Mark 1:34

1:34 So ¹  he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. ²  But ³  he would not permit the demons to speak, ⁴  because they knew him. ⁵ 

Mark 2:8

2:8 Now ⁶  immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, ⁷  he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? ⁸ 

Mark 2:25

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

Mark 4:24

4:24 And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, ⁹  and more will be added to you.

Mark 6:33

6:33 But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they hurried on foot ¹⁰  from all the towns ¹¹  and arrived there ahead of them. ¹² 

Mark 12:24

12:24 Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you deceived ¹³  for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God?

Mark 14:30

14:30 Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, ¹⁴  today – this very night – before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

Mark 14:68

14:68 But he denied it: ¹⁵  “I don’t even understand what you’re talking about!” ¹⁶  Then ¹⁷  he went out to the gateway, and a rooster crowed. ¹⁸ 

¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

² sn Note how the author distinguishes healing from exorcism here, implying that the two are not identical.

³ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

⁴ 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.

⁵ tc The mss vary on what is read at the end of v. 34. Some have “they knew him to be the Christ,” with various Greek constructions (ᾔδεισαν αὐτὸν Χριστὸν εἶναι [hdeisan auton Criston einai] in B L W Θ Ë¹ 28 33^vid 565 2427 al; ᾔδεισαν τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι [hdeisan ton Criston auton einai] in [א²] C [˹³ 700] 892 1241 [1424] pc); codex D has “they knew him and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons,” reproducing exactly the first half of the verse. These first two longer readings are predictable expansions to an enticingly brief statement; the fact that there are significant variations on the word order and presence or absence of τόν argues against their authenticity as well. D’s reading is a palpable error of sight. The reading adopted in the translation is supported by א* A 0130 Ï lat. This support, though hardly overwhelming in itself, in combination with strong internal evidence, renders the shorter reading fairly certain.

⁶ 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.

⁷ tn Grk “they were thus reasoning within themselves.”

⁸ tn Grk “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts?”

¹¹ tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”

¹⁶ tn Grk “ran together on foot.” The idea of συντρέχω (suntrecw) is “to come together quickly to form a crowd” (L&N 15.133).

¹⁷ tn Or “cities.”

¹⁸ tc The translation here follows the reading προῆλθον (prohlqon, “they preceded”), found in א B [phone] pc lat co. Some mss (D 28 33 700 pc) read συνῆλθον (sunhlqon, “arrived there with them”), while the majority of mss, most of them late (Ì^84vid [A ˹³] Ï sy^h), conflate the two readings (προῆλθον αὐτοὺς καὶ συνῆλθον πρὸς αὐτόν, “they preceded them and came together to him”). The reading adopted here thus has better external credentials than the variants. As well, it is the harder reading internally, being changed “by copyists who thought it unlikely that the crowd on the land could have outstripped the boat” (TCGNT 78).

²¹ tn Or “mistaken” (cf. BDAG 822 s.v. πλανάω 2.c.γ).

²⁶ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

³¹ tn Grk “he denied it, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

³² tn Grk “I do not know or understand what you are saying.” In the translation this is taken as a hendiadys (a figure of speech where two terms express a single meaning, usually for emphatic reasons).

³³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

³⁴ tc Several important witnesses (א B L W Ψ* 579 892 2427 pc) lack the words “and a rooster crowed.” The fact that such good and early Alexandrian witnesses lack these words makes this textual problem difficult to decide, especially because the words receive support from other witnesses, some of which are fairly decent (A C D Θ Ψ^c 067 Ë^1,13 33 [1424] Ï lat). The omission could have been intentional on the part of some Alexandrian scribes who wished to bring this text in line with the other Gospel accounts that only mention a rooster crowing once (Matt 26:74; Luke 22:60; John 18:27). The insertion could be an attempt to make the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy in 14:30 more explicit. Internally, the words “and a rooster crowed” fit Mark’s Gospel here, not only in view of 14:30, “before a rooster crows twice,” but also in view of the mention of “a second time” in 14:71 (a reading which is much more textually secure). Nevertheless, a decision is difficult.