Markus 1:7

1:7 He proclaimed, ¹  “One more powerful than I am is coming after me; I am not worthy ²  to bend down and untie the strap ³  of his sandals.

Markus 1:19

1:19 Going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in their ⁴  boat mending nets.

Markus 1:22

1:22 The people there ⁵  were amazed by his teaching, because he taught them like one who had authority, ⁶  not like the experts in the law. ⁷ 

Markus 1:27

1:27 They were all amazed so that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him.”

Markus 1:36

1:36 Simon and his companions searched for him.

Markus 1:38

1:38 He replied, ⁸  “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do.” ⁹ 

Markus 2:15

2:15 As Jesus ¹⁰  was having a meal ¹¹  in Levi’s ¹²  home, many tax collectors ¹³  and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

Markus 4:5

4:5 Other seed fell on rocky ground ¹⁴  where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. ¹⁵ 

Markus 4:7-8

4:7 Other seed fell among the thorns, ¹⁶  and they grew up and choked it, ¹⁷  and it did not produce grain. 4:8 But ¹⁸  other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.”

Markus 4:10-11

The Purpose of Parables

4:10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 4:11 He said to them, “The secret ¹⁹  of the kingdom of God has been given ²⁰  to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,

Markus 4:13-14

4:13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then ²¹  how will you understand any parable? 4:14 The sower sows the word.

Markus 4:18-20

4:18 Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, 4:19 but ²²  worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, ²³  and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, ²⁴  and it produces nothing. 4:20 But ²⁵  these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”

Markus 4:24

4:24 And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, ²⁶  and more will be added to you.

Markus 4:26

The Parable of the Growing Seed

4:26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground.

Markus 4:32-34

4:32 when it is sown, it grows up, ²⁷  becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds ²⁸  can nest in its shade.” ²⁹ 

The Use of Parables

4:33 So ³⁰  with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. 4:34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

Markus 4:36

4:36 So ³¹  after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, ³²  and other boats were with him.

Markus 4:41

4:41 They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? ³³  Even the wind and sea obey him!” ³⁴ 

Markus 5:16

5:16 Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man reported it, and they also told about the pigs.

Markus 5:43

5:43 He strictly ordered that no one should know about this, ³⁵  and told them to give her something to eat.

Markus 6:10

6:10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there ³⁶  until you leave the area.

Markus 6:15

6:15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.”

Markus 6:43

6:43 and they picked up the broken pieces and fish that were left over, twelve baskets full.

Markus 7:4

7:4 And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold fast to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches. ³⁷ ) ³⁸ 

Markus 7:12-13

7:12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother. 7:13 Thus you nullify ³⁹  the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this.”

Markus 7:22

7:22 adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly.

Markus 8:1

The Feeding of the Four Thousand

8:1 In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So ⁴⁰  Jesus ⁴¹  called his disciples and said to them,

Markus 8:16

8:16 So they began to discuss with one another about having no bread. ⁴² 

Markus 8:28

8:28 They said, ⁴³  “John the Baptist, others say Elijah, ⁴⁴  and still others, one of the prophets.”

Markus 8:31

First Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

8:31 Then ⁴⁵  Jesus ⁴⁶  began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer ⁴⁷  many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, ⁴⁸  and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Markus 9:2

The Transfiguration

9:2 Six days later ⁴⁹  Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them, ⁵⁰ 

Markus 9:9-10

9:9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 9:10 They kept this statement to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant.

Markus 9:14

The Disciples’ Failure to Heal

9:14 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in the law ⁵¹  arguing with them.

Markus 9:33-34

Questions About the Greatest

9:33 Then ⁵²  they came to Capernaum. ⁵³  After Jesus ⁵⁴  was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 9:34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

Markus 9:50

9:50 Salt ⁵⁵  is good, but if it loses its saltiness, ⁵⁶  how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Markus 10:11-12

10:11 So ⁵⁷  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.” ⁵⁸ 

Markus 10:19

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.’” ⁵⁹ 

Markus 10:26

10:26 They were even more astonished and said ⁶⁰  to one another, “Then ⁶¹  who can be saved?” ⁶² 

Markus 10:28-29

10:28 Peter began to speak to him, “Look, ⁶³  we have left everything to follow you!” ⁶⁴  10:29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, ⁶⁵  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

Markus 10:32

Third Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

10:32 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. ⁶⁶  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.

Markus 10:41

10:41 Now ⁶⁷  when the other ten ⁶⁸  heard this, ⁶⁹  they became angry with James and John.

Markus 10:43

10:43 But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,

Markus 10:45-46

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 ⁷⁰  for many.”

Healing Blind Bartimaeus

10:46 They came to Jericho. ⁷¹  As Jesus ⁷²  and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.

Markus 11:8

11:8 Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields.

Markus 11:18

11:18 The chief priests and the experts in the law ⁷³  heard it and they considered how they could assassinate ⁷⁴  him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching.

Markus 11:26

11:26 [[EMPTY]] ⁷⁵ 

Markus 11:31

11:31 They discussed with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

Markus 12:1

The Parable of the Tenants

12:1 Then ⁷⁶  he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. ⁷⁷  He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then ⁷⁸  he leased it to tenant farmers ⁷⁹  and went on a journey.

Markus 12:4-5

12:4 So ⁸⁰  he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously. 12:5 He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed.

Markus 12:7

12:7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’

Markus 12:9

12:9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy ⁸¹  those tenants and give the vineyard to others. ⁸² 

Markus 12:14

12:14 When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality ⁸³  but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ⁸⁴  Is it right ⁸⁵  to pay taxes ⁸⁶  to Caesar ⁸⁷  or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

Markus 12:28

The Greatest Commandment

12:28 Now ⁸⁸  one of the experts in the law ⁸⁹  came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus ⁹⁰  answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

Markus 12:31-33

12:31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁹¹  There is no other commandment greater than these.” 12:32 The expert in the law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him. ⁹²  12:33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength ⁹³  and to love your neighbor as yourself ⁹⁴  is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Markus 12:43-44

12:43 He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth, ⁹⁵  this poor widow has put more into the offering box ⁹⁶  than all the others. ⁹⁷  12:44 For they all gave out of their wealth. ⁹⁸  But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.” ⁹⁹ 

Markus 13:2

13:2 Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. ¹⁰⁰  All will be torn down!” ¹⁰¹ 

Markus 13:8

13:8 For nation will rise up in arms ¹⁰²  against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. ¹⁰³  These are but the beginning of birth pains.

Markus 13:34

13:34 It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves ¹⁰⁴  in charge, assigning ¹⁰⁵  to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert.

Markus 14:1

The Plot Against Jesus

14:1 Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law ¹⁰⁶  were trying to find a way ¹⁰⁷  to arrest Jesus ¹⁰⁸  by stealth and kill him.

Markus 14:4

14:4 But some who were present indignantly said to one another, “Why this waste of expensive ¹⁰⁹  ointment?

Markus 14:17

14:17 Then, ¹¹⁰  when it was evening, he came to the house ¹¹¹  with the twelve.

Markus 14:19

14:19 They were distressed, and one by one said to him, “Surely not I?”

Markus 14:25

14:25 I tell you the truth, ¹¹²  I will no longer drink of the fruit ¹¹³  of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Markus 14:29

14:29 Peter said to him, “Even if they all fall away, I will not!”

Markus 14:31

14:31 But Peter ¹¹⁴  insisted emphatically, ¹¹⁵  “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And all of them said the same thing.

Markus 14:53

Condemned by the Sanhedrin

14:53 Then ¹¹⁶  they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and experts in the law ¹¹⁷  came together.

Markus 14:56

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

Markus 14:58-59

14:58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and in three days build another not made with hands.’” 14:59 Yet even on this point their testimony did not agree.

Markus 14:63

14:63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?

Markus 14:69

14:69 When the slave girl saw him, she began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.”

Markus 15:1

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

15:1 Early in the morning, after forming a plan, the chief priests with the elders and the experts in the law ¹¹⁸  and the whole Sanhedrin tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. ¹¹⁹ 

Markus 15:7

15:7 A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection.

Markus 15:31

15:31 In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law ¹²⁰  – were mocking him among themselves: ¹²¹  “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!

Markus 15:40-41

15:40 There were also women, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, ¹²²  and Salome. 15:41 When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. ¹²³  Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem ¹²⁴  were there too.

Markus 16:3

16:3 They had been asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”

Markus 16:12-13

16:12 After this he appeared in a different form to two of them while they were on their way to the country. 16:13 They went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

[1:7]  ¹ tn Grk “proclaimed, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[1:7]  ² tn Grk “of whom I am not worthy.”

[1:7]  sn The humility of John is evident in the statement I am not worthy. This was considered one of the least worthy tasks of a slave, and John did not consider himself worthy to do even that for the one to come, despite the fact he himself was a prophet.

[1:7]  ³ tn The term refers to the leather strap or thong used to bind a sandal. This is often viewed as a collective singular and translated as a plural, “the straps of his sandals,” but it may be more emphatic to retain the singular here.

[1:19]  ⁴ tn Or “a boat.” The phrase ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ (en tw ploiw) can either refer to a generic boat, some boat (as it seems to do in Matt 4:21); or it can refer to “their” boat, implying possession. Mark assumes a certain preunderstanding on the part of his readers about the first four disciples and hence the translation “their boat” is justified (cf. also v. 20 in which the “hired men” indicates that Zebedee’s family owned the boats).

[1:22]  ⁵ tn Grk “They.”

[1:22]  ⁶ sn Jesus’ teaching impressed the hearers with the directness of its claim; he taught with authority. A study of Jewish rabbinic interpretation shows that it was typical to cite a list of authorities to make one’s point. Apparently Jesus addressed the issues in terms of his own understanding.

[1:22]  ⁷ tn Or “the scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

[1:38]  ⁸ tn Grk “And he said to them.”

[1:38]  ⁹ tn Grk “Because for this purpose I have come forth.”

[2:15]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:15]  ¹¹ tn Grk “As he reclined at table.”

[2:15]  sn As Jesus was having a meal. 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[2:15]  ¹² tn Grk “his.”

[2:15]  ¹³ sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.

[4:5]  ¹⁴ sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.

[4:5]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”

[4:7]  ¹⁶ sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.

[4:7]  ¹⁷ sn That is, crowded out the good plants.

[4:8]  ¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the final stage of the parable.

[4:11]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “the mystery.”

[4:11]  sn The key term secret (μυστήριον, musthrion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).

[4:11]  ²⁰ tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).

[4:13]  ²¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[4:19]  ²² tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[4:19]  ²³ tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”

[4:19]  ²⁴ sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.

[4:20]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[4:24]  ²⁶ tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”

[4:32]  ²⁷ tn Mark 4:31-32 is fairly awkward in Greek. Literally the sentence reads as follows: “As a mustard seed, which when sown in the earth, being the smallest of all the seeds in the earth, and when it is sown, it grows up…” The structure has been rendered in more idiomatic English, although some of the awkward structure has been retained for rhetorical effect.

[4:32]  ²⁸ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[4:32]  ²⁹ sn The point of the parable seems to be that while the kingdom of God may appear to have insignificant and unnoticeable beginnings (i.e., in the ministry of Jesus), it will someday (i.e., at the second advent) be great and quite expansive. The kingdom, however, is not to be equated with the church, but rather the church is an expression of the kingdom. Also, there is important OT background in the image of the mustard seed that grew and became a tree: Ezek 17:22-24 pictures the reemergence of the Davidic house where people can find calm and shelter. Like the mustard seed, it would start out small but grow to significant size.

[4:33]  ³⁰ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[4:36]  ³¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the response to Jesus’ request.

[4:36]  ³² tn It is possible that this prepositional phrase modifies “as he was,” not “they took him along.” The meaning would then be “they took him along in the boat in which he was already sitting” (see 4:1).

[4:36]  sn A boat that held all the disciples would be of significant size.

[4:41]  ³³ sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about who he was exactly (Who then is this?). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.

[4:41]  ³⁴ sn This section in Mark (4:35-5:43) contains four miracles: (1) the calming of the storm; (2) the exorcism of the demon-possessed man; (3) the giving of life to Jairus’ daughter; (4) the healing of the woman hemorrhaging for twelve years. All these miracles demonstrate Jesus’ right to proclaim the kingdom message and his sovereign authority over forces, directly or indirectly, hostile to the kingdom. The last three may have been brought together to show that Jesus had power over all defilement, since contact with graves, blood, or a corpse was regarded under Jewish law as causing a state of ritual uncleanness.

[5:43]  ³⁵ sn That no one should know about this. See the note on the phrase who he was in 3:12.

[6:10]  ³⁶ sn Jesus telling his disciples to stay there in one house contrasts with the practice of religious philosophers in the ancient world who went from house to house begging.

[7:4]  ³⁷ tc Several important witnesses (Ì^45vid א B L Δ 28* pc) lack “and dining couches” (καὶ κλινῶν, kai klinwn), while the majority of mss (A D W Θ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt) have the reading. Although normally the shorter reading is to be preferred, especially when it is backed by excellent witnesses as in this case, there are some good reasons to consider καὶ κλινῶν as authentic: (1) Although the addition of κλινῶν could be seen as motivated by a general assimilation to the purity regulations in Lev 15 (as some have argued), there are three problems with such a supposition: (a) the word κλίνη (klinh) does not occur in the LXX of Lev 15; (b) nowhere in Lev 15 is the furniture washed or sprinkled; and (c) the context of Lev 15 is about sexual impurity, while the most recent evidence suggests that κλίνη in Mark 7:4, in keeping with the other terms used here, refers to a dining couch (cf. BDAG 549 s.v. κλίνη 2). Thus, it is difficult to see καὶ κλινῶν as a motivated reading. (2) κλίνη, though a relatively rare term in the NT, is in keeping with Markan usage (cf. Mark 4:21; 7:30). (3) The phrase could have been dropped accidentally, at least in some cases, via homoioteleuton. (4) The phrase may have been deliberately expunged by some scribes who thought the imagery of washing a dining couch quite odd. The longer reading, in this case, can thus be argued as the harder reading. On balance, even though a decision is difficult (especially because of the weighty external evidence for the shorter reading), it is preferable to retain καὶ κλινῶν in the text.

[7:4]  ³⁸ sn Verses 3-4 represent parenthetical remarks by the author, giving background information.

[7:13]  ³⁹ tn Grk “nullifying.” This participle shows the results of the Pharisees’ command.

[8:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:1]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:16]  ⁴² tn Grk “And they were discussing with one another that they had no bread.”

[8:28]  ⁴³ tn Grk “And they said to him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[8:28]  ⁴⁴ sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.

[8:31]  ⁴⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:31]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:31]  ⁴⁷ sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis, since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.

[8:31]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[9:2]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “And after six days.”

[9:2]  ⁵⁰ sn In 1st century Judaism and in the NT, there was the belief that the righteous get new, glorified bodies in order to enter heaven (1 Cor 15:42-49; 2 Cor 5:1-10). This transformation means the righteous will share the glory of God. One recalls the way Moses shared the Lord’s glory after his visit to the mountain in Exod 34. So the disciples saw Jesus transfigured, and they were getting a sneak preview of the great glory that Jesus would have (only his glory is more inherent to him as one who shares in the rule of the kingdom).

[9:14]  ⁵¹ tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[9:33]  ⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[9:33]  ⁵³ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[9:33]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:50]  ⁵⁵ sn Salt was used as seasoning or fertilizer (BDAG 41 s.v. ἅλας a), or as a preservative. If salt ceased to be useful, it was thrown away. With this illustration Jesus warned about a disciple who ceased to follow him.

[9:50]  ⁵⁶ sn The difficulty of this saying is understanding how salt could lose its saltiness since its chemical properties cannot change. It is thus often assumed that Jesus was referring to chemically impure salt, perhaps a natural salt which, when exposed to the elements, had all the genuine salt leached out, leaving only the sediment or impurities behind. Others have suggested the background of the saying is the use of salt blocks by Arab bakers to line the floor of their ovens: Under the intense heat these blocks would eventually crystallize and undergo a change in chemical composition, finally being thrown out as unserviceable. A saying in the Talmud (b. Bekhorot 8b) attributed to R. Joshua ben Chananja (ca. a.d. 90), when asked the question “When salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again?” is said to have replied, “By salting it with the afterbirth of a mule.” He was then asked, “Then does the mule (being sterile) bear young?” to which he replied: “Can salt lose its flavor?” The point appears to be both are impossible. The saying, while admittedly late, suggests that culturally the loss of flavor by salt was regarded as an impossibility. Genuine salt can never lose its flavor. In this case the saying by Jesus here may be similar to Matt 19:24, where it is likewise impossible for the camel to go through the eye of a sewing needle.

[10:11]  ⁵⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸ 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.

[10:19]  ⁵⁹ 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.

[10:26]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of thought.

[10:26]  ⁶² sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?

[10:28]  ⁶³ sn Peter wants reassurance that the disciples’ response and sacrifice has been noticed.

[10:28]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “We have left everything and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.

[10:29]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[10:32]  ⁶⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:41]  ⁶⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[10:41]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “the ten.”

[10:41]  ⁶⁹ 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.

[10:45]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[10:46]  ⁷² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:18]  ⁷³ tn Or “The chief priests and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[11:18]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “how they could destroy him.”

[11:26]  ⁷⁵ tc A number of significant mss of various texttypes (א B L W Δ Ψ 565 700 892 pc sa) do not include 11:26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your sins.” The verse is included in most later mss (A [C D] Θ [Ë^1,13 33] Ï lat) and is not likely to be original. It is probably an assimilation to Matt 6:15. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[12:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[12:1]  ⁷⁷ sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.

[12:1]  ⁷⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[12:1]  ⁷⁹ sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.

[12:4]  ⁸⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ mistreatment of the first slave.

[12:9]  ⁸¹ sn The statement that the owner will come and destroy those tenants is a promise of judgment; see Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44.

[12:9]  ⁸² sn The warning that the owner would give the vineyard to others suggests that the care of the promise and the nation’s hope would be passed to others. This eventually looks to Gentile inclusion; see Eph 2:11-22.

[12:14]  ⁸³ tn Grk “and it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”

[12:14]  ⁸⁴ sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians was specifically designed to trap Jesus.

[12:14]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “lawful,” that is, in accordance with God’s divine law. On the syntax of ἔξεστιν (exestin) with an infinitive and accusative, see BDF §409.3.

[12:14]  ⁸⁶ tn According to L&N 57.180 the term κῆνσος (khnso") was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government.

[12:14]  sn This question concerning taxes was specifically designed to trap Jesus. If he answered yes, then his opponents could publicly discredit him as a sympathizer with Rome. If he answered no, then they could go to the Roman governor and accuse Jesus of rebellion.

[12:14]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[12:28]  ⁸⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[12:28]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “One of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[12:28]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:31]  ⁹¹ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.

[12:32]  ⁹² sn A quotation from Deut 4:35.

[12:33]  ⁹³ sn A quotation from Deut 6:5.

[12:33]  ⁹⁴ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.

[12:43]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[12:43]  ⁹⁶ tn See the note on the term “offering box” in v. 41.

[12:43]  ⁹⁷ sn Has put more into the offering box than all the others. With God, giving is weighed evaluatively, not counted. The widow was praised because she gave sincerely and at some considerable cost to herself.

[12:44]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “out of what abounded to them.”

[12:44]  ⁹⁹ sn The contrast between this passage, 12:41-44, and what has come before in 11:27-12:40 is remarkable. The woman is set in stark contrast to the religious leaders. She was a poor widow, they were rich. She was uneducated in the law, they were well educated in the law. She was a woman, they were men. But whereas they evidenced no faith and actually stole money from God and men (cf. 11:17), she evidenced great faith and gave out of her extreme poverty everything she had.

[13:2]  ¹⁰⁰ sn With the statement not one stone will be left on another Jesus predicted the total destruction of the temple, something that did occur in a.d. 70.

[13:2]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “not one stone will be left here on another which will not be thrown down.”

[13:8]  ¹⁰² tn For the translation “rise up in arms” see L&N 55.2.

[13:8]  ¹⁰³ sn See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.

[13:34]  ¹⁰⁴ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 10:44.

[13:34]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “giving.”

[14:1]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “the chief priests and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[14:1]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “were seeking how.”

[14:1]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:4]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The word “expensive” is not in the Greek text but has been included to suggest a connection to the lengthy phrase “costly aromatic oil from pure nard” occurring earlier in v. 3. The author of Mark shortened this long phrase to just one word in Greek when repeated here, and the phrase “expensive ointment” used in the translation is intended as an abbreviated paraphrase.

[14:17]  ¹¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[14:17]  ¹¹¹ tn The prepositional phrase “to the house” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for clarity.

[14:25]  ¹¹² tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[14:25]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “the produce” (“the produce of the vine” is a figurative expression for wine).

[14:31]  ¹¹⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:31]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “said emphatically.”

[14:53]  ¹¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[14:53]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[15:1]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[15:1]  ¹¹⁹ sn The Jews most assuredly wanted to put Jesus to death, but they lacked the authority to do so. For this reason they handed him over to Pilate in hopes of securing a death sentence. The Romans kept close control of the death penalty in conquered territories to prevent it being used to execute Roman sympathizers.

[15:31]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “with the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22. Only “chief priests” is in the nominative case; this sentence structure attempts to capture this emphasis.

[15:31]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “Mocking him, the chief priests…said among themselves.”

[15:40]  ¹²² sn In Matt 27:56 the name Joses is written as Joseph.

[15:41]  ¹²³ tn Grk “and ministered to him.”

[15:41]  sn Cf. Luke 8:3.

[15:41]  ¹²⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.