SIL Translator’s Notes on Mark 2008 – Page 6

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 15:44

15:44a

Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead is literally “Pilate was surprised that he was already dead.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the phrase to hear to make the clause natural English.

was surprised: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was surprised expresses surprise or amazement. Here it includes an element of doubt. Pilate was surprised or amazed to hear that Jesus had already died, and he sent for the centurion to confirm the report.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

was astonished/amazed that
-or-
wondered/marveled that

15:44b

so: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as so introduces what Pilate did as a result of what he heard from Joseph. He summoned the centurion to investigate. Connect 15:44b to 15:44a in a way that is natural in your language for this context.

he summoned the centurion: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as summoned here means “commanded to come.” The centurion was still by the cross, so Pilate sent someone to tell the centurion to come to him. The Revised English Bible translates this as:

sent for the centurion (Revised English Bible)

15:44c

to ask if this was so: In some languages, it may be natural to use direct speech for this question. For example:

…he/Pilate asked him, “Has Jesus already died?”
-or-
…he asked him, “Is it true that Jesus is already dead?”

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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 1:32

1:32a

That evening, after sunset: The phrase That evening, after sunset refers to early evening, shortly after the sun had set. There was a special reason why the people waited until sunset to bring the sick people to Jesus. The Sabbath, the Jewish rest day, ended at sunset. The Jewish law did not allow people to work on the Sabbath, and they considered it work to carry a sick person.

In many areas the reason that people waited until sunset will not be clear. If that is true in your language, you may want to indicate the reason in some way. For example:

• Translate the cultural meaning of sunset rather than the literal term. For example:

That evening, after the rest day had ended

• Provide a footnote. For example:

The Jewish law did not allow people to work on the Sabbath, and they considered it work to carry a sick person. So they waited until the Sabbath ended at sunset before bringing the sick people to Jesus.

1:32b

people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as people is literally “they.” This word refers here to the people who lived in Capernaum. It does not refer specifically to the people who were in the house of Simon and Andrew.

Here is another way to say this:

people in the town brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had demons

brought to Jesus: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as brought indicates that people helped those who were sick to go to Jesus. They may have carried them or supported them as they walked. The form of the word here indicates that this action happened repeatedly. People started bringing the sick to Jesus after sunset and kept bringing them one after the other.

all who were sick and demon-possessed: The phrase all who were sick and demon-possessed refers to two kinds of people: those who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. The word all is a figure of speech here. It emphasizes that very many people were brought to Jesus. The New Living Translation translates it as:

many sick and demon-possessed people (New Living Translation)

demon-possessed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as demon-possessed indicates that demons controlled the people’s thoughts and actions. The word demon refers to the same type of spirit as the Greek terms that are often translated as “evil spirit” and “unclean spirit.”

So you may translate demon-possessed in the same way you translated “with an unclean spirit.” See the note on 1:23a.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 2:22

2:22a

And: The Greek connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces another illustration. Jesus gave this illustration to show again that he was teaching new things that did not fit the old traditions. Here are several possible ways to introduce this illustration.

• Use a quote introducer here. For example:

Then Jesus gave another example, saying, “And…”

• Introduce the illustration within the quote itself. For example:

Here is a similar example:

• Use a connector that indicates the similarity of this illustration with the one in 2:21. For example:

Likewise
-or-
In a similar way

no one pours new wine into old wineskins: As in 2:21a, the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as no one introduces a general statement that is true of everyone. In some languages it may be natural to introduce this statement with a general word like “people” or with a pronoun like “you” or “they.” For example:

People also do not pour new wine into old wineskins.
-or-
Similarly, you do not pour new wine into old wineskins.

See the note on Paragraph 2:22 for information about the meaning of this illustration.

pours: In the context, pours refers to putting wine into a container in order to store it there. There would be no harm in pouring new wine into old wineskins in order to drink it right away.

new wine into old wineskins: When new wine ferments, it produces gas. This builds up pressure and causes the wineskin to stretch or expand. New wine would be put into new skins because these could stretch. Old wineskins would have been stretched once before and so no longer would not be able to stretch any further.

new wine: The term new wine means wine that has been pressed recently from grapes and is not yet fermented (or is just beginning to ferment).

Here are some other ways to translate new wine:

wine that is only beginning to ferment
-or-
still fermenting wine

wine: The word wine refers to alcoholic drink made from the juice of a fruit called grapes. When grape juice ferments, it becomes wine.

In some areas, people may not be familiar with grapes or with wine. If that is true in your area, here are some other ways to translate wine:

• Use a general term for an alcoholic drink.

• Use a specific term that can also be used to refer to alcoholic drinks in general. For example:

millet beer
-or-
palm wine
-or-
something like palm wine

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

fruit juice/water
-or-
grape juice
-or-
fermented grape juice

wineskins: The Jews used animal skins to make containers for storing their wine. (The most common animal skin that they used was goat.)

Wineskins are not common in many areas of the world. In many languages you may need to use a descriptive phrase. For example:

wine containers made of goat skin
-or-
leather bags for storing wine

In some cultures people do not use animal skins to store wine. They may not understand the reason that people did not put new wine in old skins. If that is true in your culture, consider explaining this in a footnote. For example:

Wineskins were made out of whole goat hides that had the neck and feet openings tied shut. New wineskins were able to expand as the wine fermented, but old wineskins were no longer able to expand.

2:22b

If he does: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as If he does was also used in 2:21b in a slightly shorter form. See the note on 2:21b. Here it introduces the result of doing what 2:22a indicated that no one normally does. Use a natural connector in your language for this context.

the wine will burst the skins: The verb will burst here means “will break.” It is implied that the wine will expand or ferment and then cause the skins to burst. The Contemporary English Version makes this implied information explicit:

The wine would swell and burst the old skins. (Contemporary English Version)

You may need to make this information explicit in your language.

2:22c

both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined: This clause expresses the final bad result of 2:22a–b: no one would be able to use either the wine or the wineskins again. They would both be spoiled. In order to avoid this result, people do not put new wine into old wineskins.

2:22d

In this part of the verse Jesus gave the conclusion to his illustration in this verse. In the metaphor, new wine represents Jesus’ power and the new way of living that he was teaching. The new wineskins represent new traditions, that is, new ways of thinking and acting. Jesus’ new teaching must go along with new ways of thinking and acting.

Instead: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Instead introduces a contrast between 2:22c and 2:22d. In 2:22c Jesus described what people do not do, but in 2:22d he described what people do and should do.

Here are some ways other English versions translate the conjunction:

But (New Century Version)
-or-
No, (New International Version)
-or-
Rather (God’s Word)

Express the connection in a natural way in your language.

new wine is poured into new wineskins: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as new wine is poured into new wineskins supplies the passive phrase is poured, while the Greek has the elliptical phrase, “new wine into new wineskins.” It implies that someone poured the new wine into new wineskins. In some languages it may be necessary to make this verb active and provide a subject. If that is true in your language, it is best to use a general subject. For example:

people pour new wine into new wineskins
-or-
people must put new wine into fresh skins.

The sentence that the Berean Standard Bible translates as new wine is poured into new wineskins is another statement that is true for everyone. Be sure that your translation of this sentence fits with the way you translated 2:22a–c.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. (Good News Bible)
-or-
But you should pour new wine into new wineskins.

General Comment on 2:22a–d

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit some of the meaning of Jesus’ illustration about the wine skins. Here is one suggestion:

Mixing my teaching with the old traditions is like putting unfermented wine into old, dry goatskin containers. People do not do that because they know that when the wine ferments and expands, the containers will not be able to expand, and thus burst. The result is that both the wine is lost and the wineskin is ruined. People know that new wine must be put into new goatskins that won’t break. In the same way, you should not mix my teaching with the old traditions.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 3:27

3:27

Jesus’ second parable is in 3:27. Jesus used this parable to explain how he was able to free people from evil spirits. Jesus compared Satan to a strong man. He compared himself to an even stronger man. He compared freeing people from evil spirits to robbing Satan’s house. Jesus implied that he could release people controlled by Satan or his evil spirits because he was stronger than Satan.

In some languages, 3:27 will be more natural if its parts are reordered. See the General Comment on 3:27a–d at the end of 3:27d for some examples of how to reorder the verse.

3:27a

Indeed: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Indeed is literally “but” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This conjunction contrasts what Jesus said (in 3:27) with the wrong thinking of these teachers of the law. They were wrong about Jesus getting power from Satan to force demons out of people. In this illustration/parable, Jesus tells what was really happening.

Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. You should connect 3:27 to the rest of this passage in a way that is natural in your language.

no one can enter a strong man’s house: In this context, the phrase no one can enter implies going into the strong man’s house uninvited, to rob him. You may want to use a stronger word like “invade” or “break into” to express this idea.

strong man’s house: The words strong man refer to someone who has physical strength and power.

Here Jesus compared Satan to a strong man who owns a house.

3:27b

to steal his possessions: The phrase to steal his possessions means “loot” or “pillage” things from the house. This represents Jesus casting out demons to free people.

3:27c

unless: The conjunction unless introduces an exception to the rule in 3:27a–b that no one can carry off the possessions of a strong man.

Here is another way to translate this:

except if
-or-
until

first: The conjunction first indicates the order of events. He must first tie up the strong man before he can enter the strong man’s house and steal his things.

ties up the strong man: The phrase ties up the strong man implies that someone stronger than the strong man must first overpower him in order to tie him up.

General Comment on 3:27c

There is implied information here that you may need to make explicit in your translation. For example:

unless he is strong enough to overcome/defeat the strong man and tie him up

3:27d

Then: The conjunction Then marks the order of the events in the illustration. First someone stronger than the strong man must overpower him and tie him up. Then the stronger man can rob the strong man.

he can plunder his house: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as plunder was also used in 3:27b and translated as “carry off.” The phrase he can plunder his house means “he can steal/take from the house everything he wants.” In other words: he can loot or pillage the house. The Contemporary English Version says:

Then he can take everything.

he: The pronoun he refers to the stronger man. This man represents Jesus.

his: The pronoun his refers to the strong man who is being robbed. This man represents Satan.

General Comment on 3:27a–d

In some languages, it will be more natural to change the order of some of the clauses in 3:27. For example:

27cIn fact, a person must first tie up a strong man. 27aOnly then can he enter his house, 27btake his possessions, 27dand rob his house.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 4:25

4:25a

For whoever has: This clause leaves implied what this person has. Because of the close connection of this verse with 4:24, the implied meaning is probably “Whoever has understanding.”

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit what this person has. Some ways to do this are:

• Use a word that specifically indicates the connection with 4:24. For example:

Those who have understanding (New Century Version)
-or-
Those who understand [these mysteries] (God’s Word)

• Use a general word. For example:

Everyone who has something (Contemporary English Version)

For: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as For indicates that the proverb in 4:25 is a further explanation of the preceding proverb in 4:24. In some languages the meaning of this conjunction can be expressed as:

Another way to say this is

Some versions leave the word For implied. You will need to decide whether it is natural in your language to introduce an explanation with a special word or phrase.

will be given more: The subject for the verb phrase will be given is implied but not repeated. It may be more natural in your language to repeat the subject. For example:

he will be given more

The verb given is passive. If it is more natural in your language to make this active and say who does the giving, the implied subject is God.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

he will receive more
-or-
God will add to his understanding

4:25b–c

But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him: This is a hyperbole. It means that the person has very little. It implies that the person ignores the small amount of understanding or knowledge that he has.

It may be more natural in your language to translate the meaning without the hyperbole. For example:

whoever ignores the little he has, even what he has will be taken from him
-or-
whoever understands very little, even that will be taken from him

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But is often translated as “and” (as in the Revised Standard Version). There is contrast between the one who had in 4:25a, and the one who does not have in 4:25b. For this reason, some versions like the Berean Standard Bible indicate this contrast with the conjunction But. Likewise, the NET Bible says:

but whoever does not have

However, some translations do not translate this conjunction at all. You should connect 4:25a and 4:25b in a way that is natural in your language.

will be taken away from him: The Greek verb phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be taken away is passive. If it is more natural in your language to make this active and say who will take something, you should refer to the same person as in 4:24c. For example:

God will take even that from him
-or-
will lose what little they have (Contemporary English Version)

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 5:17

5:17

And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And could also be translated as “Then” (New International Version, New Revised Standard Version). Here it introduces the people’s response to what the witnesses told them in 5:16. Connect 5:17 to 5:16b in a way that is natural in your language for this context.

the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region: In some languages it may be more natural to use direct speech here. For example:

…the people began to say to Jesus, “Please leave our region!”

the people began to beg: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the people began to beg is literally “they began to beg.” The people who pleaded were people from the area who came to see what had happened. Many English versions supply a general subject such as “the people” to indicate this.

began to beg: In this context the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as began to beg probably indicates that the people made their request more than one time. It does not imply that the people began to beg but did not finish their request. If it is confusing in your language to use a verb like “began” here, you may leave this idea implicit. For example:

pleaded
-or-
begged repeatedly

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as beg is similarly translated as “begged” in 5:10 and 5:12. If it is natural in your language, it is probably good to translate it in the same way here. See the note on 5:10.

their region: Translate region in the same way as you did at 5:1a–b and 5:10.

Paragraph 5:18–20

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 6:7

6:7

Before you translate 6:7, you should look at the main verbs. Mark used the verbs called, send, and giving to show the process of sending out the apostles. The actions shown by these verbs are not in chronological order.

In some languages, it may be more natural to put the actions in the order in which they occurred. See the General Comment on 6:7–8a at the end of 6:8a for one way to rearrange the parts of this verse.

6:7a–b

In some languages, it will be natural to begin this verse with a general time word, as in the Berean Standard Bible. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

Then he called together

Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as called…to Him is literally “he summons to himself.” Jesus was gathering his twelve followers around him for a special purpose.

Here are some other ways you could express this:

Then he told the twelve to gather around him, and…
-or-
He gathered the twelve around him, and…

the Twelve: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as the Twelve refers to Jesus’ twelve closest disciples. (This same phrase occurs in 4:10a.) By the time Mark wrote his gospel, people probably knew Jesus’ special group of disciples as the Twelve. However, you may need to make explicit in your translation that this expression refers to Jesus’ disciples/apostles. For example:

the twelve apostles (God’s Word)
-or-
the twelve disciples (Good News Bible)

In 6:30a, it specifically identifies these twelve men as “apostles.” So you may want to say “apostles” here as well.

began to send them out: Jesus told the twelve apostles/disciples to go out to different villages. In some languages the verb sendis only used for things, not for people. If it is not natural in your language to say that Jesus began to send them out, you may want to say that he told them to go out. Make sure that whatever word you choose refers to causing people to go somewhere, not by force but by command.

two by two: The phrase two by two means “in groups of two” or “in pairs.” Jesus did not send all twelve men together to the same place. He had them travel to different villages in groups of two men.

6:7c

giving them authority over unclean spirits: Jesus gave the twelve men authority to expel evil spirits in order to prepare them for their mission. Jesus did this before he sent them out. It may be necessary in the translation to make this clear. For example:

7bhe sent them out two by two 7cafter first giving them authority to expel evil spirits

authority over unclean spirits: The word authority refers to the right and power to do something. Jesus gave his twelve apostles the right and power to command the unclean spirits to no longer harm people. He gave them 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 evil spirits (New Living Translation)

Be careful not to translate this in a way that might cause readers/hearers to think that Jesus gave his apostles the power to make the unclean spirits do things for them. You can probably translate the phrase authority over unclean spirits in a similar way to “have authority to drive out demons” in 3:15.

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

Here are some other ways to translate unclean spirits:

• Use a general term in your language that refers to spirits that are evil and can control people.

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to a certain type of spirit. These spirits should be able to do what is described in this context. Do not use a term that refers to the spirits of dead people.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

evil/bad spirits
-or-
unclean spirits

Be sure that an expression like “unclean spirit” does not imply that the spirit is literally dirty.

See evil spirit in the Glossary for more information.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 6:39

Paragraph 6:39–44

Jesus told the disciples to have all the people sit down. Then he did a miracle in order to give food to all of them to eat. There was more food left after they ate than there had been before they ate.

6:39a

Then: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then introduces the next step in a sequence of closely related events. Use a word or expression that does this in your language. For example:

After that
-or-
And then

Jesus directed them: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as directed means “commanded,” “ordered,” or “urged.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

he gave orders
-or-
he told them

them: In the Greek text, the pronoun them is ambiguous. There are two ways to interpret this word:

(1) It refers to the disciples. For example, the Good News Bible says:

Jesus then told his disciples to make all the people divide into groups and sit down on the green grass.

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version, Revised English Bible, New Century Version, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version)

(2) It refers to the crowd. For example, the New Living Translation, 1996 edition says:

Then Jesus told the crowd to sit down in groups on the green grass.

(New Living Translation, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, God’s Word, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Jesus commanded the crowds indirectly, by telling his disciples to tell the crowds to sit down. However, there is strong support in commentaries and English versions for both interpretations. (Luke and John told this same story in their Gospels, and in those books the Greek follows interpretation (1). See Luke 9:14 and John 6:10. Matthew also told this story in his Gospel. Matthew 14:19 says that Jesus “directed the crowds to sit down,” which follow interpretation (2). So it appears that Jesus commanded the crowds indirectly, through the disciples.)

6:39b

to have the people sit in groups: The command to have all the people sit means “to cause them to sit down.”

Here are some other ways to translate this:

to tell them to sit down in groups
-or-
to seat them in groups
-or-
to organize them into groups and tell them to sit down

on the green grass: The place where everyone was standing was a grassy area. Jesus wanted them to sit down where they were, that is, on the grass where they were standing. He was not telling them to go looking for grass to sit down on.

If grass is uncommon in your area, you may want to use a general term. For example:

on the ground

green grass: The term green grass refers to short grass that is fresh (green). It was not dry, brown grass.

General Comment on 6:39a–b

In some languages it may be natural to translate 6:39b using direct speech. For example:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Tell all the people to sit down in groups on the grass.”

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 2008

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 15:44

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 1:32

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 2:22

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 3:27

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 4:25

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 5:17

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 6:7

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 6:39

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