Mark 1:10

1:10 And just as Jesus ¹  was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens ²  splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ³ 

Mark 4:7

4:7 Other seed fell among the thorns, ⁴  and they grew up and choked it, ⁵  and it did not produce grain.

[1:10]  ¹ tn Grk “and immediately coming up out of the water, he saw.” The present participle has been translated temporally, with the subject (Jesus) specified for clarity.

[1:10]  ² tn Or “sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The same word is used in v. 11.

[1:10]  ³ sn The phrase like a dove is a descriptive comparison. The Spirit is not a dove, but descended like one in some sort of bodily representation.

[4:7]  ⁴ sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.

[4:7]  ⁵ sn That is, crowded out the good plants.