Translation commentary on Mark 13:12

Exegesis:

epanastēsontai tekna epi goneis ‘and children will rise against their parents’: the clause recalls the language of Micah 7.6.

epanistēmi (only here in Mark) ‘raise up against’: in the middle, as here, ‘rise up against.’

goneis (only here in Mark) ‘parents.’

thanatōsousin (14.55) ‘they will put to death,’ ‘they will hand over to be killed.’

Translation:

Deliver up … to death means ‘hand them over in order to have them killed’ or ‘hand them over so that they will be killed.’

Brother … brother gives rise to certain problems of translation when there are various terms for ‘brother.’ One may, for example, use a generic term such as ‘siblings will hand over siblings.’ On the other hand, where ‘older brother’ and ‘younger brother’ must be distinguished, one may say, ‘an older brother will hand over a younger brother and a younger brother will hand over an older brother.’ In some languages, however, this doubling of the expression is not necessary, since general truths about reciprocal activities may be expressed as ‘older brothers will hand over younger brothers.’ Note, however, that in many instances one must use plural rather than singular forms, in order for the statement to be generally applicable and not merely restricted to a particular event.

Because of the necessity for plural forms, and in some instances for a filling out of the elliptical expressions, one may translate the clause as ‘fathers will hand over their children to be killed and children will be angry with their parents and cause them to be killed.’

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

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