amazed / astonished / marvel

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The Greek that is translated as “astonished” or “amazed” or “marvel” in English is translated in Pwo Karen as “stand up very tall.” (In John 5:20, source: David Clark)

Elsewhere it is translated as “confusing the inside of the head” (Mende), “shiver in the liver” (Uduk, Laka), “to lose one’s heart” (Mískito, Tzotzil), “to shake” (Southern Bobo Madaré), “to be with mouth open” (Panao Huánuco Quechua) (source: Bratcher / Nida), “to stand with your mouth open” (Citak) (source: Stringer 2007, p. 120), “ceasing to think with the heart” (Bulu), “surprise in the heart” (Yamba) (source for this and one above: W. Reyburn in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 1ff. ), or “have one’s mouth full” (Maan (source: Don Slager).

In Mark 5:20 and elsewhere where the astonishment is a response to listening to Jesus, the translation is “listen quietly” in Central Tarahumara, “forget listening” (because they were so absorbed in what they heard that they forgot everything else) in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, “it was considered very strange by them” in Tzeltal (source: Bratcher / Nida), “in glad amazement” (to distinguish it from other kinds of amazement) (Quetzaltepec Mixe) (source: Robert Bascom), or “breath evaporated (or “escaped”)” (Mairasi) (source: Enngavoter 2004).

In Western Dani astonishment is emphasized with direct speech. In Mark 1:22, for instance, it says: “Wi!” yinuk, pi wareegwaarak — “They were all amazed, saying ‘Oh'” (source: Lourens De Vries in The Bible Translator 1992, p. 333ff. )

In Low German it is translated as grote Oken maken or “make big eyes” (sometime followed by: un kreegn dat Stillswiegen: “and became silent”) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).

In the Kölsch translation (Boch 2017) it is translated as brummte de Lück de Kopp or “the heads of the people buzzed,” Bauklötz jestaunt, lit. “marvel toy blocks,” and vür Staune de Muhl nit mieh zojekräch or “so full of marvel that they couldn’t close their mouths again.”

In the Pfälzisch translation by Walter Sauer (publ. 2012) it is often translated as baff vor staune or “speechless because of their marvel.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

See also amazed and astonished, astonished (Mark 6:51), and I’m astonished.

teach

The Greek that is translated as a form of “teach” is translated with some figurative phrases such as “to engrave the mind” (Ngäbere) or “to cause others to imitate” (Huichol). (Source: Bratcher / Nida)

In Noongar it is translated as karni-waangki or “truth saying” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

Mark 1:21b-28 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 1:21b-28 into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath:


© La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)

El sábado, el día de descanso, las personas fueron al templo y Jesús enseñaba.

La gente lo miró y pensó: antes de esto siempre hemos visto los maestros de la ley, primero aprenden algo y luego lo enseñan, pero Jesús es diferente, él sabe todo completo y enseña bien, ¡huy!

Mientras las personas estaban viendo (a Jesús) se paró un hombre que tenía un demonio adentro y gritó interrompiendo a las personas, y ellos se volvieron a ver el hombre que fue al frente y empezó a insultar a Jesús: ¿Tú, para qué has venido?, tú que vives en Nazaret, te conozco, huy, tú eres el santo de Dios, tú has venido para destruirme.

Jesús (dijo): “Silencio, te expulso, demonio”, y el hombre cayó en el piso convulsionando y pateando y el demonio adentro de él gritó y lo dejó.

Las personas lo vieron con asombro: ¿cómo es posible? Él, Jesús, puede enseñar en una manera nueva, puede expulsar demonios, lo obedecen y se piran, ¡huy!

La gente se levantó y en su camino advertieron y contaron (lo que había pasado) y se difundió por Galilea.


On Saturday, the day of rest, the people went to the religious building and Jesus taught.

The people watched him and thought: before this we have always seen the teachers of the law, they learn first and then they teach it, but Jesus is different, he knows it completely and he teaches well, wow!

As the people were watching (Jesus) a man who had a demon inside stood up and shouted, interrupting the people so that they all turned to see the man. He went to the front and started insulting Jesus: What have you come for? You, who live in Nazareth, I know you, wow, you are the holy one of God, you have come in order to destroy me.

Jesus (said): “Silence, get out demon”, the man fell on the ground writhing and kicking and inside him the demon screamed and left him.

The people watched him in amazement: How is this possible? He, Jesus can teach in a new way, he can throw out demons and they obey him and go away, wow!

The people got up and on their way they let people know and told them (what had happened) and it spread throughout Galilee.

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

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Mark 1:29-34 in Mexican Sign Language >>

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The Greek that is usually translated as “scribe” in English “were more than mere writers of the law. They were the trained interpreters of the law and expounders of tradition.”

Here are a number of its (back-) translations:

  • Yaka: “clerk in God’s house”
  • Amganad Ifugao: “man who wrote and taught in the synagogue”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “teaching-writer” (“an attempt to emphasize their dual function”)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “book-wise person”
  • San Blas Kuna: “one who knew the Jews’ ways”
  • Loma: “educated one”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “one knowing holy paper”
  • Central Mazahua: “writer of holy words”
  • Indonesian: “expert in the Torah”
  • Pamona: “man skilled in the ordinances” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Sinhala: “bearer-of-the-law”
  • Marathi: “one-learned-in-the-Scriptures”
  • Shona (1966): “expert of the law”
  • Balinese: “expert of the books of Torah”
  • Ekari: “one knowing paper/book”
  • Tboli: “one who taught the law God before caused Moses to write” (or “one who taught the law of Moses”) (source for this and 5 above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Noongar: Mammarapa-Warrinyang or “law man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Mairasi: “one who writes and explains Great Above One’s (=God’s) prohibitions” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Chichewa: “teacher of Laws” (source: Ernst Wendland)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “teachers of law”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “writer”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “person who teaches the law which Moses wrote”
  • Alekano: “man who knows wisdom” (source for this and four above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Saint Lucian Creole French: titcha lwa sé Jwif-la (“teacher of the law of the Jews”) (source: David Frank in Lexical Challenges in the St. Lucian Creole Bible Translation Project, 1998)
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz: “one who teaches the holy writings”
  • Atatláhuca Mixtec: “teacher of the words of the law”
  • Coatlán Mixe: “teacher of the religious law”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “one who is a teacher of the law which God gave to Moses back then”
  • Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “one who know well the law” (Source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Huixtán Tzotzil: “one who mistakenly thought he was teaching God’s commandments”(Huixtán Tzotzil frequently uses the verb -cuy to express “to mistakenly think something” from the point of view of the speaker; source: Marion M. Cowan in Notes on Translation 20/1966, pp. 6ff.)
  • Sumau: “law-knowing men” (source: this blog post by Todd Owen)
  • German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022): “theologian” and in the 1964 translation by Helmut Riethmüller: “theologian of scriptures” (Schrifttheologe)
  • English translation by Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023): Covenant Code scholar

In British Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “expert” and “law.” (Source: Anna Smith)


“Scribe” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL , used with permission)

Mark 1:21-28 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 1:21-28 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

Jesus and the four disciples came to the town of Capernaum. There is a house of prayer there. It was where the Jews gathered together every Sabbath to pray, to teach, to listen. It was the Sabbath day. Jesus went in there. He began to teach. The people listened attentively. They wondered:

— How is he teaching? There used to be teachers of the law, but here he was different; it was as if God had given him authority.

The people marveled. Suddenly some man jumped up. Satan was in him. He began to shout fearfully:

— You, Jesus of Nazareth! Why have you come here to us? You are planning to destroy us! I know you! God has chosen you!

Jesus looked at him and said:

— Be quiet! The demon in this man, get out!

The demon inside the man began to scream and thrash and jumped out, and the man fell down. The people around marveled, people began to say:

— How can this be? Jesus has the power to command Satan and Satan obeys.

The rumor of this miracle spread everywhere.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

Иисус вместе с четырьмя учениками прибыли в город Капернаум. Там есть дом молитвы. Туда каждую субботу собирались иудеи вместе, чтобы молиться, учить, слушать. Был день суббота. Иисус зашел туда. Начал учить. Народ слушал внимательно. Все удивлялись:

— Как это он учит? Раньше ходили учителя закона, но вот он совсем другой; как будто бы Бог дал ему власть.

Народ удивлялся. Вдруг вскочил какой-то человек. Сатана был в нем. Он начал страшно кричать:

— Ты, Иисус из Назарета! Ты зачем пришел сюда к нам? Ты задумал нас истребить! Я знаю тебя! Бог избрал тебя!

Иисус посмотрел на него и сказал:

— Замолчи! Бес в этом человеке, выйди вон!

Бес внутри человека стал кричать, биться и выскочил вон, а человек упал. Народ вокруг изумился, люди начали говорить:

— Как же это?! Иисус имеет власть приказывать сатане и сатана слушается.

Слух об этом чуде стал распространяться повсюду.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

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Mark 1:29-39 in Russian Sign Language >>

complete verse (Mark 1:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:22:

  • Uma: “The people were surprised to hear his teaching. Because he did not teach like the religion teachers. His teaching [was] like a person who really had-authority/power.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The people were amazed/wondered when they heard his preaching/teaching. For the teaching of Isa was really different from the teaching (usihat) of the religious-teachers of the religious law. For Isa had power when he spoke.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The people, when they heard his teaching, were very amazed, for his teaching was not like the teaching of the teachers of the law of the Jews. For Jesus, by contrast, had great power to teach.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The many-people were surprised by the way he taught, because in his teaching, they could-see that he had authority, which was not like the way of the teachers of the law.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The people were amazed, because it was clear from his words/speech that he was one who had true wisdom/understanding of what he was teaching. Not like the explainers of law who always mention/refer-to what had been taught by others.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Then, when he was teaching them. they were all startled. He taught them like one who had strength, not as the book wise ones did.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Balinese: “Ah, astonished were all the people there at His teaching, because He taught in the way of a man full of power, wholly otherwise than is the way of those learned in the religion of Taurat [Torah].” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “Well, they were overwhelmed by his teaching, because he taught them as someone who had authority, and not as the scribes.”

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("teaching")

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, oshie-rare-ru (教えられる) or “teaching” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Scriptures Plain & Simple (Mark 1:21-28)

Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Mark 1:21-28:

Jesus and his followers went to the town of Capernaum,
and when the Sabbath rolled around,
       Jesus entered the synagogue and started teaching.

Everyone was amazed at his powerful teaching —
       they’d never heard anything like this.

Suddenly a demon-possessed man rushed in, shouting,
“Jesus of Nazareth, have you come here to destroy us?
       I know you — you’re God’s Chosen One!”

“You demon, come out of this man!
       Be silent!” shouted Jesus.
After sending the man into a convulsion,
       the demon yelled and left.