Exegesis:

mē dunantai …: ‘are they able…?’: the implied answer to this form of the question in Greek is negative, ‘No!’

hoi huioi tou numphōnos: literally ‘the sons of the chamber of the bridegroom’: the Greek form of the Semitic idiom benei ha-chepah (cf. Koehler: chepah ‘chamber of bridegroom’). Commentators are divided over whether the word means, generally, ‘wedding guests’ (Revised Standard Version, The Modern Speech New Testament, Berkeley), or, in a more restricted sense, ‘the bridegroom’s attendants,’ ‘groomsmen’ (cf. Turner, Translator’s New Testament, Knox, Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale).

For other examples of the Semitic idiom ‘sons of…’ see 3.17; Mt. 23.15; Lk. 10.6; 16.8; 20.34, 36.

en hō ‘in (the time) which,’ ‘during the time,’ ‘while.’

hoson chronon ‘so long a time (as)’: the accusative case is used to express duration of time.

hosos (12 more times in Mark) ‘as long,’ ‘how long’ .

chronos (9.21) ‘time.’

Translation:

Said must in some languages be ‘asked’ (e.g. Chicahuaxtla Triqui).

There are few languages in which the idiom sons of the bridechamber can be reproduced literally. In fact, in some languages it implies the illegitimate children of the couple and in others a crude reference to the consummation of the marriage. One must therefore generally adopt an expression meaning ‘wedding guests’ or ‘friends of the bridegroom,’ and for either of these terms there are usually very satisfactory equivalents (cf. Pamona ‘those who accompany the bridegroom on the way to the bride’s house’). In a number of cultures the second meaning is particularly acceptable since there are customs closely paralleling the wedding practices of N.T. times.

The Greek form of the verse implies a negative reply, hence, ‘the wedding guests cannot fast can they….’ Many languages clearly distinguish between questions implying positive or negative replies, and accordingly, this subtle, but important, distinction in the Greek should be indicated. (The Revised Standard Version tends to overlook such distinctions.)

In asking the question as to fasting during the time that the bridegroom is with the wedding guests, the real problem is not whether the guests can, but whether they would want to fast. However, the form of the question occurs with can, for this makes the question all the more forceful, and hence the assumed inability to fast should, if possible, be clearly noted.

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 .