SIL Translator’s Notes on Mark 2008 – Page 10

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 10:16

10:16a

And: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as And introduces what Jesus did after he finished speaking in 10:15. The Contemporary English Version translates it as:

Then

Connect this verse to 10:15 in a way that is natural in your language.

He took the children in His arms: The expression took…in His arms indicates that Jesus put his arm or arms around the each of the children or gave them a hug.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Jesus put his arms around the children (God’s Word)
-or-
Then he embraced them (New Jerusalem Bible)

See how you translated the same verb in 9:36b.

10:16b

The form of the Greek verbs used here indicates that Jesus did these things to each of the children in turn. He did not put his hands on all the children and bless them at the same time.

placed His hands on them: The expression placed His hands on them probably indicates that Jesus touched the head of each child in turn.

Here are some other ways to translate this expression:

placed his hands on each of them (Good News Bible)
-or-
put his hands on each of their heads in turn

blessed them: The phrase blessed them here means that Jesus asked God to do good to the children.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

asked God to bless them
-or-
asked God to show kindness to them

In some languages it may be natural to use a direct quote here. For example:

said to God, “Bless this child.”

See bless, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

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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 10:48

10:48a

Many people: The phrase Many people probably refers to people who were in the large crowd that accompanied Jesus out of Jericho (10:46b).

admonished him to be silent: The people scolded Bartimaeus by telling him to stop calling out for help. In some languages it may be natural to use direct speech here. For example:

rebuked him. “Be quiet!” they said.

10:48b

but: The word but indicates a contrast between what the people told Bartimaeus to do and what he actually did. They told him to be quiet, but he shouted even more. Express the contrast in a natural way in your language.

he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”: The phrase cried out all the louder means “shouted even louder than before.” For “Son of David, have mercy on me!” see the notes on 10:47b.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 11:33

11:33a

So they answered: The word So in the Berean Standard Bible introduces the results of the discussion that the Jewish leaders had. They decided to tell Jesus that they did not know the answer to his question. Introduce this part of the verse in a natural way in your language. The New Living Translation says:

So they finally replied

We do not know: There is some implied information here. The implied information is “where John’s authority to baptize came from.” In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. If so, refer to John’s baptism using the same phrase that you used in 11:30a. For example:

We do not know where John got his authority to baptize people.

11:33b

And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things”: Jesus’ response indicates that he was refusing to answer the question that the Jewish leaders had asked him in 11:28a. They had asked, “By what authority are you doing these things?” You should translate Jesus’ response here in 11:33b in a way that corresponds with the way you translated their question.

Neither: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Neither refers to the fact that Jesus refused to answer a question. The Jewish leaders had also refused to answer a question. Jesus had said in 11:29b that he would only answer their question if they answered his question. In some languages there is a special way to make this reference clear. For example:

Then I will not tell you…
-or-
So I, likewise, will not tell you…

authority: The word authority means “the right to do something.”

See how you translated this word in 1:22b and 11:28a.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The parable of the vineyard and its farmers
-or-
The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard (Good News Bible)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 21:33–46 and Luke 20:9–19.

Paragraph 12:1–8

12:1a

At the end of chapter 11, Jesus was talking with the Jewish religious leaders. 11:32 implies that other people also listened to what Jesus said to the leaders. In this verse he continued to talk to the Jewish religious leaders, and told them a parable.

Then: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then introduces what happened next in the narrative.

Here are some other ways to introduce this section:

After he said this
-or-
So

Jesus began to speak to them in parables: Jesus taught and answered questions by telling simple, meaningful stories. Here he indirectly answered the religious leaders’ questions by telling the parable recorded in verse 1b-9c.

In some languages a verb like began might imply that Jesus started to speak in parables but he did not finish. It might also imply that Jesus had not been speaking to them and that he now began to speak, using parables. If either of these wrong meanings would be implied in your language, you may want to translate only the main verb “spoke.” For example, the Good News Bible says:

Jesus spoke to them in parables

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Jesus began to use parables as he spoke to them.
-or-
Jesus said this, he told them a parable.
-or-
Jesus continued speaking to the Jewish leaders. He told them this parable.

The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in parables refers to the teachings of Jesus. The plural form, parables, probably indicates that during that time Jesus told more than one parable. See the similar passage in Matthew 21:23–22:14, which includes two other parables. In this chapter Mark included only one parable. It may be confusing to your readers to use the plural “parables” when there is only one parable here. If that is true, you may use the singular “parable.” For example:

Jesus told them a parable

Some languages may require a verb like “saying” or “he said” to introduce the parable. For example:

Jesus told them a parable, saying:

to them: The word them refers to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders, who were mentioned in 11:27. In some languages, it may be more natural to refer to them specifically. For example:

to the religious leaders

parables: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as parables is literally “comparisons.” Parables teach a lesson or truth by showing how it is like something that people already know. In this section Jesus told a parable that was a symbolic story. You should read this story and use a natural term in your language to describe it.

See parable, Type 3, in the Glossary.

12:1b

A man planted a vineyard: Jesus introduced his story with the clause A man planted a vineyard. The man is a very important person in the story. The clause tells what the man did first. Introduce this story in a way that is natural in your language.

Here are some other ways to introduce this story:

Once there was a man who planted a vineyard (Good News Bible)
-or-
There was a certain man. One day, he planted a grape farm.

planted a vineyard: The man planted a grape farm. He was apparently a rich man with many servants, so he probably did not plant this farm himself. He ordered his servants to do the work. In some languages it may be necessary to make this clear. For example:

his servants planted a grape farm

vineyard: A vineyard is a farm where grape vines grow and produce grapes. Grapes are a small sweet fruit that people commonly grew in ancient Israel. They used them to make wine.

Here are some other ways to translate vineyard:

grape farm
-or-
field of grape vines

In some languages there may not be a word for “vineyard” or for “grape.” If this is true in your language, here are two other options to consider:

• Borrow the word for “grape” from another language and add a general expression that describes what a grape farm is. For example:

farm for producing a fruit called grapes
-or-
farm for raising fruit from grape vines

• Use a general word for fruit that would fit in this context. For example:

farm to produce a fruit used to make wine

You may also want to add a footnote. For example:

The fruit called “grape” grows on a vine. The fruit is used for making wine.

Grapes and vineyards are spoken of literally and figuratively in many places in the Bible. You may want to look at these other contexts as you decide how to translate these words. Here are other passages that also refer to vineyards: Isaiah 5:1–7, Genesis 9:20, Matthew 20:1, and Luke 20:9. And here are some passages that refer to grapes: Genesis 40:10–11, Isaiah 5:2, and Matthew 7:16.

12:1c–f

This part of the verse describes how the man carefully prepared his grape farm. He did this so that it would produce a good profit for him.

12:1c

He put a wall around it: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as put…around indicates that the man made a barrier along the borders of his grape farm. Some languages may naturally express the phrase put a wall around with a verb. For example:

he enclosed it with a wall
-or-
he built a wall around it

Use an appropriate expression in your language.

wall: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wall refers to a barrier that encloses an open area. People built walls to keep thieves and wild animals out of a farm or garden. The Greek word could refer to almost any kind of barrier, including a fence, wall, or hedge. (According to Alexander (page 317), it was a thick hedge of thorn plants.) It could be made of stone, wood, thorn bushes, or anything else that would form an adequate barrier. In your translation you may want to use the kind of barrier that is common in your area.

12:1d

dug a wine vat: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dug a wine vat is literally “dug a trough.” In this context, it is implied that the trough is part of a winepress. That is the reason most English versions use the word “winepress.” For example, the New International Version says:

dug a pit for the winepress

A wine vat, or winepress, consisted of two “pits” or “troughs” that people usually carved out of a large stone. They put the grapes in the larger trough and stepped on them to press out the juice. The juice then ran down into a smaller lower trough/pit or “vat,” where it was collected to be made into wine. (People normally carved a winepress out of a large rock, but sometimes they dug it out of the ground and lined it with bricks. The larger “pit” was probably shaped like a shallow basin (Lenski page 506). According to TRT (page 155), the small pit or vat for collecting the wine was probably 3–5 feet across (1–1.5 meters across) and 2–3 feet deep (0.6–1 meters deep).)

dug: The verb dug describes the way people made a hole in the stone for the winepress. In some languages a different verb may be more appropriate. For example:

hollowed out
-or-
carved
-or-
chipped

Use a natural verb in your language to describe this.

a wine vat: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wine vat probably refers specifically to the smaller hole/trough/vat in the rock in which the grape juice was collected. However, some scholars think that it stands for the whole winepress.

Your readers may not be familiar with the kind of winepress that was used by the Jews in the time of Jesus. If that is true, you may need to make explicit some of the details. Translations in English and other languages have done this in different ways. For example:

dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice (New Living Translation)
-or-
carved out a place in the rock for collecting the juice when the grapes were squeezed
-or-
made a hollow to catch the new grape water

Try to make explicit only enough details for your readers to understand the main idea of digging a winepress. You may want to include additional details in a footnote. Remember that your translation of this phrase needs to fit smoothly into the story as a whole.

12:1e

watchtower: A watchtower was a tall structure that farmers built so that they could watch the grape farm. The tower was often made of stones. On top of the tower, there was usually a small shelter. From there, a man could see the whole farm and guard it from thieves and wild animals.

Here are some other ways to translate watchtower:

a high platform for guards
-or-
a tall shelter where people could watch the garden

12:1f

Then he rented it out to some tenants: After the owner finished preparing the grape farm, he rented it to some men. This implies that these men would take care of the farm, pick its fruit, and sell it. They would keep some of the money and the owner would get the rest of the money. The owner did not give the grape farm to them or sell it to them. The farm still belonged to the owner. He allowed the farmers to use it to make money for themselves and for him.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Then he leased the land to some farmers (New Century Version)
-or-
Then he made an agreement with some men that they would care for the grape farm in exchange for a share of the harvest

tenants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tenants is more literally “farmers.” This refers to people who take care of gardens. The Berean Standard Bible refers to them as tenants because these farmers had agreed to rent the land from the landowner and give him some of the profits as payment. Here are some other ways you may wish to translate this noun:

vine dressers
-or-
land-workers

12:1g

and went away on a journey: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as went away on a journey indicates that the man traveled far from home and stayed away for some time. This may imply that he went to another country.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

went into another country (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
went abroad (New Jerusalem Bible)

If you wish to specify “another country” in your translation, you may do so. Otherwise, translate this phrase in a way that indicates that the man was gone for a long time. He did not go on just a short trip. For example:

traveled to a far place/town

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 12:36

12:36a

Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared: This part of the verse introduces what King David said. The Spirit of God enabled King David to say this. David then wrote it in Psalm 110. Jesus was quoting here from Psalm 110:1.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

The Holy Spirit inspired David to say (Good News Bible)
-or-
It was David himself who said, when inspired by the Holy Spirit (Revised English Bible)
-or-
David, guided by the Holy Spirit, said (God’s Word)

Speaking by the Holy Spirit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Speaking by the Holy Spirit is literally “by/in the Holy Spirit.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word Speaking. The phrase by the Holy Spirit indicates that the Holy Spirit helped and guided David when he spoke.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

inspired by the Holy Spirit (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
The Holy Spirit inspired David to say (Good News Bible)

Holy Spirit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Holy Spirit refers to the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is God, together with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is Spirit in the sense that he is a living being who does not have a physical body. He is Holy in the sense that he is God and unique from every other being. He is perfect in every way and is completely pure and sinless.

Here are some other ways to translate Holy Spirit:

Spirit/Breath of/from God
-or-
Holy/Sacred Spirit

Do not imply that the Holy Spirit is like the ghost of a dead person or that God has died.

See how you translated this term in 1:8b.

David himself: Here the word himself emphasizes David. David himself spoke about the Messiah and called him “lord.” Express that emphasis in a natural way in your language. In some languages this emphasis may be implied by the context. Some English versions leave it implicit.

12:36b

The Lord said to my Lord: This clause indicates that God spoke to the Messiah. In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

The Lord said to my Master
-or-
the Lord God said to my lord

The Lord: The phrase The Lord refers to God. It is a translation of God’s personal name in Hebrew. Here are some other ways to translate Lord:

Master/Chief
-or-
Ruler

In some languages people may not naturally use a word that means “master” to refer to God. If speakers of your language do not understand that your word for “Lord” refers to God in this context, here are other ways to translate it:

• Use your word for God.

• Use your word for God and indicates that he is the Lord. For example:

God the Lord
-or-
Master God

If you include the word for God in your translation of Lord, you may want to include a footnote to give the literal Greek meaning. For example:

Here the Greek text is literally “Lord.”

See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

my Lord: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as my Lord means “my lord” or “my master.” Here are some other ways to translate my lord:

my chief
-or-
my ruler

See Lord, Context 3, in the Glossary.

12:36c

Sit at My right hand: In Jewish culture, if a king asked someone to sit beside him on the right, it symbolized both honor and authority. It meant that the king wanted people to honor this person in a special way. It also meant that this person had authority to rule along with the king.

In this context, God was telling the Messiah to take this position of honor and to rule along with him (God). (The meaning “authority to co-rule” is mentioned by several commentators. Edwards (page 376) explains that in the context of the Psalm, the king of Israel was crowned as God’s vice-regent. His power at God’s right hand symbolized his authority to rule.) In some languages, it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

Sit here in the place of honor at my right side
-or-
Sit down here at the right to join me in ruling

If you do not make this implied information explicit in the text itself, you may want to add a footnote that explains the meaning.

12:36d

until: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as until here means “during the time that” or “while.” The word until does not imply here that the Messiah would stop sitting at God’s right side after God had defeated his enemies.

I put Your enemies under Your feet: God spoke in a figurative way here. This clause describes a king who sits on his throne and rests his feet on the back or neck of an enemy king. (Some Greek manuscripts have “under your feet” here, and other Greek manuscripts have “your footstool” here. But both phrases have basically the same meaning.) This action indicates that he has conquered the enemy king and completely controls him and his people. God was promising to do this to the enemies of the Messiah.

If the phrase under Your feet is not understood in your language, here are some other ways to translate this:

while I put your enemies completely under your control
-or-
while I humble your enemies and make them like a stool for your feet

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 13:27

13:27

This verse indicates that when the Son of Man returns in glory, his angels will go all over the world and gather God’s people. (If you interpret 13:26 to refer to the time when Jesus ascended to heaven, you can interpret 13:27 as follows: It would indicate that the angels would begin to gather people from all over the world to become people of God. This would be a fulfillment of the prophecy in 13:10, “the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.” See also Deuteronomy 30:4 and Zechariah 2:10.)

13:27a

See how you translated the title “the Son of Man” in 13:26a. If you translated it as “I, the Son of Man,” you will need to continue to use the pronoun “I” instead of “he” in 13:27a.

And: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And is literally two conjunctions: “And then.” This phrase introduces what happens next in a series of events. You should connect 13:26d and 13:27a in a way that is natural in your language. It may not be necessary to use a conjunction.

He…the angels: The word He refers to the Son of Man. The phrase the angels probably refers to the angels who will come with the Son of Man, as Mark 8:38 indicates.

angels: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angels means “messengers.” It refers here to spirit beings who serve God. Sometimes God sends an angel to tell a message to human beings. He also sends angels to serve him in other ways.

Here are some other ways to translate this term:

• Use a descriptive word or phrase. For example:

messengers from God/heaven
-or-
good/holy spirit-beings

• Use a local term that fits the biblical meaning.

• Use a loan word from a major language. If the meaning of the word is not well-known, you may want to indicate the meaning in some way. For example:

angelos messengers from God
-or-
sacred angelos spirits

See how you translated this word in 1:13c. See also angel, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

If you use a descriptive phrase such as “messengers from God,” make sure that it contrasts with terms that are similar in meaning like “prophet” or “apostle.” A “prophet” is also God’s messenger, and “apostle” literally means “one who is sent.” Each of these words should have a unique term in your language.

will send out: In this context the phrase will send out indicates that the Son of Man will give the angels instructions to go and do something. In some languages it may be necessary to state the place where the Son of Man will send the angels. For example:

he will send his angels all around the earth (New Century Version)
-or-
he will send his angels out into the world

See the General Comment on 13:27a–d at the end of 13:27d.

13:27b

to gather: The verb gather means “gather together.” In this context it indicates that the Son of Man will gather people to/around himself. He will do this by sending the angels to bring them to him. It is good to use a word or phrase that can describe bringing people together as one group.

His elect: The expression His elect refers to the people whom the Son of Man has elected or chosen.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

the elected/chosen people
-or-
the selected people
-or-
the people whom he elected/chose

In the context of 13:26a, His elect here refers to the people that the Son of Man has chosen. In 13:20c and 13:22c, Jesus refers to the elect that the Lord God has chosen. Since God and Jesus are one, the expressions refer to the same people. See how you translated the term “elect” in 13:20c and 13:22c.

13:27c

In some languages it may be natural to begin a new sentence here.

from the four winds: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as from the four winds is an idiom. It means “from the north, south, east, and west,” that is from all over the earth.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

from all over the world (New Living Translation)
-or-
all around the earth (New Century Version)

There may be an idiom in your language to express this meaning.

13:27d

from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven: This long expression repeats the idea found in 13:27c. It emphasizes completeness, meaning “from absolutely all over the world/earth.” Consider how to translate 13:27c–d in an emphatic way that will not sound redundant in your language. See the General Comment on 13:27c–d for suggestions.

heaven: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heaven refers to the sky. Here, the word heaven combined with the word “earth” is simply a way to refer to the whole world/earth. It does not mean “where God dwells,” nor does it imply that the angels will gather people who are “in the sky.” See heaven, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

General Comment on 13:27a–d

In this verse Jesus told about the instructions that he himself would give the angels. In some languages it may be natural to use direct speech for these instructions. Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man. It may be necessary to indicate this by using forms like “I,” “me,” and “my,” instead of “he,” “him,” and “his.” For example:

I will send out my angels, saying, “Go out into the world and bring to me the people whom I have chosen. Go and fetch them from every place, from the farthest places on earth.”

General Comment on 13:27c–d

The meaning of 13:27c and 13:27d have the same meaning, but 13:27c is expressed in a more figurative way.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

• State the meaning twice. For example, the New Century Version says:

27cThen he will send his angels all around the earth to gather his chosen people 27dfrom every part of the earth and from every part of heaven.

• State the meaning only once, combining 13:27c–d. For example, The Contemporary English Version says:

27c–dHe will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.

Consider whether you have an idiom or an emphatic way to express the meaning in your language.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 14:23

14:23a

Then: In Greek this verse begins with the simple connector that is often translated as “and.” The Berean Standard Bible uses the word Then here because it introduces the next event. Use a natural expression in your language for introducing the next event in a story. For example:

Then
-or-
After that

He took the cup: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He took the cup are literally “having taken a cup.” This cup was full of wine. (This wine reminded the Jews of the lamb’s blood that their ancestors put over their doors so that their firstborn sons would be saved from death.) In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example, the New Living Translation says:

he took a cup of wine.

Wine is a drink made from the fermented juice of grapes. If you need to mention “wine,” use the same word as in 2:22a.

It is a historical fact that they drank wine. However, the fact that it was fermented is not in focus. So you can also translate this as:

he took a cup filled with juice made from a fruit called grapes

In some areas, people do not have a drink made from the fermented juice of grapes. If that is true in your area, you may need to use a more general expression. For example:

cup of fermented fruit juice

cup: The type of cup that Jesus used was probably made from clay. It may have been like a bowl. The disciples present would drink in turn from the same cup.

In your translation you may use a term that refers to the type of container that people normally drink from. Some examples are: a glass, a gourd or a metal container.

14:23b

gave thanks: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gave thanks indicates here that Jesus thanked God for the wine. He also did that for the bread in 14:22. This is not the same Greek verb that Mark used in 14:22. See the note in 14:22b–c for a discussion of the different Greek verb used in that verse.

and gave it to them: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as gave is the same word that it translated as “gave” in 14:22c. It indicates that Jesus gave or handed his disciples the cup so that they would drink some of the wine in it.

Here are some other verbs that may be appropriate here:

gave
-or-
handed
-or-
passed

Use a word that is natural in your language for this kind of action.

14:23c

and they all drank from it: Each of the disciples took the cup one by one, and each person drank some of the wine in the cup. In some languages some of this implied information may need to be made explicit. For example:

They all passed it around and drank some of the wine.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 14:55

Paragraph 14:55–59

The chief priests and other leaders wanted to find witnesses who would testify that Jesus had disobeyed the law in a serious way. This testimony would give the leaders a reason to say that Jesus should be killed as a criminal. Jewish law required that at least two witnesses must accuse a person of doing the same offense. Only then could he be put to death. But the Jewish leaders were not able to find two witnesses who accused Jesus of exactly the same offense.

14:55a

The previous verse takes place in the courtyard. It focuses on what Peter was doing. Here in 14:55 the focus changes back to the Jewish leaders inside the high priest’s house (14:53). Indicate this change of focus in a way that is natural in your language. In some languages it may be helpful to specifically indicate the change. For example:

As for the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin, they were looking…
-or-
Meanwhile, inside the high priest’s house, the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking…

Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin: The whole Sanhedrin included the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. These three groups were all mentioned in 14:53b (see the note there). Here the chief priests were probably mentioned separately because they led the trial.

chief priests: This is the same term as in 14:53b. Translate it here as you did there.

the whole Sanhedrin: In this context the whole Sanhedrin refers to all the members of the council who were present at Jesus’ trial. The chief priests have already been mentioned specifically. Because of this, it may be more natural in some languages to say “and all the other members of the Sanhedrin.”

Sanhedrin: The word Sanhedrin is a Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible has borrowed. It means “council” and refers to the Jewish court with the highest authority over their people.

Here are some other ways to translate Sanhedrin:

council (Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible)
-or-
Jewish council (New Century Version)
-or-
highest group of Jewish leaders

14:55b

were seeking testimony against Jesus:

The clause
were seeking testimony against Jesus shows that the Council thought Jesus was guilty of doing things that they thought he should die for. They had already decided that they wanted the death penalty for Jesus. According to the normal practice of the Council, this hearing was unfair. Normally the Council would first listen to the witnesses before they made a decision.) The phrase were seeking testimony against Jesus indicates that the council members were trying to find people who would say that Jesus had disobeyed the law.

testimony against Jesus: The phrase testimony against Jesus refers to the testimony that witnesses would give about Jesus. The council members wanted witnesses to say that Jesus had broken the law in a serious way.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

tried to find some evidence against Jesus (Good News Bible)
-or-
were trying to find witnesses who would testify against Jesus (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
searched for people who would say how Jesus had disobeyed the law

testimony: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as testimony is a legal term. It refers to a statement that a witness gives about a crime.

14:55c

to put Him to death: This clause indicates the purpose for the testimony mentioned in 14:55b. The testimony of the witnesses would give the leaders a reason to say that Jesus should be killed as a criminal.

Because the Jews were ruled by the Romans, the Jewish council did not have the authority to put someone to death. They would need to convince the Roman authorities to agree with their decision to condemn Jesus to be killed. In some languages you may need to imply this in some way. For example:

so that they could cause him to be put to death
-or-
evidence…that would warrant a death sentence (Revised English Bible)

General Comment on 14:55a–c

In some languages it may be clearer to reorder 14:55a–c. For example:

55aThe chief priests and the whole Jewish council 55cwanted the Roman authorities to put Jesus to death. 55bSo they tried to find evidence that he had violated the law.

14:55d

but they did not find any: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but they did not find any indicates that the leaders did not hear any evidence that Jesus had done anything wrong. None of the testimony that the leaders heard proved that Jesus had broken the law. In some languages it may be necessary to make this meaning more explicit. For example:

but they did not find any true/convincing evidence against Jesus
-or-
but they did not get/hear any adequate testimony against him

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 15:16

Section 15:16–20

The Roman soldiers mocked Jesus

The events of this section occurred immediately after the soldiers whipped Jesus in 15:15. One crime that the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of was that he claimed to be the king of the Jews (see Luke 23:2 and John 19:12). The soldiers did not believe Jesus was a king, so they mocked him by pretending that he was a king. They gave him a robe like a king’s robe and a crown of thorns in place of a king’s crown. They greeted him like a king, and they bowed before him in false honor. At the same time they treated him cruelly and shamefully by striking him on the head and spitting on him.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus was mocked by Roman soldiers
-or-
The soldiers mistreated/mocked Jesus

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 27:27–31 and John 19:2–3.

Paragraph 15:16–20

The place where Pilate met with Jesus and the Jewish leaders (15:1–15) was probably in the public square in front of the palace. The events in this paragraph happened inside the palace. The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, lived in the palace when he was in Jerusalem. He also used this palace as his headquarters when he was there.

15:16a

The part of the story that is in 15:16–20 began immediately after the part of the story in 15:1–15.

Then: In some languages, it is natural to begin a new part of a story with a time word or phrase. For example:

But before they crucified Jesus

In other languages, a time word or phrase may not be necessary. Introduce this story in a natural way in your language.

the soldiers: The phrase the soldiers probably refers to the soldiers in 15:15d. Pilate had given Jesus to these soldiers to be crucified (though they were not specifically mentioned there). If you have not mentioned soldiers in 15:15, you may want to introduce them here in a general way. For example:

Some soldiers
-or-
His/Pilate’s soldiers

led Jesus away: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as led…away here means to lead someone from one place to another. This was done as part of the legal process (The person was led to trial, to punishment/prison, or to execution). If possible, use a word that can describe leading a prisoner or captive by force or leading him toward punishment.

into the palace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as palace can refer to the palace building itself. Or it can refer to a courtyard inside the palace compound. This scene probably took place in the large inner courtyard of the palace compound.

You can translate this either as:

the palace (New International Version)
-or-
the courtyard of the palace (God’s Word)

palace: A palace is a large, beautiful house that a king or other high official lives in.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

governor’s/king’s house
-or-
royal house

15:16b

(that is, the Praetorium): The phrase that is, the Praetorium identifies which palace was meant in 15:16a. The Berean Standard Bible puts this phrase in parentheses to show that it is background information.

Praetorium: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible transliterates as Praetorium is a borrowed Latin word. It refers to the residence and headquarters of a Roman governor. The Praetorium also had barracks where the governor’s soldiers stayed.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

where the governor stayed/lived
-or-
in which the governor, Pilate, stayed
-or-
of the governor/leader
-or-
That place/building was the government headquarters.

15:16c

and called the whole company together: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as called…together here means that the soldiers asked or told other soldiers to come and gather together.

the whole company: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the whole company refers to a group/troop of about six hundred soldiers. Here it probably refers to all the soldiers of the company who were on duty and were there at that moment. It probably does not indicate that all six hundred soldiers were called. Translate this with a word in your language that refers to a large group of soldiers.

Some soldiers of the company did the calling. So it may be more natural in some languages to say that they called together the other soldiers. For example:

the rest of the company (Good News Bible)
-or-
the other soldiers in their troop/group

General Comment on 15:16c

In some languages it may be natural to express this with direct speech. For example:

…and said to other soldiers in their troop/group, “Come here.”

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 2008

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 15:16

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