Discovery BoxDeuteronomy 16:9
Context16:9 You must count seven weeks; you must begin to count them 1 from the time you begin to harvest the standing grain.
Mark 4:29
Context4:29 And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle 2 because the harvest has come.” 3
Revelation 14:15-16
Context14:15 Then 4 another angel came out of the temple, shouting in a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, “Use 5 your sickle and start to reap, 6 because the time to reap has come, since the earth’s harvest is ripe!” 14:16 So 7 the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.
[16:9] 1 tn Heb “the seven weeks.” The translation uses a pronoun to avoid redundancy in English.
[4:29] 2 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.
[4:29] 3 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.
[14:15] 4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[14:15] 6 tn The aorist θέρισον (qerison) has been translated ingressively.
[14:16] 7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s directions.
