The Greek in Mark 4:19 that is translated as “desire for other things” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with the modern term Konsumgier or “consumerism” (lit.: “greed of consumption”).
worries of the world / cares of this age
The Greek in Mark 4:19 that is translated as “worries (or: cares) of the world (or: this age)” in English is (back-) translated in a number of ways:
- Kekchí: “they think very much about these days now”
- Farefare: “they begin to worry about this world-things”
- Tzeltal: “their hearts are gone doing what they do when they pass through world” (where the last phrase is an idiomatic equivalent for “this life”
- Mitla Zapotec and San Mateo del Mar Huave: “they think intensely about things in this world”
- Eastern Highland Otomi and Pamona: “the longing for this world”
- Tzotzil: “they are very occupied about things in the world”
- Central Tarahumara: “they are very much afraid about what will happen in the world”
- Shilluk: “the heavy talk about things in the world”
- Bariai: “things of the earth are making them worried (lit. to have various interiors)” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
See also end of the age / end of the world.
Mark 4:13-20 in Russian Sign Language
Following is the translation of Mark 4:13-20 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:
Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество
Jesus turned to the twelve closest disciples and others who were with him:
— Have you understood my parables about the sower?
They replied:
— No, we did not understand.
Jesus said:
— I will tell other parables. How will you understand me? I will explain it to you now. The seed is the word of God. The sower is the person who tells the word of God to the people. The seed that fell on the road is the people who, though they heard the word, did not accept it. Their eyes were closed. Satan sees that the seed fell on the road and takes everything away.
Stony ground, there is a little bit of earth on top — these are the people who heard the word and gladly accepted it. But the seed could not take deep roots, because after some time these people had difficulties, troubles, condemnation of others, and these people give up their faith because of fear. Therefore, the seed sprouted but dried up.
Third. The seed that fell on the soil with weeds. This is a situation where people listen to God’s word, but they want more money, they think about worldly problems: this is how weeds destroy the sprouts of God’s word.
Fourth. Good, fertile soil is people who hear God’s word, agree and accept it, change their lives and do many good deeds that bear good fruit.
Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):
Иисус обратился к двенадцати ближайшим ученикам и другим людям, которые были с ним:
— Вы поняли мои притчи о сеятеле?
Те ответили:
— Нет, мы не поняли.
Иисус сказал:
— Я буду еще рассказывать другие притчи. Как же вы будете понимать меня? Я вам сейчас объясню. Семя — это слово Божье. Сеятель — это человек, который рассказывает слово Божье людям. Семя, которое упало на дороге — это люди, которые, хотя и слышали, но никак не восприняли слово. Глаза у них были, как будто закрыты. Сатана же, увидев, что семя упало на дорогу, все уносит.
Каменистая почва, есть чуть-чуть земли сверху — это люди, которые услышали слово и с радостью его приняли. Но семя не смогло пустить глубокие корни, потому что спустя какое-то время у этих людей случились трудности, беды, осуждение окружающих, и эти люди из-за страха отказываются от веры. Поэтому семя проросло, но высохло.
Третье. Семя, которое упало на почву с сорняками. Это ситуация, когда люди слушают слово Божье, но они хотят побольше денег, думают о житейских проблемах: так сорняки губят ростки слова Божьего.
Четвертое. Хорошая, плодородная почва — это люди, которые услышав слово Божье, соглашаются и принимают его, меняют свою жизнь и совершают множество хороших дел, которые приносят добрые плоды.
Back-translation by Luka Manevich
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Mark 4:10-20 in Mexican Sign Language
Following is the translation of Mark 4:10-20 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)
Los doce discípulos y algunas (otras) personas dijeron: “Jesús, la historia, el ejemplo que nos explicaste antes, ¿qué significa? Nosotros no entendemos.”
Jesús (dijo): “¿Uds no entienden? Ay, si yo les explico historias y ejemplos pero uds no entienden, lo mismo va a continuar en adelante. ¿Cómo puede ser?
Oigan, ahora Dios les da la gracia de que uds pueden entender y descubrir el significado de lo que yo les expliqué hace rato.
El hombre que siembra semillas ¿qué representa? Él es como un hombre que explica y predica la palabra de Dios.
Oigan, miren, el camino con la tierra dura en donde caen las semillas y los pájaros los acaban todas, eso representa cuando él explica y predica la palabra de Dios y algunos personas lo ven pero inmediatamente satanás se lo quita y las personas lo olvidan.
La otra parte con las piedras y poco tierra donde caen las semillas y las plantas crecen rápidamente pero los raíces no pueden profundizar y las plantas marchitan, eso representa cuando él explica y predica la palabra de Dios y algunas personas lo ven y están contentos, pero después al continuar hay problemas y la gente los insulta y están en contra de ellos y ya no continuan a prestar atención a la palabra de Dios, y desvian.
La otra parte donde hay la mala hierba que cubre la tierra y cuando las semillas caen las plantas crecen pero no maduran, eso representa cuando él explica y predica la palabra de Dios y algunas personas lo ven pero en sus mentes están soñando y preocupados con problemas, piensan de dinero y cosas que les gustan y ya no siguen a poner atención a la palabra de Dios, sino desvian. Sus vidas no cambian nada sino quedan lo mismo.
La otra area donde la tierra es buena y cuando las semillas caen las plantas crecen y maduran y hay treinta plantas, y otras plantas maduran y hay sesenta plantas, y otras plantas maduran y hay cien, eso representa cuando él explica y predica la palabra de Dios y algunas personas lo ven y entienden y son transformados, sus vidas cambian para bien.
Y al continuar otras personas lo ven y entienden y son transformados y cambian sus vidas para bien, y otras personas lo ven y entienden y son transformados y cambian sus vidas para bien, y otras personas ven el buen testimonio.”
Jesús dijo: “A las personas afuera yo sólo doy historias breves para que ellos vean y oigan, pero no entiendan nada del significado, porque las personas pueden arrepentirse y Dios les perdonará y borrará (sus pecados) pero ellos no quieren, por eso.”
The twelve disciples and some (other) people said: “Jesus, the story that you just told us, what does it mean? We don’t understand it.”
Jesus (said): “You don’t understand? If I tell you stories and examples and you don’t understand the same will happen in the future. How can that be?
“Listen, now God will give you the grace that you can understand and figure out what I have just told you.
“The man who sows seeds, what does he represent? He is like a man who explains and preached the word of God.
“Hey, look, the road with the hard ground on which the seeds fall and the birds eat them all up, that represents when he explains and preaches the word of God and some people see it, but immediately Satan takes it away and the people forget it.
“The other part with the stones and very little soil where the seeds fall and the plants grow rapidly but the roots cannot get deeper and the plants whither, that represents when he explains and teaches the word of God and some people see it and are happy, but afterwards there are problems and the people insult them and are against them and they do not continue to pay attention to the word of God, but turn aside.
“The other part where there are weeds that cover the ground and when the seeds fall the plants grow but do not ripen, that represents when he explains and preaches the word of God and some people see it but in their minds they are dreaming and preoccupied with problems, they set their minds on money and things that they like and they do not continue to pay attention to the word of God. They turn aside and their lives do not change at all but stay the same.
“The other area where the soil is good and when the seeds fall the plants grow and ripen and there are thirty plants and other plants ripen and there are sixty plants and others ripen and there are 100, that represents when he explains and preaches the word of God and some people see it and understand it and are transformed, their lives change for the better.
“And then other people see it and understand and are transformed and change their lives for the better, and other people see it and understand and are transformed and change their lives for the better, and other people see the good testimony.”
Jesus said: “To the people out there I only give brief stories so that they see and hear but do not understand the meaning, because the people can repent and God will forgive them and wipe out (their sins) but they do not want to, that’s why.”
Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios
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Mark 4:21-25 in Mexican Sign Language >>
complete verse (Mark 4:19)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 4:19:
- Uma: “but they are busy, always thinking about their life in this world, they just want to gather this world’s stuff, and many kinds of desires are in their hearts. All that makes them busy, with the result that there is no place for God’s Word in their hearts, and the word has no use in their lives.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “but they always think about their troubles in the world. That is what is most valuable to them, their possessions. And they crave/desire many things. Therefore if in the figure of what was planted, the message of God which they heard is choked and doesn’t bear fruit.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “however, because of their troubles here in this world and their desire for money and other possessions, they forget the word of God and it doesn’t do them any good.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “but they are sidetracked by (their) worries and their getting-rich, so the word that they heard is choked-out and does not bear-fruit.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “but their mind/thinking is bothered/busy with the things which are big/important in the mind here in the world. Like this wanting to increase wealth which only deceives and they are covetous of other things too. What else but this word of God gets overpowered by this which is in their mind/thinking. That’s why there’s no fruit of believing in their lives.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
age / (for)ever / eternity / eternal / permanent / of old / long ago
The Greek in the referenced verses that is typically translated as “age,” “(for)ever / eternity / eternal / permanent,” “of old / long ago” in English is translated in the German translation by Fridolin Stier (1989) consistenty as “world (or: “cosmic”) time” (Weltzeit).
Sarah Ruden (2021, p. lxii) explains the complexities of the translation of aiōn: “Trickiest of all [the words relating to time] is aion, most simply an ‘age’ or ‘era’ but sometimes denoting either the whole present world or the whole world to come. The same word can allude to all the limits of material existence (or to dangerous worldly distractions in particular), or to their absence in the eternal age to come. Looking forward, especially to ‘ages of ages’ (in the pattern of ‘King of Kings’), the meaning is ‘eternity.’”
word / command (of God) (Japanese honorifics)
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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kotoba (みことば) or “word (of God)” in the referenced verses.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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