SIL Translator’s Notes on Mark 2008 – Page 81

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 8:3

8:3–4

There is implied information that connects 8:3 and 8:4. In 8:3 Jesus implied that he wanted to feed the crowd before he sent them home. In 8:4 the disciples implied that they thought that it would be impossible to feed the crowd. In some languages it may be necessary to make this connection more explicit. For example, the Good News Bible translates 8:3a as:

If I send them home without feeding them…

In other languages it may be more natural to put the implied information after 8:3 or near the beginning of 8:4. For example:

3b–c“If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way. Some have come a great distance. We should feed them.” His disciples answered, “Do you want us to feed them? Where could anyone…?”

8:3a–b

If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way: This clause expresses a situation that Jesus was thinking about. It was not something that would actually happen.

Here is another way to translate this:

I do not want to send them home hungry because then they might collapse

Languages often have special ways to express imagined situations like this. Use a natural way in your language.

send them home: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as send means to “send away, dismiss.” To send them home means “to tell them to return to their homes.” In some languages it may be natural to use a phrase like “cause them to go home.” Be careful not to imply that Jesus intended to force people to go to their homes.

they will faint: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faint means “to become weary, weak, exhausted.” It refers to being unable to complete the journey because of hunger.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

collapse (New International Version)
-or-
become exhausted (God’s Word)

along the way: The phrase along the way refers to the journey that the people would make in order to return to their homes.

8:3c

For some of them have come a great distance: Jesus was saying that some people in the crowd had traveled several hours or days from their homes to be with him. This statement implies that they would also have to travel a long distance in order to return to their homes.

General Comment on 8:3a–c

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of the parts of this verse. For example:

3cSome of these people have come from far places. 3aIf I send them home hungry, 3bthey will collapse on the way.

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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 8:35

8:35–37

life: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as life is literally “soul.” It is used in two different ways in these verses:

(a) It refers to a person’s life on this earth, that is, to the person’s physical life that ends when he or she dies. It is used in this way in 8:35a and 8:35b, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “life.”

(b) It refers to a person’s spiritual life. It is used in this way in 8:36b and 8:37, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “soul.” The pronoun “it” in 8:35a and 8:35b also refers to a person’s spiritual life. A person’s spiritual life is his true life or eternal life with God.

Notice that because of these two different meanings, you may need to translate the word in different ways in your language. The following notes will give suggestions for each context.

8:35a

For: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason or explanation for Jesus’ commands in 8:34. A person should obey these commands because whoever avoids following Christ because he wants to save his physical life will not gain true life with God. However, a person who becomes a disciple and dies because of it will experience true life with God.

In some languages, it may be more natural to use a phrase to express this connection. For example:

The reason is, whoever wants…
-or-
The reason why a person should do this is that whoever wants…
-or-
Because whoever doesn’t follow Me because he wants… (Translator’s Reference Translation)

In other languages an explicit connecting word or phrase may not be needed. Show this connection in a way that is natural in your language.

whoever wants to save his life: The phrase whoever wants to save his life refers here to a person who wants to protect his physical life in the world. He does not want to die for Jesus. He is not willing to become a disciple by denying himself and being ready to die (8:35b).

Here are some other ways to translate this:

whoever wants to protect his own life
-or-
if you want to guard your life on this earth
-or-
whoever tries to save himself so that he will not have to die for me

his life…it: In this part of the verse, the word life and the pronoun it refer to two different meanings of “life.” The word life refers to a person’s physical life in this world. The pronoun it refers to a person’s eternal life with God.

will lose it: The phrase lose it refers to losing true life, that is, life with God that lasts forever. The person will fail to experience that life either here on earth or in heaven after he dies. He will eventually lose his physical life because no one can live forever. He will also lose the opportunity to gain true life with God.

In some languages, a literal translation of “lose” may imply that a person misplaces something and is unable to find it. It may also imply that a person who already has eternal life will lose it. Be careful to avoid both these implications.

Here are some other ways to express the correct meaning:

will forfeit true life
-or-
will lose the opportunity to gain eternal life
-or-
will not gain life with God

8:35b

whoever loses his life: The phrase whoever loses his life refers to anyone who loses his physical life, that is, who dies or is killed.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

But if you give up your life (New Living Translation)
-or-
But if people kill you
-or-
But if you die

for My sake: The phrase for My sake gives a reason for which a disciple must be willing to die. He must be ready to die because of his faith in Christ and his desire to obey Christ.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

because you believe in me
-or-
on account of his loyalty to me
-or-
because of his following/serving me

Be careful not to translate the phrase for My sake in the sense of “for my benefit” or “in my place.” That is often the correct meaning in the context of Christ dying for us. It is not correct in the context of a disciple dying for Christ.

and for the gospel: This phrase gives a related reason for which a disciple must be willing to die. He must be ready to die because he tells other people about the gospel. The TRT has another way to translate this phrase:

because he is teaching others the good news about me

the gospel: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the gospel means “the good news.” In Mark, this phrase refers to the good news about Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God.

Here are some other ways to translate gospel:

good/sweet news
-or-
good news about Jesus Christ
-or-
good news from God
-or-
message/report that causes joy

Be sure that the term you choose does not refer only to a news report or to a story that is not true.

will save it: The pronoun it refers to a person’s eternal life with God, as in 8:35a. The person who gives up his earthly life for Jesus will save himself from spiritual death. He will gain true life with God forever.

Here are some other ways to translate will save it:

will find/have true life (New Living Translation, 1996 edition, New Century Version)
-or-
will have life
-or-
will gain/experience life that is forever

General Comment on 8:35a–b

In some languages it may be unnatural or impossible to translate “life” as a noun here. It also may not be natural to refer to it as something that can be lost or kept.

Here is an example of how to translate life as a verb:

For whoever is determined to keep on living on this earth will not be able to live forever with God. Whoever is willing to die because he believes in me and wants to tell others the good news about me, will live forever with God.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 9:31

9:31a

because He was teaching His disciples: Jesus wanted to teach his disciples privately. You may want to include that implied information. For example:

he was teaching only his disciples
-or-
he was teaching his disciples privately

General Comment on 9:30c–31a

In these verses, 9:31a expresses the reason for the result in 9:30c. In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of these clauses. For example:

31aHe was teaching his disciples. 30cThat is why he did not want anyone to know where they were.
-or-
31a
As they were going, Jesus began to teach his disciples privately. 30cSo he did not want anyone to know where they were.

9:31b

He told them: The phrase He told them introduces what Jesus was teaching. You should translate 9:31b in a way that clearly connects the statement “because he was teaching his disciples” (9:31a) with the content of what Jesus was teaching (9:31c–e).

Here are some other ways to make this connection clear:

31afor he was teaching his disciples, 31bsaying to them (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
31afor he was teaching his disciples 31band telling them (NET Bible)
-or-
31abecause he was teaching his disciples. 31bThis is what he taught them:

9:31c–e

See the General Comment on 9:31c–e after 9:31e for a way to translate 9:31c–e as indirect speech.

9:31c

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.” It is a title that Jesus often used to refer to himself. It implies that:

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

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

Some ways to translate this title are:

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

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

The phrase The Son of Man also occurs in 9:9c and 9:12d. You should translate it here as you did there.

will be delivered: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be delivered refers to something that would definitely happen in the near future.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

will soon be betrayed
-or-
is now to be handed over (Revised English Bible)

delivered: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as delivered means “given into the power of someone else.” It often refers to a person being delivered to his enemies. This expression could have two meanings here:

(a) Judas would give Jesus into the power of his enemies.

(b) God would cause Jesus to be given into the power of people. Then they would kill him and so fulfill God’s plan.

It is possible that both meanings are meant. If possible, translate this in a general way that allows both meanings. For example:

is about to be betrayed
-or-
will soon be put/placed into the power of his enemies

This is a passive verb. If possible, avoid saying who did this action. If it is necessary in your language to say who did it, use an expression that allows either God and Judas to be understood. For example:

someone is going to betray

See how you translated the active verb “betrayed” in 3:19.

into the hands of men: The phrase into the hands of men is a figure of speech. It means “under the power of people.” In this context, this expression refers to Jesus being under the power of people who will harm him. In some languages, this expression is implied in the verb. It does not need to be explicitly translated.

The Contemporary English Version has:

over to people

Do not translate this in a way that means people will protect him. In some languages it may be necessary to make it clear that these people wish to do him harm. For example:

into the power of his/my enemies

9:31d

Him: Jesus was still referring to himself here. Continue to indicate that in a natural way in your language. For example, if you used a form like “I” with “Son of Man” in 9:31c, you will probably use a form like “me” rather than Him here.

9:31e

and: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and here introduces what happens next. What happens next is not what normally happens. Also, there is some contrast to people killing Jesus (9:31d) and him rising from death (9:31e). So some other ways to connect 9:31e to 9:31d are:

however (Good News Bible)
-or-
But (Contemporary English Version)

after three days: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as after three days is literally “when he is killed, after three days” (as in the Revised Standard Version). Jesus would come alive again three days after people killed him.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Three days later (Good News Bible)
-or-
three days after being killed (New Revised Standard Version)

See how you translated this phrase in 8:31e.

He will rise: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He will rise means “he will live again.”

Here are some other ways to translate this:

he will rise from the dead (New Living Translation)
-or-
he will come back to life (God’s Word)
-or-
he will become alive again

See how you translated a similar clause in 8:31c.

He: Jesus was still referring to himself here. Continue to indicate this in a natural way in your language. For example, if you used a form like “I” with “Son of Man” in 9:31c, you should continue to use a form like “I” here, rather than He.

General Comment on 9:31c–e

In some languages it may be more natural to translate 9:31c–e as indirect speech. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

31abecause he was teaching the disciples 31bthat 31cthe Son of Man would be handed over to people 31dwho would kill him. 31eBut three days later he would rise to life.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 10:14

10:14a

He was indignant: The word indignant means “angry” or “upset.” Jesus was upset or angry because the disciples told the parents not to bring the children to him.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

he became angry (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he was greatly displeased (New King James Version)

10:14b–c

Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them!: There are two commands in this part of the verse: Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them. These commands have similar meanings. Jesus repeated his meaning in two different ways to emphasize what he said.

In some languages it may be more natural to give the negative command first. For example:

Do not forbid the children to come to me. Allow them to come….

In other languages it may be more natural to combine the two commands. For example, the God’s Word has:

Don’t stop the children from coming to me.

Translate these two commands in a natural way in your language.

Let: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Let means “allow” or “permit.” For example:

Allow the little children to come to me.

hinder: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hinder means “forbid” or “stop.”

Here are some other ways to translate this command:

do not stop them (Good News Bible)
-or-
do not forbid their coming to me

10:14d

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason for Jesus’ commands to his disciples in 10:14c. Another way to translate this conjunction is “because.”

the kingdom of God belongs to such as these: The phrase kingdom of God refers to God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. It does not refer to a land or country that he rules over. It refers to the relationship that he has with his people. He leads, protects, and cares for them. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king.

The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the kingdom of God belongs to such as these means “people like this have the right/privilege to be included in the group of people whom God rules.” It does not mean that such people own the kingdom of God. See also kingdom of God, Context 2, in the Glossary.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Children like these are part of the kingdom of God. (God’s Word)
-or-
…it is people like these children who will live under God’s chieftaincy.
-or-
…it is people like these children who are citizens of the kingdom of God.
-or-
…God cares for little ones like these as their king.

such as these: The phrase such as these means “people like these children.” It probably refers to people who are humble and depend on God. They are like children who depend on their parents. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:

…because the kingdom of God belongs to people who depend on God like these children depend on their parents.
-or-
…for it is people who are trustful/trusting like these children who will live in the kingdom of God.

General Comment on 10:14c–d

In these verses, 10:14d expresses the reason for the result in 10:14c. In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of these clauses. For example:

14dThe kingdom of God belongs to little children as these, 14cso let them come to me, and do not hinder them.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 10:46

Section 10:46–52

Jesus healed a blind man named Bartimaeus

As Jesus and his disciples continued their journey to Jerusalem, they came to Jericho. When they left that city, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, asked Jesus to heal him and make him able to see. Jesus healed Bartimaeus and told him that the reason Bartimaeus could now see was because he had believed in Jesus.

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

Here are some other headings for this section:

Jesus Gives Sight to Bartimaeus (God’s Word)
-or-
Jesus Heals a Blind Man (New Century Version)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 9:27–31, 20:29–34 and Luke 18:35–43.

Paragraph 10:46–52

10:46

This verse introduces a new section. It gives background information about what was happening before the first action of the story begins in 10:47. Be sure to express this background information in the order and way that is natural in your language. See the General Comment on 10:46a–c after 10:46c for suggestions.

10:46a–b

Next: The events in this section probably happened soon after the events in the preceding section. The Berean Standard Bible introduces this story with the word Next.

Here are some other ways to introduce this section:

Then (New International Version)
-or-
Soon after that
-or-
After that

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

they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho: In this verse Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho and then left it. The events in this story happened while they were leaving the city of Jericho. Be sure that this is clear in your translation.

they: Since this is a new section, you may need to make clear to whom the pronoun they refers. For example:

Jesus and his disciples

Notice that Jesus and his disciples are specifically mentioned in 10:46b. If you use a phrase to refer to them here, you may not need to repeat the whole phrase again in 10:46b.

Jericho: Jericho is a town or city that is between Jerusalem and the Jordan River. It is located about 24 kilometers (12.5 miles) northeast of Jerusalem. Since this is the only time that Jericho is mentioned in the book of Mark, you may need to identify it more clearly. For example, The New Century Version has:

the town of Jericho

His disciples: This is the same word as in 10:23a.

10:46c

a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus: This long phrase introduces an important person in this section. It gives information about him. You may need to put some of this information in separate sentences. For example:

A blind man named Bartimaeus was there. He was the son of Timaeus.

See the following notes for other examples.

the son of Timaeus: The Greek says literally “the son of Timaeus Bartimaeus.” There are two ways to interpret the phrase here:

(1) It identifies Bartimaeus as the son of Timaeus. For example, the Revised Standard Version says:

a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible, King James Version, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version, English Standard Version, NET Bible)

(2) It explains the meaning of the Aramaic name Bartimaeus. For example, the New International Version says:

(that is, the Son of Timaeus)

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

Both interpretations have good support in versions and commentaries. There is not a great difference of meaning between them. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), as the majority of English versions do.

a blind beggar named Bartimaeus…was sitting beside the road: There is a textual issue here. It concerns whether the text describes Bartimaeus as a beggar or as a person begging (as an action at that time). There is not a great difference in meaning. You should refer to Bartimaeus and what he was doing at the beginning of this story in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

There was a blind man named Bartimaeus sitting beside the road. He was begging.
-or-
Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road.

beggar: The word beggar indicates here that Bartimaeus was humbly requesting something. In some languages it is necessary to indicate what he was requesting and whom he was requesting it from. For example:

a blind man named Bartimaeus, the Son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road and was begging the people who passed by on the road to give him money/something.

General Comment on 10:46a–c

Languages have different ways to express background information at the beginning of a story and to introduce new people. Use a natural way in your language to do this here.

Here is one way to do this in English:

46aJesus and his disciples came to the city of Jericho. 46bWhen they left the city, there was a large crowd with them. As they walked along, 46cthey saw a man sitting by the roadside. His name was Bartimaeus, and he was the son of Timaeus. He was a blind man, so he sat and begged the people who passed by to give him money.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 11:31

11:31a

They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as They deliberated among themselves what they should answer is more literally “And they were reasoning with each other, saying.” The verb “reasoning” and “saying” refer to the same action. The following verses tell what the leaders said to each other in their discussion. In some languages, it is not necessary to have both “reasoning” and “saying” here. Here are some other ways to translate this:

They started to argue among themselves (Good News Bible)
-or-
They talked to each other about it. They said (NIRV)

They deliberated among themselves: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as They deliberated is literally “they were discussing.” If you need to make explicit what they were discussing, you could say:

They deliberated among themselves how they should answer him
-or-
They were deliberating the matter among themselves

You could also use direct speech here. For example:

They asked one another, “How shall we answer his question?”

They: The pronoun They refers to “the chief priests, the scribes and the elders” in 11:27c. You may need to refer to them specifically rather than use a pronoun here.

11:31b–32a

The Jewish leaders discussed how they should answer Jesus. They imagined what would happen if they gave each possible answer. So one way to express 11:31b–32a would be to use the “if…then” form. For example:

31b
If we say…31cthen he will ask…32abut if we say…

The thought in 11:32a is interrupted, so there is not a “then” clause in 11:32b.

11:31b

The Jewish leaders considered one possible answer that they could give Jesus.

If we say, ‘From heaven’: There is a textual issue in this part of the verse. In some Greek manuscripts, this part of the verse starts with the question “What shall we say?”:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts do not have the question “What shall we say?” For example, the New Living Translation says:

If we say it was from heaven

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

(2) Some Greek manuscripts have the question “What shall we say?” For example, the Good News Bible says:

What shall we say? If we answer, “From God,”

(Good News Bible, Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), as the majority of English versions do.

The phrase ‘From heaven’ is a quote within another quote. The Berean Standard Bible shows this with single quote marks around ‘From heaven.’

In some languages it may be necessary to express 11:31b as an indirect quotation. For example:

If we say that his authority came from heaven…
-or-
If we say that John’s baptism was from heaven…
-or-
If we say it was from heaven… (New Living Translation)

You may need to supply words such as “his authority” or “John’s baptism” to make their reply into a complete sentence. If that is true, use wording that agrees with what you used in 11:30a.

From heaven: The phrase From heaven refers to God, as in 11:30a. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

If we answer, “John’s baptism was from God…” (New Century Version)

See heaven, Meaning 3, in the Glossary.

11:31c

He will ask: The pronoun He refers to Jesus. The Jewish leaders began to imagine here what Jesus would say if they said that John’s authority was from God. The words He will ask introduce what they believed Jesus would say to them.

‘Why then did you not believe him?’: The question Why then did you not believe him? is a quote within another quote. The Berean Standard Bible shows this with single quotes around this question. In some languages it may be necessary to express this as an indirect quotation. For example:

…then he will ask us why we did not believe him.

believe him: Here the phrase believe him means “believe what John said.”

Here are some other ways to translate this:

accept that what he said was true
-or-
agree with what John said

See also believe, meaning 1, in the Glossary.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 12:34

12:34a

When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely: Jesus realized that the scribe had spoken wisely.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

When Jesus heard how wisely the man answered (God’s Word)
-or-
Realizing how much the man understood… (New Living Translation)
-or-
Jesus noticed how wise his answer was (Good News Bible)
-or-
The man’s answer showed that he was wise, so Jesus said to him

12:34b

You are not far from the kingdom of God: Here Jesus praised the man for the attitude and belief that he expressed in 12:32–33. The phrase not far from the kingdom of God indicates the man was almost ready to submit to God’s rule and become one of the people whom God cares for as king. It does not refer to the location of the man or of the kingdom.

Here are some other ways to translate You are not far from the kingdom of God:

You are almost ready to know/acknowledge God as your king
-or-
You are almost prepared to submit to God’s rule/chieftaincy
-or-
You are nearly ready to become one of the people whom God rules.

See the note on 9:47b for discussion of a similar context.

kingdom of God: The phrase kingdom of God refers to God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. It does not refer to a land or country that he rules over. It refers to the relationship that he has with his people. He leads, protects, and cares for them. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

• As a noun. For example:

God’s rule/reign
-or-
God’s kingship
-or-
God’s chieftaincy
-or-
God’s government

• As a verbal expression:

God ruling his people
-or-
God caring for his people as king

See also kingdom of God, Context 1, in the Glossary.

12:34c

no one dared to question Him: People were afraid to test Jesus with any more hard or tricky questions. They realized that he was very skillful at answering questions wisely. In the remainder of the book of Mark, Jesus’ disciples did ask him more questions, and some of them were rhetorical. But from this point on there is no record in Mark that anyone asked Jesus any more questions to try to trick him. (When Jesus said “you are not far from the kingdom,” that seems to indicate that the man’s agreement in 12:32–33 with Jesus’ answer showed that the man was asking a sincere question in 12:28. Or perhaps it meant that the man could state what a Jewish person should do but did not personally do that himself. On the other hand, no one dared ask Jesus any more questions. Why? Perhaps this indicates that the man’s question was not sincere after all, but tricky.)

dared: The word dared indicates that no one felt bold enough to ask Jesus any more difficult questions. They felt unable to trick him because he had answered every question so wisely.

any further: The phrase any further refers to the time period that began when Jesus said the words in 12:34a–b and continued into the future.

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SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 13:25

13:25a

the stars will fall from the sky: The clause the stars will fall from the sky indicates that the stars will fall out of their positions in the sky. It is not clear whether they will fall all the way to the earth.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

The stars will fall out of the sky
-or-
The stars will fall from their positions in the sky

In some languages it may be unnaturally redundant to say that stars fall from the sky. If that is true in your language, you may make the phrase from the sky implicit. For example:

The stars will fall

13:25b

and the powers of the heavens: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as powers of the heavens is probably a poetic way to refer to the stars and other lights in the sky. It may also refer figuratively to spiritual forces that controlled the stars and other heavenly lights. These forces include Satan and his evil spirits. (This interpretation is mentioned as a possibility by UBS Handbook (page 414), TRT (page 180), and others. Greek writers sometimes referred to these lights as the “armies” or “powers” of the heavens. Other scholars understand “powers in the heavens” to refer to the stars as the armies of heaven. Still others, including Edwards (page 402), speak of the other heavenly bodies as being included.)

In most languages it will not be possible to find an expression that refers both to stars and to powerful beings in the sky. If that is true in your language, you may use an expression that refers to the stars or to all the lights in the sky. You may also want to add a footnote that gives the figurative meaning along with an explanation. For example:

Literally, the “powers” or “armies” in the sky. This phrase probably refers figuratively to the stars and other lights in the sky. It may also refer to evil spirits. Many people thought that evil spirits controlled the stars.

heavens: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heavens means “in the sky.” This is the same Greek word as the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “sky” in 13:25a. It does not refer to heaven where God lives. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

in the sky

See also heaven, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

will be shaken: The phrase will be shaken means “will be shaken violently/strongly,” so that they fall from their positions.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

will be driven from their courses (Good News Bible)

The verb is passive. In some languages it may not be natural to use a passive verb here. If that is true in your language, here are some options to consider:

• Choose a verb that does not need to indicate an actor. For example:

will move/shift chaotically

• Use an impersonal expression. For example:

something will force [the heavenly bodies] from their normal places

• Supply God as the actor. This option should only be used if it is necessary. For example:

and God will violently shake all these things in the sky

Paragraph 13:26–27

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 2008

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 8:3

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 8:35

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 9:31

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 10:14

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 10:46

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 11:31

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 12:34

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 13:25

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American Bible Society