Mark 8:12

8:12 Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth, ¹  no sign will be given to this generation.”

Mark 13:30

13:30 I tell you the truth, ²  this generation ³  will not pass away until all these things take place.

Mark 9:19

9:19 He answered them, ⁴  “You ⁵  unbelieving ⁶  generation! How much longer ⁷  must I be with you? How much longer must I endure ⁸  you? ⁹  Bring him to me.”

Mark 8:38

8:38 For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him ¹⁰  when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

[8:12]  ¹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[13:30]  ² tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[13:30]  ³ sn This is one of the hardest verses in the gospels to interpret. Various views exist for what generation means. (1) Some take it as meaning “race” and thus as an assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term γενεά (genea) can have this meaning. Two other options are possible. (2) Generation might mean “this type of generation” and refer to the generation of wicked humanity. Then the point is that humanity will not perish, because God will redeem it. Or (3) generation may refer to “the generation that sees the signs of the end” (v. 26), who will also see the end itself. In other words, once the movement to the return of Christ starts, all the events connected with it happen very quickly, in rapid succession.

[9:19]  ³ tn Grk “And answering, he said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the phrasing of the sentence was modified slightly to make it clearer in English.

[9:19]  ⁴ tn Grk “O.” The marker of direct address, ὦ (w), is functionally equivalent to a vocative and is represented in the translation by “you.”

[9:19]  ⁵ tn Or “faithless.”

[9:19]  ⁶ tn Grk “how long.”

[9:19]  ⁷ tn Or “put up with.” See Num 11:12; Isa 46:4.

[9:19]  ⁸ sn The pronouns you…you are plural, indicating that Jesus is speaking to a group rather than an individual.

[8:38]  ⁴ sn How one responds now to Jesus and his teaching is a reflection of how Jesus, as the Son of Man who judges, will respond then in the final judgment.