Exegesis:
to triton ‘the third time’: an adverbial phrase modifying the verb erchetai ‘he comes.’
katheudete to loipon kai anapauesthe – How this sentence is to be taken is subject to wide differences of opinion. Most Greek texts punctuate it as a statement, either as a command (‘you are to sleep … and rest’) or as a simple statement (‘you are sleeping … and resting’); Kilpatrick, however, punctuates it as a question. Though the verb forms may be read as imperative or indicative, with a semi-colon following, and in the context, the Greek would normally be read as an imperative – and presumably that is what the majority of editors of the Greek text assume it to be. The words have been translated in three ways: (1) as a statement, indicating surprise, ‘You are still sleeping and resting!’ (Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale); (2) as a command, intended either seriously or ironically, ‘Sleep on now and rest’ (Vulgate; King James Version, American Standard Version, The Modern Speech New Testament; Zürcher Bibel, O Novo Testamento de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo. Revisdo Autorizada; Gould, Swete, Lagrange); (3) as a question, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting?’ (Revised Standard Version, Moffatt, Goodspeed, Berkeley, Manson, Translator’s New Testament, Williams; Rawlinson, Taylor). The context would seem to favor the third alternative. However, if we interpret this as a question, it must be admitted that to loipon, in this case, assumes a meaning it does not ordinarily have, since, as an adverbial phrase indicating time, it means ‘henceforth,’ ‘from now on,’ ‘for the future.’ Arndt & Gingrich suggest various interpretations, including the interrogative sense, which they state thus, ‘Do you intend to sleep on and on?’ or, possibly, ‘You are sleeping in the meantime?’ On the whole it would seem that the words should be taken as a question.
anapauō (cf. 6.31) ‘to rest.’
apechei. On this single word, used nowhere else in the New Testament in an absolute sense, as here, Vincent says, with some justification: “Expositors are utterly at sea as to its meaning.” The meaning ‘it is enough,’ favored by most translations and commentators, goes as far back as the Vulgate, which has sufficit. By most this is taken to refer to the sleeping and resting of the disciples: ‘enough of that!’ ‘no more of that!’ Lagrange, however, translates C’en est fait with reference to Jesus himself and his thrice-repeated prayer concerning his approaching Passion: ‘sleep, I am now ready.’ Montgomery seems to assume some such meaning by translating, ‘it is over.’
The form apechei is normally used of receipting bills, with the meaning ‘paid in full’ (cf. Moulton & Milligan). Following this meaning, J. de Zwaan (quoted by Rawlinson) suggested that the verb here has a personal sense and is to be referred to Judas, as the subject: ‘He did receive (the promised money).’ Thus Manson translates ‘the money has been paid!’ and E. K. Simpson paraphrases, ‘It is settled! The deed of infamy is done! He pockets his reward.’
Another translation has been suggested by G. H. Boobyer. He proposes the meaning ‘take possession of,’ and refers the verb to Judas, as the subject: ‘He is taking possession of (me)!’ Translator’s New Testament translates ‘Is he far away?’
Emendation, the last resource of the translator, has also been proposed. Black, following the variant reading (found in the sixth century uncial manuscript D) apechei to telos kai hē hōra, suggests that there was a mistranslation of the underlying Aramaic which meant, ‘The end and the hour are pressing.’ It should be noted that the Peshitto version of the Syriac has ‘the end has come’ (reading to telos as the subject of the verb and apparently translating the Greek ēggiken ‘has come’ rather than apechei). Otherwise it has been proposed that the original Marcan phrase was to telos apechei meaning, ‘the end is holding off,’ to be taken as a question: ‘The end is far away?’ (cf. Taylor).
Although these proposed variant readings and their emendations offer a reasonable explanation of what is otherwise quite an obscure saying (cf. Taylor, who inclines to accept either one of the proposed emendations), so long as the accepted text can be made to bear some intelligible meaning it should be followed and translated. In the present case it would seem best to go along with the majority.
ēlthen hē hōra (cf. v. 35) ‘the hour has come,’ ‘the hour is here.’
idou (cf. 1.2) ‘see’: should not be omitted (as in Revised Standard Version) here, even though repeated in the next verse.
paradidotai (cf. 1.14; cf. 9.31) ‘is delivered’: the ordinary meaning of the verb should be observed here, as in the identical phrase in 9.31. It is to be doubted that ‘deliver’ is to be understood in 9.31 and ‘betray’ here (as done by Revised Standard Version).
ho huios tou anthrōpou (cf. 2.10) ‘the Son of man.’
eis tas cheiras tōn hamartōlōn ‘into the hands of sinful men,’ ‘into the power of sinners’: hoi hamartōloi here presumably has the moral and theological connotation of ‘sinners’ who transgress God’s will, rather than the specialized sense in which it is used in 2.15f.
For similar statements concerning the Son of man cf. 9.31; 10.33.
Translation:
For the translation of came as ‘went back’ see verse 37.
Said may be in some languages better rendered as ‘asked,’ because of the following question.
The form of the question ‘Are you still sleeping and resting?’ should not imply that Jesus was actually asking for information. This is a rhetorical question implying a certain amount of surprise and irony. Hence, if in the receptor language special forms of questions are used for this type of expression, one should make certain that the appropriate equivalent is employed.
The problems involved in the translating of it is enough depend largely upon the exegesis. However, even then one will find that the closest equivalent is likely to be relatively idiomatic, e.g. ‘it is over,’ ‘it has happened,’ and ‘that is all.’
The hour has come is translatable as ‘the time has come’ or ‘now is the time.’
For the use of the Son of man as a third person reference in a first person relationship, see 2.10.
In many languages is betrayed must be translated as an immediate future, rather than present, e.g. ‘is going to be betrayed’ or ‘is about to be betrayed.’
The hands of sinners cannot be translated literally in many languages, since ‘hands’ do not always stand for ‘power’ or ‘control.’ The closest equivalent in some instances is ‘into the power of evil men’ or ‘under the authority of sinful men.’
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 .