Translation commentary on Mark 16:8

Exegesis:

exelthousai ‘going out (of the tomb).’

eichen gar autas tromos kai ekstasis ‘for trembling and astonishment had taken hold of them.’

tromos (only here in Mark) ‘trembling,’ ‘quivering.’

ekstasis (cf. 5.42) ‘confusion,’ ‘astonishment,’ ‘terror.’

ephobounto gar ‘for they were afraid’: for phobeō cf. 4.41. C. F. D. Moule suggests their fear kept them from saying anything to any person they might have encountered, as they hurried straight to the disciples with the message.

Translation:

The rendering of from the tomb may need to be related more closely to ‘went out,’ since some languages require an indication of what was ‘gone out of,’ e.g. ‘went out of the tomb and fled away.’

Trembling and astonishment had come upon them is a form of expression which cannot be easily translated literally in many languages. In the first place trembling and astonishment are normally rendered by verbs, ‘they were trembling and were astonished’ (or ‘amazed’). Had come upon them really means in many languages ‘began to….’ Hence, this clause may be translated as ‘they began to tremble and to be astonished’ (or ‘terrified’). For astonish see 1.22, 27.

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Here ends the Gospel of Mark, as it has been transmitted to us by the most reliable manuscripts. What is conventionally printed as vv. 9-20 of chapter 16 is a “Longer Ending” which early was appended to manuscripts and versions of the Gospel (cf. the Additional Note in the Appendix for reasons for not accepting this ending as Marcan); there exists also a “Shorter Ending,” appended to other manuscripts and versions of the Gospel. By most scholars it is held that the Gospel is not complete, and various solutions to the problem are proposed: the ending was never written; the ending was lost; the ending, for some reason, was suppressed. The position which raises the least formidable counter arguments is that, for some reason or other, the Gospel was never completed. Some, however, hold that the author did in fact purposely end his Gospel with v. 8.

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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