38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 8:38:
Uma: “‘You dwell in the midst of evil people who do not follow me. But who[ever] is embarrassed to confess/admit that they follow me and are embarrassed of my teaching, I also will be embarrassed to confess/admit that he is my follower when I come from heaven. At that time, I the Child of Mankind will descend here with the holy angels, I will shine with the power of my Father.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Whoever is ashamed to say-in-front-of the people that he is my disciple, and that he follows my teaching, – and the people nowadays most of them are sinful and do not follow God, – I, the Son of Mankind, I will also be ashamed to recognize him as my disciple, when I come back here together with the holy angels surrounded by the brightness/glory of my Father God.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Anyone who is ashamed of me and ashamed of my teaching in this time when many people are wicked and reject God, I, the Older Sibling of Mankind, will be ashamed of him also when I return with my angels and I am clothed in the powerful shiningness of my Father God.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “People nowadays are thoroughly sinful. They have-left God to go look-for other god/gods. Whoever of them rejects me who am Child of a Person and my teachings, I will also reject him when I come, my companions being my holy angels and showing my Father’s honor.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The truth is, as for the mass of people today, their nature/ways are evil and they really don’t follow/obey the will of God. Well since it’s like that, whoever will be ashamed/embarrassed to submit to me and admit-the-truth of my word, then really I, who am the One From Heaven Born of Man/human, will be ashamed of him on my returning here, it then being evident that the praiseworthiness/glory of my Father is with me, and my companions being the very-far-from-ordinary angels.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “For these people are people who have left God and who do sin. And there are those who won’t associate themselves with me and my words before these people. And I’m the true relative of the people. But I won’t associate myself with the one not willing to associate himself with me. And so it will be when I come. I will become all glorious. And the angels who are clean in heart will come with me.”
Palantla Chinantec: “So don’t make that you won’t know me or my word if you want me to recognize you when I return, I who have become your fellow-man. Because I will make that I don’t know whoever made not to know me before their fellows who don’t fear God and are guilty of sin. Because I will return holding my Father’s staff [that is, not holding a literal staff but symbolical of authority], angels of heaven with me.” (Source for this and above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Apali: “God’s one with talk from the head” (“basically God’s messenger since head refers to any leader’s talk”) (source: Martha Wade)
Michoacán Nahuatl: “clean helper of God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Noongar: Hdjin-djin-kwabba or “spirit good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Wè Northern (Wɛɛ): Kea ‘a “sooa or “the Lord’s soldier” (also: “God’s soldier” or “his soldier”) (source: Drew Maust)
Iwaidja: “a man sent with a message” (Sam Freney explains the genesis of this term [in this article ): “For example, in Darwin last year, as we were working on a new translation of Luke 2:6–12 in Iwaidja, a Northern Territory language, the translators had written ‘angel’ as ‘a man with eagle wings’. Even before getting to the question of whether this was an accurate term (or one that imported some other information in), the word for ‘eagle’ started getting discussed. One of the translators had her teenage granddaughter with her, and this word didn’t mean anything to her at all. She’d never heard of it, as it was an archaic term that younger people didn’t use anymore. They ended up changing the translation of ‘angel’ to something like ‘a man sent with a message’, which is both more accurate and clear.”)
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) is used as in mi-tsukai (御使い) or “messenger (of God).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Illustration by Horst Lemke (1922-1985) for the GermanGute Nachricht für Sie – NT68, one of the first editions of the Good News Bible in German of 1968. Lemke was a well-known illustrator who illustrated books by Erich Kästner , Astrid Lindgren and many others.
The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )
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. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”
If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
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®).
Instead of tous emous logous ‘my words’ of all modern editions of the Greek text, Kilpatrick has tous emous (omitting logous) ‘mine,’ ‘my people.’ For this deletion of logous ‘words’ which is based more on Marcan usage than on manuscript evidence (of the translations, Translator’s New Testament and Manson read ‘of mine’).
Exegesis:
epaischunthē (only in this verse in Mark) ‘he may be ashamed’: the meaning is ‘ashamed to own me,’ ‘ashamed to confess me publicly,’ ‘ashamed to acknowledge his relation to me.’
en tē genea tautē tē moichalidi kai hamartōlō ‘in this adulterous and sinful generation.’
genea (cf. 8.12) ‘generation.’
moichalis (only here in Mark) is a noun ‘adulteress,’ used as an adjective, ‘adulterous’: in the religious sense, as used here, the word means ‘irreligious,’ ‘faithless,’ ‘godless,’ ‘irreverent,’ based on the O.T. concept of God’s people being betrothed to God, in the relation of husband and wife.
ho huios tou anthrōpou (cf. 2.10) ‘the Son of man.’
hotan elthē en tē doxē tou patros autou ‘when he comes in the glory of his Father.’
erchomai ‘come’: the word should be so translated in this passage, and not ‘come back’ as some translations have it.
patēr ‘father’: used of God in Mark in 11.25-26 (‘your Father in heaven’), 13.32 (‘the Father’) and 14.36 (‘Abba, Father’).
meta tōn aggelōn tōn hagiōn ‘with the holy angels’: this phrase is connected with the main verb ‘comes’: ‘when he comes … with the holy angels.’
aggelos (cf. 1.2, 13) ‘angel.’
Translation:
Certain key words have been treated previously: glory (2.12), generation (8.12), Son of man (2.10), holy (1.7), and angels (1.13).
Ashamed of may be rendered as ‘will have nothing to do with,’ or ‘feels shame when I and my words are mentioned’ (or ‘are remembered’).
In this adulterous and sinful generation may require two types of modifications: (1) close relationship to the grammatical subject, e.g. ‘whoever in this adulterous and sinful generation’ and (2) shift from an abstract to a concrete form, e.g. ‘whoever of these sinful and adulterous people living now,’ or ‘adulterers and sinners who are now in the world’ (Tzeltal).
Since adulterous refers to infidelity to God, this meaning has been brought out in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec as ‘to leave one for another against God,’ in which the expression ‘to leave one for another’ is a common expression for adultery.
The construction of the three clauses constituting this verse is not an easy one. In some languages this type of arrangement may require some slight modification, e.g. ‘if any one … is ashamed…, the Son of man will be ashamed of him, when he comes….’
Compare verse 8.31 for the use of Son of man with a possible first person pronoun, e.g. ‘I the Son of man.’
Though many instances of the verb come must be rendered as ‘went,’ in this instance comes must usually be retained in its literal sense, since the meaning is coming from heaven to earth. In some languages, however, one must use ‘return.’
In the glory may be more accurately rendered in some instances as ‘with the glory,’ literally ‘shiningness’ (Tetelcingo Nahuatl) and ‘highness’ (Amganad Ifugao).
With the holy angels must be more closely connected with ‘comes’ in many languages, e.g. ‘comes together with the holy angels.’
Note that in English the verbs are all present, but these will vary in other languages, e.g. is ashamed may be rendered by a tenseless form, implying ‘now or ever in the future’ and comes is generally translated as a remote future tense.
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 .
This verse shows a contrast between the sinful and unfaithful people who were alive then and the holy angels who will be with the Son of Man when he comes. Express this contrast in a natural way in your language.
8:38a–b
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation: There are different ways to understand how the phrase in this adulterous and sinful generation connects with its context:
(1) This phrase is connected to the verb is ashamed. It describes the situation or time in which any follower of Christ might be ashamed. He is ashamed in an adulterous and sinful generation in front of people of that generation. For example, the Contemporary English Version has:
Don’t be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people!
(New International Version, Good News Bible, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation, Revised English Bible)
(2) This phrase is connected to the word anyone. It describes who is ashamed. For example, the New Jerusalem Bible has:
if anyone in this sinful and adulterous generation is ashamed of me and of my words
(New Jerusalem Bible, New Century Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). For ways to reorder these verse parts, see the General Comment on 8:38a–b at the end of the note on 8:38b.
8:38a
In Greek, 8:38 begins with a conjunction that the Revised Standard Version translates as “For.” This conjunction introduces the fact that a person who chooses to avoid shame in the present life will be shamed at the final judgment. The Berean Standard Bible and some other English versions do not translate this conjunction. Connect this verse to the context in a natural way in your language.
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words: This clause describes a person who refuses to become Jesus’ disciple and follow his teachings because he feels ashamed in front of other people. He is unwilling to acknowledge that he follows Jesus because he is afraid that others will mock him.
In your translation, avoid suggesting that Jesus might have done something wrong that would cause someone to be ashamed.
Here are some other ways to translate If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words:
If anyone is ashamed to become my disciple and to believe/obey my words -or-
If anyone is not willing to acknowledge me as his master and to obey what I teach because people would humiliate him
My words: The phrase My words refers to what Jesus has said, that is, to his teachings.
8:38b
this adulterous and sinful generation: Jesus used the word adulterous here in a figurative way. He described the people who were alive at that time as adulterous because they had abandoned their covenant relationship with God. They were unfaithful to God, as a woman who commits adultery is unfaithful to her husband.
In some languages this figure of speech may be misunderstood to refer literally to sexual sin. If that is true in your language, here are other options for translation:
• Use a simile. For example:
you people living today who are unfaithful to God like an adulterous/unfaithful wife
• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:
these unfaithful and sinful people
this…generation: In this context, the phrase this…generation refers to all the adults who lived at the same time as Jesus. So he was not referring to only the people listening to him.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
the people of this day -or-
the people who live now
See how you translated generation in 8:12b.
General Comment on 8:38a–b
In some languages it may be necessary to translate the idea of “unfaithful” with a verb phrase. It may also be necessary to reorder the parts of this verse. For example:
38bThe people who are living now have left/abandoned their belief in God. They are thoroughly sinful. 38aIf anyone is ashamed to acknowledge me and my words 38bamong such people…
8:38c
the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him: This part of the verse indicates that Jesus, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of any person who was ashamed to be known as his follower. In this context, for Jesus to be ashamed of someone does not mean that Jesus will feel embarrassed. It means that Jesus will deny that such a person belongs to him. He will be unwilling to say that such a person was his disciple. See how you translated ashamed in 8:38a.
the Son of Man: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Son of Man is literally “the Son of the human/person.” It is a title that Jesus often used to refer to himself. It implies that:
(a) he was a true human being, and he represented all people.
(b) he came from God and had authority from God.
Here are some other ways to translate this title:
the Man whom God Sent -or-
the True Man from God/Heaven -or-
the Representative of Mankind -or-
The Older Brother of All People
In some languages it may be necessary to indicate explicitly that Jesus was referring to himself here. For example:
I, the Son of Man
See the note on 8:31b for more information.
8:38d
when He comes in His Father’s glory: The phrase when He comes in His Father’s glory refers to the time when Jesus will return to earth. He will come with the same glory that God his Father has.
in His Father’s glory: The phrase in His Father’s glory means here that Jesus will have or show the glory of his Father. When people see him, they will recognize the same power, greatness and brightness that his Father has.
Father: God is called the Father of Jesus because Jesus has the same nature as God. This way to refer to God also indicates that the relationship between God and Jesus is similar in some way to the relationship of human fathers and sons. God does not have a physical body, and he did not create/produce Jesus in the way a human father produces a son.
glory: In the Old Testament, God’s glory often refers to the impressive bright light that people saw when God was present with them. This brightness symbolized how powerful and majestic God was. When it is applied to Jesus in the New Testament, the word glory sometimes refers in general to his divine character or attributes. Sometimes, as here, the word glory refers specifically to his power and greatness or to his dazzling brightness.
Here are some other ways to translate the phrase in his Father’s glory:
with the majesty/greatness of his Father -or-
showing the brightness and power of my Father
See also the word glory in the Glossary for more information.
when He comes…with the holy angels: This phrase indicates that Jesus will come back to earth accompanied by angels who are sent with him by God.
holy angels: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angels means “messengers.” The phrase holy angels refers to spirit beings who serve God. Sometimes he sends them as messengers or has them serve him in other ways. In this context God will send them to accompany Jesus.
The angels are holy because they are dedicated to God. They are also holy because they are pure. In some languages the term for angels already includes one of these ideas.
Here are some other ways to translate holy angels:
• Use a descriptive word or phrase. For example:
messengers from God/heaven -or-
good/holy spirit-beings
• Use a local term that fits the biblical meaning.
• In some areas the churches may already be using a borrowed term or a transliterated word for “angel.” If you use this term, you may need to indicate the meaning and add the idea of holy. For example:
an angelos messenger from God -or-
a sacred angelos spirit
Be sure that your term for “angel” is different from your terms for “prophet” and “apostle.” See angel, Meaning 1, in the Glossary for a chart that shows the differences in these three terms.
General Comment on 8:38d
In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of words or phrases in this verse. For example, the God’s Word says:
when he comes with the holy angels in his Father’s glory
It may also be helpful to start 8:38d with a new sentence. For example:
This will happen when he comes
General Comment on 8:38a–d
In 8:38a, Jesus referred to himself with forms like “me” and “my.” In 8:38c–d he purposely used different forms and spoke of himself as the “Son of Man” and “he.” If this is confusing in your language, you may need to continue to use forms like “me” and “my” in the whole verse, as the New Living Translation, 1996 edition does:
If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, , the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels.
Section 9:2–13
Three disciples saw Jesus’ glory
In 8:27–30 Peter stated that Jesus was the Christ. In 8:31–38 Jesus told the disciples about his future suffering, death, and resurrection. Then in 9:2–13 God caused Jesus to be glorified for a short time. Peter, James, and John saw this.
During that time, Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus. Peter suggested building shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. God showed these disciples that Jesus was greater than the great prophets Moses and Elijah, because Jesus was God’s Son.
It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
God shows three disciples who Jesus really is -or-
Jesus shone brightly -or-
The glory of Jesus was shown to three disciples -or-
The change of/in Jesus’ appearance
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 17:1–12 and Luke 9:28–36.
Paragraph 9:2–4
9:2a
After six days: The phrase After six days indicates that six days passed after the events in Mark 8:27–9:1. Then the events of this paragraph began. The Good News Bible says:
Six days later
In some languages it may be more natural to translate this as:
A week later
Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John: In this context, the phrase took with Him implies that Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to go with him. They went willingly with Jesus. In some languages, it may be more natural to say:
Jesus told Peter, James and John to go along with him
took: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as took is closely connected to the verb “led” in 9:2b. In some languages it may be natural to use only that verb here. For example:
Jesus led Peter, James, and John up…
with Him: The words with Him may be left implied in some languages. For example, the New Century Version says:
he took Peter, James and John
9:2b
led them up: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as led…up indicates that the disciples followed Jesus up the mountain.
In some languages, it may be more natural to say:
they followed him up -or-
they climbed together up
up a high mountain: The text does not indicate that the men went to the very top of the mountain. They went up high enough to get away from other people. (No one knows which mountain the men climbed. If they were still near Caesarea Philippi, the mountain was probably about 2,800 meters (9,000 feet) high. However, some scholars believe that they were at a different location where the mountain was less than 600 meters (1,850 feet) high. If your language uses different words for mountains of different heights, you may choose one of these locations and use an expression for a mountain of that height.)
9:2c
by themselves: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as by themselves are literally “themselves alone.”
Here are some other ways to translate this:
No one else was there. (New Living Translation, 1996 edition) -or-
where they were all alone (New International Version) -or-
where they were entirely alone (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
9:2d
There He was transfigured before them: The Berean Standard Bible supplies the word There to connect 9:2c and 9:2d. The Greek text has the common conjunction that is often translated as “and,” as in the Revised Standard Version. Use a natural way in your language to connect these parts of the verse. For example:
Then -or-
Suddenly
The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as before them indicates that the three disciples saw Jesus as he was transfigured. Some English versions use this phrase as an introductory clause or phrase. For example:
As the men watched (New Living Translation) -or-
There in their presence (New Jerusalem Bible)
He was transfigured: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was transfigured here means “was transformed/changed in appearance.” This transformation was good and glorious. Jesus shone very brightly. Matthew and Luke explain more of the changes. Matthew says that Jesus’ face shone like the sun.
Many cultures have terms to describe a major change in appearance. Often these changes have supernatural causes and purposes. If you consider using one of these terms, be sure that it does not communicate a wrong meaning. Jesus did not begin to look like someone else, and he did not become a different being. His appearance did not change in any bad way.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
his whole appearance was changed
The verb is passive. The implied subject is God: God transfigured Jesus. However, the focus is on what happened to Jesus and not on who did it.
If a passive verb is not natural in your language here, you may use an active verb. For example:
God changed Jesus’ whole appearance. -or-
Jesus’ appearance became very different. -or-
Jesus’ appearance changed in front of them. (God’s Word)
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.