1
Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ ⸀χριστοῦ.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Son of God stands here in many manuscripts but not in the base text this edition follows, so it is not printed. Gospel (εὐαγγέλιον, euangelion) is good news announced, not a book.
first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous
first here Christ Χριστός Christos
Why this rendering
Mark.1.1 Observation
Syntactic observation
The first verse of Mark in SBLGNT ends at Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ — without “Son of God” (υἱοῦ θεοῦ). A variant mark (⸀) stands at χριστοῦ. Of our columns Tischendorf's eighth edition reads the same; all the rest — the Textus Receptus, KJV, 개역한글, NASB, ESV, NET, NIV, the Vulgate, Elberfelder, the Synodal, the Japanese — include the Son of God. And the opening word is anarthrous Ἀρχή — the word of John 1:1, Ἐν ἀρχῇ, and the word with which the Septuagint of Genesis 1:1 opens. The verse has no verb; it stands like a title over the book. εὐαγγέλιον never occurs in John and occurs eight times in Mark.
Rendering options · 2
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Basis Follows the longer reading.
Rejected Our base text is SBLGNT (DECISIONS C1). What is not in it does not stand in the text; as at John 5:3 and 7:52 it is shown as a variant entry.
Adopted The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Basis As the base text stands. ἀρχή takes the rendering fixed in John, so that the two Gospels visibly open on one word.
Lost in translation
that the manuscripts divide from the first verse The text divides already in the title verse. A single translation prints one form and the reader cannot know. In our columns Tischendorf and the rest stand visibly apart.
this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)
Ἀρχή joining Genesis and John Genesis 1:1 (LXX), John 1:1 and Mark 1:1 open on one word. It shows only with the books side by side, and survives only if the word is rendered alike.
Survives in · 개역한글† / King James 1769 / New American Standard (1995)† / English Standard Version† / Vulgata Clementina / Elberfelder 1871 / Синодальный перевод
2
⸀Καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν ⸂τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ⸃· ⸀Ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν ⸀σου·
As it stands written in Isaiah the prophet: “See, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,”
The quotation is named as Isaiah, but its first half is not from Isaiah. The text is left as it stands.
first here Isaiah Ἠσαΐας Ēsaias
pronoun I = the one speaking in the quotation
pronoun my = the one speaking in the quotation
pronoun your = the one addressed in the quotation
pronoun who = my messenger
3
φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ,
“a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’ —”
Where “in the wilderness” attaches is undecided — to the crying or to the preparing. Greek does not settle it.
pronoun his = the Lord
Why this rendering
Mark.1.3 Observation
Syntactic observation
This is the first κύριος in Mark — inside the Isaiah citation. The rendering of κύριος, deferred as unsettled through all of John, first becomes due here. In the citation κύριος stands in the place of the divine name. ὁδός, the way, also first appears here — in Mark it runs on as the word of following Jesus (8:27; 9:33–34; 10:32, 52). And εὐθείας, straight, shares its root with εὐθύς — chiming with the at once Mark uses twelve times in this chapter.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted Prepare the way of the Lord
Basis Renders κύριος as Lord — the customary Korean rendering, carrying on the double translation by which the Septuagint's κύριος for the divine name is rendered again.
Prepare the way of YHWH
Basis Restores the divine name of Isaiah 40:3.
Rejected What Mark quotes is not the Hebrew but a Greek text that wrote κύριος. Restoring the name would translate the layer behind what Mark wrote. That this Lord stands in the divine name's place is recorded — and with this the deferred κύριος question is settled: render as Lord, marking divine-name citations in the observation.
Lost in translation
the layers of κύριος Isaiah's divine name, the Septuagint's κύριος, the translation's Lord — three layers pressed into one word, of which translation shows the last. That the same κύριος serves for polite address and for the divine name is the same loss.
this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)
4
ἐγένετο Ἰωάννης ⸀ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν τῇ ⸀ἐρήμῳ κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν.
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
The baptizer is a participle here, a name for what he does. Repentance (μετάνοια, metanoia) is a change of mind, not sorrow.
first here John Ἰωάννης Iōannēs
5
καὶ ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία χώρα καὶ οἱ Ἱεροσολυμῖται ⸂πάντες, καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο⸃ ⸂ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ⸃ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.
And all the Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.
All stands twice — this book piles up the crowd from the first page.
first here Judea Ἰουδαία Ioudaia
first here Jordan Ἰορδάνης Iordanēs
pronoun him = John
pronoun they = the people going out
pronoun their = the people going out
6
⸂καὶ ἦν⸃ ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσθων ἀκρίδας καὶ μέλι ἄγριον.
And John was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he was eating locusts and wild honey.
The clothing is given without comment; nothing is said of Elijah here.
pronoun he = John
pronoun his = John
7
καὶ ἐκήρυσσεν λέγων· Ἔρχεται ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου ὀπίσω μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς κύψας λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ·
And he proclaimed, saying, “The one stronger than I is coming after me, the strap of whose sandals I am not fit to stoop down and untie.
Stronger (ἰσχυρότερος, ischyroteros) — the same root returns at 3:27 of binding the strong man.
pronoun he = John
pronoun I = John
pronoun me = John
pronoun whose = the one stronger than I
8
⸀ἐγὼ ἐβάπτισα ⸀ὑμᾶς ὕδατι, αὐτὸς δὲ βαπτίσει ὑμᾶς ⸀ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.
I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
With water and with the Holy Spirit are the same construction in Greek — the instrument is not marked differently.
pronoun I = John
pronoun you = the people
pronoun he = the one coming after me
9
Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲτ τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη ⸂εἰς τὸν Ἰορδάνην ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου⸃.
And it came to be in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
Jesus enters this book with no birth and no genealogy.
first here Nazareth Ναζαρέτ Nazaret
first here Galileans Γαλιλαία Galilaia
10
καὶ ⸀εὐθὺς ἀναβαίνων ⸀ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος εἶδεν σχιζομένους τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ⸀ὡς περιστερὰν καταβαῖνον ⸀εἰς αὐτόν·
And at once, coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn and the Spirit like a dove descending into him.
Torn (σχίζω, schizō) is a violent word — this book alone uses it here, and again of the curtain at 15:38. Into him is stronger than “upon him”; the base text has the sharper reading.
pronoun he = Jesus
Why this rendering
Mark.1.10 Observation
Syntactic observation
The heavens are σχιζομένους — being torn. σχίζω is the verb for tearing cloth. It occurs twice in Mark — here at 1:10, the baptism, the heavens torn; and at 15:38, the death, the temple curtain torn from top to bottom. The book's opening and close are bound by one verb. It is also the verb met at John 19:24, let us not tear the tunic. εὐθύς, at once, stands in this verse — twelve times in Mark 1 alone, the signature of Mark's style. And εἰς αὐτόν — a preposition that can be read as the Spirit descending into him, not merely upon him.
Rendering options · 2
he saw the heavens opened
Basis Uses the natural opened.
Rejected Opened is the word of Matthew and Luke (ἀνοίγω), not Mark's. Mark chose the tearing verb and takes it up at the curtain of 15:38. Rendered opened, the bookend leaves the words. KJV has opened.
Adopted And at once, coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn and the Spirit like a dove descending into him.
Basis Keeps σχίζω as torn, pairing with 15:38, and does not drop εὐθύς.
Lost in translation
the 1:10 / 15:38 bookend It opens with the heavens torn and closes with the curtain torn — a verb occurring twice in Mark is the frame. Only in versions that match the word can a reader find it, and none marks the pair.
Survives in · New American Standard (1995)† / English Standard Version† / New English Translation† / Elberfelder 1871 / this edition — 9 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
11
καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν· Σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ⸀σοὶ εὐδόκησα.
And a voice came out of the heavens: “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.”
You are — the voice speaks to him, where Matthew 3:17 has it speak about him.
pronoun You = Jesus
pronoun my = the voice out of the heavens
pronoun you = Jesus
pronoun I = the voice out of the heavens
12
Καὶ εὐθὺς τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτὸν ἐκβάλλει εἰς τὴν ἔρημον.
And at once the Spirit drives him out into the wilderness.
Drives out (ἐκβάλλω, ekballō) is the verb used of demons; this book uses it of the Spirit and Jesus. Matthew and Luke soften it.
pronoun him = Jesus
Why this rendering
Mark.1.12 Observation
Syntactic observation
The Spirit ἐκβάλλει him — drives him out — into the wilderness. And the tense is present. ἐκβάλλω is the very verb by which demons are driven out in this chapter (1:34, 39; and at v.43 the healed man is sent out by it too). Matthew (4:1 ἀνήχθη, was led up) and Luke (4:1 ἤγετο, was led) use gentler verbs; Mark alone uses this hard one. ἔρημος, the wilderness, stands six times in chapter 1 (vv.3, 4, 12, 13, 35, 45) — John's wilderness, the testing wilderness and the praying wilderness are one word.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted the Spirit drives him out into the wilderness
Basis Keeps the force of ἐκβάλλω and the present tense.
the Spirit led him into the wilderness
Basis Softens the verb.
Rejected Led is the verb of Matthew and Luke, not of Mark. That the word for driving out demons is used of the Spirit's act is a fact of Mark's text, and softening erases it. 개역한글 already keeps it with 몰아내신지라.
Lost in translation
the sharing of ἐκβάλλω The Spirit drives Jesus out (1:12) and Jesus drives demons out (1:34, 39) — one verb. Softening only the Spirit's side dissolves the sharing.
Survives in · 개역한글† / New American Standard (1995)† / English Standard Version† / New English Translation† / Elberfelder 1871 / New International Version (2011)† / this edition — 8 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
the historic present Mark loves the present tense in past narration (ἐκβάλλει). Most versions smooth it to past — where the pace of Mark's style goes.
Survives in · this edition — 8 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
13
καὶ ⸀ἦν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ⸂τεσσεράκοντα ἡμέρας⸃ πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, καὶ ἦν μετὰ τῶν θηρίων, καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι διηκόνουν αὐτῷ.
And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tested by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels were serving him.
Wild beasts are named only in this book. Tested (πειράζω, peirazō) is also “tempted” — Greek holds both.
first here Satan Σατανᾶς Satanas
pronoun he = Jesus — both times
pronoun him = Jesus
14
⸂Καὶ μετὰ⸃ τὸ παραδοθῆναι τὸν Ἰωάννην ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν κηρύσσων τὸ ⸀εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ
And after John was handed over, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God
Handed over (παραδίδωμι, paradidōmi) is the verb used later of Judas; this book uses it of John first.
15
καὶ λέγων ὅτι Πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς καὶ ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ· μετανοεῖτε καὶ πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ.
and saying, “The time has been filled up and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Has been filled up and has come near both stand in the perfect. Time here is καιρός (kairos), the fit moment, not clock time (χρόνος, chronos).
16
⸂Καὶ παράγων⸃ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας εἶδεν Σίμωνα καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ⸀ἀδελφὸν Σίμωνος ⸀ἀμφιβάλλοντας ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ἦσαν γὰρ ἁλιεῖς·
And passing along beside the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting a net in the sea — for they were fishermen.
Casting a net renders one verb (ἀμφιβάλλω, amphiballō) used once in the four Gospels — to throw around.
first here Simon Σίμων Simōn
first here Andrew Ἀνδρέας Andreas
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun they = Simon and Andrew
17
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων.
And Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of people.”
Fishers of people — the Greek word is ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi), people of any kind, not men only.
pronoun them = Simon and Andrew
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = Simon and Andrew
18
καὶ ⸀εὐθὺς ἀφέντες τὰ ⸀δίκτυα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ.
And at once, leaving the nets, they followed him.
At once (εὐθύς, euthys) stands eleven times in this chapter — it is this book's own beat.
pronoun they = Simon and Andrew
pronoun him = Jesus
19
καὶ ⸀προβὰς ὀλίγον εἶδεν Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα,
And going on a little he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in the boat mending the nets.
Mending (καταρτίζω, katartizō) is putting a thing back in order.
first here James Ἰάκωβος Iakōbos
first here Zebedee Ζεβεδαῖος Zebedaios
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun his = James
pronoun who = James and John
20
καὶ ⸀εὐθὺς ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς. καὶ ἀφέντες τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν Ζεβεδαῖον ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ μετὰ τῶν μισθωτῶν ἀπῆλθον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ.
And at once he called them; and leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hirelings, they went away after him.
Hirelings (μισθωτοί, misthōtoi) — this edition keeps them apart from day-labourers. Only this book says the father was left with hired men.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = James and John
pronoun their = James and John
pronoun they = James and John
pronoun him = Jesus
21
Καὶ εἰσπορεύονται εἰς Καφαρναούμ. καὶ ⸀εὐθὺς τοῖς σάββασιν ⸂ἐδίδασκεν εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν⸃.
And they go into Capernaum. And at once on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
The first thing he does in a synagogue in this book is teach, not heal.
first here Capernaum Καφαρναούμ Kapharnaoum
pronoun they = Jesus and the four
pronoun he = Jesus
22
καὶ ἐξεπλήσσοντο ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ, ἦν γὰρ διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἱ γραμματεῖς.
And they were astounded at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Astounded (ἐκπλήσσομαι, ekplēssomai) is one of six different verbs of amazement this edition keeps apart.
pronoun they = those in the synagogue
pronoun his = Jesus
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = those in the synagogue
23
καὶ ⸀εὐθὺς ἦν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν ἄνθρωπος ἐν πνεύματι ἀκαθάρτῳ καὶ ἀνέκραξεν
And at once there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
Unclean spirit is this book's usual phrase, where others say demon.
pronoun their = those in the synagogue
pronoun he = the man with an unclean spirit
24
λέγων· ⸀Τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί, Ἰησοῦ Ναζαρηνέ; ἦλθες ἀπολέσαι ἡμᾶς; οἶδά σε τίς εἶ, ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ.
saying, “What to us and to you, Jesus the Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you, who you are — the Holy One of God.”
What to us and to you is a Semitic turn kept word for word — it means “what have we to do with each other”.
first here Nazarene Ναζαρηνός Nazarēnos
pronoun us = the unclean spirit
pronoun you = Jesus
pronoun I = the unclean spirit
25
καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων· Φιμώθητι καὶ ἔξελθε ἐξ αὐτοῦ.
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be muzzled, and come out of him.”
Be muzzled (φιμόω, phimoō) is the verb for putting a muzzle on an animal; it returns at 4:39 to the sea.
pronoun him = the unclean spirit
26
καὶ σπαράξαν αὐτὸν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἀκάθαρτον καὶ ⸀φωνῆσαν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ἐξῆλθεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ.
And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
Convulsing (σπαράσσω, sparassō) is a tearing word, matching the torn heavens of verse 10.
pronoun him = the man
27
καὶ ἐθαμβήθησαν ⸀ἅπαντες, ὥστε συζητεῖν ⸂πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς⸃ λέγοντας· Τί ἐστιν τοῦτο; ⸂διδαχὴ καινή⸃· κατ’ ἐξουσίαν καὶ τοῖς πνεύμασι τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις ἐπιτάσσει, καὶ ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ.
And all were astonished, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching — with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
Amazed here is a different verb (θαμβέομαι, thambeomai) from verse 22 — this edition keeps the six apart.
pronoun they = those in the synagogue
pronoun themselves = those in the synagogue
pronoun this = what has happened
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun him = Jesus
28
⸂καὶ ἐξῆλθεν⸃ ἡ ἀκοὴ αὐτοῦ εὐθὺς ⸀πανταχοῦ εἰς ὅλην τὴν περίχωρον τῆς Γαλιλαίας.
And the report of him went out at once everywhere into the whole surrounding region of Galilee.
At once again — the report travels as fast as the acts.
pronoun him = Jesus
29
Καὶ ⸀εὐθὺς ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς ⸂ἐξελθόντες ἦλθον⸃ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν Σίμωνος καὶ Ἀνδρέου μετὰ Ἰακώβου καὶ Ἰωάννου.
And at once, going out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
The four called in verses 16 to 20 are all here.
pronoun they = Jesus and the four
30
ἡ δὲ πενθερὰ Σίμωνος κατέκειτο πυρέσσουσα, καὶ ⸀εὐθὺς λέγουσιν αὐτῷ περὶ αὐτῆς.
Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying down with a fever, and at once they tell him about her.
Lying down with a fever — one verb in Greek, “was burning with fever”.
pronoun they = those in the house
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun her = Simon's mother-in-law
31
καὶ προσελθὼν ἤγειρεν αὐτὴν κρατήσας τῆς ⸀χειρός· καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὴν ὁ ⸀πυρετός, καὶ διηκόνει αὐτοῖς.
And coming to her he raised her up, taking hold of her hand; and the fever left her, and she was serving them.
She was serving them uses διακονέω (diakoneō), the verb of 10:45 — “the Son of Man came to serve”.
pronoun her = Simon's mother-in-law
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun she = Simon's mother-in-law
pronoun them = those in the house
32
Ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης, ὅτε ⸀ἔδυ ὁ ἥλιος, ἔφερον πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντας τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας καὶ τοὺς δαιμονιζομένους·
And when evening came, when the sun had set, they were bringing to him all who were ill and those demon-possessed;
When evening came, when the sun had set — the Sabbath is over, so they may carry the sick.
pronoun they = the people
pronoun him = Jesus
33
καὶ ⸂ἦν ὅλη ἡ πόλις ἐπισυνηγμένη⸃ πρὸς τὴν θύραν.
and the whole city was gathered together at the door.
The whole city — this book keeps enlarging the crowd.
34
καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν πολλοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας ποικίλαις νόσοις, καὶ δαιμόνια πολλὰ ἐξέβαλεν, καὶ οὐκ ἤφιεν λαλεῖν τὰ δαιμόνια, ὅτι ᾔδεισαν ⸀αὐτόν.
And he healed many who were ill with various diseases, and he drove out many demons; and he was not allowing the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Because they knew him — the silencing is grounded on the knowing.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun they = the demons
pronoun him = Jesus
35
Καὶ πρωῒ ἔννυχα λίαν ἀναστὰς ἐξῆλθεν καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κἀκεῖ προσηύχετο.
And rising very early, while still night, he went out and went away to a wilderness place, and there he was praying.
A wilderness place — the same word as the wilderness of verses 3, 4, 12 and 13.
pronoun he = Jesus
36
καὶ ⸀κατεδίωξεν αὐτὸν ⸀Σίμων καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ,
And Simon and those with him hunted him down,
Hunted him down (καταδιώκω, katadiōkō) is used once in the four Gospels, and it is not a friendly word.
pronoun him = Jesus
37
καὶ ⸂εὗρον αὐτὸν καὶ⸃ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ ὅτι Πάντες ⸂ζητοῦσίν σε⸃.
and they found him and say to him, “Everyone is seeking you.”
Everyone is seeking you — the disciples bring the crowd as a claim.
pronoun they = Simon and those with him
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun you = Jesus
38
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἄγωμεν ⸀ἀλλαχοῦ εἰς τὰς ἐχομένας κωμοπόλεις, ἵνα καὶ ἐκεῖ κηρύξω, εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ⸀ἐξῆλθον.
And he says to them, “Let us go elsewhere, into the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim there also; for this is why I came out.”
This is why I came out — the text leaves open whether that means out of the house or out from God.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = Simon and those with him
pronoun us = Jesus and those with him
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun this = proclaiming elsewhere
39
καὶ ⸀ἦλθεν κηρύσσων ⸂εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς⸃ αὐτῶν εἰς ὅλην τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλων.
And he went proclaiming in their synagogues into all Galilee, and driving out the demons.
Proclaiming and driving out demons are set as one work.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun their = the people of Galilee
40
Καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν λεπρὸς παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν καὶ ⸀γονυπετῶν λέγων αὐτῷ ὅτι Ἐὰν θέλῃς δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι.
And a leper comes to him, begging him and kneeling, saying to him, “If you are willing, you are able to cleanse me.”
Leper names one under the law's uncleanness; the word covers more than one skin disease.
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun you = Jesus
pronoun me = the leper
41
⸀καὶ ⸀ὀργισθεὶς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ⸂αὐτοῦ ἥψατο⸃ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι·
And moved to anger, stretching out his hand he touched him and says to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Moved to anger — the manuscripts differ, and the other reading is “moved with compassion”. The harder reading stands here because the snorting of verse 43 follows it.
pronoun his = Jesus
pronoun him = the leper
Why this rendering
Mark.1.41 Observation
Syntactic observation
SBLGNT prints ὀργισθείς — moved to anger. A variant mark (⸀) stands on it; the alternative is σπλαγχνισθείς, moved with compassion. Of our columns only NIV2011 follows this side with “was indignant”; all the rest, Tischendorf included, read compassion. The harder-reading principle bears here: a copyist would change anger to compassion, hardly the reverse. And ἐμβριμησάμενος follows at v.43 — the verb fixed at John 11:33 and 38 (to snort, to be roused). Two words of anger stand in the healing of the leper: that is Mark's text.
Rendering options · 2
Moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand
Basis Follows the widely received reading.
Rejected Our base text is SBLGNT and we do not switch it verse by verse (DECISIONS C1). And with compassion, the ἐμβριμησάμενος of v.43 comes from nowhere; read with anger, vv.41 and 43 run in one grain.
Adopted And moved to anger, stretching out his hand he touched him and says to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Basis Follows the base text, showing the other reading as a variant. What the anger is at, the text does not settle — nor does the rendering.
Lost in translation
a variant that divides the emotion Whether Jesus was angry or compassionate in one scene differs by manuscript. A single translation shows a single Jesus. In our data NIV2011 — which is not carried on the page — and the rest stand side by side with opposite emotions — a split visible only in parallel.
this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)
42
καὶ ⸀εὐθὺς ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἡ λέπρα, καὶ ἐκαθαρίσθη.
And at once the leprosy went away from him, and he was cleansed.
Went away from him — the leprosy is spoken of as if it departed like a spirit.
pronoun him = the man
pronoun he = the man
43
καὶ ἐμβριμησάμενος αὐτῷ ⸀εὐθὺς ἐξέβαλεν αὐτόν,
And snorting at him, at once he drove him out,
Snorting (ἐμβριμάομαι, embrimaomai) names anger, not sternness; drove out is the demon-verb of verse 12.
pronoun him = the man — both times
pronoun he = Jesus
44
καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὅρα μηδενὶ μηδὲν εἴπῃς, ἀλλὰ ὕπαγε σεαυτὸν δεῖξον τῷ ἱερεῖ καὶ προσένεγκε περὶ τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ σου ἃ προσέταξεν Μωϋσῆς εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς.
and says to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
As a witness to them may be read for them or against them — Greek does not settle it.
first here Moses Μωϋσῆς Mōysēs
pronoun him = the man
pronoun you = the man
pronoun yourself = the man
pronoun your = the man
pronoun them = the priests and the people
45
ὁ δὲ ἐξελθὼν ἤρξατο κηρύσσειν πολλὰ καὶ διαφημίζειν τὸν λόγον, ὥστε μηκέτι αὐτὸν δύνασθαι φανερῶς εἰς πόλιν εἰσελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ ἔξω ⸀ἐπ’ ἐρήμοις τόποις ἦν· καὶ ἤρχοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν ⸀πάντοθεν.
But going out he began to proclaim it much and to spread the word, so that he could no longer enter a city openly, but was outside in wilderness places; and they were coming to him from every side.
The one told to say nothing proclaims; the one who proclaimed can no longer enter a city.
pronoun he = the man
pronoun it = what had happened
pronoun they = the people
pronoun him = Jesus