12On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 14:12:
Uma: “The first day of the Feast of Bread with no Yeast arrived, when the Paskah sheep is slaughtered. At that time Yesus’ disciples said to him: ‘Lord, where shall we (excl.) prepare the Paskah food that we will eat? Where do you (sing.) want?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Na, the first day had come of the celebration when they ate bread not mixed with leaven. That day the people should slaughter the offspring of a sheep (and) eat it for-remembering when God brought-out/saved their tribe from death there in the land Misil long ago. Isa was asked by his disciples, they said, ‘Sir, where do you want us (excl.) to go and prepare for you the meal for this celebration?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The first day of the Feast of Eating Bread Without Yeast arrived. That was the day when the Jews killed the sacrificial young sheep which they eat on the Feast of Passing By. Then Jesus was asked by his disciples, they said, ‘Where is the house where you want us to cook to prepare your supper for the Feast of Passing By?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The first day of the fiesta called Bread With No Yeast then arrived, and that’s when they butchered the child of a sheep for the fiesta called Passed-By. The disciples of Jesus went to him and asked, ‘Where do you (sing.) want us (excl.) to go and prepare what we (incl.) will eat for the fiesta called Passed-By?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The day now came which was the beginning of the Fiesta of Bread Without Raising-agent, the day when the young sheep was killed which was the custom of the Fiesta of Passed-By. Jesus was questioned by his disciples, ‘Master,’ they said, ‘where do you want us (excl.) to prepare-the-meal which is the custom for this evening meal which is the Fiesta of Passed-by?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding Jesus).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Before the time of Abraham at least five breeds of sheep had already been developed in Mesopotamia. From mummified remains (that is, preserved dead bodies) and ancient art it is also known that at least two different breeds had reached Egypt by about 2000 B.C. Thus it is likely that the sheep mentioned in the Bible were of more than one breed.
The Hebrew word kar seems to be used of imported foreign sheep and may refer to a special breed but some scholars think it refers to a wether (castrated ram), since this word is never used in the context of sacrifice. This word is also used for a battering ram, that is, a heavy pole suspended on a rope, used in war for breaking down walls. ’Ayil is the word for a ram or adult male sheep, rachel is a breeding ewe or female sheep, and taleh is a very young lamb, probably still unweaned. The remaining Hebrew words refer to sheep in general.
The Greek word probaton is the general word for sheep, or flocks that may include goats. Krios is the Greek word for a ram or male sheep. Pascha is a technical name for the Passover lamb exclusively, and the remaining Greek words all mean lamb. Ovis is the Latin word for sheep.
Click or tap here for the rest of this entry in United Bible Societies’ All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible.
The early Hebrews were nomadic shepherds to whom sheep were the most important domestic animal. While goats eat almost any vegetation, sheep are much more selective about the grasses and plants they eat. This meant that suitable grazing for them was not always easy to find, and shepherds had to keep moving their flocks from place to place. This led to a nomadic lifestyle, with movable tents rather than houses being the normal household shelter. It was not until the occupation of Canaan after the Exodus that the lifestyle of the Israelites changed, and they became settled village-dwelling farmers and fruit growers.
However, even then, most households owned sheep, and some family members would function as shepherds, often living away from home for fairly long periods.
Sheep in the Bible were a source of meat, milk, wool, hides, and horns, and it seems likely that various strains were bred selectively to enhance production of these commodities. Wool is mentioned in the Bible as early as the Mosaic Law, which forbade the weaving of cloth containing both wool and plant fibers. The shearing of sheep is mentioned even earlier, in Genesis 31:19. Wool was in fact the most common and available fiber known to the people of Israel.
There was a very extensive wool trade in biblical times, stretching from Egypt to China. In the Middle East wool was cheaper than cotton or linen, which were the other common fibers. (Silk was known by the time of Solomon, but it was extremely expensive as it was produced in China and handled by numerous traders on its way west.) It would be a mistake to think of all wool at that time as being white, as Genesis 30 indicates quite clearly that there were also dark colored sheep and sheep that had dark and light patches, probably varying combinations of black, white, and brown.
We can be fairly sure that one breed of sheep known to the Israelites was the Fat-tailed Sheep Ovis laticaudata and that its fatty tail is referred to in Exodus 29:22, Leviticus 3:9 et al.
Rams’ horns had a variety of uses. Whole ram horns were used as drinking vessels, jars, and trumpets. But pieces of horn were used as handles for knives and other household implements, and for jewelry such as bracelets and beads. Needles too, and probably also arrow heads, were made from horn, as well as from bone and later from bronze and iron.
Sheep were also very important in Israelite religion. They were a very important element in the sacrificial system and in the traditional religious feasts, especially the Feast of Passover.
Sheep and goats belong to the same general family. They differ in that sheep produce wool, which is a special type of soft hair, among the ordinary hairs on their bodies. A ram’s horns too differ in shape from a goat’s horns, those of a ram curling down in a tight spiral beside its face, with those of a goat curving more gently back towards its shoulders. The sheep of biblical times produced much shorter wool than is common with wool-bearing breeds of today.
The fat-tailed or broad-tailed sheep is a smallish breed usually brown and white with a very broad tail. Like most other breeds of sheep in the Middle East it has large floppy ears.
Sheep are generally fairly timid animals, lacking the self-confidence and adaptability of goats. While goats will spread out in their search for food and then regroup without much difficulty, sheep become very insecure when they are separated from other sheep and tend to stay bunched together. They thus require a lot of shepherding. In the Middle East the method of shepherding involves training the dominant ram to follow the shepherd. The remaining sheep then follow this dominant ram, which often wears a wooden clapper or a bell. As they feed, the sheep usually keep within earshot of this sound. It is likely that this method is centuries old.
In most modern breeds only male sheep have horns, but in most ancient breeds female sheep had short horns too. This made separating sheep from goats in a single flock more difficult than it is today.
Of all animals the sheep was the most important for the Israelite nation. It had great religious, social, and economic importance.
The metaphor of a lamb is used in the New Testament to refer to Christ, with an emphasis on his being a sacrifice for the sin of the world. This is especially the case in John’s gospel and Revelation. In the latter book the metaphor is introduced in a very striking way. In Revelation 5:5 as the writer is mourning the fact that no one can be found to open the scroll, he is comforted by one of the elders who tells him that “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” has triumphed and can thus open the scroll. Then the writer, expecting to see the Lion, sees instead a Lamb that looks as if it has been killed for sacrifice. The remainder of the book is then concerned with describing the triumph of this Lamb over the forces of evil.
In the gospels Jesus also refers to his disciples as “sheep” and “lambs” (Matthew 10:17; John 10:1 et al.).
The metaphor of the shepherd is extended to God himself who is the ultimate “Shepherd of Israel” (Psalms 23:1; 80:1). Then those who are responsible for the nurture, guidance, ruling, and protection of Israel, be it kings, prophets, or priests, are also likened to shepherds (Isaiah 56:11; Jeremiah 23:4; 49:19; Ezekiel 34:2; Zechariah 10:2).
The Messiah is also called a shepherd (Isaiah 40:11), and Jesus refers to himself as “the good shepherd” (John 10:11). In Hebrews 13:20 he is referred to as “the great shepherd of the sheep” and in 1 Peter 2:25 he is called “the Shepherd and Guardian of your lives”.
In languages that have a word for sheep, it is advisable to translate according to the meanings given above. If possible, the feminine forms should be translated as “female lamb” or “female sheep”. In languages in which sheep are not known, a word has usually been coined or borrowed by the time Bible translation begins, and this word should be used. It is not advisable to substitute another locally well-known animal in this case, since doing so negates the ritual and symbolic importance that sheep had for the biblical cultures.
In translating Psalms 23:1 it is extremely important to make sure that the phrase “my shepherd” preserves the relationship intended by the writer and reflects the psalmist’s theme that Yahweh is his benefactor, protector, and guide. There are really two metaphors involved in the opening verse-the caring shepherd (God) and by clear implication, the dependent sheep (the psalmist). In many languages the literal phrase “my shepherd” depicts a wrong relationship, meaning something like “the one who looks after my sheep” or “the one I employ to watch my sheep.” In many African languages unwary translators have produced a rendering that means “The Chief is (nothing more than) my herdsman.” It is often necessary to restructure the whole verse as something like “I am a sheep, and the lord is my shepherd.”
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
tē prōtē hēmera ‘on the first day’: in the strictest sense the Passover lambs were not slain ‘on the first day of the Unleavened Bread,’ which was 15th Nisan (cf. v. 1), but on the day preceding, i.e. the afternoon of the 14th Nisan. It has been suggested by commentators, therefore, that the phrase be taken to mean ‘on the day before the Unleavened Bread.’ It would appear probable, however, that here the word ‘day’ is used in a general sense, and not in the precise meaning of the twenty-four hour period running from sundown to sundown. On Thursday afternoon, 14th Nisan, the lambs were slain, and at sundown that evening began the first day of the Unleavened Bread, 15th Nisan. In Lk. 22.7 a similar indication of time is found.
hote to pascha ethuon ‘when they slew the Passover (lamb)’: the verb is used in an impersonal sense, meaning ‘when the Passover lamb was slain.’ The imperfect ethuon ‘they were slaying’ indicates here a customary action: ‘when it was customary for them to kill.’
to pascha (cf. v. 1) ‘the Passover lamb’: here the animal is referred to, not the Feast, as in v. 1. The singular ‘passover lamb’ is used generically for all the lambs slain that afternoon.
thuō (only here in Mark) ‘slaughter,’ ‘kill,’ ‘sacrifice.’ The Greek word in the Septuagint translates both shachat ‘slay’ and zavach ‘sacrifice,’ and may mean either one in this passage.
pou theleis apelthontes hetoimasōmen…; ‘where do you want us to go and prepare…?’
hetoimazō (cf. 1.3) ‘prepare,’ ‘make ready.’
hina phagēs ‘in order that you may eat,’ ‘for you to eat.’
to pascha here is ‘the Passover meal’ (as in v. 14), in contrast with the Passover feast in v. 1, and Passover lamb in the first part of this verse.
Translation:
Day of Unleavened Bread often requires some type of more precise definition of the relationship between ‘day’ and ‘unleavened bread,’ e.g. ‘day of the festival of unleavened bread’ or ‘day of the time when unleavened bread was eaten.’ Certainly one must not use a typical possessive construction, ‘unleavened bread’s day,’ as has been done in so many languages.
Sacrificed in this context must often be translated merely as ‘killed.’
Passover lamb has not infrequently been translated as ‘the passing-over lamb,’ a phrase which was interpreted to mean that the lamb in question passed over something. In order that the relationships between the component parts may be clear one may render this phrase as ‘lamb to remember the passing over’ (Amganad Ifugao), ‘lamb of the passing-over day’ (Eastern Krahn), or ‘lamb for the pascua day,’ in which pascua has been borrowed from Spanish (Copainalá Zoque).
Eat the passover may be completely meaningless in a literal translation, e.g. ‘eat the passing-over.’ Hence, one may need to employ a phrase such as ‘eat the meal that reminds people of the passing over.’
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 .
Jesus celebrated the Passover Festival with his disciples
In the previous section, 14:10–11, Judas began to look for a way to betray Jesus. In this section, Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover Festival together. People often celebrated the Festival of Passover with their families. Jesus celebrated it with his twelve closest disciples.
Normally, a teacher’s disciples prepared the celebration. But on this occasion Jesus had already arranged for a place to eat and for the food. Then he sent two of his disciples to make the final preparations. That evening as they were eating the Passover meal, Jesus told them that one of them would betray him.
Scholars have different views about when Jesus ate the Passover feast, but these views will probably not affect the way you translate the verses.
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 and the disciples celebrated the Passover -or-
Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with His Disciples (Good News Bible)
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 26:17–25, Luke 22:7–14, and John 13:21–30.
Paragraph 14:12
14:12a
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread: This verse begins a new part of the story about Jesus. Most English versions begin this part of the story with the time phrase On the first day. In this context the first day refers to the day number one of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
It was now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (New Century Version) -or-
When the first day of the Unleavened Bread Feast arrived
the Feast of Unleavened Bread: The phrase The Feast of Unleavened Bread refers to the festival during which the Jews ate only unleavened bread. Unleavened bread is bread made without yeast.
See how you translated this festival in 14:1a.
14:12b
when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed: The words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed are literally “when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed.” The tense of the verb indicates that this was the normal custom of the Jews. The first day of Unleavened Bread was the day when each family brought a lamb to the priest at the temple. The priest would kill the lamb and the family would eat it as part of the Passover feast that night.
In some languages a literal translation of Passover lamb may convey the wrong meaning that only one lamb was sacrificed for all the Jews. So it may be necessary to use the plural form. For example:
when they/Jews sacrifice their lambs for the Passover feast -or-
the day the lambs for the Passover meal were killed (Good News Bible)
Passover: The term Passover refers to one of the Jewish festivals. The Jewish people celebrated Passover to remember how the Lord delivered their ancestors from death. The angel of death “passed over” their homes and did not kill their children. See the note on 14:1a for more details.
sacrificed: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sacrificed means to offer or dedicate an animal to God by killing it. Here the focus of the word sacrificed is more on slaughtering or killing the lamb than on offering or dedicating it. Some languages require a long expression to translate the word “sacrifice.” If that is true in your language, it may be better to use a general term such as “slaughter” or “kill.” For example:
the day the lambs for the Passover meal were killed (Good News Bible)
General Comment on 14:12a–b
The information in 14:12a–b is background information. It tells about what normally happened at the time of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In some languages it may be necessary to use more than one sentence to express this information. For example:
It was the first day of the feast when the Jews ate unraised bread. On that day families customarily slaughtered a lamb for the feast called Passover. It was on that day of the feast that the disciples of Jesus…
14:12c
Jesus’ disciples asked Him: In some languages it may be necessary to introduce the disciples’ question by indicating that they came to Jesus. For example:
Jesus’ disciples came to him and asked -or-
Jesus’ disciples gathered and approached Jesus. They asked him…
disciples: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as disciples means “learners” who are in a relationship with a teacher. The learners commit themselves to their teacher in order to learn from him and live according to his teaching and example. In the New Testament disciples often lived with their teacher and followed him wherever he went.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
students/learners -or-
apprentices -or-
followers
See how you translated this term at 2:15b. See also disciple in the Glossary for more information.
asked: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as asked is a general verb that can be used to introduce any type of speech. In this context it introduces a question. Use a verb that is natural in your language.
14:12d–e
Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?: The Old Testament required the Jews to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. Since Jesus and the disciples did not live in Jerusalem, they needed to arrange for a place there to eat the Passover meal. The question in this verse implies “where in Jerusalem do you want us to prepare for the Passover meal?”
14:12d
want us to prepare: The words want us to prepare indicate here that the disciples expected Jesus to give them instructions about arranging for the Passover. Then he would send them to make arrangements with his authority. In some languages there may be a special expression to use in a situation like this. For example:
Where do you want to send us(excl) to prepare…to eat the Passover? -or-
What instructions do you have for us(excl) about where to arrange for our(incl) Passover celebration?
us: The pronoun us refers to the disciples. It does not include Jesus.
14:12e
for You to eat the Passover: In Greek, the form that the Berean Standard Bible translates as You is singular, but Jesus and the disciples would eat the Passover together. The disciples probably used a singular form because they were focusing on Jesus as their leader. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate in some way that the disciples would also eat the Passover meal. For example:
Where do you(sing) want us(excl)to go to prepare food so that we(incl) can eat the Passover supper?
eat the Passover: The phrase eat the Passover refers to eating the special meal that people ate when they celebrated the Passover festival.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
eat the food of the Festival of Passover -or-
the Passover meal (God’s Word)
Passover: See how you translated this term in 14:1a.
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