hardness of heart

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The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “hardness of heart” in English is translated as “large heart” has been translated in many ways:

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated colloquially as wie vernagelt or “obtuse” (in Mark 6:52 and 8:17).

While Moba has a rich metaphorical library using the concept of “heart” (pal) it follows very different paradigms compared to Greek, Hebrew and English concepts. The parallel expression of “hardened heart” means “courageous” or “encouraged” (see hearts burning) so in the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation various constructs are used to translate “hardness of heart,” including “not willing to change one’s mind” (in Mark 3:5) or “make temptation into the heart” (John 12:40). (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )

See also stubborn / hardness of heart.

they did not understand about the loaves

The Greek in Mark 6:52 that is translates as “they did not understand about the loaves” or similar in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Tzotzil: “They did not understand his power even after seeing the bread multiplied
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “For they did not yet clearly understand that Jesus could do anything, even though they saw that he caused the bread to become enough for all those people who had gathered”
  • Western Highland Chatino: “They weren’t aware that Jesus had so much power, even though he had fed so many people with only five loaves.”
  • Ocotlán Zapotec: “Not even with the miracle of the bread that Jesus performed did they understand who he was.” (Source for all above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

Mark 6:45-52 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 6:45-52 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

Jesus did a miracle. There were five loaves and two fish. Jesus fed all the people, about 5,000 of them. They all ate, and there were even extra pieces of bread left over for the 12 baskets. Though the disciples saw the miracle, they did not understand its meaning.

Jesus looked at them and said:

— Go, get into the boat and go to the city of Bethsaida. I will stay here a while longer.

The disciples obeyed, they got into the boat and set sail. Jesus let all the people go home and remained alone. He went up on a mountain and prayed there. It was late evening. At this time the disciples sailed to the middle of the lake. Jesus, standing on the mountain, saw the sea raging. A strong wind arose, and there were waves on the lake. The boat with the disciples could hardly remain on the water. Jesus saw this, and he walked straight across the water. He stepped on the water and did not sink and walked on the water. It was early morning, and the disciples on the boat were exhausted. Jesus walked on the water past the boat. The disciples noticed him and cried out in terror:

— The Spirit! The Spirit is coming!

They were very frightened. Jesus stopped and said:

— Disciples, it is I, Jesus!

Jesus walked straight across the water to the boat and got into it. Immediately the wind died down and the lake calmed down. The disciples were amazed. They said to each other:

— Jesus walked on the water?! He did not drown? And the wind obeyed Jesus?!

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

Иисус сделал чудо. Было пять хлебов и две рыбы. Иисус накормил ими всех людей, которых было около 5000. Все они наелись, даже остались лишние куски хлеба, которые собрали 12 корзин. Ученики хоть видели это чудо, но смысл его не поняли.

Иисус посмотрел на них и сказал:

— Идите, садитесь в лодку и отправляйтесь в город Вифсаида. А я еще побуду здесь.

Ученики повиновались, они сели в лодку и отплыли. Иисус отпустил всех людей по домам и остался один. Он взошел на гору и там молился. Наступил поздний вечер. Ученики в это время проплыли середину озера. Иисус, стоя на горе, увидел, как море стало бушевать. Поднялся сильный ветер, на озере были волны. Лодка с учениками еле держалась на воде. Иисус увидел это, и он пошел прямо по воде. Он ступил на воду и не тонул и шел по воде. Наступило уже раннее утро, ученики на лодке совсем уже выбились из сил. Иисус же шел по воде мимо лодки. Ученики заметили его и стали в ужасе кричать:

— Дух! Дух идет!

Они очень испугались. Иисус остановился и сказал:

— Ученики, это Я, Иисус!

Иисус прямо по воде подошел к лодке и сел в нее. Ветер тут же стих, и озеро тут же успокоилось. Ученики были поражены. Они говорили друг другу:

— Иисус шел по воде?!! И не тонул?!! И ветер подчиняется Иисусу?!

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

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Mark 6:53-56 in Russian Sign Language >>

Mark 6:45-52 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 6:45-52 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 dijo a los discípulos: “Uds suban al barco y zarpen a Betsaida, vayan” y caminó hacia toda la gente y los despidió y subió la montaña.

Jesus estaba orando toda la noche y los discípulos estaban zarpando en el barco. Después vino un viento fuerte, y los discípulos que estaban remando, no podían remar.

Desde la montaña donde Jesús estaba orando, veía en la distancia las olas y el barco arrojado por las olas. Jesús bajó y caminó en las olas, como a las tres o cuatro de la madrugada.

En el barco, que estaba balanceando en las olas, los doce discípulos miraron que alguien vino caminando en las olas, pareció una fantasma, y gritaron de angustia.

Jesús estaba caminando hacia ellos (y dijo): “Calmense, no tengan miedo, soy yo mismo.”

Jesús caminó al barco y subió y instantaneamente el viento desapareció y las olas disminuyeron y el barco no estaba moviendo tan fuerte. Los discípulos estaban sorprendidos, boquiabiertos.

Los discípulos, ¿porqué estaban sorprendidos y boquiabiertos? No entendían, por el milagro reciente del pan no habían descubierto nada, sus mentes eran duros.


Jesus said to the disciples: “You go in the boat and sail to Betsaida, go now”, and he walked over to all the people and sent them off and he walked up the mountain.

Jesus was praying the whole night and the disciples were in the boat. Then a strong wind came and the disciples, who were rowing, could not row anymore.

From the mountain where Jesus was praying, he saw in the distance the waves and the boat being thrown about on the waves. Jesus walked down and walked on the waves at about three or four o’clock in the morning.

In the boat, which was swung about by the waves, the twelve disciples looked and saw someone coming, walking on the waves, it looked like a ghost and they screamed in anguish.

Jesus came walking up to them (and said): “Calm down, don’t be afraid, it is me.”

Jesus walked to the boat and got in and instantly the wind disappeared and the waves got smaller and the boat moved more calmly. The disciples were surprised, agape.

Why were the disciples surprised and agape? They did not understand, they had not got it after the recent miracle with the bread, their minds were hard/stubborn.

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

<< Mark 6:32-44 in Mexican Sign Language
Mark 6:53-56 in Mexican Sign Language >>

complete verse (Mark 6:52)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 6:52:

  • Uma: “For even though it hadn’t been a long time since they had seen the amazing sign he had done with the bread the previous day, they still did not yet understand clearly [lit., their hearts were still not yet clear] who Yesus really was. Their hearts were still uncertain/hesitant to believe.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For even though they had seen the power of Isa when he fed the five thousand people, they did not yet really understand as to what the meaning was of what they had seen.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For even though they had seen the miracle Jesus had done with the bread and fish, they still didn’t understand who he was for their minds were hard.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “because even though they had-seen his multiplying (lit. causing-to-become-many) the bread, they didn’t understand what it signified (lit. meant to say) concerning his power, because they were still stubborn/unresponsive (lit. their heads were still hard).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because their minds/thinking hadn’t yet grasped the meaning of what Jesus had done with that bread. It’s like their minds/thinking couldn’t yet get as far as the fact of his supernatural-power.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 6:52

Exegesis:

ou gar sunēkan epi tois artois ‘for they did not understand about the loaves’: i.e. from the multiplication of the loaves, in the feeding of the multitude, they should have gained insight (into the person of Jesus).

all’ ēn autōn hē kardia pepōrōmenē ‘but their heart was hardened.’

kardia (cf. 2.6) ‘heart,’ ‘mind,’ ‘thinking.’

pōroō (8.17; cf. pōrōsis 3.5) ‘harden,’ ‘petrify’; when used of ‘heart’ it means ‘to grow (or, make) dull,’ ‘blind,’ ‘obtuse.’

Translation:

Some translations of the expression they did not understand about the loaves have meant little more than ‘they did not remember about the loaves’ or ‘they did not think about the loaves.’ However, the meaning here is much more. What the Gospel writer implies is that they did not understand the implications of the miracle. If available terms rendering understand are inadequate in the receptor language, one may need to expand the clause somewhat, e.g. ‘they did not know what it meant when Jesus divided the loaves’ or ‘they did not recognize the meaning of the feeding the people with the loaves.’

There are relatively few languages in which one can say ‘their hearts were hardened’ or ‘hard’ and at the same time preserve the meaning of the original at this point. If translated literally this expression would have the following meanings in various languages: ‘endurance’ (Sayula Popoluca), ‘brave’ (Tzeltal), ‘doubt’ (Piro), ‘bad character’ (Chicahuaxtla Triqui) and ‘courage’ (Shilluk). On the other hand, one can always speak of the characteristic denoted by the phrase their hearts were hardened, e.g. ‘they have hard heads’ (Chicahuaxtla Triqui), ‘their ears do not have holes’ (Shipibo-Conibo), ‘they do not have pain in their hearts’ (Tzeltal).

Hardened indicates primarily a state of being resulting from a process, not a specific process requiring the identification of the particular agent. The Greek has reference to the condition of the hearts, not the process by which they become hardened.

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 6:52

6:52a

for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for here introduces an explanation. Mark explained why the disciples were completely amazed that Jesus could walk on water.

Some English versions do not translate this word.

Translate for using a word that shows that you are explaining why the disciples were amazed and surprised.

they had not understood about the loaves: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as they had not understood about the loaves indicates that the disciples did not understand who Jesus was. They did not understand that the miracle of the bread showed that Jesus had divine power. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this implied information explicit. For example:

they had not understood the real meaning of the feeding of the five thousand (Good News Bible)
-or-
They still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the multiplied loaves (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
Although they had seen Jesus multiply the loaves of bread, they still did not understand what that meant about his power

6:52b

but: There is a textual issue in this verse:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts begin this clause with a conjunction that means “but rather” or “instead.” (This is the reading that the UBS4 follows (page 144).) For example:

but their hearts were hardened (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Instead, their minds were closed. (God’s Word)

(Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, NET Bible, God’s Word)

(2) Other Greek manuscripts begin this clause with a conjunction that means “for” or “because.” For example, the New Century Version has:

because their minds were closed

(Berean Standard Bible, New Century Version, King James Version)

When you translate 6:52b, you may either:

• Leave the conjunction implied, as do the New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Bible, New Living Translation, and Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English.

• Follow option (1) above. In order to translate option (1), you may have to repeat some information or make some information explicit. For example:

Instead of understanding, their hearts were hardened
-or-
They should have understood, but their hearts were hardened

their hearts had been hardened: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as their hearts had been hardened is an idiom. This idiom refers to people who are too stubborn to understand spiritual truth. It does not refer to a lack of intelligence. In this context the disciples had seen Jesus do many miracles, but they still did not understand what his miracles showed about him. The idiom implies that the disciples should have understood that.

You can translate this idiom in two ways:

• Use a figure of speech from your language that refers to people being too stubborn to understand something. For example, here are some other English idioms:

Their minds were closed (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
They had not opened their hearts.

• Translate the meaning of the figure of speech. For example:

They were too stubborn to understand.

General Comment on 6:52a–b

In some languages, it will be more natural to change the order of these phrases. For example, the Contemporary English Version has:

52bTheir minds were closed, 52aand they could not understand the true meaning of the loaves of bread.

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