1:21 Then 5 they went to Capernaum. 6 When the Sabbath came, 7 Jesus 8 went into the synagogue 9 and began to teach. 1:22 The people there 10 were amazed by his teaching, because he taught them like one who had authority, 11 not like the experts in the law. 12 1:23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, 13 and he cried out, 14 1:24 “Leave us alone, 15 Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One 16 of God!” 1:25 But 17 Jesus rebuked him: 18 “Silence! Come out of him!” 19 1:26 After throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 1:27 They were all amazed so that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him.” 1:28 So 20 the news about him spread quickly throughout all the region around Galilee.
1:29 Now 21 as soon as they left the synagogue, 22 they entered Simon and Andrew’s house, with James and John. 1:30 Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down, sick with a fever, so 23 they spoke to Jesus 24 at once about her. 1:31 He came and raised her up by gently taking her hand. Then the fever left her and she began to serve 25 them. 1:32 When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and demon-possessed. 1:33 The whole town gathered by the door. 1:34 So 26 he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. 27 But 28 he would not permit the demons to speak, 29 because they knew him. 30
1:35 Then 31 Jesus 32 got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer. 33 1:36 Simon and his companions searched for him. 1:37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” 1:38 He replied, 34 “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do.” 35 1:39 So 36 he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues 37 and casting out demons.
1:40 Now 38 a leper 39 came to him and fell to his knees, asking for help. “If 40 you are willing, you can make me clean,” he said. 1:41 Moved with compassion, 41 Jesus 42 stretched out his hand and touched 43 him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” 1:42 The leprosy left him at once, and he was clean. 1:43 Immediately Jesus 44 sent the man 45 away with a very strong warning. 1:44 He told him, 46 “See that you do not say anything to anyone, 47 but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded 48 for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 49 1:45 But as the man 50 went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus 51 was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still 52 they kept coming 53 to him from everywhere.
2:1 Now 54 after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, 55 the news spread 56 that he was at home. 2:2 So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by 57 the door, and he preached the word to them. 2:3 Some people 58 came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 59 2:4 When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof 60 above Jesus. 61 Then, 62 after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. 2:5 When Jesus saw their 63 faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 64 2:6 Now some of the experts in the law 65 were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds: 66 2:7 “Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming! 67 Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 2:8 Now 68 immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, 69 he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 70 2:9 Which is easier, 71 to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’? 2:10 But so that you may know 72 that the Son of Man 73 has authority on earth to forgive sins,” – he said to the paralytic 74 – 2:11 “I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 75 2:12 And immediately the man 76 stood up, took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
2:13 Jesus 77 went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them. 2:14 As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. 78 “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him. 2:15 As Jesus 79 was having a meal 80 in Levi’s 81 home, many tax collectors 82 and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 2:16 When the experts in the law 83 and the Pharisees 84 saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 85 2:17 When Jesus heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. 86 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
2:18 Now 87 John’s 88 disciples and the Pharisees 89 were fasting. 90 So 91 they came to Jesus 92 and said, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?” 2:19 Jesus 93 said to them, “The wedding guests 94 cannot fast while the bridegroom 95 is with them, can they? 96 As long as they have the bridegroom with them they do not fast. 2:20 But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, 97 and at that time 98 they will fast. 2:21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. 2:22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; 99 otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be destroyed. Instead new wine is poured into new wineskins.” 100
2:23 Jesus 101 was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat 102 as they made their way. 2:24 So 103 the Pharisees 104 said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?” 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 – 2:26 how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest 105 and ate the sacred bread, 106 which is against the law 107 for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?” 108 2:27 Then 109 he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people, 110 not people for the Sabbath. 2:28 For this reason the Son of Man is lord 111 even of the Sabbath.”
3:1 Then 112 Jesus 113 entered the synagogue 114 again, and a man was there who had a withered 115 hand. 3:2 They watched 116 Jesus 117 closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath, 118 so that they could accuse him. 3:3 So he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Stand up among all these people.” 119 3:4 Then 120 he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or evil, to save a life or destroy it?” But they were silent. 3:5 After looking around 121 at them in anger, grieved by the hardness of their hearts, 122 he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 123 3:6 So 124 the Pharisees 125 went out immediately and began plotting with the Herodians, 126 as to how they could assassinate 127 him.
3:7 Then 128 Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him. 129 And from Judea, 3:8 Jerusalem, 130 Idumea, beyond the Jordan River, 131 and around Tyre 132 and Sidon 133 a great multitude came to him when they heard about the things he had done. 3:9 Because of the crowd, he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so the crowd 134 would not press toward him. 3:10 For he had healed many, so that all who were afflicted with diseases pressed toward him in order to touch him. 3:11 And whenever the unclean spirits 135 saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 3:12 But 136 he sternly ordered them not to make him known. 137
3:13 Now 138 Jesus went up the mountain 139 and called for those he wanted, and they came to him. 3:14 He 140 appointed twelve (whom he named apostles 141 ), 142 so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach 3:15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 3:16 He appointed twelve: 143 To Simon 144 he gave the name Peter; 3:17 to James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, 145 he gave the name Boanerges (that is, “sons of thunder”); 3:18 and Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, 146 Matthew, Thomas, 147 James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, 148 Simon the Zealot, 149 3:19 and Judas Iscariot, 150 who betrayed him. 151
3:20 Now 152 Jesus 153 went home, and a crowd gathered so that they were not able to eat. 3:21 When his family 154 heard this they went out to restrain him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” 3:22 The experts in the law 155 who came down from Jerusalem 156 said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” 157 and, “By the ruler 158 of demons he casts out demons.” 3:23 So 159 he called them and spoke to them in parables: 160 “How can Satan cast out Satan? 3:24 If 161 a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom will not be able to stand. 3:25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 3:26 And if Satan rises against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand and his end has come. 3:27 But no one is able to enter a strong man’s 162 house and steal his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can thoroughly plunder his house. 163 3:28 I tell you the truth, 164 people will be forgiven for all sins, even all the blasphemies they utter. 165 3:29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin” 166 3:30 (because they said, “He has an unclean spirit” 167 ).
3:31 Then 168 Jesus’ 169 mother and his brothers 170 came. Standing 171 outside, they sent word to him, to summon him. 3:32 A crowd was sitting around him and they said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers 172 are outside looking for you.” 3:33 He answered them and said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 173 3:34 And looking at those who were sitting around him in a circle, he said, “Here 174 are my mother and my brothers! 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is 175 my brother and sister and mother.”
4:1 Again he began to teach by the lake. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there while 176 the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake. 4:2 He taught them many things in parables, 177 and in his teaching said to them: 4:3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 178 4:4 And as he sowed, some seed 179 fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 4:5 Other seed fell on rocky ground 180 where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 181 4:6 When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root, 182 it withered. 4:7 Other seed fell among the thorns, 183 and they grew up and choked it, 184 and it did not produce grain. 4:8 But 185 other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.” 4:9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!” 186
4:10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 4:11 He said to them, “The secret 187 of the kingdom of God has been given 188 to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,
4:12 so that although they look they may look but not see,
and although they hear they may hear but not understand,
so they may not repent and be forgiven.” 189
4:13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then 190 how will you understand any parable? 4:14 The sower sows the word. 4:15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan 191 comes and snatches the word 192 that was sown in them. 4:16 These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. 4:17 But 193 they have no root in themselves and do not endure. 194 Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 4:18 Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, 4:19 but 195 worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, 196 and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, 197 and it produces nothing. 4:20 But 198 these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”
4:21 He also said to them, “A lamp 199 isn’t brought to be put under a basket 200 or under a bed, is it? Isn’t it to be placed on a lampstand? 4:22 For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, 201 and nothing concealed except to be brought to light. 4:23 If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!” 202 4:24 And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, 203 and more will be added to you. 4:25 For whoever has will be given more, but 204 whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” 205
4:26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. 4:27 He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 4:28 By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 4:29 And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle 206 because the harvest has come.” 207
4:30 He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? 4:31 It is like a mustard seed 208 that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground – 4:32 when it is sown, it grows up, 209 becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds 210 can nest in its shade.” 211
4:33 So 212 with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. 4:34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.
4:35 On that day, when evening came, Jesus 213 said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” 214 4:36 So 215 after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, 216 and other boats were with him. 4:37 Now 217 a great windstorm 218 developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. 4:38 But 219 he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” 4:39 So 220 he got up and rebuked 221 the wind, and said to the sea, 222 “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then 223 the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. 4:40 And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” 4:41 They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? 224 Even the wind and sea obey him!” 225
5:1 So 226 they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes. 227 5:2 Just as Jesus 228 was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit 229 came from the tombs and met him. 230 5:3 He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 5:4 For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, 231 but 232 he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5:5 Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones. 5:6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. 5:7 Then 233 he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, 234 Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God 235 – do not torment me!” 5:8 (For Jesus 236 had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”) 237 5:9 Jesus 238 asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion, 239 for we are many.” 5:10 He begged Jesus 240 repeatedly not to send them out of the region. 5:11 There on the hillside, 241 a great herd of pigs was feeding. 5:12 And the demonic spirits 242 begged him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” 5:13 Jesus 243 gave them permission. 244 So 245 the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.
5:14 Now 246 the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 5:15 They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind – the one who had the “Legion” – and they were afraid. 5:16 Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man reported it, and they also told about the pigs. 5:17 Then 247 they asked Jesus 248 to leave their region. 5:18 As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked if he could go 249 with him. 5:19 But 250 Jesus 251 did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, 252 that he had mercy on you.” 5:20 So 253 he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis 254 what Jesus had done for him, 255 and all were amazed.
5:21 When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea. 5:22 Then 256 one of the synagogue rulers, 257 named Jairus, 258 came up, and when he saw Jesus, 259 he fell at his feet. 5:23 He asked him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be healed and live.” 5:24 Jesus 260 went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around him.
5:25 Now 261 a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage 262 for twelve years. 263 5:26 She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. 5:27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 264 5:28 for she kept saying, 265 “If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 266 5:29 At once the bleeding stopped, 267 and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 5:30 Jesus knew at once that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 5:31 His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you and you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 5:32 But 268 he looked around to see who had done it. 5:33 Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 5:34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. 269 Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
5:35 While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s 270 house saying, “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?” 5:36 But Jesus, paying no attention to what was said, told the synagogue ruler, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” 5:37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, 271 and John, the brother of James. 5:38 They came to the house of the synagogue ruler where 272 he saw noisy confusion and people weeping and wailing loudly. 273 5:39 When he entered he said to them, “Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” 5:40 And they began making fun of him. 274 But he put them all outside 275 and he took the child’s father and mother and his own companions 276 and went into the room where the child was. 277 5:41 Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.” 5:42 The girl got up at once and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). They were completely astonished at this. 278 5:43 He strictly ordered that no one should know about this, 279 and told them to give her something to eat.
6:1 Now 280 Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, 281 and his disciples followed him. 6:2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. 282 Many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did he get these ideas? 283 And what is this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these miracles that are done through his hands? 6:3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son 284 of Mary 285 and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him. 6:4 Then 286 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own house.” 6:5 He was not able to do a miracle there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6:6 And he was amazed because of their unbelief. Then 287 he went around among the villages and taught.
6:7 Jesus 288 called the twelve and began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 289 6:8 He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff 290 – no bread, no bag, 291 no money in their belts – 6:9 and to put on sandals but not to wear two tunics. 292 6:10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there 293 until you leave the area. 6:11 If a place will not welcome you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off 294 your feet as a testimony against them.” 6:12 So 295 they went out and preached that all should repent. 6:13 They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
6:14 Now 296 King Herod 297 heard this, for Jesus’ 298 name had become known. Some 299 were saying, “John the baptizer 300 has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.” 6:15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.” 6:16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” 6:17 For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod 301 had married her. 6:18 For John had repeatedly told 302 Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 303 6:19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But 304 she could not 6:20 because Herod stood in awe of 305 John and protected him, since he knew that John 306 was a righteous and holy man. When Herod 307 heard him, he was thoroughly baffled, 308 and yet 309 he liked to listen to John. 310
6:21 But 311 a suitable day 312 came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. 6:22 When his daughter Herodias 313 came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 6:23 He swore to her, 314 “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 315 6:24 So 316 she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother 317 said, “The head of John the baptizer.” 318 6:25 Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request: 319 “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 6:26 Although it grieved the king deeply, 320 he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests. 6:27 So 321 the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s 322 head, and he went and beheaded John in prison. 6:28 He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 6:29 When John’s 323 disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.
6:30 Then 324 the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. 6:31 He said to them, “Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while” (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat). 6:32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to some remote place. 6:33 But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they hurried on foot 325 from all the towns 326 and arrived there ahead of them. 327 6:34 As Jesus 328 came ashore 329 he saw the large crowd and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So 330 he taught them many things.
6:35 When it was already late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is an isolated place 331 and it is already very late. 6:36 Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” 6:37 But he answered them, 332 “You 333 give them something to eat.” And they said, “Should we go and buy bread for two hundred silver coins 334 and give it to them to eat?” 6:38 He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five – and two fish.” 6:39 Then he directed them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 6:40 So they reclined in groups of hundreds and fifties. 6:41 He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He 335 gave them to his 336 disciples to serve the people, and he divided the two fish among them all. 6:42 They all ate and were satisfied, 6:43 and they picked up the broken pieces and fish that were left over, twelve baskets full. 6:44 Now 337 there were five thousand men 338 who ate the bread. 339
6:45 Immediately Jesus 340 made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dispersed the crowd. 6:46 After saying good-bye to them, he went to the mountain to pray. 6:47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land. 6:48 He 341 saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending, 342 he came to them walking on the sea, 343 for 344 he wanted to pass by them. 345 6:49 When they saw him walking on the water 346 they thought he was a ghost. They 347 cried out, 6:50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them: 348 “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 6:51 Then he went up with them into the boat, and the wind ceased. They were completely astonished, 6:52 because they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
6:53 After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret 349 and anchored there. 6:54 As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Jesus. 350 6:55 They ran through that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever he was rumored to be. 351 6:56 And wherever he would go – into villages, towns, or countryside – they would place the sick in the marketplaces, and would ask him if 352 they could just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
7:1 Now 353 the Pharisees 354 and some of the experts in the law 355 who came from Jerusalem 356 gathered around him. 7:2 And they saw that some of Jesus’ disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed. 7:3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, 357 holding fast to the tradition of the elders. 7:4 And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold fast to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches. 358 ) 359 7:5 The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat 360 with unwashed hands?” 7:6 He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart 361 is far from me.
7:7 They worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’ 362
7:8 Having no regard 363 for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition.” 364 7:9 He also said to them, “You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up 365 your tradition. 7:10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ 366 and, ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 367 7:11 But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you would have received from me is corban’ 368 (that is, a gift for God), 7:12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother. 7:13 Thus you nullify 369 the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this.”
7:14 Then 370 he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand. 7:15 There is nothing outside of a person that can defile him by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles him.”
7:16 [[EMPTY]] 3717:17 Now 372 when Jesus 373 had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. 7:18 He said to them, “Are you so foolish? Don’t you understand that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him? 7:19 For it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer.” 374 (This means all foods are clean.) 375 7:20 He said, “What comes out of a person defiles him. 7:21 For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 7:22 adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly. 7:23 All these evils come from within and defile a person.”
7:24 After Jesus 376 left there, he went to the region of Tyre. 377 When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know, but 378 he was not able to escape notice. 7:25 Instead, a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit 379 immediately heard about him and came and fell at his feet. 7:26 The woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician origin. She 380 asked him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 7:27 He said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs.” 381 7:28 She answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 7:29 Then 382 he said to her, “Because you said this, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” 7:30 She went home and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
7:31 Then 383 Jesus 384 went out again from the region of Tyre 385 and came through Sidon 386 to the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis. 387 7:32 They brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking, and they asked him to place his hands on him. 7:33 After Jesus 388 took him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers in the man’s 389 ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue. 390 7:34 Then 391 he looked up to heaven and said with a sigh, “Ephphatha” (that is, “Be opened”). 392 7:35 And immediately the man’s 393 ears were opened, his tongue loosened, and he spoke plainly. 7:36 Jesus ordered them not to tell anything. But as much as he ordered them not to do this, they proclaimed it all the more. 394 7:37 People were completely astounded and said, “He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
8:1 In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So 395 Jesus 396 called his disciples and said to them, 8:2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days, and they have nothing to eat. 8:3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint on the way, and some of them have come from a great distance.” 8:4 His disciples answered him, “Where can someone get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” 8:5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.” 8:6 Then 397 he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. After he took the seven loaves and gave thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples to serve. So 398 they served the crowd. 8:7 They also had a few small fish. After giving thanks for these, he told them to serve these as well. 8:8 Everyone 399 ate and was satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 8:9 There were about four thousand 400 who ate. 401 Then he dismissed them. 402 8:10 Immediately he got into a boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 403
8:11 Then the Pharisees 404 came and began to argue with Jesus, asking for 405 a sign from heaven 406 to test him. 8:12 Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth, 407 no sign will be given to this generation.” 8:13 Then 408 he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.
8:14 Now 409 they had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 8:15 And Jesus 410 ordered them, 411 “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees 412 and the yeast of Herod!” 8:16 So they began to discuss with one another about having no bread. 413 8:17 When he learned of this, 414 Jesus said to them, “Why are you arguing 415 about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened? 8:18 Though you have eyes, don’t you see? And though you have ears, can’t you hear? 416 Don’t you remember? 8:19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They replied, “Twelve.” 8:20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They replied, 417 “Seven.” 8:21 Then 418 he said to them, “Do you still not understand?” 419
8:22 Then 420 they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Jesus 421 and asked him to touch him. 8:23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then 422 he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes 423 and asked, “Do you see anything?” 8:24 Regaining his sight 424 he said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking.” 8:25 Then Jesus 425 placed his hands on the man’s 426 eyes again. And he opened his eyes, 427 his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 8:26 Jesus 428 sent him home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.” 429
8:27 Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. 430 On the way he asked his disciples, 431 “Who do people say that I am?” 8:28 They said, 432 “John the Baptist, others say Elijah, 433 and still others, one of the prophets.” 8:29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, 434 “You are the Christ.” 435 8:30 Then 436 he warned them not to tell anyone about him. 437
1 sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.
2 tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”
3 sn The expression followed him pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.
4 tn Or “a boat.” The phrase ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ (en tw ploiw) can either refer to a generic boat, some boat (as it seems to do in Matt 4:21); or it can refer to “their” boat, implying possession. Mark assumes a certain preunderstanding on the part of his readers about the first four disciples and hence the translation “their boat” is justified (cf. also v. 20 in which the “hired men” indicates that Zebedee’s family owned the boats).
5 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
6 sn Capernaum was a town located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region, and it became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry.
7 tn The Greek word εὐθύς (euqus, often translated “immediately” or “right away”) has not been translated here. It sometimes occurs with a weakened, inferential use (BDAG 406 s.v. 2), not contributing significantly to the flow of the narrative. For further discussion, see R. J. Decker, Temporal Deixis of the Greek Verb in the Gospel of Mark with Reference to Verbal Aspect (SBG 10), 73-77.
8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 sn The synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though its origin is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present. (See the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2.) First came the law, then the prophets, then someone was asked to speak on the texts. Jesus undoubtedly took the opportunity on this occasion to speak about his person and mission, and its relationship to Old Testament fulfillment.
6 tn Grk “They.”
7 sn Jesus’ teaching impressed the hearers with the directness of its claim; he taught with authority. A study of Jewish rabbinic interpretation shows that it was typical to cite a list of authorities to make one’s point. Apparently Jesus addressed the issues in terms of his own understanding.
8 tn Or “the scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
7 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
8 tn Grk “he cried out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
8 tn Grk “What to us and to you?” This is an idiom meaning, “We have nothing to do with one another,” or “Why bother us!” The phrase τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί (ti Jhmin kai soi) is Semitic in origin, though it made its way into colloquial Greek (BDAG 275 s.v. ἐγώ). The equivalent Hebrew expression in the OT had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his own, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). Option (1) implies hostility, while option (2) merely implies disengagement. BDAG suggests the following as glosses for this expression: What have I to do with you? What have we in common? Leave me alone! Never mind! Hostility between Jesus and the demons is certainly to be understood in this context, hence the translation: “Leave me alone….” For a very similar expression see Lk 8:28 and (in a different context) John 2:4.
9 sn The confession of Jesus as the Holy One here is significant, coming from an unclean spirit. Jesus, as the Holy One of God, who bears God’s Spirit and is the expression of holiness, comes to deal with uncleanness and unholiness.
9 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
10 tn Grk “rebuked him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
11 sn The command Come out of him! is an example of Jesus’ authority (see v. 32). Unlike other exorcists, Jesus did not use magical incantations nor did he invoke anyone else’s name.
10 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
11 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
12 sn See the note on synagogue in 1:21.
12 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
13 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn The imperfect verb is taken ingressively here.
14 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
15 sn Note how the author distinguishes healing from exorcism here, implying that the two are not identical.
16 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
17 sn Why Jesus would not permit the demons to speak is much discussed. Two possibilities are (1) the mere source of the testimony (demonic) and (2) that the title, with its political implications, may have had elements that Jesus wished to avoid until the full nature of his mission was clarified.
18 tc The
15 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
16 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn The imperfect προσηύχετο (proshuceto) implies some duration to the prayer.
16 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
17 tn Grk “Because for this purpose I have come forth.”
17 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
18 sn See the note on synagogue in 1:21.
18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
19 sn The ancient term for leprosy covers a wider array of conditions than what we call leprosy today. A leper was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45-46).
20 tn This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.
19 tc The reading found in almost the entire NT ms tradition is σπλαγχνισθείς (splancnisqei", “moved with compassion”). Codex Bezae (D), {1358}, and a few Latin
20 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
21 sn Touched. This touch would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean (Lev 14:46; also Mishnah, m. Nega’im 3.1; 11.1; 12.1; 13.6-12).
20 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
21 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man who was healed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
21 tn Grk “And after warning him, he immediately sent him away and told him.”
22 sn The silence ordered by Jesus was probably meant to last only until the cleansing took place with the priests and sought to prevent Jesus’ healings from becoming the central focus of the people’s reaction to him. See also 1:34; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, 30; and 9:9 for other cases where Jesus asks for silence concerning him and his ministry.
23 sn On the phrase bring the offering that Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
24 tn Or “as an indictment against them”; or “as proof to the people.” This phrase could be taken as referring to a positive witness to the priests, a negative testimony against them, or as a testimony to the community that the man had indeed been cured. In any case, the testimony shows that Jesus is healing and ministering to those in need.
22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man who was healed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
23 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 tn Grk “and”; καί (kai) often has a mildly contrastive force, as here.
25 tn The imperfect verb has been translated iteratively.
23 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
24 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
25 tn Grk “it was heard.”
24 tn Some translations (e.g., NIV, NLT) take the preposition πρός (pro"), which indicates proximity, to mean “outside the door.” Others render it as “in front of the door” (TEV, CEV), and still others, “around the door” (NAB). There is some ambiguity inherent in the description here.
25 tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
26 tn The redundancy in this verse is characteristic of the author’s rougher style.
26 sn A house in 1st century Palestine would have had a flat roof with stairs or a ladder going up. This access was often from the outside of the house.
27 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
28 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
27 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
28 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
28 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
29 tn Grk “Reasoning within their hearts.”
29 sn Blaspheming meant to say something that dishonored God. To claim divine prerogatives or claim to speak for God when one really does not would be such an act of offense. The remark raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry.
30 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.
31 tn Grk “they were thus reasoning within themselves.”
32 tn Grk “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts?”
31 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.
32 sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).
33 sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.
34 sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
33 tn Grk “to your house.”
34 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man who was healed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
35 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36 tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telwnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.
37 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
38 tn Grk “As he reclined at table.”
39 tn Grk “his.”
40 sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.
38 tn Or “the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
39 sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
40 sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.
39 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.
40 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
41 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
42 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
43 sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
44 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate that in the narrative this question happened as a result of the fasting of John’s disciples and the Pharisees.
45 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
41 tn Grk “And Jesus.”
42 tn Grk “sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to wedding guests, or more specifically, friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).
43 sn The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5-6; 62:4-5; 4 Ezra 2:15, 38).
44 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “can they?”).
42 sn The statement the bridegroom will be taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 8:27ff. (cf. 8:31; 9:31; 10:33).
43 tn Grk “then on that day.”
43 sn Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.
44 sn The meaning of the saying new wine is poured into new skins is that the presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God.
44 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
45 tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stacus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1).
45 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
46 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
46 tn A decision about the proper translation of this Greek phrase (ἐπὶ ᾿Αβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως, ejpi Abiaqar ajrcierew") is very difficult for a number of reasons. The most natural translation of the phrase is “when Abiathar was high priest,” but this is problematic because Abiathar was not the high priest when David entered the temple and ate the sacred bread; Ahimelech is the priest mentioned in 1 Sam 21:1-7. Three main solutions have been suggested to resolve this difficulty. (1) There are alternate readings in various manuscripts, but these are not likely to be original: D W {271} it sys and a few others omit ἐπὶ ᾿Αβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως, no doubt in conformity to the parallels in Matt 12:4 and Luke 6:4; {A C Θ Π Σ Φ 074 Ë13 and many others} add τοῦ before ἀρχιερέως, giving the meaning “in the days of Abiathar the high priest,” suggesting a more general time frame. Neither reading has significant external support and both most likely are motivated by the difficulty of the original reading. (2) Many scholars have hypothesized that one of the three individuals who would have been involved in the transmission of the statement (Jesus who uttered it originally, Mark who wrote it down in the Gospel, or Peter who served as Mark’s source) was either wrong about Abiathar or intentionally loose with the biblical data in order to make a point. (3) It is possible that what is currently understood to be the most natural reading of the text is in fact not correct. (a) There are very few biblical parallels to this grammatical construction (ἐπί + genitive proper noun, followed by an anarthrous common noun), so it is possible that an extensive search for this construction in nonbiblical literature would prove that the meaning does involve a wide time frame. If this is so, “in the days of Abiathar the high priest” would be a viable option. (b) It is also possible that this phrasing serves as a loose way to cite a scripture passage. There is a parallel to this construction in Mark 12:26: “Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush?” Here the final phrase is simply ἐπὶ τοῦ βάτου (ejpi tou batou), but the obvious function of the phrase is to point to a specific passage within the larger section of scripture. Deciding upon a translation here is difficult. The translation above has followed the current consensus on the most natural and probable meaning of the phrase ἐπὶ ᾿Αβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως: “when Abiathar was high priest.” It should be recognized, however, that this translation is tentative because the current state of knowledge about the meaning of this grammatical construction is incomplete, and any decision about the meaning of this text is open to future revision.
47 tn Grk “the bread of presentation.”
48 sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.
49 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
47 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
48 tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used twice in this verse in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”
48 tn The term “lord” is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
49 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
50 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
51 sn See the note on synagogue in 1:21.
52 sn Withered means the man’s hand was shrunken and paralyzed.
50 sn The term translated watched…closely is emotive, since it carries negative connotations. It means they were watching him out of the corner of their eye or spying on him.
51 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
52 sn The background for this is the view that only if life was endangered should one attempt to heal on the Sabbath (see the Mishnah, m. Shabbat 6.3; 12.1; 18.3; 19.2; m. Yoma 8.6).
51 tn Grk “Stand up in the middle.”
52 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
53 tn The aorist participle περιβλεψάμενος (peribleyameno") has been translated as antecedent (prior) to the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as contemporaneous (“Looking around…he said”).
54 tn This term is a collective singular in the Greek text.
55 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
54 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
55 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
56 tn Grk inserts “against him” after “Herodians.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has not been translated.
57 tn Grk “destroy.”
55 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
56 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
56 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
57 tn “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”).
58 map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
59 sn These last two locations, Tyre and Sidon, represented an expansion outside of traditional Jewish territory. Jesus’ reputation continued to expand into new regions.
57 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
58 sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.
59 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
60 sn Jesus did not permit the demons to make him known because the time for such disclosure was not yet at hand, and such a revelation would have certainly been misunderstood by the people. In all likelihood, if the people had understood him early on to be the Son of God, or Messiah, they would have reduced his mission to one of political deliverance from Roman oppression (cf. John 6:15). Jesus wanted to avoid, as much as possible, any premature misunderstanding about who he was and what he was doing. However, at the end of his ministry, he did not deny such a title when the high priest asked him (14:61-62).
60 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
61 tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὅρος, eis to Joro").
61 tn Grk “And he.”
62 sn The term apostles is rare in the gospels, found only here and Mark 6:30, Matt 10:2, and six more times in Luke (6:13; 9:10; 11:49; 17:5; 22:14; 24:10).
63 tc The phrase “whom he named apostles” is lacking in the majority of
62 tc The phrase “he appointed twelve” is lacking in the majority of manuscripts (A C2 D L Θ Ë1 33 2427 Ï lat sy bo). Some important witnesses include the phrase (א B C* Δ 565 579 pc), but perhaps the best explanation for the omission of the clause in the majority of witnesses is haplography in combination with homoioarcton: The first word of the clause in question is καί (kai), and the first word after the clause in question is also καί. And the first two letters of the second word, in each instance, are επ (ep). Early scribes most likely jumped accidentally from the first καί to the second, omitting the intervening material. Thus the clause was most likely in the original text. (See 3:14 above for a related textual problem.)
63 sn In the various lists of the twelve, Simon (that is, Peter) is always mentioned first (see also Matt 10:1-4; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13) and the first four are always the same, though not in the same order after Peter.
63 tn Grk “to James, the son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James.”
64 sn Bartholomew (meaning “son of Tolmai” in Aramaic) could be another name for Nathanael mentioned in John 1:45.
65 sn This is the “doubting Thomas” of John 20:24-29.
66 tc This disciple is called Λεββαῖον (Lebbaion, “Lebbaeus”) in D it; see the discussion of the parallel text in Matt 10:3 where conflation occurs among other witnesses as well.
67 tn Grk “the Cananean,” but according to both BDAG 507 s.v. Καναναῖος and L&N 11.88, this term has no relation at all to the geographical terms for Cana or Canaan, but is derived from the Aramaic term for “enthusiast, zealot” (see Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), possibly because of an earlier affiliation with the party of the Zealots. He may not have been technically a member of the particular Jewish nationalistic party known as “Zealots” (since according to some scholars this party had not been organized at that time), but simply someone who was zealous for Jewish independence from Rome, in which case the term would refer to his temperament.
65 sn There is some debate about what the name Iscariot means. It probably alludes to a region in Judea and thus might make Judas the only non-Galilean in the group. Several explanations for the name Iscariot have been proposed, but it is probably transliterated Hebrew with the meaning “man of Kerioth” (there are at least two villages that had that name). For further discussion see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 1:546; also D. A. Carson, John, 304.
66 tn Grk “who even betrayed him.”
66 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
67 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
67 tc Western witnesses D W it, instead of reading οἱ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ (Joi par’ aujtou, here translated “family”), have περὶ αὐτοῦ οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ λοιποί (peri autou Joi grammatei" kai Joi loipoi, “[when] the scribes and others [heard] about him”). But this reading is obviously motivated, for it removes the embarrassing statement about Jesus’ family’s opinion of him as “out of his mind” and transfers this view to the Lord’s opponents. The fact that virtually all other witnesses have οἱ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ here, coupled with the strong internal evidence for the shorter reading, shows this Western reading to be secondary.
68 tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
69 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
70 tn Grk “He has Beelzebul.”
71 tn Or “prince.”
69 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
70 sn Jesus spoke two parables to demonstrate the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. The first parable (vv. 23-26) teaches that if Jesus cast out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. The second parable (v. 28) about tying up a strong man proves that Jesus does not need to align himself with the devil because Jesus is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (1:12-13) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 3:29-30). For an explanation of what a parable is, see the note on parables in 4:2.
70 sn The three conditional statements in vv. 24-26 express the logical result of the assumption that Jesus heals by Satan’s power, expressed by the religious leaders. The point is clear: If the leaders are correct, then Satan’s kingdom will not stand, so the suggestion makes no sense. Satan would not seek to heal.
71 sn The strong man here pictures Satan.
72 sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.
72 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
73 tn Grk “all the sins and blasphemies they may speak will be forgiven the sons of men.”
73 sn Is guilty of an eternal sin. This passage has troubled many people, who have wondered whether or not they have committed this eternal sin. Three things must be kept in mind: (1) the nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan’s power) to Satan himself; (2) it is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit’s work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed Jesus; and (3) a person who is concerned about it has probably never committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about Jesus’ warning. On this last point see W. W. Wessel, “Mark,” EBC 8:645-46.
74 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
75 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
76 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
77 sn The issue of whether Jesus had brothers (siblings) has had a long history in the church. Epiphanius, in the 4th century, argued that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no offspring other than Jesus. Others argued that these brothers were really cousins. Nothing in the text suggests any of this. See also John 7:3.
78 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
76 tc ‡ Many
77 tn Grk “Who is my mother and my brothers?” The use of the singular verb ἐστιν (estin) here singles out Mary above Jesus’ brothers, giving her special prominence (see ExSyn 401-2). This is slightly unnatural in English since the predicate nominative is plural, though, so a plural verb was used in the translation.
78 tn Grk “Behold my mother and my brothers.”
79 tn The pleonastic pronoun οὗτος (Jouto", “this one”) which precedes this verb has not been translated.
80 tn Grk “and all the crowd.” The clause in this phrase, although coordinate in terms of grammar, is logically subordinate to the previous clause.
81 sn Though parables can contain a variety of figures of speech (cf. 2:19-22; 3:23-25; 4:3-9, 26-32; 7:15-17; 13:28), many times they are simply stories that attempt to teach spiritual truth (which is unknown to the hearers) by using a comparison with something known to the hearers. In general, parables usually advance a single idea, though there may be many parts and characters in a single parable and subordinate ideas may expand the main idea further. The beauty of using the parable as a teaching device is that it draws the listener into the story, elicits an evaluation, and demands a response.
82 sn A sower went out to sow. The background for this well-known parable, drawn from a typical scene in the Palestinian countryside, is a field through which a well worn path runs. Sowing would occur in late fall or early winter (October to December) in the rainy season, looking for sprouting in April or May and a June harvest. The use of seed as a figure for God’s giving life has OT roots (Isa 55:10-11). The point of the parable of the sower is to illustrate the various responses to the message of the kingdom of God (cf. 4:11).
83 tn Mark’s version of the parable, like Luke’s (cf. Luke 8:4-8), uses the collective singular to refer to the seed throughout, so singular pronouns have been used consistently throughout this parable in the English translation. However, the parallel account in Matt 13:1-9 begins with plural pronouns in v. 4 but then switches to the collective singular in v. 5 ff.
84 sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.
85 tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”
85 tn Grk “it did not have root.”
86 sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.
87 sn That is, crowded out the good plants.
87 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the final stage of the parable.
88 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
89 tn Grk “the mystery.”
90 tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).
90 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.
91 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
92 sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for Satan here: Matt 13:19 has “the evil one,” while Luke 8:12 has “the devil.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.
93 sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.
93 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
94 tn Grk “are temporary.”
94 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
95 tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”
96 sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
95 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
96 sn The lamp is probably an ancient oil burning lamp or perhaps a candlestick. Jesus is comparing revelation to light, particularly the revelation of his ministry.
97 tn Or “a bowl”; this refers to any container for dry material of about eight liters (two gallons) capacity. It could be translated “basket, box, bowl” (L&N 6.151).
97 tn Or “disclosed.”
98 tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8, 14:35).
99 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”
100 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
101 sn What he has will be taken from him. The meaning is that the one who accepts Jesus’ teaching concerning his person and the kingdom will receive a share in the kingdom now and even more in the future, but for the one who rejects Jesus’ words, the opportunity that that person presently possesses with respect to the kingdom will someday be taken away forever.
101 tn The Greek word εὐθύς (euqus, often translated “immediately” or “right away”) has not been translated here. It sometimes occurs with a weakened, inferential use (BDAG 406 s.v. 2), not contributing significantly to the flow of the narrative. For further discussion, see R. J. Decker, Temporal Deixis of the Greek Verb in the Gospel of Mark with Reference to Verbal Aspect (SBG 10), 73-77.
102 sn Because the harvest has come. This parable is found only in Mark (cf. Matt 13:24-30) and presents a complete picture of the coming of God’s kingdom: (1) sowing; (2) growth; (3) harvest. Some understand the parable as a reference to evangelism. While this is certainly involved, it does not seem to be the central idea. In contrast to the parable of the sower which emphasizes the quality of the different soils, this parable emphasizes the power of the seed to cause growth (with the clear implication that the mysterious growth of the kingdom is accomplished by God), apart from human understanding and observation.
102 sn Mustard seeds are known for their tiny size.
103 tn Mark 4:31-32 is fairly awkward in Greek. Literally the sentence reads as follows: “As a mustard seed, which when sown in the earth, being the smallest of all the seeds in the earth, and when it is sown, it grows up…” The structure has been rendered in more idiomatic English, although some of the awkward structure has been retained for rhetorical effect.
104 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
105 sn The point of the parable seems to be that while the kingdom of God may appear to have insignificant and unnoticeable beginnings (i.e., in the ministry of Jesus), it will someday (i.e., at the second advent) be great and quite expansive. The kingdom, however, is not to be equated with the church, but rather the church is an expression of the kingdom. Also, there is important OT background in the image of the mustard seed that grew and became a tree: Ezek 17:22-24 pictures the reemergence of the Davidic house where people can find calm and shelter. Like the mustard seed, it would start out small but grow to significant size.
104 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
105 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
106 tn The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.
106 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the response to Jesus’ request.
107 tn It is possible that this prepositional phrase modifies “as he was,” not “they took him along.” The meaning would then be “they took him along in the boat in which he was already sitting” (see 4:1).
107 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
108 tn Or “a squall.”
108 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
109 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
110 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
111 sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Ps 104:3; 135:7; 107:23-30. When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.
112 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
110 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.
111 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.
111 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate a summary and transition in the narrative.
112 tc The textual tradition here is quite complicated. Most later
112 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
113 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
114 tn Grk “met him from the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.” When this is converted to normal English word order (“a man met him from the tombs with an unclean spirit”) it sounds as if “with an unclean spirit” modifies “the tombs.” Likewise, “a man with an unclean spirit from the tombs met him” implies that the unclean spirit came from the tombs, while the Greek text is clear that it is the man who had the unclean spirit who came from the tombs. To make this clear a second verb, “came,” is supplied in English: “came from the tombs and met him.”
113 tn Grk “he had often been bound with chains and shackles.” “Shackles” could also be translated “fetters”; they were chains for the feet.
114 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
114 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
115 tn Grk “What to me and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί (ti emoi kai soi) is Semitic in origin, though it made its way into colloquial Greek (BDAG 275 s.v. ἐγώ). The equivalent Hebrew expression in the OT had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his own, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). These nuances were apparently expanded in Greek, but the basic notions of defensive hostility (option 1) and indifference or disengagement (option 2) are still present. BDAG suggests the following as glosses for this expression: What have I to do with you? What have we in common? Leave me alone! Never mind! Hostility between Jesus and the demons is certainly to be understood in this context, hence the translation: “Leave me alone….”
116 sn Though it seems unusual for a demon to invoke God’s name (“I implore you by God”) in his demands of Jesus, the parallel in Matt 8:29 suggests the reason: “Why have you come to torment us before the time?” There was an appointed time in which demons would face their judgment, and they seem to have viewed Jesus’ arrival on the scene as an illegitimate change in God’s plan regarding the time when their sentence would be executed.
115 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
116 sn This is a parenthetical explanation by the author.
116 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
117 sn The name Legion means “thousands,” a word taken from a Latin term for a large group of soldiers. The term not only suggests a multiple possession, but also adds a military feel to the account. This is a true battle.
117 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
118 tn Grk “mountain,” but this might give the English reader the impression of a far higher summit.
119 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
120 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
121 sn Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.
122 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.
121 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate a transition to the response to the miraculous healing.
122 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
123 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
123 tn Grk “be,” that is, “remain.” In this context that would involve accompanying Jesus as he went on his way.
124 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
125 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
126 sn Jesus instructs the man to declare what the Lord has done for him, in contrast to the usual instructions (e.g., 1:44; 5:43) to remain silent. Here in Gentile territory Jesus allowed more open discussion of his ministry. D. L. Bock (Luke [BECNT], 1:781) suggests that with few Jewish religious representatives present, there would be less danger of misunderstanding Jesus’ ministry as political.
125 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate the conclusion of the episode in the narrative.
126 sn The Decapolis refers to a league of towns (originally consisting of ten; the Greek name literally means “ten towns”) whose region (except for Scythopolis) lay across the Jordan River.
127 sn Note that the man could not separate what God had done from the one through whom God had done it (what Jesus had done for him). This man was called to witness to God’s goodness at home.
126 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
127 tn That is, “an official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93; cf. Luke 8:41).
128 tc Codex Bezae (D) and some Itala
129 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
127 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
128 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
129 tn Grk “a flow of blood.”
130 sn This story of the woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years is recounted in the middle of the story about Jairus’ daughter. Mark’s account (as is often the case) is longer and more detailed than the parallel accounts in Matt 9:18-26 and Luke 8:40-56. Mark’s fuller account may be intended to show that the healing of the woman was an anticipation of the healing of the little girl.
129 tn Grk “garment,” but here ἱμάτιον (Jimation) denotes the outer garment in particular.
130 tn The imperfect verb is here taken iteratively, for the context suggests that the woman was trying to muster up the courage to touch Jesus’ cloak.
131 tn Grk “saved.”
131 tn Grk “the flow of her blood dried up.”
132 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
133 tn Or “has delivered you”; Grk “has saved you.” This should not be understood as an expression for full salvation in the immediate context; it refers only to the woman’s healing.
134 sn See the note on synagogue rulers in 5:22.
135 tn Grk “and James,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
136 tn Grk “and,” though such paratactic structure is rather awkward in English.
137 sn This group probably includes outside or even professional mourners, not just family, because a large group seems to be present.
137 tn Grk “They were laughing at him.” The imperfect verb has been taken ingressively.
138 tn Or “threw them all outside.” The verb used, ἐκβάλλω (ekballw), almost always has the connotation of force in Mark.
139 tn Grk “those with him.”
140 tn Grk “into where the child was.”
138 tn The Greek word εὐθύς (euqus, often translated “immediately” or “right away”) has not been translated here. It sometimes occurs with a weakened, inferential use (BDAG 406 s.v. 2), not contributing significantly to the flow of the narrative. For further discussion, see R. J. Decker, Temporal Deixis of the Greek Verb in the Gospel of Mark with Reference to Verbal Aspect (SBG 10), 73-77.
139 sn That no one should know about this. See the note on the phrase who he was in 3:12.
140 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
141 sn Jesus’ hometown (where he spent his childhood years) was Nazareth, about 20 miles (30 km) southwest of Capernaum.
141 sn See the note on synagogue in 1:21. Jesus undoubtedly took the opportunity on this occasion to speak about his person and mission, and the relation of both to OT fulfillment.
142 tn Or “this teaching”; Grk “these things.” The response of the people centers upon the content of Jesus’ teaching, so the phrase “these ideas” was supplied in the text to make this clear.
142 tc Evidently because of the possible offensiveness of designating Jesus a carpenter, several
143 sn The reference to Jesus as the carpenter is probably derogatory, indicating that they knew Jesus only as a common laborer like themselves. The reference to him as the son of Mary (even though Jesus’ father was probably dead by this point) appears to be somewhat derogatory, for a man was not regarded as his mother’s son in Jewish usage unless an insult was intended (cf. Judg 11:1-2; John 6:42; 8:41; 9:29).
143 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
144 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
145 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
146 sn The phrase unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.
146 sn Neither Matt 10:9-10 nor Luke 9:3 allow for a staff. It might be that Matthew and Luke mean not taking an extra staff, or that the expression is merely rhetorical for “traveling light,” which has been rendered in two slightly different ways.
147 tn Or “no traveler’s bag”; or possibly “no beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145; BDAG 811 s.v. πήρα).
147 tn Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a “tunic” was any more than they would be familiar with a “chiton.” On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
148 sn Jesus telling his disciples to stay there in one house contrasts with the practice of religious philosophers in the ancient world who went from house to house begging.
149 sn To shake the dust off represented shaking off the uncleanness from one’s feet; see Luke 10:11; Acts 13:51; 18:6. It was a sign of rejection.
150 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
151 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
152 sn Herod was technically not a king, but a tetrarch, a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king. A tetrarch ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. In the NT, Herod, who ruled over Galilee, is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage rather than an official title.
153 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
154 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
155 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]).
152 tn Grk “he”; here it is necessary to specify the referent as “Herod,” since the nearest previous antecedent in the translation is Philip.
153 tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.
154 sn It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. This was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.
154 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
155 tn Grk “was fearing,” “was respecting”; the imperfect tense connotes an ongoing fear or respect for John.
156 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
157 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
158 tc In place of ἠπόρει (hporei, “he was baffled”) the majority of
159 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “and yet” to indicate the concessive nature of the final clause.
160 tn Grk “him”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
156 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
157 tn Grk “a day of opportunity”; cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὔκαιρος, “in our lit. only pert. to time than is considered a favorable occasion for some event or circumstance, well-timed, suitable.”
157 tc Behind “his daughter Herodias” is a most difficult textual problem. The reading adopted in the translation, τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (th" qugatro" aujtou Jerwdiado"), is supported by א B D L Δ 565 pc; it is also the most difficult reading internally since it describes Herodias as Herod’s daughter. Other readings are less awkward, but they do not have adequate external support. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (th" qugatro" auth" th" &erwdiado", “the daughter of Herodias herself”) is supported by A C (W) Θ Ë13 33 Ï, but this is also grammatically awkward. The easiest reading, τῆς θυγατρὸς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (“the daughter of Herodias”) is supported by Ë1 pc, but this reading probably arose from an accidental omission of αὐτῆς in the previous reading. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος, despite its historical difficulties, is most likely original due to external attestation and the fact that it most likely gave rise to the other readings as scribes sought to correct it.
158 tc ‡ The witnesses here support several different readings: αὐτῇ πολλά (auth polla, “to her insistently”) is found in D Θ 565 700 it; πολλά is the reading of Ì45vid 28; both words are lacking in L pc; and א A B C2vid Ë13 33 2427 Ï lat have just αὐτῇ. The best candidates for authenticity, on external grounds, are αὐτῇ πολλά and αὐτῇ. So the issue revolves around whether πολλά is part of the text. On the one hand, πολλά used adverbially is a distinctive Markanism (10 of the 16 NT instances are found in Mark; of the other Gospels, Matthew alone adds a single example [Matt 9:14]). It could be argued that such an unremarkable term would go unnoticed by the scribes, and consequently would not have been inserted in imitation of Mark’s style observed elsewhere. On the other hand, the largest cluster of instances of an adverbial πολλά are in Mark 5-6, with the most recent example coming just three verses earlier (Mark 5:23, 38, 43; 6:20). Scribes may well have imitated the usage so recently and so frequently seen. Further, the best Alexandrian witnesses, as well as good representatives of the Western and Byzantines texts, lack πολλά. On the whole, though a decision is difficult, it is probably best to read the text without πολλά. NA27 places the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
159 sn The expression up to half my kingdom is a proverbial comment meaning “great wealth.”
159 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
160 tn Grk “She said”; the referent (the girl’s mother) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
161 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]).
160 tn Grk “she asked, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant and has not been translated.
161 tn Grk “and being deeply grieved, the king did not want.”
162 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
163 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
163 tn Grk “his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
164 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
165 tn Grk “ran together on foot.” The idea of συντρέχω (suntrecw) is “to come together quickly to form a crowd” (L&N 15.133).
166 tn Or “cities.”
167 tc The translation here follows the reading προῆλθον (prohlqon, “they preceded”), found in א B (0187) 892 2427 pc lat co. Some
166 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
167 tn Grk “came out [of the boat],” with the reference to the boat understood.
168 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate this action is the result of Jesus’ compassion on the crowd in the narrative.
167 tn Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).
168 tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence has been changed for clarity.
169 tn Here the pronoun ὑμεῖς (Jumeis) is used, making “you” in the translation emphatic.
170 sn The silver coin referred to here is the denarius. A denarius, inscribed with a picture of Tiberius Caesar, was worth approximately one day’s wage for a laborer. Two hundred denarii was thus approximately equal to eight months’ wages. The disciples did not have the resources in their possession to feed the large crowd, so Jesus’ request is his way of causing them to trust him as part of their growth in discipleship.
169 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
170 tc ‡ Most
170 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate a somewhat parenthetical remark by the author.
171 tn The Greek word here is ἀνήρ, meaning “adult male” (BDAG 79 s.v. 1). According to Matt 14:21, Jesus fed not only five thousand men, but also an unspecified number of women and children.
172 tc Many good
171 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
172 tn This verse is one complete sentence in the Greek text, but it has been broken into two sentences in English for clarity.
173 tn Grk “about the fourth watch of the night,” between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
174 tn Or “on the lake.”
175 tn The καί (kai) was translated so as to introduce a subordinate clause, i.e., with the use of “for.” See BDF §442.9.
176 sn The statement he wanted to pass by them is somewhat difficult to understand. There are at least two common interpretations: (1) it refers to the perspective of the disciples, that is, from their point of view it seemed that Jesus wanted to pass by them; or (2) it refers to a theophany and uses the language of the Greek Old Testament (LXX) when God “passed by” Moses at Sinai (cf. Exod 33:19, 22). According to the latter alternative, Jesus is “passing by” the disciples during their struggle, in order to assure them of his presence with them. See W L. Lane, Mark (NICNT), 236.
173 tn Grk “on the sea,” “on the lake.” The translation “water” has been used here for stylistic reasons (cf. the same phrase in v. 48).
174 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
174 tn Grk “he spoke with them, and said to them.”
175 sn Gennesaret was a fertile plain south of Capernaum (see also Matt 14:34). This name was also sometimes used for the Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1).
176 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
177 tn Grk “wherever they heard he was.”
178 tn Grk “asked that they might touch.”
179 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
180 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
181 tn Or “and some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
182 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
180 tn Grk “except they wash the hands with a fist,” a ceremonial washing (though the actual method is uncertain).
181 tc Several important witnesses (Ì45vid א B L Δ 28* pc) lack “and dining couches” (καὶ κλινῶν, kai klinwn), while the majority of
182 sn Verses 3-4 represent parenthetical remarks by the author, giving background information.
182 tn Grk “eat bread.”
183 tn The term “heart” is a collective singular in the Greek text.
184 sn A quotation from Isa 29:13.
185 tn Grk “Having left the command.”
186 tc The majority of
186 tc The translation here follows the reading στήσητε (sthshte, “set up”) found in D W Θ Ë1 28 565 2542 it sys,p Cyp. The majority of
187 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
188 sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.
188 sn Corban is a Hebrew loanword (transliterated in the Greek text and in most modern English translations) referring to something that has been set aside as a gift to be given to God at some later date, but which is still in the possession of the owner (L&N 53.22). According to contemporary Jewish tradition the person who made this claim was absolved from responsibility to support or assist his parents, a clear violation of the Mosaic law to honor one’s parents (v. 10).
189 tn Grk “nullifying.” This participle shows the results of the Pharisees’ command.
190 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
191 tc Most later
192 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
193 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
193 tn Or “into the latrine.”
194 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
194 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
195 tc Most
196 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
195 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
196 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
197 tn Or “lap dogs, house dogs,” as opposed to dogs on the street. The diminutive form originally referred to puppies or little dogs, then to house pets. In some Hellenistic uses κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”
198 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
199 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
200 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
201 map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
202 map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
203 sn The Decapolis refers to a league of towns (originally consisting of ten; the Greek name literally means “ten towns”) whose region (except for Scythopolis) lay across the Jordan River.
200 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
201 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the deaf man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
202 sn After spitting, he touched his tongue. It was not uncommon in Judaism of the day to associate curative powers with a person’s saliva. The scene as a whole reflects Jesus’ willingness to get close to people and have physical contact with them where appropriate. See W. L. Lane, Mark (NICNT), 267 n. 78.
201 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
202 sn The author’s parenthetical note gives the meaning of the Aramaic word Ephphatha.
202 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the man who had been a deaf mute) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
203 tn Grk “but as much as he ordered them, these rather so much more proclaimed.” Greek tends to omit direct objects when they are clear from the context, but these usually need to be supplied for the modern English reader. Here what Jesus ordered has been clarified (“ordered them not to do this”), and the pronoun “it” has been supplied after “proclaimed.”
204 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
205 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
205 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
206 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
206 tn Grk “They.”
207 sn The parallel in Matt 15:32-39 notes that the four thousand were only men, a point not made explicit in Mark.
208 tn The words “who ate” are not in the Greek text but have been supplied for clarity.
209 sn Mark 8:1-10. Many commentators, on the basis of similarities between this account of the feeding of the multitude (8:1-10) and that in 6:30-44, have argued that there is only one event referred to in both passages. While there are similarities in language and in the response of the disciples, there are also noticeable differences, including the different number present on each occasion (i.e., 5,000 in chap. 6 and 4,000 here). In the final analysis, the fact that Jesus refers to two distinct feedings in 8:18-20 settles the issue; this passage represents another very similar incident to that recorded in 6:30-44.
208 sn The exact location of Dalmanutha is uncertain, but it is somewhere close to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
209 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
210 tn Grk “seeking from him.” The participle ζητοῦντες (zhtountes) shows the means by which the Pharisees argued with Jesus.
211 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
210 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
211 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
212 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
213 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
214 tn Grk “was giving them orders, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
215 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
214 tn Grk “And they were discussing with one another that they had no bread.”
215 tn Or “becoming aware of it.”
216 tn Or “discussing.”
216 tn Grk “do you not hear?”
217 tc ‡ A difficult textual problem is found here, involving three different variants: καὶ λέγουσιν (kai legousin) is found in א pc; οἱ δὲ εἶπον (Joi de eipon) is the reading of Ì45 A D W Θ Ë1,13 33 Ï it; and καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ (kai legousin autw) is supported by B C L (Δ 579 892) 2427 pc. The first two variants would not be translated differently; the third reading, however, would add “to him” after “they replied.” What complicates the issue is that the external evidence is fairly evenly split between the second and third readings, though the first reading is in agreement with the second reading in lacking the dative pronoun. Indeed, another layout of the problem here could treat this as two distinct problems: καὶ λέγουσιν vs. οἱ δὲ εἶπον and αὐτῷ vs. omission of the word. In this second arrangement of the problem, the reading without the pronoun has slightly stronger support (Ì45 א A D W Θ Ë1,13 33 Ï it). Internally, Mark never elsewhere uses the form εἶπον for the third person plural indicative form of this verb (it is always εἶπαν [eipan]). And although only one other time in Mark is the object lacking after λέγουσιν (6:38), it is a similar context (viz., the disciples’ response before Jesus feeds the 5000). Very tentatively, the reading that is followed here is καὶ λέγουσιν. NA27 puts αὐτῷ in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
218 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to indicate the implied sequence in the narrative.
219 sn Do you still not understand? The disciples in Mark’s Gospel often misunderstood the miracles of Jesus as well as his teaching. Between Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Mark paints the most revealing portrait of the shortcomings of the Twelve (cf. 6:51-52; 7:17-19; 8:1-10, 14-21, 27-30, 33; 9:5, 10, 33; 10:28, 35-45; 14:19, 29-31, 32-37, 50, 66-72).
219 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
220 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
220 tn Grk “village, and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
221 tn Grk “on him,” but the word πάλιν in v. 25 implies that Jesus touched the man’s eyes at this point.
221 tn The verb ἀναβλέπω, though normally meaning “look up,” when used in conjunction with blindness means “regain sight.”
222 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
223 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the blind man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
224 tn Or “he looked intently”; or “he stared with eyes wide open” (BDAG 226 s.v. διαβλέπω 1).
223 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
224 tc Codex Bezae (D) replaces “Do not even go into the village” with “Go to your house, and do not tell anyone, not even in the village.” Other
224 map Fpr location see Map1-C1; Map2-F4.
225 tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying to them.” The phrase λέγων αὐτοῖς (legwn autois) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
225 tn Grk “And they said to him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
226 sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.
226 tn Grk “Answering, Peter said to him.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “Peter answered him.”
227 tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
227 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to indicate the conclusion of the episode.
228 sn Mark 8:27-10:52. The entire section 8:27-10:52 is built around three passion predictions of Jesus (8:31; 9:31; 10:33). These predictions form the structure of the section, the content for the section (Jesus’ suffering, death, and the meaning of genuine discipleship) and the mood of the section (i.e., a somber mood). What is interesting is that after each passion prediction, Mark records both the misunderstanding of the disciples and then Jesus’ teaching on the nature of his death and what genuine discipleship is all about: (1) denying oneself (8:34-38); (2) humility and serving (9:33-37); (3) suffering, humble service, and not lording it over people (10:35-45). For further discussion of the structure of the passage, see W. L. Lane, Mark (NICNT), 292-94.