Markus 1:4

1:4 In the wilderness ¹  John the baptizer ²  began preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ³ 

Markus 4:34

4:34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

Markus 12:38

Warnings About Experts in the Law

12:38 In his teaching Jesus ⁴  also said, “Watch out for the experts in the law. ⁵  They like walking ⁶  around in long robes and elaborate greetings ⁷  in the marketplaces,

Markus 12:40

12:40 They ⁸  devour widows’ property, ⁹  and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment.”

[1:4]  ¹ tn Or “desert.”

[1:4]  ² tn While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptisths, “[the] Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark prefers the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (Jo baptizwn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (only twice does he use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).

[1:4]  ³ sn A baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins was a call for preparation for the arrival of the Lord’s salvation. To participate in this baptism was a recognition of the need for God’s forgiveness with a sense that one needed to live differently as a response to it.

[12:38]  ⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:38]  ⁵ tn Or “for the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[12:38]  ⁶ tn In Greek this is the only infinitive in vv. 38-39. It would be awkward in English to join an infinitive to the following noun clauses, so this has been translated as a gerund.

[12:38]  ⁷ sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.

[12:40]  ⁸ tn Grk “who,” continuing the sentence begun in v. 38.

[12:40]  ⁹ tn Grk “houses,” “households”; however, the term can have the force of “property” or “possessions” as well (O. Michel, TDNT 5:131; BDAG 695 s.v. οἶκια 1.a).