Markus 1:9-11

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  1:11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my one dear Son; ⁷  in you I take great delight.” ⁸ 

[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.

[1:11]  ⁷ tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agaphtos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).

[1:11]  ⁸ tn Or “with you I am well pleased.”

[1:11]  sn The allusions in the remarks of the text recall Ps 2:7a; Isa 42:1 and either Isa 41:8 or, less likely, Gen 22:12,16. God is marking out Jesus as his chosen one (the meaning of “[in you I take] great delight”), but it may well be that this was a private experience that only Jesus and John saw and heard (cf. John 1:32-33).