translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: MRK

label: NET translator note

text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.


text: Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: 28 565 579 1241 al ) read πέραν (simply “beyond”). It is difficult to decide between the Alexandrian and Western readings here, but since the parallel in Matt 19:1 omits καί the weight is slightly in favor of including it here; scribes may have omitted the word here to harmonize this passage to the Matthean passage. Because of the perceived geographical difficulties found in the earlier readings (omission of the word “and” would make it seem as though Judea is beyond the Jordan), the majority of the witnesses (A Ï ) read διὰ τοῦ πέραν ( dia tou peran , “through the other side”), perhaps trying to indicate the direction of Jesus’ travel.


text: “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity. The region referred to here is sometimes known as Transjordan (i.e., “across the Jordan”).


text: In Greek this phrase occurs at the end of the sentence. It has been brought forward to conform to English style.


text: The personal pronoun “his” is not in the Greek text, but is certainly implied and has been supplied in the English translation to clarify the sense of the statement (cf. “his wife” in 10:7 ).


text: The particle εἰ ( ei ) is often used to introduce both indirect and direct questions. Thus, another possible translation is to take this as an indirect question: “They asked him if it were lawful for a man to divorce his wife.” See BDF §440.3. sn The question of the Pharisees was anything but sincere; they were asking it to test him . Jesus was now in the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (i.e., Judea and beyond the Jordan) and it is likely that the Pharisees were hoping he might answer the question of divorce in a way similar to John the Baptist and so suffer the same fate as John, i.e., death at the hands of Herod (cf. 6:17-19 ). Jesus answered the question not on the basis of rabbinic custom and the debate over Deut 24:1 , but rather from the account of creation and God’s original design.


text: Grk “But answering, he said to them.”


text: Grk “to divorce.” The pronoun has been supplied in the translation for clarity. sn An allusion to Deut 24:1 . The Pharisees were all in agreement that the OT permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and divorce his wife (not vice-versa) and that remarriage was therefore sanctioned. But the two rabbinic schools of Shammai and Hillel differed on the grounds for divorce. Shammai was much stricter than Hillel and permitted divorce only in the case of sexual immorality. Hillel permitted divorce for almost any reason (cf. the Mishnah, m. Gittin 9.10).


text: Grk “heart” (a collective singular).


text: Ï lat sy), while the most important witnesses, along with a few others, lack ὁ θεός ( א B C L Δ 579 2427 co). On the one hand, it is possible that the shorter reading is an assimilation to the wording of the LXX of Gen 1:27 b where ὁ θεός is lacking. However, since it is mentioned at the beginning of the verse ( Gen 1:27 a) with ἐποίησεν scribes may have been motivated to add it in Mark to make the subject clear. Further, confusion could easily arise in this dominical saying, because Moses was the previously mentioned subject (v. 5 ) and inattentive readers might regard him as the subject of ἐποίησεν in v. 6 . Thus, both on internal and external grounds, the most probable wording of the original text here lacked ὁ θεός .


text: has the longer reading in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “So” to indicate that Jesus’ statement is in response to the disciples’ question (v. 10 ).


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.


text: Grk “so that he would touch them.” Here the touch is connected with (or conveys) a blessing (cf. v. 16 ; also BDAG 126 s.v. ἅπτω 2.c).


text: ] Ï lat sy), but it is probably a motivated reading. Since the subject is not explicit in the earliest and best witnesses as well as several others ( א B C L Δ Ψ 579 892 2427), scribes would be prone to add “those who brought them” here to clarify that the children were not the ones being scolded. It could be argued that the masculine pronoun αὐτοῖς ( autois , “them”) only rarely was used with the neuter antecedent παιδία ( paidia , “children”), and thus the longer reading was not motivated by scribal clarification. However, such rare usage is found in Mark (cf. 5:41; 9:24-26 ); further, scribes routinely added clarifications when such were not necessary. Thus, both on external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is strongly preferred. Similar motivations are behind the translation here, namely, “those who brought them” has been supplied to ensure that the parents who brought the children are in view, not the children themselves. Grk “the disciples scolded them.”


text: Grk “Truly ( ἀμήν , amhn ), I say to you.”


text: The negation in Greek ( οὐ μή , ou mh ) is very strong here.


text: Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 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.


text: Grk “He”; the referent (the man who asked the question in v. 17 ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail throughout his life, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.


text: Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. sn While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws , he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man’s response to Jesus’ command to give away all he had revealed that internally he loved money more than God.


text: The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.


text: Grk “he”; the referent (the man who asked the question in v. 17 ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “he had many possessions.” This term ( κτῆμα , kthma ) is often used for land as a possession.


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.


text: Grk “But answering, Jesus again said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς ( apokriqeis ) is redundant and has not been translated.


text: 28 565 2427 Ï lat sy) have here “for those who trust in riches” ( τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐπὶ [ τοῖς ] χρήμασιν , tou" pepoiqota" epi [ toi" ] crhmasin ); W has πλούσιον ( plousion ) later in the verse, producing the same general modification on the dominical saying (“how hard it is for the rich to enter…”). But such qualifications on the Lord’s otherwise harsh and absolute statements are natural scribal expansions, intended to soften the dictum. Further, the earliest and best witnesses, along with a few others ( א B Δ Ψ sa), lack any such qualifications. That W lacks the longer expansion and only has πλούσιον suggests that its archetype agreed with א B here; its voice should be heard with theirs. Thus, both on external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is preferred.


text: 28 579 pc ) read κάμιλον ( kamilon , “rope”) for κάμηλον ( kamhlon , “camel”), either through accidental misreading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus’ words.


text: Grk “But they were even more astonished, saying.” The participle λέγονες ( legontes ) has been translated here as a finite verb to emphasize the sequence of events: The disciples were astonished, then they spoke.


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of thought.


text: The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποις ( anqrwpois ) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NASB 1995 update, “people”). Because of the contrast here between mere mortals and God (“impossible for men …all things are possible for God ”) the phrase “mere humans” has been used in the translation.


text: Grk “We have left everything and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.


text: Grk “Truly ( ἀμήν , amhn ), I say to you.”


text: Grk “this time” ( καιρός , kairos ), but for stylistic reasons this has been translated “this age” here.


text: Grk “with persecutions.” The “all” has been supplied to clarify that the prepositional phrase belongs not just to the “fields.”


text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Or “chief priests and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22 .


text: Traditionally, “scourge him” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “The ‘verberatio’ is denoted in the passion predictions and explicitly as action by non-Israelites Mt 20:19 ; Mk 10:34 ; Lk 18:33 ”; the verberatio was the beating given to those condemned to death in the Roman judicial system. Here the term μαστιγόω ( mastigow ) has been translated “flog…severely” to distinguish it from the term φραγελλόω ( fragellow ) used in Matt 27:26 ; Mark 15:15 .


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.


text: Ï sy), have “on the third day” ( τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ , th trith Jhmera ) instead of “after three days.” But not only does Mark nowhere else speak of the resurrection as occurring on the third day, the idiom he uses is a harder reading (cf. Mark 8:31; 9:31 , though in the latter text the later witnesses also have τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ). Further, τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ conforms to the usage that is almost universally used in Matthew and Luke, and is found in the parallels to this text ( Matt 20:19 ; Luke 18:33 ). Thus, scribes would be doubly motivated to change the wording. The most reliable witnesses, along with several other mss ( א B C D L Δ Ψ 579 892 2427 it co), have resisted this temptation.


text: Grk “baptism I am baptized with.” This same change has been made in v. 39 .


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.


text: Grk “the ten.”


text: The word “this” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.


text: Though δοῦλος ( doulos ) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. 1 ). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος ), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.


text: For location see Map5-B2 ; Map6-E1 ; Map7-E1 ; Map8-E3 ; Map10-A2 ; Map11-A1 .


text: Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “to shout and to say.” The infinitive λέγειν ( legein ) is redundant here and has not been translated.


text: Or “rebuked.” The crowd’s view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.


text: Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.


text: Grk “And answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς is redundant and has not been translated.


text: Or “Master”; Grk ῥαββουνί ( rabbouni ).


text: 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 was) it is likely the request is to receive back the sight he once had.


text: Or “received” (see the note on the phrase “let me see again” in v. 51 ).