Markus 1:17

1:17 Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” ¹ 

Markus 2:13

The Call of Levi; Eating with Sinners

2:13 Jesus ²  went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them.

Markus 2:27

2:27 Then ³  he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people, ⁴  not people for the Sabbath.

Markus 3:23

3:23 So ⁵  he called them and spoke to them in parables: ⁶  “How can Satan cast out Satan?

Markus 3:31

Jesus’ True Family

3:31 Then ⁷  Jesus’ ⁸  mother and his brothers ⁹  came. Standing ¹⁰  outside, they sent word to him, to summon him.

Markus 4:33

The Use of Parables

4:33 So ¹¹  with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear.

Markus 4:35

Stilling of a Storm

4:35 On that day, when evening came, Jesus ¹²  said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” ¹³ 

Markus 7:1

Breaking Human Traditions

7:1 Now ¹⁴  the Pharisees ¹⁵  and some of the experts in the law ¹⁶  who came from Jerusalem ¹⁷  gathered around him.

Markus 7:9

7:9 He also said to them, “You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up ¹⁸  your tradition.

Markus 7:28

7:28 She answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Markus 8:4

8:4 His disciples answered him, “Where can someone get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy these people?”

Markus 9:13

9:13 But I tell you that Elijah has certainly come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.”

Markus 9:21

9:21 Jesus ¹⁹  asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.

Markus 9:29

9:29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” ²⁰ 

Markus 10:2

10:2 Then some Pharisees ²¹  came, and to test him ²²  they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his ²³  wife?” ²⁴ 

Markus 10:5

10:5 But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts. ²⁵ 

Markus 10:11

10:11 So ²⁶  he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.

Markus 10:13

Jesus and Little Children

10:13 Now ²⁷  people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, ²⁸  but the disciples scolded those who brought them. ²⁹ 

Markus 10:23

10:23 Then ³⁰  Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

Markus 10:26

10:26 They were even more astonished and said ³¹  to one another, “Then ³²  who can be saved?” ³³ 

Markus 10:48

10:48 Many scolded ³⁴  him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Markus 11:7

11:7 Then ³⁵  they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks ³⁶  on it, and he sat on it. ³⁷ 

Markus 11:28

11:28 and said, “By what authority ³⁸  are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”

Markus 12:24

12:24 Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you deceived ³⁹  for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God?

Markus 14:5-6

14:5 It ⁴⁰  could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins ⁴¹  and the money ⁴²  given to the poor!” So ⁴³  they spoke angrily to her. 14:6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good service for me.

Markus 14:10

The Plan to Betray Jesus

14:10 Then ⁴⁴  Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus into their hands. ⁴⁵ 

Markus 14:24

14:24 He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood ⁴⁶  of the covenant, ⁴⁷  that is poured out for many.

Markus 14:34

14:34 He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay alert.”

Markus 14:53

Condemned by the Sanhedrin

14:53 Then ⁴⁸  they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and experts in the law ⁴⁹  came together.

Markus 15:4

15:4 So Pilate asked him again, ⁵⁰  “Have you nothing to say? See how many charges they are bringing against you!”

Markus 15:9

15:9 So Pilate asked them, ⁵¹  “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?”

Markus 15:14

15:14 Pilate asked them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”

Markus 15:17

15:17 They put a purple cloak ⁵²  on him and after braiding ⁵³  a crown of thorns, ⁵⁴  they put it on him.

[1:17]  ¹ tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”

[1:17]  sn The kind of fishing envisioned was net – not line – fishing (cf. v. 16; cf. also BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμφιβάλλω, ἀμφίβληστρον) which involved a circular net that had heavy weights around its perimeter. The occupation of fisherman was labor-intensive. The imagery of using a lure and a line (and waiting for the fish to strike) is thus foreign to this text. Rather, the imagery of a fisherman involved much strain, long hours, and often little results. Jesus’ point may have been one or more of the following: the strenuousness of evangelism, the work ethic that it required, persistence and dedication to the task (often in spite of minimal results), the infinite value of the new “catch” (viz., people), and perhaps an eschatological theme of snatching people from judgment (cf. W. L. Lane, Mark [NICNT], 67). If this last motif is in view, then catching people is the opposite of catching fish: The fish would be caught, killed, cooked, and eaten; people would be caught so as to remove them from eternal destruction and to give them new life.

[2:13]  ² tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:27]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[2:27]  ⁴ tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used twice in this verse in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”

[3:23]  ⁵ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[3:23]  ⁶ sn Jesus spoke two parables to demonstrate the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. The first parable (vv. 23-26) teaches that if Jesus cast out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. The second parable (v. 28) about tying up a strong man proves that Jesus does not need to align himself with the devil because Jesus is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (1:12-13) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 3:29-30). For an explanation of what a parable is, see the note on parables in 4:2.

[3:31]  ⁷ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[3:31]  ⁸ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:31]  ⁹ sn The issue of whether Jesus had brothers (siblings) has had a long history in the church. Epiphanius, in the 4th century, argued that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no offspring other than Jesus. Others argued that these brothers were really cousins. Nothing in the text suggests any of this. See also John 7:3.

[3:31]  ¹⁰ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[4:33]  ¹¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[4:35]  ¹² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:35]  ¹³ tn The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.

[7:1]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[7:1]  ¹⁵ sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.

[7:1]  ¹⁶ tn Or “and some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[7:1]  ¹⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:9]  ¹⁸ tc The translation here follows the reading στήσητε (sthshte, “set up”) found in D W Θ Ë¹ 28 565 2542 it sy^s,p Cyp. The majority of mss here read τηρήσητε (thrhsete; א A L ˹³ 33 Ï co) or τηρῆτε (thrhte; B 2427), both translated “keep.” It is hard to know which reading is best: On the one hand, τηρήσητε/τηρῆτε has much stronger external support, but στήσητε is a more difficult reading. What makes “keep” suspect is that it appears in two different forms, suggesting independent alterations of a difficult reading. Further, scribes may have been influenced by the preceding “commandment of God” to change the text toward “keep” (TCGNT 81), a common enough expression (cf. Matt 19:17; John 14:15; 1 Tim 6:1; 1 John 5:3; Rev 14:12). Thus, the more difficult reading is “set up.” Also, the more natural opposite of “reject” (ἀθεῖτε [aqeite], literally “you set aside”) is “set up.” However, the Western reading may have been influenced by Exod 6:4 or Heb 10:9, but this likelihood seems remote. Thus, “set up” is more likely to be the original wording of Mark here.

[9:21]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:29]  ²⁰ tc Most witnesses, even early and excellent ones (Ì^45vid א² A C D L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat co), have “and fasting” (καὶ νηστείᾳ, kai nhsteia) after “prayer” here. But this seems to be a motivated reading, due to the early church’s emphasis on fasting (TCGNT 85; cf., e.g., 2 Clem. 16:4; Pol. Phil 7:2; Did. 1:3; 7:4). That the most important witnesses (א* B), as well as a few others (0274 2427 k), lack καὶ νηστείᾳ, when a good reason for the omission is difficult to find, argues strongly for the shorter reading.

[10:2]  ²¹ 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 mss vary in how they express this subject lends credence to this judgment: οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι προσελθόντες (Joi de Farisaioi proselqonte", “now the Pharisees came”) in W Θ 565 2542 pc; καὶ προσελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι (kai proselqonte" Joi Farisaioi, “then the Pharisees came”) in א C N (˹: καὶ προσελθόντες ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι) 579 1241 1424 pm; and καὶ προσελθόντες Φαρισαῖοι in A B K L Γ Δ Ψ Ë¹³ 28 700 892 2427 pm. Further, the use of an indefinite plural (a general “they”) is a Markan feature, occurring over twenty times. Thus, internally the evidence looks rather strong for the shorter reading, in spite of the minimal external support for it. However, if scribes assimilated this text to Matt 19:3, a more exact parallel might have been expected: Matthew has καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ Φαρισαῖοι (kai proshlqon aujtw Farisaioi, “then Pharisees came to him”). Although the verb form needs to be different according to syntactical requirements of the respective sentences, the word order variety, as well as the presence or absence of the article and the alternation between δέ and καί as the introductory conjunction, all suggest that the variety of readings might not be due to scribal adjustments toward Matthew. At the same time, the article with Φαρισαῖοι is found in both Gospels in many of the same witnesses (א Ï in Matt; א pm in Mark), and the anarthrous Φαρισαῖοι is likewise parallel in many mss (B L ˹³ 700 892). Another consideration is the possibility that very early in the transmissional history, scribes naturally inserted the most obvious subject (the Pharisees would be the obvious candidates as the ones to test Jesus). This may account for the reading with δέ, since Mark nowhere else uses this conjunction to introduce the Pharisees into the narrative. As solid as the internal arguments against the longer reading seem to be, the greatest weakness is the witnesses that support it. The Western mss are prone to alter the text by adding, deleting, substituting, or rearranging large amounts of material. There are times when the rationale for this seems inexplicable. In light of the much stronger evidence for “the Pharisees came,” even though it occurs in various permutations, it is probably wisest to retain the words. This judgment, however, is hardly certain.

[10:2]  sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.

[10:2]  ²² tn In Greek this phrase occurs at the end of the sentence. It has been brought forward to conform to English style.

[10:2]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ 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.

[10:5]  ²⁵ tn Grk “heart” (a collective singular).

[10:11]  ²⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate that Jesus’ statement is in response to the disciples’ question (v. 10).

[10:13]  ²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[10:13]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ tc “Those who brought them” (ἐπετιμῶν τοῖς προσφέρουσιν, epetimwn toi" prosferousin) is the reading of most mss (A D W [Θ Ë^1,13] Ï lat sy), but it is probably a motivated reading. Since the subject is not explicit in the earliest and best witnesses as well as several others (א B C L Δ Ψ 579 892 2427), scribes would be prone to add “those who brought them” here to clarify that the children were not the ones being scolded. It could be argued that the masculine pronoun αὐτοῖς (autois, “them”) only rarely was used with the neuter antecedent παιδία (paidia, “children”), and thus the longer reading was not motivated by scribal clarification. However, such rare usage is found in Mark (cf. 5:41; 9:24-26); further, scribes routinely added clarifications when such were not necessary. Thus, both on external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is strongly preferred. Similar motivations are behind the translation here, namely, “those who brought them” has been supplied to ensure that the parents who brought the children are in view, not the children themselves.

[10:13]  tn Grk “the disciples scolded them.”

[10:23]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[10:26]  ³¹ 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]  ³² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of thought.

[10:26]  ³³ sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?

[10:48]  ³⁴ tn Or “rebuked.” The crowd’s view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.

[11:7]  ³⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[11:7]  ³⁶ tn Grk “garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.

[11:7]  ³⁷ sn See Zech 9:9, a prophecy fulfilled here (cf. Matt 21:5; John 12:15.

[11:28]  ³⁸ tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.

[12:24]  ³⁹ tn Or “mistaken” (cf. BDAG 822 s.v. πλανάω 2.c.γ).

[14:5]  ⁴⁰ tn Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[14:5]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “three hundred denarii.” One denarius was the standard day’s wage, so the value exceeded what a laborer could earn in a year (taking in to account Sabbaths and feast days when no work was done).

[14:5]  ⁴² tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (as the proceeds from the sale of the perfumed oil).

[14:5]  ⁴³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[14:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[14:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “betray him to them”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:24]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “this is my blood of the covenant that is poured out for many.” In order to avoid confusion about which is poured out, the translation supplies “blood” twice so that the following phrase clearly modifies “blood,” not “covenant.”

[14:24]  ⁴⁷ tc Most mss (A Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy) have καινῆς (kainh", “new”) before διαθήκης (diaqhkh", “covenant”), a reading that is almost surely influenced by the parallel passage in Luke 22:20. Further, the construction τὸ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης (to th" kainh" diaqhkh"), in which the resumptive article τό (referring back to τὸ αἷμα [to |aima, “the blood”]) is immediately followed by the genitive article, is nowhere else used in Mark except for constructions involving a genitive of relationship (cf. Mark 2:14; 3:17, 18; 16:1). Thus, on both transcriptional and intrinsic grounds, this reading looks to be a later addition (which may have derived from τὸ τῆς διαθήκης of D* W 2427). The most reliable mss, along with several others (א B C D^c L Θ Ψ 565), lack καινῆς. This reading is strongly preferred.

[14:24]  sn Jesus’ death established the forgiveness promised in the new covenant of Jer 31:31. Jesus is reinterpreting the symbolism of the Passover meal, indicating the presence of a new era.

[14:53]  ⁴⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[14:53]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[15:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “Pilate asked him again, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[15:9]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “Pilate answered them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[15:17]  ⁵² sn The purple cloak probably refers to a military garment which had the color of royal purple, and thus resembled a king’s robe. The soldiers did this to Jesus as a form of mockery in view of the charges that he was a king (cf. 15:2).

[15:17]  ⁵³ tn Or “weaving.”

[15:17]  ⁵⁴ sn The crown may have been made from palm spines or some other thorny plant common in Israel. In placing the crown of thorns on his head, the soldiers were unwittingly symbolizing God’s curse on humanity (cf. Gen 3:18) being placed on Jesus. Their purpose would have been to mock Jesus’ claim to be a king; the crown of thorns would have represented the “radiant corona” portrayed on the heads of rulers on coins and other artifacts in the 1st century.