you can say this. Alternate translation: “parents their children” or “fathers and mothers will deliver their children to death” (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς καὶ θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς

Here, children will rise up against parents and put them to death probably does not mean that children will directly murder their parents. Rather, this probably means that children will deliver their parents to people in positions of authority and then these people will have their parents killed. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly as modeled by the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς

Here, rise up means to stand up. In this culture, people would stand up to give testimony in a legal proceeding. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain that this will be the reason for their action. Alternate translation: “children will stand up to testify against their parents” (See: Symbolic Action)

Mark 13:13

ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “everyone will hate you” (See: Active or Passive)

ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων

Here, everyone is an exaggeration which Jesus uses to emphasize to his disciples the fact that many people will hate them because they believe in him. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or use plain language as modeled by the UST. (See: Hyperbole)

διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου

Here, name is a figurative way of referring to a person by reference to something associated with him. Jesus is using the phrase my name to refer to himself. Alternate translation: “because of me” (See: Metonymy)

ὁ…ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “whoever endures to the end, God will save that person” or “God will save whoever endures to the end” (See: Active or Passive)

ὁ…ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος

Here, endured represents continuing to be faithful to God even while suffering. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “whoever suffers and stays faithful to God to the end” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος

The phrase to the end could mean: (1) to the end of one’s life. Alternate translation: “who endures to the point of death” or “who endures till death” (2) until the end of time. This meaning means that believers must endure and keep on enduring until the time when Christ returns. Alternate translation: “who keeps on enduring to the very end” (3) to the end of that time of hardship and persecution. Alternate translation: “who endures until the time of testing is over”

Mark 13:14

τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως

This phrase is from the book of Daniel. His audience would have been familiar with this passage and the prophecy about the abomination entering the temple and defiling it. Alternate translation: “the shameful thing that defiles the things of God” (See: Metaphor)

ἑστηκότα ὅπου οὐ δεῖ

Jesus’ audience would have known that this refers to the temple. This can be made explicit. Alternate translation: “standing in the temple, where it should not be standing” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὁ ἀναγινώσκων νοείτω

The phrase let the reader understand is not Jesus speaking. Mark added this to get the readers’ attention, so that they would pay to this warning. If it would help your readers you could show that this is not part of Jesus’ direct speech by putting brackets around this phrase as the UST and ULT do, or you could show your readers in some other way that is natural in your language.

Mark 13:15

ὁ…ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος, μὴ καταβάτω, μηδὲ εἰσελθάτω ἆραί τι ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ

Where Jesus lived, the tops of houses were flat. People would eat and do other activities on top of their houses. Jesus assumes that his readers will know this and that they will know that the roofs were separate from the rest of the house and in order to access the inside of a house a person would have to go down the stairs on the back of the house and then enter their house from the front. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “the person who is on top of their roof should escape immediately and not enter their house to get anything” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 13:16

ὁ εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν, μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω

The word cloak refers to an outer garment. You could translate this with the name of an outer garment that your readers would recognize, or with a general expression. Alternate translation: “coat” or “outer garment” (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 13:17

ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις

The phrase having in the womb is an idiom. Alternate translation: “to women who are pregnant” (See: Idiom)

ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις

This does not mean babies who are nursing. Alternate translation: “mothers who are nursing their babies”

ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις

Jesus is using the term days figuratively to refer to a specific time. Alternate translation: “at that time” (See: Idiom)

Mark 13:18

προσεύχεσθε δὲ ἵνα μὴ γένηται χειμῶνος

If your language would put the reason before the result, you could create a verse bridge by moving the entire contents of this verse to the end of the next verse, since in the next verse Jesus gives the reason for praying this prayer. You would then present the combined verses as 18–19. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-versebridge/01.md)

χειμῶνος

In the location Jesus is referring to winter is the time of year when it is cold and difficult to travel. If this would confuse your readers you could use a term that your readers would be familiar with in which it would be difficult to travel or you could translate winter with a general expression such as “in the cold season.” Alternate translation: “in the cold season” or “in the rainy season” (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 13:19

ἡμέραι ἐκεῖναι

See how you translated the word days in 13:17 where it is used with the same meaning. Alternate translation: “at that time” (See: Idiom)

θλῖψις

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of tribulation, you could express the same idea with a verbal form as modeled by the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

οἵα οὐ γέγονεν τοιαύτη

Alternate translation: “of a kind that has not yet happened” or “which will be worse than any type of suffering that has happened”

ἀρχῆς κτίσεως ἣν ἔκτισεν ὁ Θεὸς

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of creation, you could express the same idea with a verbal form as modeled by the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

οὐ μὴ γένηται

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “certainly will not happen again” or “there will never be days like these again” or “after this tribulation, there will never again be a tribulation like it” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 13:20

μὴ ἐκολόβωσεν…ἐκολόβωσεν

cut short is an idiom which means “to shorten.” If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “did not shorten … he shortened” (See: Idiom)

τὰς ἡμέρας…τὰς ἡμέρας

See how you translated the word days in 13:17 where it is used with the same meaning. Alternate translation: “that time … that time” (See: Idiom)

οὐκ ἂν ἐσώθη πᾶσα σάρξ

Jesus is describing people figuratively by reference to something associated with them, the flesh they are made of. Alternate translation: “no one would be saved” or “no people would be saved” (See: Metonymy)

εἰ μὴ ἐκολόβωσεν Κύριος τὰς ἡμέρας, οὐκ ἂν ἐσώθη πᾶσα σάρξ

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Mark makes clear that “God” is the one who will do it. Alternate translation: “because the Lord will shorten the day, not everyone will die” (See: Active or Passive)

οὐκ ἂν ἐσώθη πᾶσα σάρξ

Here, the phrase be saved refers to being saved from physical death. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “everyone would die” or “no one would survive” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς, οὓς ἐξελέξατο

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The repetition is used for emphasis. If your language does not use repetition to do this, you could use one phrase to express the idea and provide emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “the people he chose, because he loves them” (See: Doublet)

τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς

Jesus is using the adjective elect as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with a noun phrase as modeled by the UST.(See: Nominal Adjectives)

Mark 13:21

In verse 21 Jesus gives a command, and in verse 22 he gives the reason for the command. If your language would put the reason before the result, you could create a verse bridge by moving this verse to the end of the following verse. You would then present the combined verses as 21–22 as the UST does. (See: Verse Bridges)

καὶ τότε ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ, ἴδε, ὧδε ὁ Χριστός, ἴδε, ἐκεῖ, μὴ πιστεύετε

If the direct quotation inside a direct quotation would be confusing in your language, you could translate the second direct quotation as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “And do not believe anyone who says to you that the Christ is either here or there” or “And do not believe anyone who says to you that the Christ is in this location or that location”(See: Quotes within Quotes)

ἴδε, ἐκεῖ

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “Look, there is the Christ” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 13:22

ἐγερθήσονται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “will arise” or “will come” (See: Active or Passive)

τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς

See how you translated the phrase the elect in 13:20. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Mark 13:23

βλέπετε

See how you translated the word watch in 13:9 where it is used with a similar meaning. Alternate translation: “pay attention to yourselves” or “be watchful” or “be alert” (See: Metaphor)

προείρηκα ὑμῖν πάντα

Alternate translation: “I have told you all these things ahead of time” or “I have told you all these things before they happen”

Mark 13:24

ἀλλὰ

Here, the word But shows a contrast between the events Jesus has just described and the events he will describe in 13:24-27. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. Alternate translation: “Yet” (See: Connect — Contrast Relationship)

ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις

See how you translated the word days in 13:17 where it is used with the same meaning. Alternate translation: “at that time” (See: Idiom)

μετὰ

The word after indicates that the events Jesus will describe in 13:24-27 will come after the events just described in 13:14-23. The word after does not express how long it will be before the events of 13:24-27 take place so you should choose a word or phrase in your language that communicates the sequential meaning of the word after but does not limit the time frame. (See: Connect — Sequential Time Relationship)

θλῖψιν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of tribulation, you could express the same idea with a verbal form such as “suffer” as modeled by the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that it is “God” who will do it. Alternate translation: See the UST. (See: Active or Passive)

ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φέγγος αὐτῆς

Here, the moon is spoken of as if it were alive and able to give something to someone else. If this might be confusing for your readers, you could express this meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “the moon will become dark” (See: Personification)

Mark 13:25

αἱ δυνάμεις

the powers could refer to: (1) the sun, moon, stars, and planets in which case the two phrases the stars will be falling from the sky and the powers that are in the sky will be shaken are an example of parallelism. Alternate translation: “the sun, moon, stars, and planets” (See: Parallelism (2) spiritual beings. Alternate translation: “the spiritual beings”

αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς σαλευθήσονται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that it is “God” who will do it. Alternate translation: “God will cause the powers that are in the heavens to be shaken” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 13:26

τότε ὄψονται

The pronoun they refers to the people of the nations. Alternate translation: “then the people of the nations will see” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

See how you translated the title Son of Man in 2:10.

τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

By calling himself the Son of Man Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person as modeled by the UST. (See: First, Second or Third Person)

ἐρχόμενον ἐν νεφέλαις

Jesus assumes that his disciples will know that this means coming down from heaven in clouds. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “coming down from heaven in clouds” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς καὶ δόξης

The phrase with great power and glory expresses a single idea by using two words connected with and. The term glory describes what kind of power Jesus will have. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could express the meaning with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “with very glorious power” or “shining brightly because he is so powerful” or, if you decided to use the first person, “shining brightly because I am so powerful” (See: Hendiadys)

μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς καὶ δόξης

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of power or glory, you could express the idea behind the abstract nouns power and glory with equivalent expressions. Alternate translation: “shining brightly because he is so powerful” or, if you decided to use the first person, “shining brightly because I am so powerful” (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 13:27

ἀποστελεῖ τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἐπισυνάξει τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοῦ

Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person as modeled by the UST. (See: First, Second or Third Person)

τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς

See how you translated the word elect in 13:20. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

τῶν τεσσάρων ἀνέμων

The phrase the four winds is a figurative way of referring to the four directions: north, south, east, and west and means “everywhere.” Jesus speaks figuratively, using these directions in order to include everything in between. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “the north, south, east, and west” (See: Metaphor)

ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων ἀνέμων, ἀπ’ ἄκρου γῆς ἕως ἄκρου οὐρανοῦ

The phrase from the four winds and the phrase from the end of the earth to the end of the sky mean the same thing. Jesus says the same thing twice, in slightly different ways, for emphasis. If saying the same thing twice might be confusing for your readers, you can combine the phrases into one. Alternate translation: “from everywhere” or “from wherever they are” (See: Parallelism)

Mark 13:28

ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς συκῆς, μάθετε τὴν παραβολήν

Jesus now gives a brief illustration to teach something that is true in a way that is easy to understand and remember. Alternate translation: “Now I want you to learn this truth which the fig tree illustrates” (See: Parables)

τῆς συκῆς

See how you translated fig tree in 11:13.

τῆς συκῆς

Jesus is speaking of these trees in general, not one particular fig tree. Alternate translation: “the fig trees” (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

ἐγγὺς τὸ θέρος ἐστίν

Alternate translation: “summer is about to start” or “the warm season is about to start”

Mark 13:29

ταῦτα

Alternate translation: “the signs I have just described” or “the things I have just described”

ἐγγύς ἐστιν

The pronoun he refers to “the Son of Man”, which is the title Jesus used for himself in 13:26. If this might confuse your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “the Son of Man is near” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἐγγύς ἐστιν

Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: “I am near” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

γινώσκετε ὅτι ἐγγύς ἐστιν ἐπὶ θύραις.

The phrase at the doors adds further detail to the phrase he is near. The phrase at the doors explains how near. Alternate translation: See the UST.

ἐπὶ θύραις

The phrase at the doors is an idiom which means that something or someone is very near. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “and is almost here” (See: Idiom)

Mark 13:30

ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν

See how you translated the statement Truly I say to you in 3:28.

ἡ γενεὰ

Jesus uses the term generation figuratively to mean the people who were born in a certain generation. This could mean: (1) “the people who are alive when these signs first start happening” (2) “the people who are alive now” (See: Metonymy)

οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ

Jesus is referring to death as passing away. This is a polite way of referring to something unpleasant. If your readers would misunderstand this, use a different polite way of referring to this or you could state this plainly. Alternate translation: “will certainly not die” (See: Euphemism)

οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could express this as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “this generation will still be alive when”

ταῦτα

Alternate translation: “the signs I have just described” or “the things I have just described”

Mark 13:31

ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσονται

Jesus is using heaven and earth together figuratively to describe all of creation. Here, the term heaven refers to the sky, not to the abode of God, which will not cease to exist. Alternate translation: “Everything that God originally created will someday cease to exist” (See: Merism)

οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρελεύσονται

Jesus is using the term words figuratively to refer to what he has just said. Alternate translation: “but everything that I have said will always continue to be true” (See: Metonymy)

οὐ μὴ παρελεύσονται

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could express this as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “will remain forever” or “will always be true”

Mark 13:32

τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ἢ τῆς ὥρας

The phrase that day refers to the time when Jesus will return. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly.Alternate translation: “the day or hour that I will return” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐν οὐρανῷ

Here, heaven refers to the place where God lives and not to the sky. (See: When to Keep Information Implicit)

ὁ Υἱός

Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: “me” or “I” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

εἰ μὴ ὁ Πατήρ

Alternate translation: “only God the Father knows”

Mark 13:33

ἀγρυπνεῖτε

Jesus is using the expression Stay awake in a figurative sense. If your readers would not understand what it means to Stay awake in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “Be watchful” or “Watch” (See: Metaphor)

πότε ὁ καιρός ἐστιν

Here, the time refers to Christ’s second coming. If it would help your readers you can state that explicitly as modeled by the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 13:34

ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἀπόδημος

To help his disciples understand how they should live while they wait for his second coming Jesus tells a story. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Then Jesus told his disciples this story to help them understand how they should live while they were waiting for his return: ‘As a man on a journey’” or “Then Jesus told his disciples this story to help them understand what their attitude should be like while they waited for him to return: ‘As a man on a journey’” (See: Parables)

ὡς

Here, Jesus uses the word As to introduce a comparison. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a comparison. Alternate translation: “It is like”

ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἀπόδημος

Jesus is speaking of a man or person in general, not of one particular person. If this would be misunderstood in your language, use a more natural phrase. Alternate translation: “It is like when a person decides to go on a journey, and before leaving their house, asks their servants to manage the house. And the person gives each servant their responsibilities and commands the door-keeper to stay alert” (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

καὶ δοὺς τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of authority, you could express the same idea in another way as modeled by the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 13:35

οὖν

Here, the word therefore indicates that Jesus is about to tell his disciples how to apply the story he told in the previous verse. Use a natural form in your language for introducing an application. Alternate translation: “As a result” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

γρηγορεῖτε οὖν; οὐκ οἴδατε γὰρ

What follows the word because here is the reason that Jesus wants his disciples to stay alert. Use a natural way in your language for introducing giving a reason for doing something. It may be helpful to make this a separate sentence. Alternate translation: “therefore, stay alert! The reason you should stay alert is because” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

ὁ κύριος τῆς οἰκίας ἔρχεται

By calling himself the lord of the house Jesus is identifying himself as the “man on a journey” in the story he told in the previous verse. Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: “I, the lord of the house, will return” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

ἀλεκτοροφωνίας

Jesus is referring figuratively to a certain time of day. Roosters crow just before the sun appears in the morning. In other words, Jesus is referring to dawn. Alternate translation: “before another morning begins” (See: Metonymy)

ἀλεκτοροφωνίας

A rooster is a large bird that call out with a loud sound around the time the sun comes up. If your readers would not be familiar with this bird, you could use the name of a bird in your area that calls out or sings just before dawn, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “when the birds begin to sing in the morning” (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 13:36

καθεύδοντας

Jesus is using the expression sleeping in a figurative sense to mean “not ready.” If your readers would not understand what it means to be asleep in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “not ready for his return” (See: Metaphor)

εὕρῃ

Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person as modeled by the UST. (See: First, Second or Third Person)

Mark 14

Mark 14 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 14:27, 62, which are words from the Old Testament.

Special concepts in this chapter

The meaning of the “body” and “blood” of Jesus

Mark 14:22-25 describes Jesus’ last meal with his followers. During this meal, Jesus said of the bread, “This is my body,” and of the wine, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many.” As Jesus instructed, Christian churches around the world re-enact this meal regularly, calling it “the Lord’s Supper,” the “Eucharist”, or “Holy Communion.” But they have different understandings of what Jesus meant by these sayings. Some churches believe that Jesus was speaking figuratively and that he meant that the bread and wine represented his body and blood. Other churches believe that he was speaking literally and that the actual body and blood of Jesus are really present in the bread and wine of this ceremony. Translators should be careful not to let how they understand this issue affect how they translate this passage.

The new covenant

Some people think that Jesus established the new covenant during the supper. Others think he established it after he went up to heaven. Others think it will not be established until Jesus comes again. Your translation should say no more about this than ULT does. (See: covenant)

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

Abba, Father

“Abba” is an Aramaic word that the Jews used to speak to their fathers. Mark writes it as it sounds and then translates it. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

“Son of Man”

Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man” in this chapter (Mark 14:20). Your language may not allow people to speak of themselves as if they were speaking about someone else. (See: Son of Man, son of man and First, Second or Third Person)

Mark 14:1

δὲ

Mark uses the word Now to introduce background information that will help readers understand what happens next in the story. Use a natural way in your language for introducing background information. (See: Background Information)

ἦν δὲ τὸ Πάσχα καὶ τὰ Ἄζυμα μετὰ δύο ἡμέρας. καὶ ἐζήτουν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς

During the Festival of Unleavened Bread the Jews did not eat bread that was made with yeast. You could translate this as either a description or as a name. Alternate translation: “Now it was two days before the beginning of the Passover and the festival during which the Jews did not eat any bread that was made with yeast. The chief priests and the scribes were seeking” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

αὐτὸν ἐν δόλῳ κρατήσαντες, ἀποκτείνωσιν

Here, both uses of the pronoun him refer to Jesus. If it would help your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἀποκτείνωσιν

These leaders did not have the authority to kill Jesus themselves. Rather, they were hoping to get others to kill him. Alternate translation: “they might cause Jesus to be put to death” or “they could have Jesus killed” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:2

ἔλεγον γάρ

The pronoun they refers to “the chief priests and the scribes” mentioned in the previous verse. If this might confuse your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “For the chief priests and the scribes were saying to one another” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

μὴ ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ

The phrase Not during the festival refers to not arresting Jesus. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “We must not arrest him during the festival” or “We should not arrest him during the festival” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:3

καὶ ὄντος αὐτοῦ ἐν Βηθανίᾳ, ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ Σίμωνος τοῦ λεπροῦ, κατακειμένου αὐτοῦ

Both uses of the pronoun he refer to Jesus. If it would help your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “And while Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, while he was reclining to eat” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Σίμωνος τοῦ λεπροῦ

Simon is the name of a man. This man previously had leprosy but no longer had this disease. If this man still had leprosy he would have been considered ceremonially unclean in this society and would not have been allowed to be in the presence of people who did not have leprosy. This is a different man than Simon Peter and Simon the Zealot. Alternate translation: “Simon the man who formerly had leprosy” (See: How to Translate Names)

λεπροῦ

See how you translated the term “leprosy” in 1:42.

κατακειμένου αὐτοῦ

In this culture, the manner of eating at a feast or dinner party was to lie on a couch and prop oneself up with the left arm on some pillows. Alternate translation: “while he is lying on a banqueting couch to eat” (See: Translate Unknowns)

ἀλάβαστρον

The word alabaster is the name of a soft, white stone. People stored precious and valuable items in jars made from alabaster. Alternate translation: “a jar made of soft, white stone” (See: Translate Unknowns)

μύρου

This oil had fragrant additives. To make a nice smell, people would rub the oil on themselves or sprinkle their clothing with it. Alternate translation: “oil with perfume in it” (See: Translate Unknowns)

μύρου, νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτελοῦς

The perfumed oil was made from the oil of a nard plant, which is sometimes called “spikenard.” The oil is extracted from the roots of this plant. If your readers would not be familiar with nard plants, you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “of perfumed oil made of very precious scented plants” or “containing perfumed oil made of very precious scented plants” (See: Translate Unknowns)

μύρου, νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτελοῦς

Mark is using of to describe perfumed oil that is made from very precious pure nard. If this use of the possessive of would be confusing in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: “of perfumed oil made from very precious pure nard” (See: Possession)

πολυτελοῦς

Alternate translation: “very precious”

Mark 14:4

εἰς τί ἡ ἀπώλεια αὕτη τοῦ μύρου γέγονεν?

These people are using a rhetorical question to emphasize that they thought the perfumed oil should not have been poured on Jesus. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation, and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “This woman wasted that perfume!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

εἰς τί

Mark’s quotation is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “For what reason” (See: Ellipsis)

μύρου

See how you translated the phrase perfumed oil in 14:3. (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 14:5

τὸ μύρον

See how you translated the phrase perfumed oil in 14:3. (See: Translate Unknowns)

ἠδύνατο…τοῦτο τὸ μύρον πραθῆναι

Mark wants to show his readers that those present were mainly concerned about money. You can state this in active form. Alternate translation: “we could have sold this perfume” or “she could have sold this perfume” (See: Active or Passive)

δηναρίων τριακοσίων

See how you translated the phrase perfumed oil in 6:37. (See: Biblical Money)

δοθῆναι τοῖς πτωχοῖς

Here, the adjective poor is being used as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: “the money given to people who are poor” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

δοθῆναι τοῖς πτωχοῖς

The phrase given to the poor refers to giving the money which would be made from the sale of the perfumed oil. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly as modeled by the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

καὶ ἐνεβριμῶντο αὐτῇ

Alternate translation: “And then they spoke harshly to her because of what she had done”

Mark 14:6

τί αὐτῇ κόπους παρέχετε

With the statement Why are you causing trouble for her Jesus is not asking for information, but rather is using the question form here to rebuke the guests who are troubling this woman regarding what she has done for Jesus. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You should not trouble her!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἔργον

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of work, you could express the same idea in another way as modeled by the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 14:7

τοὺς πτωχοὺς

See how you translated the phrase the poor in 14:5. Alternate translation: “people who are poor” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Mark 14:9

ἀμὴν…λέγω ὑμῖν

See how you translated the statement truly I say to you in 3:28.

ὅπου ἐὰν κηρυχθῇ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that “his followers” will be the one doing it. Alternate translation: “wherever my followers preach the gospel” (See: Active or Passive)

καὶ ὃ ἐποίησεν αὕτη, λαληθήσεται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that “his followers” will be the ones doing it. Alternate translation: “my followers will also speak of what she has done” (See: Active or Passive)

μνημόσυνον

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of remembrance, you could express the same idea with a verbal form, as modeled by the UST, or you could express the same idea in another way that is natural in your language.(See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 14:10

Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριὼθ

See how you translated the name Judas Iscariot in Mark 3:19. (See: How to Translate Names)

τῶν δώδεκα

See how you translated the phrase the Twelve in 3:16. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ἵνα αὐτὸν παραδοῖ αὐτοῖς

Judas did not deliver Jesus to the chief priests yet, rather he went to make arrangements with them. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “in order to arrange with them that he would deliver Jesus over to them” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἵνα αὐτὸν παραδοῖ αὐτοῖς

Alternate translation: “to help them arrest Jesus”

παραδοῖ

See how you translated the phrase betray in 14:10.

αὐτὸν

The pronoun him refers to Jesus. If it would help your readers you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Jesus” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 14:11

οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες

It may be helpful to your readers to state explicitly what the chief priests heard. Alternate translation: “But when the chief priests heard that Judas Iscariot was willing to betray Jesus to them” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἐχάρησαν

Alternate translation: “were very glad”

αὐτῷ ἀργύριον δοῦναι

Mark is speaking figuratively of money by reference to the precious metal, silver, that gives it its value. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “to pay Judas money for doing this” (See: Metonymy)

ἐζήτει

The pronoun he refers to Judas Iscariot. If it would help your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Judas Iscariot was seeking” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

αὐτὸν

The second occurrence of the pronoun him in this verse refers to Jesus. If it would help your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly as modeled by the UST. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Mark 14:12

τῇ πρώτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν Ἀζύμων

This was the first day of the seven-day festival described in 14:1. You could translate this as either a description or as a name, depending on what you did there. Alternate translation: “on the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread” or “on the day when the Jews removed all bread made with yeast from their homes” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

φάγῃς τὸ Πάσχα

Jesus’ disciples are using the name of this part of the festival, Passover to refer figuratively to the meal that people shared on that occasion. If your readers would not understand this, you could use plain language. Alternate translation: “the Passover meal” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 14:13

αὐτοῖς…ὑμῖν

Since Jesus is speaking to two men, the pronouns them and you would both be in the dual form, if your language uses that form. Otherwise, they would be plural. (See: Forms of ‘You’ — Dual/Plural)

καὶ ἀπαντήσει ὑμῖν ἄνθρωπος κεράμιον ὕδατος βαστάζων

Alternate translation: “and you will see a man carrying a pitcher of water”

κεράμιον ὕδατος

Here, pitcher of water means not a small serving pitcher, but a large earthen jug, which the man would likely be carrying on his shoulder. If your language has its own term for a large container that people use to transport water, you can use it here. (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 14:14

εἴπατε τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ, ὅτι ὁ διδάσκαλος λέγει, ποῦ ἐστιν τὸ κατάλυμά μου, ὅπου τὸ Πάσχα μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν μου φάγω

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation and then another quotation within that one. Alternate translation: “tell the owner of the house that the Teacher wants to know where the guest room is where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

διδάσκαλος

See how you translated Teacher in 4:38.

τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ

Alternate translation: “to the owner of that house”

τὸ Πάσχα

Jesus is telling these two disciples to use the name of this part of the festival, Passover, to refer figuratively to the meal that people shared on that occasion. Alternate translation: “the Passover meal” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 14:15

ἀνάγαιον

In this culture, in some houses, rooms were built above other rooms. If your community does not have houses like that, you can use another expression to describe a large indoor space that people could use for a celebration meal. (See: Translate Unknowns)

ἐστρωμένον ἕτοιμον

The word furnished is a passive verbal form. If your language does not use such forms, you can translate this with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: “that has carpets, dining couches, and a dining table and is ready” (See: Active or Passive)

ἡμῖν

Here, when Jesus says us, he is referring to himself and his disciples, including the two he is addressing here, so us would be inclusive. Your language may require you to mark these forms. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

Mark 14:16

ἐξῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ

Alternate translation: “the two disciples left”

τὸ Πάσχα

Mark is using the name of this part of the festival, Passover, to refer figuratively to the meal that people shared on that occasion. Alternate translation: “the Passover meal” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 14:17

ἔρχεται μετὰ τῶν δώδεκα

If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express explicitly where Jesus and his disciples came to. Alternate translation: “he came with the Twelve to the house” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τῶν δώδεκα

See how you translated the phrase the Twelve in 3:16. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Mark 14:18

ἀνακειμένων

See how you translated the phrase reclining to eat in 14:3.

ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν

See how you translated the statement Truly I say to you in 3:28.

παραδώσει

See how you translated the phrase betray in 14:10.

Mark 14:19

ἤρξαντο λυπεῖσθαι

The pronoun They refers to Jesus’ disciples. If this might confuse your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “The disciples began to be sorrowful” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

εἷς κατὰ εἷς

The phrase one by one is an idiom meaning “one at a time.” If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “one at a time” (See: Idiom)

μήτι

The phrase Surely not is the ULT’s translation of a negative Greek word that Mark used. The word Mark used to show the disciples response to Jesus statement in the previous verst. It is a negative word that can be used to turn a negative statement into a question that expects a negative answer. Your language may have other ways of asking a question that expects a negative answer, for example, by changing the word order of a positive statement. Translate this in the way that would be clearest in your language. (See: Double Negatives)

Mark 14:20

εἷς τῶν δώδεκα

See how you translated the phrase the Twelve in 3:16. Alternate translation: “He is one of the twelve of you” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ἐμβαπτόμενος μετ’ ἐμοῦ εἰς τὸ τρύβλιον

Part of the Passover meal involved dipping bread into a flavored sauce called haroseth sauce. Mark assumes that his readers will know this. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “dipping his bread into the bowl with me” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:21

ὅτι ὁ μὲν Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου ὑπάγει, καθὼς γέγραπται περὶ αὐτοῦ; οὐαὶ δὲ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ δι’ οὗ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται

Jesus is speaking about himself in the third person. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: “For I, the Son of Man, am going away just as scripture says about me, but woe to that man by whom I will be betrayed” (See: First, Second or Third Person)

Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου…Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

See how you translated the title Son of Man in 2:10.

ὅτι ὁ μὲν Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου ὑπάγει, καθὼς γέγραπται περὶ αὐτοῦ

Jesus uses the phrase going away to refer to his death. This is a polite way of referring to something unpleasant. If this would be misunderstood in your language, use a different polite way of referring to this or you could state this plainly. Alternate translation: “For the Son of Man will die just as the scriptures say” (See: Euphemism)

καθὼς γέγραπται

Here, Mark uses it is written to mean that it is prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures. Mark assumes that his readers will understand this. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that mark is referring to an important text. Alternate translation: “just as it has been written in the scriptures” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

γέγραπται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that “people” did it. Alternate translation: “men inspired by God have written” (See: Active or Passive)

δι’ οὗ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “who betrays him” or, if you decided to use the first person, “who betrays me” (See: Active or Passive)

δι’ οὗ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται

You can state this more directly. Alternate translation: “who is betraying the Son of Man” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:22

ἄρτον

This was a flat loaf of unleavened bread, which was eaten as part of the Passover meal.

ἄρτον

The term bread refers to a loaf of bread, which is a lump of flour dough that a person has shaped and baked. See how you translated this term in 9:13. Alternate translation: “a loaf of bread” (See: Translate Unknowns)

ἄρτον

Since Jews did not eat bread made with yeast during this festival, this bread would not have had any yeast in it and it would have been flat. Alternate translation: “a loaf of unleavened bread” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

εὐλογήσας

Mark assumes that his readers will know that the phrase having blessed it means that Jesus prayed to God before they ate the bread. Jewish people would have known that at the beginning of the Passover meal the host would begin the meal by praying a prayer praise to God for the bread. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “and having prayed and given thanks to God for it” or “and having prayed a prayer of praise to God for it” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἔκλασεν

Jesus may have divided the loaf of bread into many pieces, as UST says, or he may have divided it into two pieces and given those to the apostles to divide among themselves. If possible, use an expression in your language that would apply to either situation.

καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς

The implication of the phrase and gave it to them is that Jesus gave the bread to the disciples to eat. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “and gave it to them to eat” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου

See the discussion in the General Notes to this chapter about how to translate the phrase This is my body. Christians understand this phrase to be: (1) a metaphor. Alternate translation: “This represents my body” (See: Metaphor) (2) literal. Alternate translation: “My body is really present in this bread”

Mark 14:23

λαβὼν ποτήριον

Here, cup is a metonym for wine. Alternate translation: “having taken the cup of wine” (See: Synecdoche)

εὐχαριστήσας

Your language may require you to state the object of the verb. Alternate translation: “when he had given thanks to God”

Mark 14:24

τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης, τὸ ἐκχυννόμενον ὑπὲρ πολλῶν

In the Hebrew culture, covenants were customarily ratified through animal sacrifices that involved shedding the blood of the animals. Here, Jesus is likely alluding to that practice in light of his impending sacrificial death. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “This is my blood which ratifies the covenant, and my blood is being poured out for many people” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης, τὸ ἐκχυννόμενον ὑπὲρ πολλῶν

The phrase of the introduces the purpose for Jesus shedding his blood. Jesus is stating that the purpose for him shedding his blood is to establish the covenant. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a purpose. Alternate translation: “This is my which is being poured out for many for the purpose of establishing God’s covenant” or “This is my which is being poured out for many for the purpose of making God’s covenant with his people” (See: Connect — Goal (Purpose) Relationship)

τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης, τὸ ἐκχυννόμενον ὑπὲρ πολλῶν

See the discussion in the General Notes to this chapter about how to translate the phrase This is my blood. Christians understand this phrase to be: (1) a metaphor. Alternate translation: “This wine represents my blood which establishes the covenant, and it is my blood which I will pour out for many” (See: Metaphor) (2) literal. Alternate translation: “My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many, is really present in this wine”

τὸ ἐκχυννόμενον ὑπὲρ πολλῶν

Jesus is referring to the way his blood is going to be poured out when he dies. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could express this with an active form. Alternate translation: “which I will pour out for many people” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 14:25

ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν

See how you translated the statement Truly I say to you in 3:28.

ὅτι οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ πίω ἐκ τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου, ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ὅταν αὐτὸ πίνω καινὸν

The phrase certainly not and the phrase any longer are both negative phrases and therefore this is a double negative. If this double negative would be misunderstood in your language, you could translate it as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “that you can know for certain that the next time I drink wine will be when I drink it new” or “that you can know for certain that I will only drink wine again when I drink it new” (See: Double Negatives)

ἐκ τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου

Jesus is referring figuratively to the juice that people squeeze from grapes that grow on grapevines as if it were the fruit or grapes themselves. Wine is made from fermented grape juice. Alternate translation: “wine” (See: Metonymy)

τῆς ἡμέρας

Here, Jesus uses the term day figuratively to refer to a particular period of time. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language as modeled by the UST. (See: Idiom)

αὐτὸ πίνω καινὸν, ἐν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ

The word new could be referring to: (1) Jesus, and therefore would mean “again” or “in a new way.” See the parallel account in Luke 22:18 where Jesus seems to mean this. Alternate translation: “I drink it in a new way in the kingdom of God” or “I drink it anew in the kingdom of God” or “I drink it again when I celebrate the Passover after it is fulfilled when God’s kingdom is consummated” (2) the wine and thus would be referring to drinking a new type or quality of wine. Alternate translation: “I drink new wine”

ἐν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ

See how you decided to translate the phrase the kingdom of God in 1:15. If your readers would misunderstand the abstract noun kingdom, you could express the idea behind it with a verb such as “rule” as modeled by the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

Mark 14:26

ὑμνήσαντες

A hymn is a song or poem that is sung to praise God. The Jews would traditionally sing a Psalm from Psalms 113-118 at the end of the Passover meal so the hymn that Jesus and his disciples sang was one of these Psalms. If your readers would not be familiar with a hymn, you could use the name for religious songs in your culture, if you have them, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “having sung a Psalm” or “having sung a song of praise to God” (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 14:27

λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς

Alternate translation: “Jesus said to his disciples”

πάντες σκανδαλισθήσεσθε

Here, fall away is an idiom meaning “to desert.” If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “You will all leave me” (See: Idiom)

γέγραπται

Here, Mark uses it is written to introduce a quotation from an Old Testament book (Zechariah 13:7). If your readers would misunderstand this, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Mark is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “it is written in God’s Word” or “it is written by Zechariah the prophet”(See: Quotations and Quote Margins)

γέγραπται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form, as modeled by the UST, or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that “Zechariah” did it. Alternate translation: “Zechariah wrote regarding what would happen to the Messiah and his followers” (See: Active or Passive)

ὅτι γέγραπται, πατάξω τὸν ποιμένα καὶ τὰ πρόβατα διασκορπισθήσονται

If your readers would misunderstand this, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “because Zechariah the prophet wrote that God would strike the shepherd and the sheep would be scattered” or “because Zechariah the prophet predicted in the Scriptures that God would strike the shepherd and the sheep would be scattered” (See: Quotes within Quotes)

πατάξω τὸν ποιμένα καὶ τὰ πρόβατα διασκορπισθήσονται

Jesus is quoting a prophecy from from Zechariah 13:7 in which the prophet Zechariah speaks metaphorically of the Messiah as if he were a shepherd and of the Messiah’s followers as if they were sheep. Since this is a quotation from Scripture, translate the words directly rather than providing a non-figurative explanation of them, even if your language does not customarily use such figures of speech. If you want to explain the meaning of the metaphor, we recommend that you do that in a footnote rather than in the Bible text. (See: Metaphor)

τὰ πρόβατα διασκορπισθήσονται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea behind the phrase the sheep will be scattered in another way that is natural in your language. The phrase the sheep will be scattered does not necessarily imply that there is someone making the action of scattering happen so try to translate this phrase in a way that simply shows that the sheep will be scattered without saying who will make the action happen. Alternate translation: “the sheep will run away in different directions” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 14:28

ἐγερθῆναί με

The phrase raised up means to become alive again after having died. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “I am made alive again” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τὸ ἐγερθῆναί με

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Jesus implies that God will do it. Alternate translation: “God raises me from the dead” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 14:29

πάντες

By using the word all in this context, the implication is that Peter is referring to “all the other disciples.” If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “all the other disciples” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

σκανδαλισθήσονται

See how you translated the phrase fall away in 14:27. Alternate translation: “leave you” (See: Idiom)

οὐκ ἐγώ

In the phrase not I, Peter is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “I will not fall away” or “I will not forsake you” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 14:30

ἀμὴν, λέγω σοι

See how you translated the statement Truly I say to you in 3:28.

ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι

See how you translated the phrase “rooster crowing” in 13:35. (See: Translate Unknowns)

Mark 14:31

ὡσαύτως…καὶ πάντες ἔλεγον

The phrase they all also were speaking in the same manner means that all of the disciples were saying the same thing that Peter said. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly as modeled by the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:32

ἔρχονται

The pronoun they refers to Jesus and his disciples. If this might confuse your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly as modeled by the UST. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἔρχονται

Your language may say “went” rather than come or “came” in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “they went” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 14:34

ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου

By using the phrase my soul Jesus is speaking figuratively of his entire self by referring to one part of himself, his soul. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or use plain language as modeled by the UST. (See: Synecdoche)

ψυχή μου

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of soul, you could express the same idea in another way as modeled by the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

ἕως θανάτου

Jesus is using the phrase even unto death to describe the extent of his grief. Jesus is exaggerating in order to show the depth of the distress and sorrow that he feels. If your readers would misunderstand this, you could use an equivalent expression from your language that expresses great sorrow or you can turn the phrase even unto death into a simile as modeled by the UST. Alternate translation: “I feel so much grief that it makes me feel like I am near death” (See: Hyperbole)

Mark 14:35

εἰ δυνατόν ἐστιν

Alternate translation: “if possible”

παρέλθῃ…ἡ ὥρα

Jesus is using the term hour figuratively to refer to a specific time at which an event or events would take place. Here, the hour refers specifically to the time of Jesus’ suffering. If this idiom would confuse your readers you can state the meaning in plain language as the UST models. (See: Idiom)

παρέλθῃ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἡ ὥρα

Here, Jesus is figuratively referring to the events that would take place during the upcoming hour as if they were the hour itself. Because Jesus is figuratively associating the upcoming events with the time of the events themselves; by asking that the hour might pass, Jesus is actually asking that the events themselves would not happen. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression or use plain language. Alternate translation: “the upcoming events would pass from him” or “he would not have to experience the upcoming things which he was going to have to suffer” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 14:36

Ἀββά

Abba is an Aramaic word meaning Father which the Jews used to address their fathers. Mark writes it as it sounds in Aramaic (he transliterates it) and then translates its meaning into Greek for his readers who did not know Aramaic. Since the Aramaic word Abba is followed by the Greek word Father, it is best to transliterate Abba and then give its meaning in your language as Mark does. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

ὁ Πατήρ

Father is an important title for God. (See: Translating Son and Father)

παρένεγκε τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ

Jesus is referring to the sufferings he will soon experience as if they were a cup of bitter-tasting liquid that he would have to drink. If your readers would not understand what it means to be shipwrecked in this context, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning in a non-figurative way. Alternate translation: “Please spare me from these sufferings” (See: Metaphor)

παρένεγκε τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ

The statement Remove this cup from me is an imperative, but it should be translated as a request rather than as a command. It may be helpful to add an expression such as “please” to make this clear. Alternate translation: “Please spare me from these sufferings” (See: Imperatives — Other Uses)

Mark 14:37

εὑρίσκει αὐτοὺς καθεύδοντας

The word them refers to Peter, James, and John. If it would help your readers you could indicate that in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: “finds the three disciples sleeping” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

Σίμων, καθεύδεις? οὐκ ἴσχυσας μίαν ὥραν γρηγορῆσαι?

Jesus is not asking for information, but is using the question form here to rebuke Peter for falling asleep. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate Jesus’ words as a statement as modeled by the UST. (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 14:38

προσεύχεσθε, ἵνα μὴ ἔλθητε εἰς πειρασμόν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of temptation, you could express the idea behind it with a verb such as “tempt.” Alternate translation: “pray, so that nothing will tempt you to sin” (See: Abstract Nouns)

προσεύχεσθε, ἵνα μὴ ἔλθητε εἰς πειρασμόν

The implications are that the disciples will soon face the temptation to abandon Jesus in order to save themselves. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “pray that when the Jewish leaders come to arrest me and you are tempted to try to save yourselves by running away or denying that you know me, you will not sin by doing that” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

τὸ…πνεῦμα

Jesus is figuratively describing the inner part of a person (which includes their desires and will) by association with their spirit. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or use plain language. See how you translated spirit in 2:8 where spirit is used with a similar meaning. Alternate translation: “The inner self” or “The inner person” (See: Metonymy)

τὸ…πνεῦμα

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of spirit, you could express the same idea in another way as modeled by the UST. (See: Abstract Nouns)

πρόθυμον

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: “is willing to do what is right” or “is willing to do what makes God happy” or “is willing to do what pleases God” or “is willing to obey me” (See: Ellipsis)

ἡ…σὰρξ ἀσθενής

Here, the word flesh could: (1) include the meaning of both 2 and 3 and therefore flesh would refer to both the weakness of the human body and also to the deficiency of human desire and ability to do what is right. Alternate translation: “the body and your spiritual strength is weak” (2) refer to the human “body.” Alternate translation: “the body is weak” (3) refer to the sinful part of human nature that prefers to seek comfort and seek what it desires rather than obey God and do the things that please him. Alternate translation: “the sinful human nature is weak”

Mark 14:39

τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον εἰπών

Alternate translation: “and said the same thing he had prayed the first time”

Mark 14:40

εὗρεν αὐτοὺς καθεύδοντας, ἦσαν γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καταβαρυνόμενοι

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: “because the three disciples eyes were weighed down, he found them sleeping” (See: Connect — Reason-and-Result Relationship)

αὐτοὺς

Here, the pronoun them refers to Peter, James, and John. If it would help your readers, you could say the meaning meaning in a way that would make that clear in your language. Alternate translation: “the three disciples” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

γὰρ

Here, the word for indicates that what follows is the reason that Jesus found the disciples sleeping. Use a natural way in your language to show this connection. Alternate translation: “because” (See: Connecting Words and Phrases)

ἦσαν…αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καταβαρυνόμενοι

The phrase their eyes were weighed down is an idiom meaning “they were very tired.” If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “they were very sleepy” or “they were very tired” (See: Idiom)

ἦσαν…αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καταβαρυνόμενοι

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “for tiredness had caused their eyes to be weighed down” “because their sleepiness had caused their eyes to be weighed down” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 14:41

ἔρχεται τὸ τρίτον

If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you can translate the phrase the third time in a way that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: “he comes yet again” (See: Ordinal Numbers)

αὐτοῖς

Here, the pronoun them refers to Peter, James, and John. If it would help your readers, you could say the meaning meaning in a way that would make that clear in your language. Alternate translation: “to his three disciples” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

καθεύδετε τὸ λοιπὸν καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε

Jesus is not asking for information, but is using the question form here to rebuke his disciples for falling asleep and resting. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way as modeled by the UST. (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἀπέχει

The phrase It is enough could: (1) be referring to sleep and mean “It is enough sleep.” Alternate translation: “It is enough sleep” or “That is enough sleep” (2) be translated as “Is it far off” and be referring to the hour. If this is the case then Jesus is asking a rhetorical question, “Is it far off” and then answering it in the following sentence when he says The hour has come. Alternate translation: “Is the hour far off?” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα

See how you translated the term hour in 13:11 where it is used with the same figurative sense. Alternate translation: “The time has come” (See: Idiom)

ἰδοὺ

Behold is an exclamation word that communicates that the listeners should pay attention. Use an exclamation that is natural in your language for communicating this as modeled by the UST. (See: Exclamations)

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

See how you translated the title Son of Man in 2:10.

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

By calling himself the Son of Man Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If this is confusing in your language, you can use the first person as modeled by the UST. (See: First, Second or Third Person)

παραδίδοται ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “someone is about to betray the Son of Man” (See: Active or Passive)

παραδίδοται

See how you translated the word betrayed in 3:19, where it used with the meaning as here.

εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν

Here, hands is a metonym for control. See how you translated hands in 9:31 where it is used with the same figurative sense. Alternate translation: “into the control of sinners” or “into the custody of sinners” (See: Metonymy)

Mark 14:42

ἰδοὺ

See how you translated the word Behold in 14:41. (See: Exclamations)

ὁ

Alternate translation: “the person”

παραδιδούς

See how you translated the word betrayed in 3:19, where it used with a similar meaning as the word betraying here.

Mark 14:43

εὐθὺς

See how you translated the word immediately in 1:10. (See: https://git.door43.org/Door43-Catalog/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-time-sequential/01.md)

τῶν δώδεκα

See how you translated the phrase the Twelve in 3:16. (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Mark 14:44

δεδώκει δὲ ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν σύσσημον αὐτοῖς λέγων, ὃν ἂν φιλήσω, αὐτός ἐστιν; κρατήσατε αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀπάγετε ἀσφαλῶς

Mark provides this background information about how Judas had arranged with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus for the purpose of helping his readers understand what happens next. Mark uses the word Now to introduce the background information which he gives in the rest of this verse. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information. Alternate translation: “Now Judas, who was going to betray Jesus, gave this sign to those who were going to arrest Jesus. Judas said, “Whomever I may kiss, he it is. Seize him and lead him away securely”” (See: Background Information)

αὐτὸν

The pronoun his refers to Jesus. If this might confuse your readers, you could say the meaning explicitly as modeled by the UST. (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν

The phrase his betrayer refers to Judas. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly as modeled by the UST. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

αὐτός ἐστιν

The phrase he it is refers to the man that Judas was going to identify, Jesus. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly. Alternate translation: “he is the one you should arrest” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:45

προσελθὼν

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “having went up” or “having went to” (See: Go and Come

Ῥαββεί

See how you translated the title Rabbi in 9:5.

Mark 14:46

ἐπέβαλαν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκράτησαν αὐτόν

Here, laid hands on is an idiom which means to take hold of a person and take them into custody. If your readers would not understand this, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: “took hold of Jesus and seized him in order to bring him into custody” (See: Idiom)

ἐπέβαλαν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκράτησαν αὐτόν

The phrases, laid hands on him and seized him mean the same thing. If saying the same thing twice might be confusing for your readers, you can combine these phrases into one. Alternate translation: “seized Jesus” or “seized him” or “took hold of Jesus in order to arrest him” (See: Parallelism)

Mark 14:47

τῶν

Alternate translation: “of the people who were”

Mark 14:48

ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς

Alternate translation: “Jesus said to the crowd”

ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν ἐξήλθατε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων συνλαβεῖν με?

Jesus is not asking for information, but is using the question form here as an emphatic way to rebuke the crowd. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way as modeled by the UST. Alternate translation: “It is ridiculous that you come here to seize me with swords and clubs, as if I were a robber!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

ἐξήλθατε

Your language may say “go” rather than come in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: “Did you go out” (See: Go and Come)

Mark 14:49

ἀλλ’ ἵνα πληρωθῶσιν αἱ Γραφαί

Jesus’ words But so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled could: (1) be an ellipsis. If this is the case then Jesus is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If your readers might misunderstand this, you could supply these words. Matthew, in his parallel account in Matt 26:56, supplies the words “all this has happened” between the words But and so that, so if this is an ellipsis these are the words that should be supplied. Alternate translation: “But all this has happened so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled” or “But, so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, all this has happened ” (See: Ellipsis) (2) instead be translated with an imperatival meaning as “But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” Alternate translation: “But let the Scriptures be fulfilled”

πληρωθῶσιν αἱ Γραφαί

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Jesus implies that both God and sinful humans are acting to fulfill Scripture. God is intentionally acting to fulfill Scripture by leading Jesus to be willing to die and not flee from those trying to kill him and sinful humans are also acting to fulfill Scripture even though they do not know that they are fulfilling what God had predicted in the Old Testament would happen to the Messiah. Because of this, if you must state who did the action, it would be best to translate this in a way that includes both or allows for both. Alternate translation: “God might fulfill through the acts of sinful men what has been predicted in the Scriptures” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 14:50

αὐτὸν

The pronoun him refers to Jesus. If it would help your readers you can indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Jesus” (See: Pronouns — When to Use Them)

ἔφυγον πάντες

The phrase they all refers to Jesus’ 12 disciples. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: “all Jesus’ disciples ran away” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:51

σινδόνα

The term linen refers to a high quality clothe made from the fibers of the flax plant. If you do not have linen in your region and/or your readers would be unfamiliar with this term you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “a garment made of fine cloth” or “a garment made of good cloth” (See: Translate Unknowns)

κρατοῦσιν αὐτόν

“the men seized that man”

Mark 14:52

ὁ δὲ καταλιπὼν τὴν σινδόνα

As the man was trying to run away, the others would have grabbed at his clothing, trying to stop him.

Mark 14:53

After the crowd of the chief priests, scribes, and elders lead Jesus to the high priest, Peter watches nearby while some stand to give false testimony against Jesus.

συνέρχονται πάντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι, καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς

This can be reordered so that it is easier to understand. “all of the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes had gathered there together”

Mark 14:54

καὶ

This word is used here to mark a shift in the story line as the author begins telling us about Peter.

ἕως ἔσω εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως

As Peter followed Jesus, he stopped at the high priest’s courtyard. This can be written clearly. Alternate translation: “and he all the way to the courtyard of the high priest” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ἦν συνκαθήμενος μετὰ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν

Peter sat with the guards who were working at the courtyard. Alternate translation: “he sat in the courtyard among the guards” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:55

δὲ

This word is used here to mark a shift in the story line as the author continues telling us about Jesus being put on trial.

εἰς τὸ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν

They were not the ones who would execute Jesus; rather, they would order someone else to do it. Alternate translation: “so they might have someone execute Jesus” (See: Metonymy)

οὐχ ηὕρισκον

They did not find testimony against Jesus with which they could convict him and have him put to death. Alternate translation: “they did not find any testimony with which to convict him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:56

ἴσαι αἱ μαρτυρίαι οὐκ ἦσαν

This can be written in positive form. “but their testimony contradicted each other”

Mark 14:58

ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος

“We heard Jesus say.” The word We refers to the people who falsely testified against Jesus and does not include the people to whom they are speaking. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive ‘We’)

τὸν χειροποίητον…ἀχειροποίητον

Here, hands refers to men. Alternate translation: “made by men … made without man’s help” or “built by men … built without man’s help” (See: Synecdoche)

διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν

“within three days.” This means that the temple would be built within a three-day period.

ἄλλον…οἰκοδομήσω

The word “temple” is understood from the previous phrase. It may be repeated. Alternate translation: “I will build another temple” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 14:59

οὐδὲ οὕτως ἴση ἦν ἡ μαρτυρία αὐτῶν

“even then what they testified contradicted each other.” This can be written in positive form.

Mark 14:60

When Jesus answers that he is the Christ, the high priest and all of the leaders there condemn him as one who deserves to die.

ἀναστὰς…εἰς μέσον

Jesus stands up in the middle of the angry crowd to speak to them. Translate this to show who was present when Jesus stood in their midst. Alternate translation: “stood up among the chief priests, scribes, and elders” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

οὐκ ἀποκρίνῃ οὐδέν? τί οὗτοί σου καταμαρτυροῦσιν?

The chief priest is not asking Jesus for information about what the witnesses said. He is asking Jesus to prove what the witnesses said is wrong. Alternate translation: “Are you not going to reply? What do you say in response to the testimony these men are speaking against you?” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:61

τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ

Here God is called the Blessed One. Alternate translation: “of God” (See: Nominal Adjectives)

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ

It is best to translate Son with the same word your language would naturally use to refer to a “son” of a human father. Alternate translation: “the Son of the Blessed One” or “the Son of God” (See: Translating Son and Father)

Mark 14:62

ἐγώ εἰμι

This likely has a double meaning: (1) Jesus said this to respond to the high priest’s question. (2) Jesus also said this to call himself “I Am,” which is what God called himself in the Old Testament.

ἐκ δεξιῶν καθήμενον τῆς δυνάμεως

Here, power is a metonym that represents God. Alternate translation: “sitting at the right hand of God” (See: Metonymy)

ἐκ δεξιῶν καθήμενον τῆς δυνάμεως

To sit at the right hand of God is a symbolic action of receiving great honor and authority from God. Alternate translation: “he sits in the place of honor beside the all-powerful God” (See: Symbolic Action)

ἐρχόμενον μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ

Here the clouds are described as accompanying Jesus when he returns. Alternate translation: “when he comes down through the clouds in the sky” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 14:63

διαρρήξας τοὺς χιτῶνας αὐτοῦ

The high priest tore his clothes purposefully to show his outrage and horror at what Jesus had said. Alternate translation: “having torn his garments in outrage”

τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων?

This can be written as a statement. Alternate translation: “We certainly do not need any more people who will testify against this man!” (See: Rhetorical Question)

Mark 14:64

ἠκούσατε τῆς βλασφημίας

This refers to what Jesus said, which the high priest called blasphemy. Alternate translation: “You have heard the blasphemy he has spoken” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

οἱ…πάντες

all the people in the room

Mark 14:65

ἤρξαντό τινες

some of the people in the room started

περικαλύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον

They covered his face with a cloth or blindfold, so he could not see. Alternate translation: “to cover his face with a blindfold” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

προφήτευσον

They mocked him, asking him to tell them who was hitting him. Alternate translation: “Prophesy who hit you” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

οἱ ὑπηρέται

the men who guarded the governor’s house

Mark 14:66

As Jesus had predicted, Peter denies Jesus three times before the rooster crows.

κάτω ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ

“outside in the courtyard”

μία τῶν παιδισκῶν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως

The servant girls worked for the high priest. Alternate translation: “one of the servant girls who worked for the high priest” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:68

ἠρνήσατο

This means to claim that something is not true. In this case, Peter was saying that what the servant girl said about him was not true.

οὔτε οἶδα, οὔτε ἐπίσταμαι σὺ τί λέγεις

Both have I known and I understand have the same meaning here. The meaning is repeated to add emphasis to what Peter is saying. Alternate translation: “I really do not understand what you are talking about” (See: Doublet)

Mark 14:69

ἡ παιδίσκη

This is the same servant girl who identified Peter previously.

οὗτος ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐστιν

The people were identifying Peter as one of Jesus’ disciples. This can be made more clear. Alternate translation: “This one is one of Jesus’ disciples” or “This is one of those who have been with that man they arrested” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 14:71

ἀναθεματίζειν

If in your language you have to name the person who curses someone, state God. Alternate translation: “to say for God to curse him” (See: Idiom)

Mark 14:72

εὐθὺς…ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν

A rooster is a bird that calls out very early in the morning. The loud sound he makes is “crowing.”

ἐκ δευτέρου

Here, second is an ordinal number. (See: Ordinal Numbers)

ἐπιβαλὼν

This idiom means that he was overwhelmed with grief and lost control of his emotions. Alternate translation: “he was overwhelmed with grief” or “he lost control of his emotions” (See: Idiom)

Mark 15

Mark 15 General Notes

Special concepts in this chapter

“The curtain of the temple was split in two”

The curtain in the temple was an important symbol that showed that people needed to have someone speak to God for them. They could not speak to God directly because all people are sinful and God hates sin. God split the curtain to show that Jesus’ people can now speak to God directly because Jesus has paid for their sins.

The tomb

The tomb in which Jesus was buried (Mark 15:46) was the kind of tomb in which wealthy Jewish families buried their dead. It was an actual room cut into a rock. It had a flat place on one side where they could place the body after they had put oil and spices on it and wrapped it in cloth. Then they would roll a large rock in front of the tomb so no one could see inside or enter.

Important figures of speech in this chapter

Sarcasm

Both by pretending to worship Jesus (Mark 15:19) and by pretending to speak to a king (Mark 15:18), the soldiers and the Jews showed that they hated Jesus and did not believe that he was the Son of God. (See: Irony and mock, mocker, mockery, ridicule, scoff at, laughingstock)

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?

This is a phrase in Aramaic. Mark transliterates its sounds by writing them using Greek letters. He then explains its meaning. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

Mark 15:1

When the chief priests, the elders, the scribes, and the council gave Jesus over to Pilate, they accused Jesus of doing many bad things. When Pilate asked if what they said was true, Jesus did not answer him.

δήσαντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἀπήνεγκαν

They commanded for Jesus to be bound, but it would have been the guards who actually bound him and led him away. Alternate translation: “commanded the guards to bind Jesus and then they led him away” (See: Metonymy)

παρέδωκαν Πειλάτῳ

They had Jesus led to Pilate and transferred control of Jesus over to him.

Mark 15:2

σὺ λέγεις

This could mean: (1) Jesus was saying that Pilate, not Jesus, was the one calling him the King of the Jews. Alternate translation: “You yourself have said so” (2) Jesus was implying that he is the King of the Jews. Alternate translation: “Yes, as you said, I am” or “Yes. It is as you said” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:3

κατηγόρουν αὐτοῦ…πολλά

“were accusing Jesus of many things” or “were saying that Jesus had done many bad things”

Mark 15:4

ὁ δὲ Πειλᾶτος πάλιν ἐπηρώτα αὐτὸν

“But Pilate asked Jesus again”

οὐκ ἀποκρίνῃ οὐδέν?

You can state this in positive form. Alternate translation: “Do you have an answer?”

ἴδε

“Look at” or “Listen to” or “Pay attention to”

Mark 15:5

ὥστε θαυμάζειν τὸν Πειλᾶτον

It surprised Pilate that Jesus did not reply and defend himself.

Mark 15:6

Pilate, hoping the crowd will choose Jesus, offers to release a prisoner, but the crowd asks for Barabbas instead.

δὲ

This word is used here to mark a break in the main story line as the author shifts to telling background information about Pilate’s tradition of releasing a prisoner at feasts and about Barabbas. (See: Background Information)

Mark 15:7

ἦν δὲ ὁ λεγόμενος Βαραββᾶς, μετὰ τῶν στασιαστῶν δεδεμένος

“At that time there was a man called Barabbas, who was in prison with some other men”

Mark 15:8

αἰτεῖσθαι καθὼς ἐποίει αὐτοῖς

This refers to Pilate releasing a prisoner at feasts. This can be made clear. Alternate translation: “to ask him to release a prisoner to them as he had done in the past” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:10

ἐγίνωσκεν γὰρ ὅτι διὰ φθόνον παραδεδώκεισαν αὐτὸν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς

This is background information about why Jesus was handed over to Pilate. (See: Background Information)

διὰ φθόνον παραδεδώκεισαν αὐτὸν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς

They chief priests envied Jesus, probably because so many people were following him and becoming his disciples. Alternate translation: “the chief priests were envious of Jesus. This is why they handed him over” or “the chief priests were envious of Jesus’ popularity among the people. This is why they handed him over” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:11

ἀνέσεισαν τὸν ὄχλον

The author speaks of the chief priests rousing or urging the crowd as if the crowd were a bowl of something that they were stirring. Alternate translation: “roused the crowd” or “urged the crowd” (See: Metaphor)

μᾶλλον τὸν Βαραββᾶν ἀπολύσῃ αὐτοῖς

They requested Pilate to release Barabbas instead of Jesus. Alternate translation: “he would release Barabbas instead of Jesus” (See: Ellipsis)

Mark 15:12

The crowd asks for Jesus’ death, so Pilate turns him over to the soldiers, who mock him, crown him with thorns, strike him, and lead him out to crucify him.

τί οὖν ποιήσω λέγετε τὸν Βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων?

Pilate asks what he should do with Jesus if he releases Barabbas to them. This can be written clearly. Alternate translation: “If I release Barabbas, what then should I do with the King of the Jews?” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:14

ὁ δὲ Πειλᾶτος ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς

“But Pilate said to the crowd”

Mark 15:15

τῷ ὄχλῳ τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῆσαι

“to make the crowd happy by doing what they wanted him to do”

τὸν Ἰησοῦν φραγελλώσας

Pilate did not actually scourge Jesus, but rather his soldiers did.

φραγελλώσας

“having whipped him.” To flog is to beat with an especially painful whip.

παρέδωκεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν φραγελλώσας, ἵνα σταυρωθῇ

Pilate told his soldiers to take Jesus away to crucify him. You can state this in active form. Alternate translation: “told his soldiers to take him away and crucify him” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 15:16

τῆς αὐλῆς, ὅ ἐστιν πραιτώριον

This was where the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem lived, and where the governor stayed when he was in Jerusalem. Alternate translation: “the courtyard of the soldiers’ barracks” or “the courtyard of the governor’s residence”

ὅλην τὴν σπεῖραν

“the whole unit of soldiers”

Mark 15:17

ἐνδιδύσκουσιν αὐτὸν πορφύραν

Purple was a color worn by royalty. The soldiers did not believe that Jesus was king. They clothed him this way to mock him because others said that he was the King of the Jews.

ἀκάνθινον στέφανον

“a crown made of thorny branches”

Mark 15:18

Χαῖρε, Βασιλεῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων

The greeting “Hail” with a raised hand was only used to greet the Roman emperor. The soldiers did not believe that Jesus was the king of the Jews. Rather they said this to mock him. (See: Irony)

Mark 15:19

καλάμῳ

“a stick” or “a staff”

τιθέντες τὰ γόνατα

A person who kneels bends his knees, so those who kneel are sometimes said to “bend their knees.” Alternate translation: “kneeled” or “knelt” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 15:21

ἀγγαρεύουσιν…ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ

According to Roman law, a solider could force a man he came upon along the road to carry a load. In this case, they forced Simon to carry Jesus’ cross.

ἀπ’ ἀγροῦ

“from outside the city”

ἀγγαρεύουσιν, παράγοντά τινα Σίμωνα Κυρηναῖον, ἐρχόμενον ἀπ’ ἀγροῦ, τὸν πατέρα Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Ῥούφου

This is background information about the man whom the soldiers forced to carry Jesus’ cross. (See: Background Information)

Σίμωνα…Ἀλεξάνδρου…Ῥούφου

These are names of men. (See: How to Translate Names)

Κυρηναῖον

This is the name of a place. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 15:22

The soldiers bring Jesus to Golgotha, where they crucify him with two others. Many people mock him.

Κρανίου Τόπος

“Skull Place” or “Place of the Skull.” This the name of a place. It does not mean that there are lots of skulls there. (See: How to Translate Names)

Κρανίου

A Skull is the head bones, or a head without any flesh on it.

Mark 15:23

ἐσμυρνισμένον οἶνον

It may be helpful to explain that myrrh is a pain-relieving medicine. Alternate translation: “wine mixed with a medicine called myrrh” or “wine mixed with a pain-relieving medicine called myrrh” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:25

ὥρα τρίτη

Here, third here is a ordinal number. This refers to nine o’clock in the morning. Alternate translation: “nine o’clock in the morning” (See: Ordinal Numbers)

Mark 15:26

τῆς αἰτίας αὐτοῦ ἐπιγεγραμμένη

“of the crime they were accusing him of doing”

Mark 15:27

ἕνα ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἕνα ἐξ εὐωνύμων αὐτοῦ

This can be written more clearly. Alternate translation: “one on a cross on the right side of him and one on a cross on the left side of him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:29

κινοῦντες τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν

This is an action people do to show that they disapproved of Jesus. (See: Symbolic Action)

οὐὰ

This is a exclamation of mockery. Use the appropriate exclamation in your language. (See: Exclamations)

ὁ καταλύων τὸν ναὸν καὶ οἰκοδομῶν ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις

The people refer to Jesus by what he earlier prophesied that he would do. Alternate translation: “You who said you would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:31

ὁμοίως

This refers to the way that the people who were walking by Jesus were mocking him.

ἐμπαίζοντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους

“were saying mocking things about Jesus among themselves”

Mark 15:32

ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ Βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ καταβάτω

The leaders did not believe that Jesus is the Christ, the King of Israel. Alternate translation: “He calls himself the Christ and the King of Israel. So let him come down” or “If he is really the Christ and the King of Israel, he should come down” (See: Irony)

πιστεύσωμεν

The means to believe in Jesus. Alternate translation: “believe in him” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

ὠνείδιζον

mocking, insulting

Mark 15:33

At noon darkness covers the whole land until three o’clock, when Jesus cries out with a loud voice and dies. When Jesus dies, the temple curtain rips from the top to the bottom.

ὥρας ἕκτης

This refers to noon or 12 PM.

σκότος ἐγένετο ἐφ’ ὅλην τὴν γῆν

Here the author describes it becoming dark outside as if the darkness were a wave that moved over the land. Alternate translation: “the whole land became dark” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 15:34

τῇ ἐνάτῃ ὥρᾳ

This refers to three o’clock in the afternoon. Alternate translation: “at three o’clock in the afternoon” or “in the middle of the afternoon”

Ἐλωῒ, Ἐλωῒ, λεμὰ σαβαχθάνει

These are Aramaic words that should be copied as is into your language with similar sounds. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον

“means”

Mark 15:35

καί τινες τῶν παρεστηκότων, ἀκούσαντες ἔλεγον

You can state this clearly that they misunderstood what Jesus said. Alternate translation: “When some of those standing there heard his words, they misunderstood and said” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:36

ὄξους

“with vinegar”

καλάμῳ

“a stick.” This was a staff made from a reed.

ἐπότιζεν αὐτόν

“was giving it to Jesus.” The man held up the staff so that Jesus could drink wine from the sponge. Alternate translation: “held it up to Jesus” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:38

τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ ἐσχίσθη εἰς δύο

Mark is showing that God himself split the curtain of the temple. You can translate this in active form. Alternate translation: “God split the curtain of the temple in two” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 15:39

ὁ κεντυρίων

This is the centurion who supervised the soldiers who crucified Jesus.

ὁ παρεστηκὼς ἐξ ἐναντίας αὐτοῦ

“who stood in front of Jesus”

ὅτι οὕτως ἐξέπνευσεν

“how Jesus had died” or “the way Jesus had died”

Υἱὸς Θεοῦ

This is an important title for Jesus. (See: Translating Son and Father)

Mark 15:40

ἀπὸ μακρόθεν θεωροῦσαι

“watching from far away”

ἡ Ἰακώβου τοῦ μικροῦ καὶ Ἰωσῆ μήτηρ

This can be written without the parentheses. Alternate translation: “who was the mother of James the younger and of Joses”

Ἰακώβου τοῦ μικροῦ

“of the younger James.” This man was referred to as the younger probably to distinguish him from another man named James.

Ἰωσῆ

This Joses was not that same person as the younger brother of Jesus. See how you translated the same name in Mark 6:3. (See: How to Translate Names)

Σαλώμη

Salome is the name of a woman. (See: How to Translate Names)

Mark 15:41

αἳ ὅτε ἦν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ ἠκολούθουν αὐτῷ καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἄλλαι πολλαὶ αἱ συναναβᾶσαι αὐτῷ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα

“When Jesus was in Galilee these women followed him and served him, along with many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.” This is background information about the women who watched the crucifixion from a distance. (See: Background Information)

συναναβᾶσαι αὐτῷ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα

Jerusalem was higher than almost any other place in Israel, so it was normal for people to speak of going up to Jerusalem and going down from it.

Mark 15:42

Joseph of Arimathea asks Pilate for the body of Jesus, which he wraps in linen and puts in a tomb.

ἤδη ὀψίας γενομένης

Here, evening is spoken of as if it were something that is able to come from one place to another. Alternate translation: “when it had already become evening” or “when it was evening” (See: Metaphor)

Mark 15:43

ἐλθὼν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἁριμαθαίας, εὐσχήμων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόμενος τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ; τολμήσας, εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς τὸν Πειλᾶτον

The phrase having come refers to Joseph coming to Pilate, which is also described after the background information is given, but his coming is referenced before for emphasis and to help introduce him to the story. There may be a different way to do this in your language. Alternate translation: “Joseph of Arimathea was a respected member of the council who also was himself waiting for the kingdom of God. He boldly came to Pilate” (See: Introduction of New and Old Participants)

Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἁριμαθαίας

“Joseph from Arimathea.” Joseph is the name of a man, and Arimathea is the name of the place his is from. (See: How to Translate Names)

εὐσχήμων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόμενος τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ

This is background information about Joseph. (See: Background Information)

τολμήσας, εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς τὸν Πειλᾶτον

“he boldly went to Pilate” or “he boldly went in to where Pilate was”

ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ

You can state this clearly that he wanted to get the body so that he could bury it. Alternate translation: “asked for permission to get the body of Jesus in order to bury it” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:44

ὁ δὲ Πειλᾶτος ἐθαύμασεν εἰ ἤδη τέθνηκεν; καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν κεντυρίωνα

Pilate heard people saying that Jesus was dead. This surprised him, so he asked the centurion if it was true. This can be made clear. Alternate translation: “Pilate was amazed when he heard that Jesus was already dead, so calling the centurion” (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Mark 15:45

ἐδωρήσατο τὸ πτῶμα τῷ Ἰωσήφ

“he permitted Joseph to take Jesus’ body”

Mark 15:46

σινδόνα

Linen is cloth made from the fibers of a flax plant. See how you translated this in Mark 14:51.

καθελὼν αὐτὸν…προσεκύλισεν λίθον

You may need to make explicit that Joseph probably had help from other people when he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, prepared it for the tomb, and closed the tomb. Alternate translation: “after he and others took him down … they rolled a stone” (See: Metonymy)

μνήματι ὃ ἦν λελατομημένον ἐκ πέτρας

You can state this in active form. Alternate translation: “a tomb that someone had previously cut out of solid rock” (See: Active or Passive)

λίθον ἐπὶ

“a huge flat stone in front of”

Mark 15:47

Ἰωσῆτος

This Joses was not that same person as the younger brother of Jesus. See how you translated the same name in Mark 6:3. (See: How to Translate Names)

ποῦ τέθειται

You can state this in active form. Alternate translation: “the place where Joseph and the others buried Jesus’ body” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 16

Mark 16 General Notes

Special concepts in this chapter

The tomb

The tomb in which Jesus was buried (Mark 15:46) was the kind of tomb in which wealthy Jewish families buried their dead. It was an actual room cut into a rock. It had a flat place on one side where they could place the body after they had put oil and spices on it and wrapped it in cloth. Then they would roll a large rock in front of the tomb so no one could see inside or enter.

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

A young man dressed in a white robe

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all wrote about angels in white clothing with the women at Jesus’ tomb. Two of the authors called them men, but that is only because the angels were in human form. Two of the authors wrote about two angels, but the other two authors wrote about only one of them. It is best to translate each of these passages as it appears in the ULT without trying to make the passages all say exactly the same thing. (See: Matthew 28:1-2 and Mark 16:5 and Luke 24:4 and John 20:12)

Mark 16:1

On the first day of the week, women come early because they expect to use spices to anoint Jesus’ body. They are surprised to see a young man who tells them Jesus is alive, but they are afraid and do not tell anyone.

καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ Σαββάτου

That is, after the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, had ended and the first day of the week had begun.

Mark 16:4

ἀποκεκύλισται ὁ λίθος

You can state this in active form. Alternate translation: “someone had rolled away the stone” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 16:6

ἠγέρθη

The angel is emphatically stating that Jesus has risen from the dead. You can translate this in active form. Alternate translation: “He arose!” or “God raised him from the dead!” or “He raised himself from the dead!” (See: Active or Passive)

Mark 9

Mark 9:10

τὸν λόγον

Mark is figuratively describing something Jesus would say by association with his mouth, which he would use to say something. If this would be misunderstood in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “what he said” (See: Metonymy)