Markus 2:8-9

2:8 Now ¹  immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, ²  he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? ³  2:9 Which is easier, ⁴  to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’?

Markus 2:25

2:25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry –

Markus 4:24

4:24 And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, ⁵  and more will be added to you.

Markus 4:41

4:41 They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? ⁶  Even the wind and sea obey him!” ⁷ 

Markus 5:14

5:14 Now ⁸  the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.

Markus 5:31

5:31 His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you and you say, ‘Who touched me?’”

Markus 5:35

5:35 While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s ⁹  house saying, “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?”

Markus 6:24

6:24 So ¹⁰  she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother ¹¹  said, “The head of John the baptizer.” ¹² 

Markus 8:1

The Feeding of the Four Thousand

8:1 In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So ¹³  Jesus ¹⁴  called his disciples and said to them,

Markus 8:12

8:12 Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth, ¹⁵  no sign will be given to this generation.”

Markus 8:17

8:17 When he learned of this, ¹⁶  Jesus said to them, “Why are you arguing ¹⁷  about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened?

Markus 8:29

8:29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, ¹⁸  “You are the Christ.” ¹⁹ 

Markus 9:50

9:50 Salt ²⁰  is good, but if it loses its saltiness, ²¹  how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Markus 10:17

The Rich Man

10:17 Now ²²  as Jesus ²³  was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁴ 

Markus 10:51

10:51 Then ²⁵  Jesus said to him, ²⁶  “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied, “Rabbi, ²⁷  let me see again.” ²⁸ 

Markus 11:3

11:3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it ²⁹  and will send it back here soon.’”

Markus 11:28

11:28 and said, “By what authority ³⁰  are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”

Markus 12:9

12:9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy ³¹  those tenants and give the vineyard to others. ³² 

Markus 12:16

12:16 So ³³  they brought one, and he said to them, “Whose image ³⁴  is this, and whose inscription?” They replied, ³⁵  “Caesar’s.”

Markus 14:40

14:40 When he came again he found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. ³⁶  And they did not know what to tell him.

Markus 14:60

14:60 Then ³⁷  the high priest stood up before them ³⁸  and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?”

Markus 14:68

14:68 But he denied it: ³⁹  “I don’t even understand what you’re talking about!” ⁴⁰  Then ⁴¹  he went out to the gateway, and a rooster crowed. ⁴² 

Markus 15:12

15:12 So Pilate spoke to them again, ⁴³  “Then what do you want me to do ⁴⁴  with the one you call king of the Jews?”

[2:8]  ¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the shift from the thoughts of the experts in the law to Jesus’ response.

[2:8]  ² tn Grk “they were thus reasoning within themselves.”

[2:8]  ³ tn Grk “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts?”

[2:9]  ⁴ sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.

[4:24]  ⁵ tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”

[4:41]  ⁶ sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about who he was exactly (Who then is this?). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.

[4:41]  ⁷ sn This section in Mark (4:35-5:43) contains four miracles: (1) the calming of the storm; (2) the exorcism of the demon-possessed man; (3) the giving of life to Jairus’ daughter; (4) the healing of the woman hemorrhaging for twelve years. All these miracles demonstrate Jesus’ right to proclaim the kingdom message and his sovereign authority over forces, directly or indirectly, hostile to the kingdom. The last three may have been brought together to show that Jesus had power over all defilement, since contact with graves, blood, or a corpse was regarded under Jewish law as causing a state of ritual uncleanness.

[5:14]  ⁸ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate a transition to the response to the miraculous healing.

[5:35]  ⁹ sn See the note on synagogue rulers in 5:22.

[6:24]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[6:24]  ¹¹ tn Grk “She said”; the referent (the girl’s mother) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:24]  ¹² tn While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptisths, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark employs the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (Jo baptizwn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (though twice he does use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).

[8:1]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:1]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:12]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[8:17]  ¹⁶ tn Or “becoming aware of it.”

[8:17]  ¹⁷ tn Or “discussing.”

[8:29]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “Answering, Peter said to him.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “Peter answered him.”

[8:29]  ¹⁹ tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[8:29]  sn The term χριστός (cristos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in LXX into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul to mean virtually Jesus’ last name.

[9:50]  ²⁰ sn Salt was used as seasoning or fertilizer (BDAG 41 s.v. ἅλας a), or as a preservative. If salt ceased to be useful, it was thrown away. With this illustration Jesus warned about a disciple who ceased to follow him.

[9:50]  ²¹ sn The difficulty of this saying is understanding how salt could lose its saltiness since its chemical properties cannot change. It is thus often assumed that Jesus was referring to chemically impure salt, perhaps a natural salt which, when exposed to the elements, had all the genuine salt leached out, leaving only the sediment or impurities behind. Others have suggested the background of the saying is the use of salt blocks by Arab bakers to line the floor of their ovens: Under the intense heat these blocks would eventually crystallize and undergo a change in chemical composition, finally being thrown out as unserviceable. A saying in the Talmud (b. Bekhorot 8b) attributed to R. Joshua ben Chananja (ca. a.d. 90), when asked the question “When salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again?” is said to have replied, “By salting it with the afterbirth of a mule.” He was then asked, “Then does the mule (being sterile) bear young?” to which he replied: “Can salt lose its flavor?” The point appears to be both are impossible. The saying, while admittedly late, suggests that culturally the loss of flavor by salt was regarded as an impossibility. Genuine salt can never lose its flavor. In this case the saying by Jesus here may be similar to Matt 19:24, where it is likewise impossible for the camel to go through the eye of a sewing needle.

[10:17]  ²² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[10:17]  ²³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:17]  sn Mark 10:17-31. The following unit, Mark 10:17-31, can be divided up into three related sections: (1) the rich man’s question (vv. 17-22); (2) Jesus’ teaching on riches and the kingdom of God (vv. 23-27); and (3) Peter’s statement and Jesus’ answer (vv. 28-31). They are all tied together around the larger theme of the relationship of wealth to the kingdom Jesus had been preaching. The point is that it is impossible to attain to the kingdom by means of riches. The passage as a whole is found in the section 8:27-10:52 in which Mark has been focusing on Jesus’ suffering and true discipleship. In vv. 28-31 Jesus does not deny great rewards to those who follow him, both in the present age and in the age to come, but it must be thoroughly understood that suffering will be integral to the mission of the disciples and the church, for in the very next section (10:32-34) Jesus reaffirmed the truth about his coming rejection, suffering, death, and resurrection.

[10:17]  ²⁴ sn The rich man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, but Jesus had just finished teaching that eternal life was not earned but simply received (10:15).

[10:51]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[10:51]  ²⁶ tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς is redundant and has not been translated.

[10:51]  ²⁷ tn Or “Master”; Grk ῥαββουνί (rabbouni).

[10:51]  ²⁸ tn Grk “that I may see [again].” The phrase can be rendered as an imperative of request, “Please, give me sight.” Since the man is not noted as having been blind from birth (as the man in John 9 was) it is likely the request is to receive back the sight he once had.

[11:3]  ²⁹ sn The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.

[11:28]  ³⁰ tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.

[12:9]  ³¹ sn The statement that the owner will come and destroy those tenants is a promise of judgment; see Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44.

[12:9]  ³² sn The warning that the owner would give the vineyard to others suggests that the care of the promise and the nation’s hope would be passed to others. This eventually looks to Gentile inclusion; see Eph 2:11-22.

[12:16]  ³³ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate their response to Jesus’ request for a coin.

[12:16]  ³⁴ tn Or “whose likeness.”

[12:16]  sn In this passage Jesus points to the image (Grk εἰκών, eikwn) of Caesar on the coin. This same Greek word is used in Gen 1:26 (LXX) to state that humanity is made in the “image” of God. Jesus is making a subtle yet powerful contrast: Caesar’s image is on the denarius, so he can lay claim to money through taxation, but God’s image is on humanity, so he can lay claim to each individual life.

[12:16]  ³⁵ tn Grk “they said to him.”

[14:40]  ³⁶ tn Grk “because their eyes were weighed down,” an idiom for becoming extremely or excessively sleepy (L&N 23.69).

[14:60]  ³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[14:60]  ³⁸ tn Grk “in the middle.”

[14:68]  ³⁹ tn Grk “he denied it, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[14:68]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “I do not know or understand what you are saying.” In the translation this is taken as a hendiadys (a figure of speech where two terms express a single meaning, usually for emphatic reasons).

[14:68]  ⁴¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[14:68]  ⁴² tc Several important witnesses (א B L W Ψ* 579 892 2427 pc) lack the words “and a rooster crowed.” The fact that such good and early Alexandrian witnesses lack these words makes this textual problem difficult to decide, especially because the words receive support from other witnesses, some of which are fairly decent (A C D Θ Ψ^c 067 Ë^1,13 33 [1424] Ï lat). The omission could have been intentional on the part of some Alexandrian scribes who wished to bring this text in line with the other Gospel accounts that only mention a rooster crowing once (Matt 26:74; Luke 22:60; John 18:27). The insertion could be an attempt to make the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy in 14:30 more explicit. Internally, the words “and a rooster crowed” fit Mark’s Gospel here, not only in view of 14:30, “before a rooster crows twice,” but also in view of the mention of “a second time” in 14:71 (a reading which is much more textually secure). Nevertheless, a decision is difficult.

[14:68]  tn A real rooster crowing is probably in view here (rather than the Roman trumpet call known as gallicinium), in part due to the fact that Mark mentions the rooster crowing twice. See the discussion at Matt 26:74.

[15:12]  ⁴³ tn Grk “answering, Pilate spoke to them again.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.

[15:12]  ⁴⁴ tc Instead of “what do you want me to do” several witnesses, including the most important ones (א B C W Δ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 892 2427 pc), lack θέλετε (qelete, “you want”), turning the question into the more abrupt “what should I do?” Although the witnesses for the longer reading are not as significant (A D Θ 0250 Ï latt sy), the reading without θέλετε conforms to Matt 27:22 and thus is suspected of being a scribal emendation. The known scribal tendency to assimilate one synoptic passage to another parallel, coupled with the lack of such assimilation in mss that are otherwise known to do this most frequently (the Western and Byzantine texts), suggests that θέλετε is authentic. Further, Mark’s known style of being generally more verbose and redundant than Matthew’s argues that θέλετε is authentic here. That this is the longer reading, however, and that a good variety of witnesses omit the word, gives one pause. Perhaps the wording without θέλετε would have been perceived as having greater homiletical value, motivating scribes to move in this direction. A decision is difficult, but on the whole internal evidence leads toward regarding θέλετε as authentic.