Markus 10:1--11:33
Konteks10:1 Then 1 Jesus 2 left that place and went to the region of Judea and 3 beyond the Jordan River. 4 Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them. 10:2 Then some Pharisees 5 came, and to test him 6 they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his 7 wife?” 8 10:3 He answered them, 9 “What did Moses command you?” 10:4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 10 10:5 But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts. 11 10:6 But from the beginning of creation he 12 made them male and female. 13 10:7 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, 14 10:8 and the two will become one flesh. 15 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 10:9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10:10 In the house once again, the disciples asked him about this. 10:11 So 16 he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 10:12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” 17
10:13 Now 18 people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, 19 but the disciples scolded those who brought them. 20 10:14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 21 10:15 I tell you the truth, 22 whoever does not receive 23 the kingdom of God like a child 24 will never 25 enter it.” 10:16 After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them.
10:17 Now 26 as Jesus 27 was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 28 10:18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? 29 No one is good except God alone. 10:19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 30 10:20 The man 31 said to him, “Teacher, I have wholeheartedly obeyed 32 all these laws 33 since my youth.” 34 10:21 As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money 35 to the poor, and you will have treasure 36 in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 10:22 But at this statement, the man 37 looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich. 38
10:23 Then 39 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 10:24 The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, 40 “Children, how hard it is 41 to enter the kingdom of God! 10:25 It is easier for a camel 42 to go through the eye of a needle 43 than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 10:26 They were even more astonished and said 44 to one another, “Then 45 who can be saved?” 46 10:27 Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, 47 but not for God; all things are possible for God.”
10:28 Peter began to speak to him, “Look, 48 we have left everything to follow you!” 49 10:29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, 50 there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel 10:30 who will not receive in this age 51 a hundred times as much – homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions 52 – and in the age to come, eternal life. 53 10:31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
10:32 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. 54 Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 10:33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. 55 They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. 10:34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog 56 him severely, and kill him. Yet 57 after three days, 58 he will rise again.”
10:35 Then 59 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 10:36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 10:37 They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” 10:38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?” 60 10:39 They said to him, “We are able.” 61 Then Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience, 10:40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 62
10:41 Now 63 when the other ten 64 heard this, 65 they became angry with James and John. 10:42 Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 10:43 But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 10:44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave 66 of all. 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom 67 for many.”
10:46 They came to Jericho. 68 As Jesus 69 and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. 10:47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, 70 “Jesus, Son of David, 71 have mercy 72 on me!” 10:48 Many scolded 73 him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 10:49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So 74 they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up! He is calling you.” 10:50 He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 10:51 Then 75 Jesus said to him, 76 “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied, “Rabbi, 77 let me see again.” 78 10:52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” Immediately he regained 79 his sight and followed him on the road.
11:1 Now 80 as they approached Jerusalem, 81 near Bethphage 82 and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, 83 Jesus 84 sent two of his disciples 11:2 and said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. 85 As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. 86 Untie it and bring it here. 11:3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it 87 and will send it back here soon.’” 11:4 So 88 they went and found a colt tied at a door, outside in the street, and untied it. 11:5 Some people standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 11:6 They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders 89 let them go. 11:7 Then 90 they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks 91 on it, and he sat on it. 92 11:8 Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 11:9 Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna! 93 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 94 11:10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11:11 Then 95 Jesus 96 entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.
11:12 Now 97 the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. 11:13 After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit 98 on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 11:14 He said to it, 99 “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. 100
11:15 Then 101 they came to Jerusalem. 102 Jesus 103 entered the temple area 104 and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. 105 He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 11:16 and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise 106 through the temple courts. 107 11:17 Then he began to teach 108 them and said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? 109 But you have turned it into a den 110 of robbers!” 111 11:18 The chief priests and the experts in the law 112 heard it and they considered how they could assassinate 113 him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching. 11:19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples 114 went out of the city.
11:20 In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 11:21 Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.” 11:22 Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God. 11:23 I tell you the truth, 115 if someone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 11:24 For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 11:25 Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will 116 also forgive you your sins.”
11:26 [[EMPTY]] 11711:27 They came again to Jerusalem. 118 While Jesus 119 was walking in the temple courts, 120 the chief priests, the experts in the law, 121 and the elders came up to him 11:28 and said, “By what authority 122 are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?” 11:29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 11:30 John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from people? 123 Answer me.” 11:31 They discussed with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 11:32 But if we say, ‘From people – ’” (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet). 11:33 So 124 they answered Jesus, 125 “We don’t know.” 126 Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you 127 by what authority 128 I am doing these things.”
[10:1] 1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[10:1] 2 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:1] 3 tc Alexandrian and other witnesses (א B C* L Ψ 0274 892 2427 pc co) read καὶ πέραν (kai peran, “and beyond”), while Western and Caesarean witnesses (C2 D W Δ Θ Ë1,13 28 565 579 1241 al) read πέραν (simply “beyond”). It is difficult to decide between the Alexandrian and Western readings here, but since the parallel in Matt 19:1 omits καί the weight is slightly in favor of including it here; scribes may have omitted the word here to harmonize this passage to the Matthean passage. Because of the perceived geographical difficulties found in the earlier readings (omission of the word “and” would make it seem as though Judea is beyond the Jordan), the majority of the witnesses (A Ï) read διὰ τοῦ πέραν (dia tou peran, “through the other side”), perhaps trying to indicate the direction of Jesus’ travel.
[10:1] 4 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity. The region referred to here is sometimes known as Transjordan (i.e., “across the Jordan”).
[10:2] 5 tc The Western text (D it) and a few others have only καί (kai) here, rather than καὶ προσελθόντες Φαρισαῖοι (kai proselqonte" Farisaioi, here translated as “then some Pharisees came”). The longer reading, a specific identification of the subject, may have been prompted by the parallel in Matt 19:3. The fact that the
[10:2] sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
[10:2] 6 tn In Greek this phrase occurs at the end of the sentence. It has been brought forward to conform to English style.
[10:2] 7 tn The personal pronoun “his” is not in the Greek text, but is certainly implied and has been supplied in the English translation to clarify the sense of the statement (cf. “his wife” in 10:7).
[10:2] 8 tn The particle εἰ (ei) is often used to introduce both indirect and direct questions. Thus, another possible translation is to take this as an indirect question: “They asked him if it were lawful for a man to divorce his wife.” See BDF §440.3.
[10:2] sn The question of the Pharisees was anything but sincere; they were asking it to test him. Jesus was now in the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (i.e., Judea and beyond the Jordan) and it is likely that the Pharisees were hoping he might answer the question of divorce in a way similar to John the Baptist and so suffer the same fate as John, i.e., death at the hands of Herod (cf. 6:17-19). Jesus answered the question not on the basis of rabbinic custom and the debate over Deut 24:1, but rather from the account of creation and God’s original design.
[10:3] 9 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”
[10:4] 10 tn Grk “to divorce.” The pronoun has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[10:4] sn An allusion to Deut 24:1. The Pharisees were all in agreement that the OT permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and divorce his wife (not vice-versa) and that remarriage was therefore sanctioned. But the two rabbinic schools of Shammai and Hillel differed on the grounds for divorce. Shammai was much stricter than Hillel and permitted divorce only in the case of sexual immorality. Hillel permitted divorce for almost any reason (cf. the Mishnah, m. Gittin 9.10).
[10:5] 11 tn Grk “heart” (a collective singular).
[10:6] 12 tc Most
[10:6] 13 sn A quotation from Gen 1:27; 5:2.
[10:7] 14 tc ‡ The earliest witnesses, as well as a few other important
[10:8] 15 sn A quotation from Gen 2:24. The “two” refers to husband and wife, not father and mother mentioned in the previous verse. See the tc note on “mother” in v. 7 for discussion.
[10:11] 16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate that Jesus’ statement is in response to the disciples’ question (v. 10).
[10:12] 17 sn It was not uncommon in Jesus’ day for a Jewish man to divorce his wife, but it was extremely rare for a wife to initiate such an action against her husband, since among many things it would have probably left her destitute and without financial support. Mark’s inclusion of the statement And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery (v. 12) reflects more the problem of the predominantly Gentile church in Rome to which he was writing. As such it may be an interpretive and parenthetical comment by the author rather than part of the saying by Jesus, which would stop at the end of v. 11. As such it should then be placed in parentheses. Further NT passages that deal with the issue of divorce and remarriage are Matt 5:31-32; 19:1-12; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor 7.
[10:13] 18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[10:13] 19 tn Grk “so that he would touch them.” Here the touch is connected with (or conveys) a blessing (cf. v. 16; also BDAG 126 s.v. ἅπτω 2.c).
[10:13] 20 tc “Those who brought them” (ἐπετιμῶν τοῖς προσφέρουσιν, epetimwn toi" prosferousin) is the reading of most
[10:13] tn Grk “the disciples scolded them.”
[10:14] 21 sn The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.
[10:15] 22 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[10:15] 23 sn On receive see John 1:12.
[10:15] 24 sn The point of the comparison receive the kingdom of God like a child has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit and willingness to be dependent and receive from others than any inherent humility the child might possess.
[10:15] 25 tn The negation in Greek (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong here.
[10:17] 26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[10:17] 27 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:17] sn Mark 10:17-31. The following unit, Mark 10:17-31, can be divided up into three related sections: (1) the rich man’s question (vv. 17-22); (2) Jesus’ teaching on riches and the kingdom of God (vv. 23-27); and (3) Peter’s statement and Jesus’ answer (vv. 28-31). They are all tied together around the larger theme of the relationship of wealth to the kingdom Jesus had been preaching. The point is that it is impossible to attain to the kingdom by means of riches. The passage as a whole is found in the section 8:27-10:52 in which Mark has been focusing on Jesus’ suffering and true discipleship. In vv. 28-31 Jesus does not deny great rewards to those who follow him, both in the present age and in the age to come, but it must be thoroughly understood that suffering will be integral to the mission of the disciples and the church, for in the very next section (10:32-34) Jesus reaffirmed the truth about his coming rejection, suffering, death, and resurrection.
[10:17] 28 sn The rich man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, but Jesus had just finished teaching that eternal life was not earned but simply received (10:15).
[10:18] 29 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.
[10:19] 30 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20, except for do not defraud, which is an allusion to Deut 24:14.
[10:20] 31 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the man who asked the question in v. 17) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:20] 32 tn Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail throughout his life, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.
[10:20] 33 tn Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:20] sn While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws, he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man’s response to Jesus’ command to give away all he had revealed that internally he loved money more than God.
[10:20] 34 sn Since my youth. Judaism regarded the age of thirteen as the age when a man would have become responsible to live by God’s commands.
[10:21] 35 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[10:21] 36 sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
[10:22] 37 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man who asked the question in v. 17) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:22] 38 tn Grk “he had many possessions.” This term (κτῆμα, kthma) is often used for land as a possession.
[10:23] 39 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[10:24] 40 tn Grk “But answering, Jesus again said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[10:24] 41 tc Most
[10:25] 42 tc A few witnesses (Ë13 28 579 pc) read κάμιλον (kamilon, “rope”) for κάμηλον (kamhlon, “camel”), either through accidental misreading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus’ words.
[10:25] 43 sn The referent of the eye of a needle is a sewing needle. (The gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” was built during the middle ages and was not in existence in Jesus’ day.) Jesus was speaking rhetorically to point out that apart from God’s intervention, salvation is impossible (v. 27).
[10:26] 44 tn Grk “But they were even more astonished, saying.” The participle λέγονες (legontes) has been translated here as a finite verb to emphasize the sequence of events: The disciples were astonished, then they spoke.
[10:26] 45 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of thought.
[10:26] 46 sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?
[10:27] 47 tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποις (anqrwpois) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NASB 1995 update, “people”). Because of the contrast here between mere mortals and God (“impossible for men…all things are possible for God”) the phrase “mere humans” has been used in the translation.
[10:28] 48 sn Peter wants reassurance that the disciples’ response and sacrifice has been noticed.
[10:28] 49 tn Grk “We have left everything and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.
[10:29] 50 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[10:30] 51 tn Grk “this time” (καιρός, kairos), but for stylistic reasons this has been translated “this age” here.
[10:30] 52 tn Grk “with persecutions.” The “all” has been supplied to clarify that the prepositional phrase belongs not just to the “fields.”
[10:30] 53 sn Note that Mark (see also Matt 19:29; Luke 10:25, 18:30) portrays eternal life as something one receives in the age to come, unlike John, who emphasizes the possibility of receiving eternal life in the present (John 5:24).
[10:32] 54 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:33] 55 tn Or “chief priests and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
[10:34] 56 tn Traditionally, “scourge him” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “The ‘verberatio’ is denoted in the passion predictions and explicitly as action by non-Israelites Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33”; the verberatio was the beating given to those condemned to death in the Roman judicial system. Here the term μαστιγόω (mastigow) has been translated “flog…severely” to distinguish it from the term φραγελλόω (fragellow) used in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15.
[10:34] 57 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[10:34] 58 tc Most
[10:35] 59 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[10:38] 60 tn Grk “baptism I am baptized with.” This same change has been made in v. 39.
[10:39] 61 sn No more naïve words have ever been spoken as those found here coming from James and John, “We are able.” They said it with such confidence and ease, yet they had little clue as to what they were affirming. In the next sentence Jesus confirms that they will indeed suffer for his name.
[10:40] 62 sn After the first passion prediction in 8:31 Jesus rebuked Peter as having been used by Satan. After the second passion prediction in 9:31 the disciples were concerned about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. After the third passion prediction in 10:33 James and John asked for positions of honor and rulership in the kingdom, revealing their complete misunderstanding of the nature of the kingdom and exposing their inadequacy as true disciples of Jesus. Jesus replied that such positions were for those for whom it has been prepared.
[10:41] 63 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[10:41] 65 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[10:44] 66 tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. 1). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
[10:45] 67 sn The Greek word for ransom (λύτρον, lutron) is found here and in Matt 20:28 and refers to the payment of a price in order to purchase the freedom of a slave. The idea of Jesus as the “ransom” is that he paid the price with his own life by standing in humanity’s place as a substitute, enduring the judgment that was deserved for sin.
[10:46] 68 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[10:46] 69 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:47] 70 tn Grk “to shout and to say.” The infinitive λέγειν (legein) is redundant here and has not been translated.
[10:47] 71 sn Jesus was more than a Nazarene to this blind person, who saw quite well that Jesus was Son of David. There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).
[10:47] 72 sn Have mercy on me is a request for healing. It is not owed the man. He simply asks for God’s kind grace.
[10:48] 73 tn Or “rebuked.” The crowd’s view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.
[10:49] 74 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
[10:51] 75 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[10:51] 76 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς is redundant and has not been translated.
[10:51] 77 tn Or “Master”; Grk ῥαββουνί (rabbouni).
[10:51] 78 tn Grk “that I may see [again].” The phrase can be rendered as an imperative of request, “Please, give me sight.” Since the man is not noted as having been blind from birth (as the man in John 9 was) it is likely the request is to receive back the sight he once had.
[10:52] 79 tn Or “received” (see the note on the phrase “let me see again” in v. 51).
[11:1] 80 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[11:1] 81 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:1] 82 sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.
[11:1] 83 sn “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.
[11:1] 84 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:2] 85 tn Grk “the village lying before you” (BDAG 530 s.v. κατέναντι 2.b).
[11:2] 86 tn Grk “a colt tied there on which no one of men has ever sat.”
[11:3] 87 sn The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.
[11:4] 88 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
[11:6] 89 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people mentioned in v. 5) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:7] 90 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[11:7] 91 tn Grk “garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.
[11:7] 92 sn See Zech 9:9, a prophecy fulfilled here (cf. Matt 21:5; John 12:15.
[11:9] 93 tn The expression ῾Ωσαννά (Jwsanna, literally in Hebrew, “O Lord, save”) in the quotation from Ps 118:25-26 was probably by this time a familiar liturgical expression of praise, on the order of “Hail to the king,” although both the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expressions meant “O Lord, save us.” The introductory ὡσαννά is followed by the words of Ps 118:25, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου (euloghmeno" Jo ercomeno" en onomati kuriou), although in the Fourth Gospel the author adds for good measure καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (kai Jo basileu" tou Israhl). In words familiar to every Jew, the author is indicating that at this point every messianic expectation is now at the point of realization. It is clear from the words of the psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic king. See E. Lohse, TDNT 9:682-84.
[11:9] sn Hosanna is an Aramaic expression that literally means, “help, I pray,” or “save, I pray.” By Jesus’ time it had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise, however, and was used as an exclamation of praise to God.
[11:9] 94 sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
[11:11] 95 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to indicate the transition from the previous narrative.
[11:11] 96 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:12] 97 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[11:14] 99 tn Grk “And answering, he said to it.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.
[11:14] 100 sn Mark 11:12-14. The incident of the cursing of the fig tree occurs before he enters the temple for a third time (11:27ff) and is questioned at length by the religious leaders (11:27-12:40). It appears that Mark records the incident as a portent of what is going to happen to the leadership in Jerusalem who were supposed to have borne spiritual fruit but have been found by Messiah at his coming to be barren. The fact that the nation as a whole is indicted is made explicit in chapter 13:1-37 where Jesus speaks of Jerusalem’s destruction and his second coming.
[11:15] 101 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[11:15] 102 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:15] 103 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:15] 104 tn Grk “the temple.”
[11:15] sn The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.
[11:15] 105 tn Grk “the temple.”
[11:15] sn Matthew (21:12-27), Mark (here, 11:15-19), and Luke (19:45-46) record this incident of the temple cleansing at the end of Jesus’ ministry. John (2:13-16) records a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. See the note on the word temple courts in John 2:14 for a discussion of the relationship of these accounts to one another.
[11:16] 106 tn Or “things.” The Greek word σκεῦος (skeuos) can refer to merchandise, property, goods, a vessel, or even generally “things” (but in the sense of some implement or tool). The idea here is almost certainly restricted to merchandise, rather than the more general “things,” although some suggest from the parallel with m. Berakhot 9.5 that Jesus was not even allowing sandals, staffs, or coin-purses to be carried through the court. The difficulty with this interpretation, however, is that it is fundamentally an appeal to Jewish oral tradition (something Jesus rarely sided with) as well as being indiscriminate toward all the worshipers.
[11:16] 107 tn Grk “the temple.”
[11:17] 108 tn The imperfect ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) is here taken ingressively.
[11:17] 109 sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.
[11:17] 110 tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).
[11:17] 111 sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.
[11:18] 112 tn Or “The chief priests and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
[11:18] 113 tn Grk “how they could destroy him.”
[11:19] 114 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Jesus and his disciples) have been specified in the translation for clarity. Without such clarification there is room for considerable confusion here, since there are two prior sets of plural referents in the context, “the chief priests and experts in the law” and “the whole crowd” (both in v. 18).
[11:23] 115 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[11:25] 116 tn Although the Greek subjunctive mood, formally required in a subordinate clause introduced by ἵνα ({ina), is traditionally translated by an English subjunctive (e.g., “may,” so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), changes in the use of the subjunctive in English now result in most readers understanding such a statement as indicating permission (“may” = “has permission to”) or as indicating uncertainty (“may” = “might” or “may or may not”). Thus a number of more recent translations render such instances by an English future tense (“will,” so TEV, CEV, NLT, NASB 1995 update). That approach has been followed here.
[11:26] 117 tc A number of significant
[11:27] 118 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:27] 119 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:27] 120 tn Grk “the temple.”
[11:27] 121 tn Or “the chief priests, the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
[11:28] 122 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.
[11:30] 123 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is probably used here (and in v. 32) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).
[11:30] sn The question is whether John’s ministry was of divine or human origin.
[11:33] 124 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
[11:33] 125 tn Grk “answering, they said to Jesus.” The participle ἀποκριθέντες (apokriqentes) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been modified to conform to English style.
[11:33] 126 sn Very few questions could have so completely revealed the wicked intentions of the religious leaders. Jesus’ question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were – hypocrites. They indicted themselves when they cited only two options and chose neither of them (“We do not know”). The point of Mark 11:27-33 is that no matter what Jesus said in response to their question they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him.
[11:33] 127 sn Neither will I tell you. Though Jesus gave no answer, the analogy he used to their own question makes his view clear. His authority came from heaven.
[11:33] 128 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 28.
