Exegesis:
The use and meaning of psuchē ‘life,’ ‘soul’ in vv. 35-37 is a matter of dispute (cf. 3.4). As Lagrange points out, the word has a three fold meaning, ‘life,’ or ‘soul,’ or ‘oneself.’ In these verses there is an interplay between natural life, life in the flesh (which is clearly the meaning in v. 35) and true, spiritual life, future life (which is the sense demanded in vv. 36-37). The Old Testament concept of nefesh, which furnishes the basis for the meaning of the New Testament word psuchē, bears no resemblance to the Greek idea of psuchē ‘soul’ as the spiritual part of man, distinct and separate from his material make-up, his fleshly body. Rather the basic O.T. concept of nefesh (for which Septuagint psuchē generally stands) is that of ‘breath,’ ‘life,’ and is used of the individual (animal or man) in his quality as a breathing, living being. From this the word comes to mean the individual himself, ‘person,’ ‘oneself’ (cf. Koehler). Passages which speak of killing or destroying nefesh mean, of course, to kill a person or persons (cf. Nu. 31.19; 35.11, 15, 30; Ezek. 13.19; 22.27; Lev. 7.20, 21, 25, 27; 23.30; etc.); while, conversely, to save nefesh means to save one’s life, oneself (cf. Gen. 19.17; 32.31; Job 33.28; Ps. 72.13, etc.).
Most English translations (American Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, Translator’s New Testament, The Modern Speech New Testament, Manson, Montgomery, Goodspeed, Berkeley) have ‘life’ in all three verses; some have ‘life’ in 35 and ‘soul’ in 36-37 (Moffatt; also Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale, Lagrange, O Novo Testamento de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo. Revisdo Autorizada); Zürcher Bibel has ‘life’ in all three verses, but in v. 36 introduces ‘future’ in parentheses before ‘life.’ The word ‘soul’ should not be used if it reflects the Greek concept rather than the Hebraic; ‘life’ adequately represents the word: in vv. 36-37, however, it must mean more than simple physical existence, ordinarily denoted by the word (‘true life’ or ‘real life’ is the sense required); perhaps ‘oneself,’ ‘himself’ or ‘true self’ would adequately convey the meaning in those two verses.
sōsai (cf. 3.4) ‘save,’ ‘preserve,’ ‘keep.’
apolesei (cf. 1.24) ‘he will lose.’
sōsei (cf. 3.4) ‘he will save’ in the theological sense.
Translation:
Save his life involves more than merely ‘living.’ There must be some means of indicating the concern of the man for his continued existence. Otherwise, the whole expression has no special meaning. This problem is met in a number of different ways, e.g. ‘he who wants to just keep on living’ (Central Mazahua), ‘he who wants to not die’ (Cashibo-Cacataibo), ‘he who wants to make his life safe’ (Rincon Zapotec), and ‘he who wishes to always keep living’ (Tzotzil).
Will lose it is equivalent to ‘die,’ but there is something else also involved, – namely, the loss of the very thing for which he had been concerned. This meaning is suggested in the Tzeltal as follows: ‘he who wants his life, all will go to loss, together with his life,’ implying his total life will be lost. This last phrase adds the necessary elements to make the reader understand that this is not merely existence, but life and all its values.
Loses his life is equivalent to ‘dies.’
Will save it may be rendered as ‘will really keep it’ or ‘will really live,’ in order to indicate that life in this instance involves some degree of qualitative distinction from life as it used previously in the verse.
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 .