Translation commentary on Mark 9:12

Exegesis:

Some expositors attempt to alleviate the difficulties of the text by rearranging the clauses in vv. 11-13; others, however, by a device available also to the translator, make a question out of the first phrase in v. 12: ‘Does Elijah come first and restore all things?.’ The resultant meaning of the whole statement would then be: ‘If – as the scribes claim – Elijah is to come first and restore all things, how then is it written that the Son of man should suffer much and be despised?’ For another punctuation of the clauses cf. Translator’s New Testament.

Elias men elthōn prōton apokathistanei panta ‘Elijah comes first and restores all things’: on the role of Elijah as precursor to the Messiah, cf. Malachi 4.5-6.

elthōn … apokathistanei ‘coming … he restores’: the time element of the two verbs is determined by the tense of the main verb, ‘he comes and restores.’ The present tense is not to be understood as meaning ‘he is coming and restores’; it is a statement of fact in which the time element does not appear: ‘Elijah, in fact, comes and restores’ – as the scribes say.

apokathistēmi (cf. 3.5) ‘restore,’ i.e. to its original condition or order.

pōs gegraptai epi ton huion tou anthrōpou hina ‘how does it stand written concerning the Son of man that.’

graphō (cf. 1.2) ‘write.’

epi ‘about,’ ‘with reference to.’

hina ‘that’ of content, not of purpose.

polla pathē kai exoudenēthē ‘he should suffer much and be treated with contempt.’

polla paschō (cf. 8.31) ‘suffer much,’ ‘suffer many things.’

exoudeneō (only here in Mark) ‘treat with contempt,’ ‘count as of no value.’

Translation:

Said to them may be rendered as ‘answered them,’ depending on the receptor language usage.

Does come first introduces certain problems because of the tense form, which is present in English, but generally understood in this sequence as future. However, in verse 13, Jesus makes it quite clear that this present tense form (with future implications), is really not to be understood in the strictly temporal sense at all, but as a required event, which is entirely relative in time. In some languages the closest equivalent is ‘must come.’

Restore may be rendered as ‘to make everything new again’ (Amganad Ifugao), ‘to return it,’ implying to its former condition (Ilocano), ‘to make all things sure,’ in the sense of establishing or rectifying (Southern Subanen), and ‘to set everything up’ (Javanese).

As in other instances of the use of the Son of man the pronominal reference may need to be first person when Jesus is speaking, ‘written of me the Son of man, that I must suffer….’

Suffer many things may be ‘suffer much.’

Treated with contempt may be translated as ‘scorn,’ ‘deride,’ ‘count as nothing,’ ‘be said that he is nothing.’

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 9:12

9:12a–b

Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things: The clause Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things indicates that Elijah comes before the Christ. Then Elijah restores all things.

The present tense of the word restores is used here to refer generally to an event happening. The tense does not indicate here whether the event has already happened, is happening now, or will someday happen.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Elijah must come first and restore all things.
-or-
Elijah will/shall come first and restore all things.

indeed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as indeed indicates that the speaker agrees but will later say something in contrast (9:13). In this context, Jesus agreed that Elijah must come first (9:11b), but later explained that John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy about Elijah (9:13).

Here are some other ways to translate this:

To be sure (New International Version)
-or-
certainly (Contemporary English Version)

restores all things: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as restores means “return something to a previously good condition,” “heal,” or “put something back in proper order.” The original prophecy in Malachi 4:5–6 referred to restoring good relationships between parents and children. Here Jesus was referring to the work of Elijah that John the Baptist did. John the Baptist taught people to repent. This restored their relationship with God so that they would be prepared for the Messiah to come.

Here are some other ways to express the meaning of restores all things in this context:

will put everything in order again (God’s Word)
-or-
to set everything right again (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
make everything the way it should be (New Century Version)

Several versions have a general phrase “will get everything ready” (as in the Good News Bible). But it may be better to use an expression that focuses more on the specific meaning of “restore.”

all things: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all things is literally “all.” It refers here to every situation in human society that needs to be restored or made right. It especially refers to people’s relationships with each other and with God. It does not refer to physical objects.

9:12c–d

Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus asked this question to cause the disciples to think further on this topic. The disciples still did not understand that Jesus must suffer and be rejected. There are at least two ways to translate this meaning:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

yet how is it that the scriptures say about the Son of man that he must suffer grievously and be treated with contempt? (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man will suffer much and be rejected? (Good News Bible)

• As a statement. For example:

Then consider the Scriptures that say that the Son of Man must endure much suffering and be rejected.
-or-
Then explain how the Scriptures say that I the Son of Man will suffer much and be rejected.

Use whichever form is most natural in your language to cause someone to think further on a topic.

Son of Man: See the note at 9:9c.

9:12c

Why…is it written: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Why is literally “how” or “in what sense.” The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as it is written refers to Scripture. It asks: “How should we understand the Scriptures that say that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?” For example, the New Jerusalem Bible says:

…how is it that the scriptures say…?

See also the notes on 1:2a and 7:6b, where similar expressions occur.

See the General Comment on 9:12c–d after 9:12d for ways to use more than one sentence to express the information in this question.

9:12d

suffer many things: The word suffer refers to what Jesus experienced when people did bad things to him. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as many things here is the same phrased translated as “many things” in 8:31a.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

experience/endure great hardship
-or-
suffer a lot (God’s Word)

See how you translated this expression in 8:31b.

be rejected: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be rejected means here “be treated with contempt” (as in the Revised Standard Version) or “be considered as worthless.” It has a similar meaning to the different verb that is used in 8:31c.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

be looked down on
-or-
be counted as useless

The clause be rejected is passive. In some languages it may be more natural in to use an active verb here. For example, the New Century Version says:

people will treat him as if he were nothing

General Comment on 9:12c–d

In some languages it may be necessary to use more than one sentence to express the information in 9:12c–d. For example:

What then is the meaning of this that is written in God’s Word? It says that it is necessary that the Son of Man endure great hardship. People will also reject/despise him.
-or-
You also need to consider the written words of God that are about me, the Son of Man. It says that I must suffer much and that people will count me as worthless.

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