Translation commentary on Mark 2:19

Exegesis:

mē dunantai …: ‘are they able…?’: the implied answer to this form of the question in Greek is negative, ‘No!’

hoi huioi tou numphōnos: literally ‘the sons of the chamber of the bridegroom’: the Greek form of the Semitic idiom benei ha-chepah (cf. Koehler: chepah ‘chamber of bridegroom’). Commentators are divided over whether the word means, generally, ‘wedding guests’ (Revised Standard Version, The Modern Speech New Testament, Berkeley), or, in a more restricted sense, ‘the bridegroom’s attendants,’ ‘groomsmen’ (cf. Turner, Translator’s New Testament, Knox, Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale).

For other examples of the Semitic idiom ‘sons of…’ see 3.17; Mt. 23.15; Lk. 10.6; 16.8; 20.34, 36.

en hō ‘in (the time) which,’ ‘during the time,’ ‘while.’

hoson chronon ‘so long a time (as)’: the accusative case is used to express duration of time.

hosos (12 more times in Mark) ‘as long,’ ‘how long’ .

chronos (9.21) ‘time.’

Translation:

Said must in some languages be ‘asked’ (e.g. Chicahuaxtla Triqui).

There are few languages in which the idiom sons of the bridechamber can be reproduced literally. In fact, in some languages it implies the illegitimate children of the couple and in others a crude reference to the consummation of the marriage. One must therefore generally adopt an expression meaning ‘wedding guests’ or ‘friends of the bridegroom,’ and for either of these terms there are usually very satisfactory equivalents (cf. Pamona ‘those who accompany the bridegroom on the way to the bride’s house’). In a number of cultures the second meaning is particularly acceptable since there are customs closely paralleling the wedding practices of N.T. times.

The Greek form of the verse implies a negative reply, hence, ‘the wedding guests cannot fast can they….’ Many languages clearly distinguish between questions implying positive or negative replies, and accordingly, this subtle, but important, distinction in the Greek should be indicated. (The Revised Standard Version tends to overlook such distinctions.)

In asking the question as to fasting during the time that the bridegroom is with the wedding guests, the real problem is not whether the guests can, but whether they would want to fast. However, the form of the question occurs with can, for this makes the question all the more forceful, and hence the assumed inability to fast should, if possible, be clearly noted.

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 2:19

2:19–20

In these verses Jesus used an illustration or extended metaphor to answer the people’s question. He compared himself to a bridegroom and his disciples to a bridegroom’s friends.

The people listening to Jesus would have understood that he was comparing himself to a bridegroom and his disciples to the friends of the bridegroom. If your readers would not understand this, it may be necessary to make this explicit. See the General Comment on 2:19b–c for ways to express this.

2:19a

This sentence begins with the Greek connector that is often translated as “and.” It introduces Jesus’ response to the question that the people had just asked. Connect 2:18d and 2:19a in a natural way in your language.

Jesus replied: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as replied is a general verb of speech like “said” in English. Jesus answered the people’s question with an illustration. He introduced this illustration with a rhetorical question. Consider how to introduce his response in a natural way in your language. Here are some examples:

Jesus answered them with an illustration
-or-
In reply, Jesus asked them
-or-
Then Jesus used a comparison to answer them, saying…

2:19b–c

In this verse Jesus answered the people with a rhetorical question. Then he himself answered the question in a negative way. In some languages there may be a special way to express a rhetorical question and answer like that. The New Living Translation, 1996 edition has:

Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while they are with the groom.

Use a natural way in your language to express the meaning. The Notes on 2:19b and 2:19c will give more suggestions.

2:19b

How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them?: This is a rhetorical question that expects a negative answer. This question emphasizes that the guests of the bridegroom cannot fast while he is with them. Fasting would imply that the guests were sad or serious. It would not be appropriate for them to be sad while they were at the wedding feast with the bridegroom. (Every Jew knew that a Jewish bridegroom would celebrate his wedding with a feast that lasted for a week. No one would expect his guests to fast during that time.)

There are at least three ways to translate this rhetorical question:

• As a question. For example, the Revised Standard Version says:

Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?

• As a statement. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

The friends of a bridegroom don’t go without eating while he is still with them.

• As a statement with a tag question. For example, the NET Bible says:

The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they?

Use whichever form is most natural in your language to emphasize something that people know is true.

the guests of the bridegroom: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the guests of the bridegroom is literally “the sons of the wedding hall.” It refers to people who come to rejoice with the bridegroom at his wedding. There are at least two ways to translate this term:

• Use an expression that refers specifically to the bridegroom’s friends who come to his wedding. These friends may have a special role in the wedding. For example, the Contemporary English Version has:

the friends of a bridegroom

• Use a general expression that refers to people who come to a wedding. For example, the Revised Standard Version has:

the wedding guests

In some cultures marriage customs may be so different from those of the Jews that the term guests of the bridegroom may be difficult to translate. For example, there may be no celebration at the time of a couple’s marriage, or the bridegroom may not be involved in the celebration. If that is true in your culture, you may need to use a very general phrase. For example:

friends who are celebrating with the man-who-has-gotten-a-wife

fast: The verb fast here is another form of the verb that the Berean Standard Bible translated as “fasting” in 2:18a. You should use the appropriate form of the same expression here. Fasting often indicates that people are sorrowful or mourning. In contrast to the sorrow of fasting, the wedding guests rejoice and celebrate with a feast.

He: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He is literally “bridegroom.” It refers to a man who is marrying a wife. Jesus used the “bridegroom” in the metaphor to represent himself. Use a natural term in your language. (The figure of the bridegroom is used often in the Bible, so it is best to keep this figure if possible. Many times God spoke of himself as the bridegroom of Israel (see Isaiah 62:5) and referred to Israel as his bride (see Jeremiah 2:2). The church is also referred to as the bride of the Messiah or Jesus (see Revelation 21:9–10).)

2:19c

In this part of the verse Jesus answered his own question in 2:19b in a negative way. See the note on 2:19a–c for translation suggestions.

As long as He is with them: The phrase As long as as He is with them refers to the time of the wedding when the bridegroom is celebrating with his friends. In the metaphor this time represents the time that Jesus would be with the disciples here on earth.

He: The pronoun He refers to the bridegroom. In the metaphor this represents Jesus. In some languages it may therefore be necessary to use the first-person pronoun (I/me).

them: The pronoun them refers to the guests of the bridegroom. In the metaphor they represent Jesus’ disciples.

they cannot: The friends of the bridegroom could not fast because it would be inappropriate. They were celebrating their friend’s marriage, and it was a happy occasion. They would not want to fast. It was not, however, impossible, and so it may be necessary to translate this as:

they will/would not

General Comment on 2:19b–c

In some languages it may be necessary to translate these verse parts in a way that makes the meaning of the metaphor explicit. Here are some examples:

My disciples and I are like a bridegroom and his friends. Can the bridegroom’s friends fast while he is with them at the wedding feast? Of course they cannot fast then.
-or-
While I am with my disciples, how can they fast? They cannot, because they are happy/celebrating, just as a bridegroom’s friends celebrate with him at his wedding feast.
-or-
Just as the guests of a bridegroom do not abstain from food while the bridegroom is with them at the wedding feast, so my disciples do not abstain from food while I am with them.

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