Markus 4:19

4:19 but ¹  worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, ²  and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, ³  and it produces nothing.

Markus 9:38

On Jesus’ Side

9:38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.”

Markus 14:12

The Passover

14:12 Now ⁴  on the first day of the feast of ⁵  Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, ⁶  Jesus’ ⁷  disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ⁸ 

Markus 14:61

14:61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, ⁹  “Are you the Christ, ¹⁰  the Son of the Blessed One?”

[4:19]  ¹ tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[4:19]  ² tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”

[4:19]  ³ sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.

[14:12]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[14:12]  ⁵ tn The words “the feast of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[14:12]  ⁶ sn Generally the feast of Unleavened Bread would refer to Nisan 15 (Friday), but the following reference to the sacrifice of the Passover lamb indicates that Nisan 14 (Thursday) was what Mark had in mind (Nisan = March 27 to April 25). The celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted eight days, beginning with the Passover meal. The celebrations were so close together that at times the names of both were used interchangeably.

[14:12]  ⁷ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ⁸ sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 14:18). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.

[14:61]  ⁹ tn Grk “questioned him and said to him.”

[14:61]  ¹⁰ tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[14:61]  sn See the note on Christ in 8:29.