SIL Translator’s Notes on Mark 2008

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 1:20

1:20a

Immediately: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Immediately probably indicates here that Jesus called James and John as soon as he saw them. For example:

As soon as Jesus saw them, he called them (Good News Bible)

Jesus called them: In this context, the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as called means “invited” or “summoned.” It does not mean “called out” or “shouted.” The text implies that Jesus was inviting them to become his disciples. This invitation may also be expressed as a direct quote. For example:

Jesus said to them, “Come with me and be my disciples.”

them: The pronoun them refers only to James and John. It does not include their father Zebedee.

1:20b

they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men: In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of the boat and the hired men. For example:

they left their father Zebedee and the hired men in the boat (God’s Word)

their father Zebedee: Because James and John were called the “sons of Zebedee” in 1:19b, it may not be necessary to say here that he was their father. You may leave this information implied if that is natural in your language. For example:

they left Zebedee in the boat
-or-
they left their father in the boat (Contemporary English Version)

1:20c

and followed Him: The pronoun Him refers to Jesus. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as followed means “departed, set out.” James and John began to follow Jesus. It some languages it may be natural to translate this with the same word for “follow” that you used in 1:18.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 2:10

2:10a

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…: This clause expresses Jesus’ purpose for healing the paralytic. He wanted the teachers of the law and everyone else to know that he had the power or authority to forgive sins. In some languages it may be necessary to express this purpose as a complete sentence. For example, the Good News Bible says:

I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

Use a natural way in your language to express this.

But so that: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But so that introduces a purpose clause. There are several ways it can be translated. For example:

I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. (God’s Word)
-or-
I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority to forgive sins on earth… (New Jerusalem Bible)

the Son of Man: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Son of Man is literally “the Son of the human/person.” Jesus used this title to imply that:

(a) he was a true human being, and he represented all people.

(b) he came from God and had authority from God.

Try to use an expression that implies both meanings.

Here are some other expressions that translators have used:

the Man whom God Sent
-or-
the True Man from God/Heaven
-or-
the Representative of Mankind
-or-
The Older Brother of All People

In some cases, an unusual title may correctly suggest a deeper meaning. For example:

the Child of a Person
-or-
the One who was Born as a Human

Translators have also used expressions that are more literal. These more literal expressions may be appropriate where readers are familiar with a literal title in another version.

In some languages it may be necessary to use a form like “I” or “me” to indicate that Jesus was referring to himself. For example:

me, the Son of Man
-or-
who became man/human

on earth: The phrase on earth emphasizes Jesus’ authority to forgive sins here on earth. The people listening to Jesus already knew that God had this authority in heaven.

to forgive sins: In this context the phrase to forgive sins refers to canceling people’s offenses so that God will not punish them for those offenses. See the notes on 2:5c and 1:4d.

General Comment on 2:10a

The Berean Standard Bible uses an ellipsis mark (…) to indicate that Jesus did not end his sentence. Instead he began to talk to the paralytic. Some English versions use a dash to indicate this. Other versions make Jesus’ words a complete sentence. For example, the New Living Translation says:

So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.

Express this part of the verse in a natural way in your language.

2:10b

He said to the paralytic: This part of the verse introduces what Jesus said to the paralytic. He turned from talking to the teachers of the law in 2:10a to speaking to the paralytic in 2:10c. The way you translate this depends partly on the way you translate 2:10a.

Here are some examples from English versions:

Then he said to the paralyzed man (God’s Word)
-or-
So he said to the paralyzed man (Good News Bible)
-or-
—he turned to the paralysed man—(Revised English Bible)

Connect 2:10b with 2:10a in a natural way in your language.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 3:15

3:15

and: The conjunction translated as and joins the two things that Jesus sent the twelve apostles to do. They were (a) to preach and (b) have authority to drive out demons.

have authority to drive out demons:

There is a textual issue in 3:15: (1) Some Greek manuscripts have “and have authority to drive out demons.” For example, the NET Bible says: “and to have authority to cast out demons” (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, English Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version). (2) Some Greek manuscripts have “and have authority
to heal the sick and to drive out demons.” For example, the King James Version says: “And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils” (King James Version). It is recommended that you follow option (1).) The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as authority refers here to both the right and the power to do something. In this context, Jesus gave his twelve apostles the power to command evil spirits to release people that they controlled.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

the power/right to command evil spirits to leave people
-or-
authority to cast out demons (New Living Translation)

to drive out demons: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to drive out is literally “to cast/throw out.” To drive out demons means to cause evil spirits to stop controlling a person. The apostles would do this by commanding the evil spirits to leave.

Jewish people often spoke of evil spirits as being in someone. Different cultures have different ways of speaking about people being controlled by demons and being released from the control of demons. Use a natural expression for this in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

send the demons away
-or-
exorcize the evil spirits
-or-
free people who were controlled by evil spirits

See the notes on “and drove out many demons” in 1:34b.

demons: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as demons refers to spirits that are evil and can control people’s actions. This Greek word refers to the same type of spirits as the Greek terms that are often translated as “evil spirits” and “unclean spirits.”

See the note on “unclean spirits” at 3:11a. Also see evil spirit in the Glossary.

Paragraph 3:16–19

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 4:13

Section 4:13–20

Jesus explained the parable about four types of soil

In this section, Jesus talked about the meaning of the parable that he had just told. The basic meaning of Jesus’ explanation is clear. However, there are questions about the meaning of the seed in this section. In 4:14, the seed refers to the word. In 4:15–20, what is sown seems to refer to the people who hear the word. This has led to several interpretations for the seed in 4:15–20.

The interpretation that the Notes follows is that in 4:15–20 the seed continues to represent the word. The introductory expressions such as “these/others…are the ones sown” (Revised Standard Version) refer to what happens when the word falls into different types of soil. It represents what happens when different types of people hear the word. For example, the Revised English Bible says:

With some the seed falls along the footpath

Many scholars support this interpretation in their commentaries. In some versions the seed appears to refer to the people. However, even in these versions, the text implies that the seed of the word has different results in different kinds of people.

Here is the meaning of the main metaphors in the parable:

(a) The seeds represent the word, which is the message from God.

(b) The sowing of the seed represents telling the message to people.

This section heading should be similar to the section heading for 4:1–9. You may use the word “explained” or “Jesus explained” (instead of “Jesus told”).

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus explained the parable of the sower and the soils
-or-
The four soils parable/story/illustration explained
-or-
The explanation of the parable about four kinds of people
-or-
The meaning of the parable of a man scattering seed

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 13:18–23 and Luke 8:11–15.

Paragraph 4:13–20

4:13a

Then: This verse is the beginning of a new section. The events in this section probably happened immediately after the events in 4:10–12. Here, Jesus continued speaking, but he began to explain the parable. So the Berean Standard Bible uses the conjunction Then.

Here is another way to translate this in English:

After that

In some languages, a time word or phrase is not necessary. Introduce this part of the story in a natural way in your language.

Jesus said: In 4:13b, Jesus asked a rhetorical question. So it may be more natural in your language to use the verb “asked” here rather than said. For example, the God’s Word says:

Jesus asked

to them: The pronoun them refers to the twelve apostles and other disciples (4:10a). If people in your area will think the pronoun refers to some other people, you may want to use nouns here. Some examples of translating this sentence are:

Jesus said to the disciples
-or-
Jesus asked his followers

4:13b

Do you not understand this parable?: In Greek, this clause is the first part of one rhetorical question that includes 4:13c. Together, these two parts indicate a rebuke and make an emphatic statement.

Some ways to translate this part of the rebuke and emphatic statement are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Can it be that you do not understand this parable?

• As a statement. For example:

I cannot believe that you do not understand this parable!

• As an “if” clause. For example:

If you don’t understand this story… (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
But if you can’t understand this story… (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

parable: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as parable can refer to several types of speech such as metaphors, illustrations, and stories that were used to teach a lesson or a truth. Use an appropriate word for the parable about the sower that Jesus told in Section 4:1–9. Refer to the general word for parable that you used in 4:2a.

4:13c

Then how will you understand any of the parables?: In Greek, this is the second part of a rhetorical question. It is really a strong negative statement.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Then how will you ever understand any parable?

• As a negative statement. For example:

Then you will certainly not understand any other parable.

any of the parables: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as any of the parables are literally “all the parables.” This could be represented with either a plural form (as the Berean Standard Bible does) or with a singular form. For example, the New International Version translates this phrase as “any parable.” Use the singular or plural, whichever is most natural in your language.

Here is another example of how to translate this:

other parables

The term that you use for parables here should be general enough to include many types of wise speech, such as illustrations, metaphors, and sayings. See the note on 4:2a for translation suggestions.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 5:5

5:5a

Night and day: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Night and day here means “continually night and day.” It probably goes with the whole verse. That is, he never left this area of the hills and tombs and he continually cried out and hurt himself with stones.

Some English versions have made this meaning even more explicit:

Constantly, night and day (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Unceasingly, night and day (Revised English Bible)
-or-
always, night and day (King James Version)

You may have an idiom in your language for this that is different from the Greek idiom. It may also be more natural in some languages to say “day and night” rather than “night and day.”

in the tombs and in the mountains: The tombs were located in an area of hills or mountains. The tombs and the mountains were not two different locations.

5:5b

he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones: The forms of the Greek verbs that the Berean Standard Bible translates he kept crying out and cutting indicate that the man did these actions often. Your translation should indicate this.

crying out: The man probably cried out in anguish because the unclean spirit was tormenting him.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

screaming (Good News Bible)
-or-
howling (New Revised Standard Version)

cutting himself with stones: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible and other English versions translate as cutting can also mean “bruise” (as in the Revised Standard Version) or “hit” (as in the New Living Translation, 1996 edition). There were many sharp stones in the mountains. If the man hit himself with them, he would both bruise and cut himself. However, if you must choose one of these meanings, it is probably best to choose the meaning “cut” or “gash.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 5:37

5:37a

He did not allow anyone to accompany Him: The clause He did not allow anyone to accompany Him indicates that Jesus dismissed the crowd that was following him, including most of his disciples.

Him: The pronoun Him refers to Jesus, but Jairus (and probably the men who brought the message about his daughter’s death) went with him too. In some languages, you may want to say “them” instead of Him to make this clear. In other languages it may be better to be even more specific:

He did not let anyone follow him and Jairus…

5:37b

John the brother of James: John was probably the younger brother of James. If your language must distinguish between older and younger brothers, use the appropriate term in your language. See how you translated this at 1:19b and 3:17a.

General Comment on 5:37a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of information and mention first the people whom Jesus allowed to go with him. For example:

37bHe allowed only Peter, James, and John the brother of James to go with him and Jairus. 37aHe did not allow others in the crowd to go.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 6:27

6:27a

So: The Berean Standard Bible uses the connecting word So to introduce the result of 6:26b–c. Some English versions do not use a connecting word here. If it is natural in your language to use a connecting word here, choose a word that shows that 6:27a is the result of 6:26b–c. For example:

Therefore he immediately…

without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner: The words the King refer to Herod so you may need to translate 6:27a this way:

So Herod immediately commanded an executioner to go to the prison, cut off John’s head, and bring it to him.

executioner: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as executioner refers to a soldier. This soldier was ready to obey his commander’s orders, including the order to execute (kill) a prisoner.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

soldier (New Century Version)
-or-
guard (Contemporary English Version)

6:27b

who went and beheaded him in the prison: The executioner went to the prison, and there he cut off John’s head. Some languages have different words for “cut” depending on the instrument used. If this is true in your language, you should use a verb meaning to cut completely off with something like a sword or machete.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 7:4

7:4a–b

And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash: In Greek this verse is literally, “and from the market unless they wash they do not eat.” In this context scholars interpret the phrases from the market and unless they wash in different ways. As a result, there are two ways to interpret the verse:

(1) The phrase from the market means when they come from the market. (A few Greek manuscripts actually include the words “when they come.” However, there are many more manuscripts that do not include these words, and these include the oldest and most reliable manuscripts. (Metzger page 80, Swanson page 105.) The UBS4 (page 145) follows the manuscripts that do not include “when they come,” giving this decision an A rating, indicating that the text is virtually certain. It is probable that the English versions that have “When they come” translate that way for stylistic rather than textual reasons, that is, they are trying to express interpretation (2) in natural English. ) The verse means that when they come from the market, they do not eat unless they wash themselves first. For example, the NET Bible says:

And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible, English Standard Version)

(2) The phrase from the marketplace refers to something that comes from the market. The verse means that when they buy something from the market, they do not eat it unless they wash it first. (The New Living Translation follows the view that they do not eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water.) For example, the New Revised Standard Version says:

and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it

(Good News Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, Revised English Bible, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

Here are some other ways to translate this:

After they come from the market, they always ritually wash themselves before they eat.
-or-
When they come home from the marketplace, they do not eat until they purify themselves with a ritual washing.

7:4a

market: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as market means a large, open area where people came to buy and sell things. The word market means the same thing as “marketplace.”

The plural of this term, “marketplaces,” was first used in 6:56b. You could use the singular form of that term here.

7:4b

they do not eat unless they wash: As in 7:3b–c, it may be natural to translate this as a positive statement:

they always wash before they eat
-or-
they must wash before they eat

they do not eat: In some languages a verb like eat needs to indicate what is eaten. If that is true in your language, use a general term like “food” or “anything.” For example:

they do not eat any food

they: The pronoun they refers to the Pharisees and other Jewish people.

unless they wash: The phrase unless they wash gives a necessary condition. In this context, it means that the Jews believed that they ought to wash their hands before they ate. And so this is what they always did.

they wash: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wash refers to a ceremonial washing (There is a textual issue here: (1) Most Greek manuscripts have a verb that literally means “they baptize/immerse/wash themselves.” This refers to a ceremonial washing. The New Century Version says: “they never eat it until they wash themselves in a special way” (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, King James Version, Revised English Bible, New Century Version, New Living Translation). (2) Some Greek manuscripts have a verb that literally means, “they sprinkle themselves.” The New Jerusalem Bible has: “they never eat without first sprinkling themselves” (New Jerusalem Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version). It is recommended that you follow option (1). It has the support of the majority of Greek manuscripts and English versions. It is given a B rating in the UBS4 (page 145), indicating that the text is almost certain. However, both words have almost the same meaning in this context.) to make people ritually pure. The form of the verb here means “they wash themselves.” Scholars are not certain whether “they wash themselves” refers to washing their whole body or just their hands. Use a general term, if possible.

Some ways to translate “they wash themselves” are:

• Use an expression that emphasizes that it is a ritual or ceremonial washing. For example:

they wash themselves in a special way (New Century Version)
-or-
they cleanse themselves (New American Standard Bible)

• Use a general expression like wash. For example:

they do not eat unless they wash (NET Bible)
-or-
they never eat without first washing (Revised English Bible)

7:4c

And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And here introduces some more information on the same theme. Some English versions (like the God’s Word) do not explicitly translate this conjunction. Others translate it with the word “also.” For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

They also follow a lot of other teachings

Connect the information of 7:4c with 7:4a and 7:4b in a way that is natural in your language.

many other traditions: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as many other traditions is literally “many other.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word traditions to make the sense more clear.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

many other rules (Good News Bible)
-or-
many other things (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
many other unwritten laws (New Century Version)

for them to observe: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as observe includes the same Greek word as the word that was translated as “holding” in 7:3c. It means that the Pharisees and others Jews very carefully “followed” or “obeyed” their traditions. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

they observe (New International Version)
-or-
they follow (Good News Bible)

7:4d

the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining: There is a textual issue in this verse. Some Greek manuscripts include a phrase that the Good News Bible translates as “and beds.” This phrase probably referred to couches where people reclined to eat their meals.

(1)Some Greek manuscripts do not have “and beds” at the end of the list. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

such as washing cups, pitchers, and bowls

(New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(1)_ Other Greek manuscripts have “and beds.” For example, the Good News Bible says:

to wash cups, pots, copper bowls, and beds

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Bible, NET Bible, God’s Word, King James Version, English Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). However, if the national language version follows option (2), you may choose to translate “and beds.” Although option (1) has the support of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts, there is also strong support for option (2).

Whichever option you choose, you should consider putting the other option in a footnote. (Both options have about equal manuscript support. (UBS4 page 145, Swanson page105). The Greek phrase translated “and beds” may have been originally rejected because it did not seem to fit in this list of items. However, there is strong possibility that the beds referred to here were not sleeping mats, but rather dining couches on which people sat or reclined to eat a meal. In this case, it would have been appropriate for Mark to include it here in this list of items. (Metzger pages 80–81, Blight and Smith page 152).) The New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, and New Living Translation put “and beds” in a footnote.

If people in your area do not recline to eat their meals, you may want to translate the phrase “and couches” with a different term. For example:

and seats

cups: The word cups refers to containers used for drinking water or other liquids.

pitchers: The word pitchers refers to containers from which water or other liquids are poured into cups. Some other words for pitchers are “pots” (as in the Good News Bible) or “jugs” (as in the Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English).

kettles: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as kettles refers to containers made of brass. Another word for kettles is “pots” (as in the New Century Version). The size and use of the container is not clear. Use a word in your language that refers to metal containers/pots used for cooking food.

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 2008

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 1:20

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 2:10

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 3:15

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 4:13

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 5:5

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 5:37

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 6:27

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 7:4

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