Mark 1:9-10

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

1:9 Now ¹  in those days Jesus came from Nazareth ²  in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. ³  1:10 And just as Jesus ⁴  was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens ⁵  splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ⁶ 

[1:9]  ¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[1:9]  ² map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.

[1:9]  ³ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[1:10]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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.