Mark 1:17

1:17 Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” ¹ 

Mark 3:9

3:9 Because of the crowd, he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so the crowd ²  would not press toward him.

Mark 5:43

5:43 He strictly ordered that no one should know about this, ³  and told them to give her something to eat.

Mark 7:29

7:29 Then ⁴  he said to her, “Because you said this, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.”

Mark 9:23

9:23 Then Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?’ ⁵  All things are possible for the one who believes.”

Mark 9:29

9:29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” ⁶ 

Mark 9:36

9:36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

Mark 10:5

10:5 But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts. ⁷ 

Mark 10:18

10:18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? ⁸  No one is good except God alone.

Mark 14:6

14:6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good service for me.

Mark 14:20

14:20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips his hand ⁹  with me into the bowl. ¹⁰ 

Mark 14:24

14:24 He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood ¹¹  of the covenant, ¹²  that is poured out for many.

Mark 14:48

14:48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? ¹³ 

Mark 16:15

16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

[1:17]  ¹ tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”

[3:9]  ² tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:43]  ³ sn That no one should know about this. See the note on the phrase who he was in 3:12.

[7:29]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[9:23]  ⁵ tc Most mss (A C³ Ψ 33 Ï) have τὸ εἰ δύνασαι πιστεῦσαι (to ei dunasai pisteusai, “if you are able to believe”), instead of τὸ εἰ δύνῃ (to ei dunh, “if you are able”; supported by א B C* L N* Δ Ë¹ 579 892 pc). Others have εἰ δύνῃ (or δυνάσαι) πιστεῦσαι (“if you are able to believe”; so D K Θ Ë¹³ 28 565 al), while still others have τοῦτο εἰ δύνῃ (touto ei dunh, “if you can [do] this”; so [Ì⁴⁵] W). The reading that best explains the rise of the others is τὸ εἰ δύνῃ. The neuter article indicates that the Lord is now quoting the boy’s father who, in v. 22, says εἴ τι δύνῃ (ei ti dunh, “if you are able to do anything”). The article is thus used anaphorically (see ExSyn 238). However, scribes could easily have overlooked this idiom and would consequently read τὸ εἰ δύνῃ as the protasis of a conditional clause of the Lord’s statement. As such, it would almost demand the infinitive πιστεῦσαι, producing the reading τὸ εἰ δύνασαι πιστεῦσαι (“if you are able to believe, all things are possible…”). But the article here seems to be meaningless, prompting other scribes to modify the text still further. Some dropped the nonsensical article, while others turned it into the demonstrative τοῦτο and dropped the infinitive. It is clear that scribes had difficulty with the original wording here, and made adjustments in various directions. What might not be so clear is the exact genealogy of the descent of all the readings. However, τὸ εἰ δύνῃ is both a hard saying, best explains the rise of the other readings, and is supported by the best witnesses. It thus rightly deserves to be considered authentic.

[9:29]  ⁶ tc Most witnesses, even early and excellent ones (Ì^45vid א² A C D L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat co), have “and fasting” (καὶ νηστείᾳ, kai nhsteia) after “prayer” here. But this seems to be a motivated reading, due to the early church’s emphasis on fasting (TCGNT 85; cf., e.g., 2 Clem. 16:4; Pol. Phil 7:2; Did. 1:3; 7:4). That the most important witnesses (א* B), as well as a few others (0274 2427 k), lack καὶ νηστείᾳ, when a good reason for the omission is difficult to find, argues strongly for the shorter reading.

[10:5]  ⁷ tn Grk “heart” (a collective singular).

[10:18]  ⁸ sn Jesus’ response, Why do you call me good?, was designed to cause the young man to stop and think for a moment about who Jesus really was. The following statement No one is good except God alone seems to point the man in the direction of Jesus’ essential nature and the demands which logically follow on the man for having said it.

[14:20]  ⁹ tn Grk “one who dips with me.” The phrase “his hand” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:20]  ¹⁰ sn One who dips with me in the bowl. The point of Jesus’ comment here is not to identify the specific individual per se, but to indicate that it is one who was close to him – somebody whom no one would suspect. His comment serves to heighten the treachery of Judas’ betrayal.

[14:24]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “this is my blood of the covenant that is poured out for many.” In order to avoid confusion about which is poured out, the translation supplies “blood” twice so that the following phrase clearly modifies “blood,” not “covenant.”

[14:24]  ¹¹ tc Most mss (A Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy) have καινῆς (kainh", “new”) before διαθήκης (diaqhkh", “covenant”), a reading that is almost surely influenced by the parallel passage in Luke 22:20. Further, the construction τὸ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης (to th" kainh" diaqhkh"), in which the resumptive article τό (referring back to τὸ αἷμα [to |aima, “the blood”]) is immediately followed by the genitive article, is nowhere else used in Mark except for constructions involving a genitive of relationship (cf. Mark 2:14; 3:17, 18; 16:1). Thus, on both transcriptional and intrinsic grounds, this reading looks to be a later addition (which may have derived from τὸ τῆς διαθήκης of D* W 2427). The most reliable mss, along with several others (א B C D^c L Θ Ψ 565), lack καινῆς. This reading is strongly preferred.

[14:48]  ¹¹ tn Or “a revolutionary.” This term can refer to one who stirs up rebellion: BDAG 594 s.v. λῃστής 2 has “revolutionary, insurrectionist,” citing evidence from Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]). However, this usage generally postdates Jesus’ time. It does refer to a figure of violence. Luke uses the same term for the highwaymen who attack the traveler in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30).