Mark 2:6

2:6 Now some of the experts in the law ¹  were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds: ² 

Mark 6:44

6:44 Now ³  there were five thousand men ⁴  who ate the bread. ⁵ 

Mark 9:4

9:4 Then Elijah appeared before them along with Moses, ⁶  and they were talking with Jesus.

Mark 14:56

14:56 Many gave false testimony against him, but their testimony did not agree.

[2:6]  ¹ tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[2:6]  ² tn Grk “Reasoning within their hearts.”

[6:44]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate a somewhat parenthetical remark by the author.

[6:44]  ⁴ tn The Greek word here is ἀνήρ, meaning “adult male” (BDAG 79 s.v. 1). According to Matt 14:21, Jesus fed not only five thousand men, but also an unspecified number of women and children.

[6:44]  ⁵ tc Many good mss (Ì⁴⁵ א D W Θ Ë^1,13 28 565 700 2542 lat sa) lack τοὺς ἄρτους (tous artous, lit. “the loaves” [here translated “the bread”]). On the other hand, just as weighty mss (A B L 33 2427 Ï) have the words. Although a decision is not easy, the most satisfactory explanation seems to be that scribes were more prone to delete than to add the words here. They may have been puzzled as to why “the bread” should be mentioned without a corresponding mention of “fish.” Since neither Matt 14:21 or Luke 9:17 explicitly mention the bread, a desire for harmonization may have motivated the copyists as well. On the other hand, D and W are prone to longer, explanatory readings. Since they both lack the words here, it is likely that their archetypes also lacked the words. But given Mark’s pleonastic style, the good witnesses with “the bread,” and a reasonable explanation for the omission, “the bread” is most likely part of the original text of Mark.

[9:4]  ⁵ sn Commentators and scholars discuss why Moses and Elijah are present. The most likely explanation is that Moses represents the prophetic office (Acts 3:18-22) and Elijah pictures the presence of the last days (Mal 4:5-6), the prophet of the eschaton (the end times).