abundance, surplus

The Greek that is translated as “(out of their) surplus (or: abundance)” is translated into Tabasco Chontal as “they gave money which they didn’t need” and into Tzeltal as “the left-over money.”

Mark 12:41 - 44 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 12:41-44 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)

Jesús se sentó a ver la caja en la cual las personas daban dinero para el templo. Varias personas ricas iban y daban dinero.

Una viuda pobre fue y dio dos centavos y se fue. Jesús la vio y dijo a sus discípulos: “Yo les digo la verdad, esta viuda pobre ha dado más dinero que las otras personas.

Porque todas las personas dan dinero y les sobra suficiente dinero, pero ella es una mujer pobre, ha dado dinero y ahora se agotó el dinero, no tiene dinero para comer.”


Jesus sat down to watch the box in which all the people gave money for the temple. Several rich people came and gave money.

A poor widow went and gave two cents and left. Jesus saw her and said to his disciples: “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more money than the other people.

“Because all the people give money and have enough money left over, but she is a poor woman, she has given money and now has no money left, she has no money for food.”

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

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Mark 13:1-13 in Mexican Sign Language >>

Mark 12:41-44 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 12:41-44 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

In the temple there is a collection box. Jesus sat down at a distance from the box and began to watch as people threw their offerings into the box. People came. There were many rich people. They brought large heavy purses with money, took a full handful of money from there and threw it into the box. The rich people walked one after another. But there was one woman, a poor widow. And she had only two small coins. She took these two small coins and threw them into the box. Jesus saw this and said to the disciples:

— I tell you for sure, this poor widow just put in more than everyone else! Why? Because the other people had more money, they put only a small part of it in the box. But this poor woman had only these two coins, and she threw both into the box.

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

В храме есть ящик для сбора пожертвований. Поодаль от ящика сел Иисус и стал смотреть, как люди бросают свои пожертвования в ящик. Люди приходили. Было много богатых людей. Они приносили большие тяжелые кошельки с деньгами, брали оттуда полную пригоршню денег и бросали в ящик. Шли богачи друг за другом. Но была одна женщина, бедная вдова. И у нее были только две маленькие монетки. Она взяла эти две маленькие монетки, да и бросила их в ящик. Иисус это увидел и сказал ученикам:

— Точно вам говорю, вот эта бедная вдова сейчас положил больше, чем все остальные! Почему? Потому что у остальных людей были еще деньги, они клали в ящик лишь небольшую их часть. А у этой бедной женщины были только эти две монетки, и обе она бросила в ящик.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

<< Mark 12:38-40 in Russian Sign Language
Mark 13:1-13 in Russian Sign Language >>

complete verse (Mark 12:44)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 12:44:

  • Uma: “For they gave from the excess of their wealth. But that woman, even though she is so poor/pitiable, she gave all that she had, even though actually she needed it for her daily life.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For they all,’ said Isa, ‘they give from their excess wealth. But this woman, even though she is poor, she has given all her money even what had been earmarked to help her need.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For all the others who have given here, they gave the excess of their wealth, but that poor woman, even though she is having a difficult time, she gave everything she had.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because as for the rest, it was only the excess of their wealth that they gave, but this widow, even-though she is poor, she gave all that she has-to-live-on.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because as for those others who have-lots-of-money, what they drop is the excess which they don’t need. But as for this widow, although her poverty is great, she dropped all she had left to live on.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 12:44

Exegesis:

ek tou perisseuontos autois ‘from that which abounds to them,’ ‘from their abundance’: the participle is the genitive of the neuter form to perisseuon ‘that which abounds.’

perisseuō (only here in Mark; cf. perisseuma 8.8) ‘to abound,’ ‘to be present in abundance.’

husterēseōs (only here in Mark; cf. hustereō 10.21) ‘lack,’ ‘need,’ ‘poverty.’

panta hosa (cf. 6.30; 11.24) ‘everything,’ ‘everything as much (as).’

bion (only here in Mark) ‘life’: here in terms of ‘livelihood,’ ‘means of living,’ ‘subsistence,’ ‘property.’

Translation:

Out of their abundance is neatly translated in the Tabasco Chontal as ‘they gave money which they didn’t need.’ In Tzeltal this is ‘the left-over money.’

In Bali the last of this verse is idiomatically rendered as ‘but she, being wholly destitute, has cast in all her money and has shaken out her house’ (as one shakes out a bag so that nothing is left in it), implying that all the money she had was given.

The idea of her whole living can also be translated as ‘all she had; this was her food’ (Tabasco Chontal) and ‘all she was going to eat’ (Copainalá Zoque).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 12:44

12:44a

For: The Greek connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces an explanation of 12:43. Some English versions do not use a connector. Use a natural way to connect 12:43 and 12:44 in your language.

they all contributed out of their surplus: This clause indicates that all of the rich people gave some money to God, but they still had plenty of money left. They had all the money they needed for food, clothes, and other things, even after they gave their offering. They did not give God any money that they really needed.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

They gave only what they did not need. (New Century Version)
-or-
they gave a tiny part of their surplus. (New Living Translation)

12:44b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but indicates a contrast with the previous clause. Try to make the contrast between the widow and the rich givers very clear in your language.

she out of her poverty has put in all she had: This clause indicates that the poor widow did not have any extra money. She did not even have enough money to buy the things that she really needed. She gave everything that she had to God.

out of her poverty: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as out of her poverty is literally “out of her lack.” “Lack” is the opposite of abundance. The phrase means that the woman did not have all the things that she needed. Try to use a word or phrase that contrasts with the wealth or abundance of the other givers. In some languages it may be necessary to follow the Contemporary English Version and make this into a separate clause:

she is very poor

put in all she had to live on: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as put in all that she had to live on is more literally “put in all, as much as she had, her whole life.” This clause emphasizes that the widow gave everything that she had that she needed to survive. Use an emphatic way to express this in your language. For example, the New International Version says:

put in everything—all she had to live on

all she had to live on: The phrase all she had to live on refers to the money that the widow could have used to buy food. She had no other savings.

Paragraph 13:1–2

13:1–2

Jesus left the temple with his disciples. Only one disciple is mentioned in 13:1–2, but it is clear from 13:3–4 that other disciples were there. They also heard the conversation between Jesus and that disciple.

13:1a

As Jesus was leaving the temple: The following verses (13:2–3) show that Jesus was not alone as he left the temple courtyard. It may therefore be necessary to say:

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving the temple courtyard
-or-
Jesus was leaving the temple courts with his disciples

If you choose to use the word “disciples” here, translate it the same way as you did in 12:43a.

temple: In this context, the word temple refers to the large, outer courtyard of the temple. It does not refer to the temple building itself. (The temple consisted of the temple building and the walls and courtyards that surrounded it. People did not meet inside the temple building because only the priests could go there.)

If people understand the word temple to refer only to the temple building, you may need to use a term like “temple courtyard” (as in the God’s Word).

Here are some ways to translate the term temple in this context:

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

courtyard of the house of God
-or-
courtyard of the house of sacrifice
-or-
holy/sacred house courtyard

• If your language has a word for “temple,” consider using it. But you may need to modify it by saying:

courtyard of the temple of the Jews/Lord
-or-
big/great temple courtyard

Translate this term as you did in 12:35a. See temple, Meaning 1, in the Glossary for more information about the temple and how to translate it.

13:1b

one of His disciples: If you mentioned the disciples in 13:1a, you could now use the word “them.” For example:

one of them

said to Him: The disciple’s words in 13:1b–c are an exclamation. In some languages it may be more natural to use a different verb like “exclaimed,” as in the Revised English Bible.

Teacher, look: The New International Version translates this phrase as “Look, Teacher!” You should place the word Teacher in the position that is most natural in your language.

Teacher: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. In some languages the appropriate way to address a religious teacher may be:

Sir Teacher
-or-
Sir
-or-
Master

Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a school teacher.

See how you translated this term in 12:32a.

look: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as look means “look” or “see.” It draws attention to what follows.

13:1c

at the magnificent stones and buildings!: The clause at the magnificent stones and buildings! is an exclamation. Other languages express exclamations in different ways. For example:

Look at these massive stones! Look at these magnificent buildings!
-or-
These are extremely massive stones! These are extremely magnificent buildings!

You should express these exclamations in a way that is natural in your language.

magnificent: The Greek word is literally “what type/manner of.” In a context like this, it shows admiration and means something like “how great.” For example:

huge (Revised English Bible)
-or-
massive (New International Version)
-or-
wonderful (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
beautiful (God’s Word)

stones: The word stones refers to the stone blocks of which the temple was made. Workers had to cut these stones to be the right shape for the building.

Here is another way to translate this:

What huge stones the builders used!

In some languages it may be helpful to mention the buildings before mentioning the stones. See the General Comment below for an example.

Paragraph 13:3–4

After Jesus and his disciples left the temple, they went down into a valley and climbed up the other side onto the Mount of Olives. Jesus sat down, and from there he could look across the valley to the temple.

13:3a

While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives: This part of the verse gives the location for the rest of this chapter.

Here is another way to translate this:

Soon after, Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives

It may also be natural to make explicit the fact that Jesus went/walked over to the Mount of Olives. For example:

Then Jesus went over to the Mount of Olives and sat down

the Mount of Olives: The Mount of Olives was a hill on the east side of Jerusalem. This hill had olive trees growing on it. The summit/top of this hill was higher than the hill on which the temple was built. So someone who was on the top of the Mount of Olives could see the temple on the other hill. Mark first introduced the expression the Mount of Olives in 11:1b. See how you translated it there.

13:3b

opposite the temple: The word opposite indicates that the temple was “across the valley from” or “facing” the Mount of Olives. When Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, he would be able to see the temple and the whole city of Jerusalem.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

facing the Temple (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
across the valley from the Temple (New Living Translation)

temple: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as temple is the same word as in 13:1a. If you translated this word as “temple courtyard” in 13:1a, you can translate it here as simply “temple.” See temple, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

13:3c

Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately: The four disciples Peter, James, John and Andrew came to Jesus as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives (13:3a). They wanted to ask him about what he had said in 13:2. The word privately indicates that they did not want anyone else to hear their question. The four disciples probably sat close to Jesus. His other disciples also may have been nearby but not close enough to hear what was said.

In some languages it may be natural to mention that the four disciples came/went near to Jesus. For example:

Peter, James, John, and Andrew went over to talk to Jesus privately. They asked him….
-or-
Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to Jesus when no one else was with him and asked him…

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