Mark 2:18

The Superiority of the New

2:18 Now ¹  John’s ²  disciples and the Pharisees ³  were fasting. ⁴  So ⁵  they came to Jesus ⁶  and said, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”

Mark 5:13

5:13 Jesus ⁷  gave them permission. ⁸  So ⁹  the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.

Mark 5:19

5:19 But ¹⁰  Jesus ¹¹  did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, ¹²  that he had mercy on you.”

Mark 6:3

6:3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son ¹³  of Mary ¹⁴  and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him.

Mark 6:34

6:34 As Jesus ¹⁵  came ashore ¹⁶  he saw the large crowd and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So ¹⁷  he taught them many things.

Mark 8:6

8:6 Then ¹⁸  he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. After he took the seven loaves and gave thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples to serve. So ¹⁹  they served the crowd.

Mark 9:5

9:5 So ²⁰  Peter said to Jesus, ²¹  “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters ²²  – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Mark 9:18

9:18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but ²³  they were not able to do so.” ²⁴ 

Mark 9:20

9:20 So they brought the boy ²⁵  to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He ²⁶  fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Mark 14:49

14:49 Day after day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, yet ²⁷  you did not arrest me. But this has happened so that ²⁸  the scriptures would be fulfilled.”

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

² sn John refers to John the Baptist.

³ sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.

⁴ sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.

⁵ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate that in the narrative this question happened as a result of the fasting of John’s disciples and the Pharisees.

⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ sn Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.

⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.

¹⁰ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

¹¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹² sn Jesus instructs the man to declare what the Lord has done for him, in contrast to the usual instructions (e.g., 1:44; 5:43) to remain silent. Here in Gentile territory Jesus allowed more open discussion of his ministry. D. L. Bock (Luke [BECNT], 1:781) suggests that with few Jewish religious representatives present, there would be less danger of misunderstanding Jesus’ ministry as political.

¹³ tc Evidently because of the possible offensiveness of designating Jesus a carpenter, several mss ([Ì^45vid] ˹³ 33^vid [565 579] 700 [2542] pc it vg^mss) harmonize the words “carpenter, the son” to the parallel passage in Matt 13:55, “the son of the carpenter.” Almost all the rest of the mss read “the carpenter, the son.” Since the explicit designation of Jesus as a carpenter is the more difficult reading, and is much better attested, it is most likely correct.

¹⁴ sn The reference to Jesus as the carpenter is probably derogatory, indicating that they knew Jesus only as a common laborer like themselves. The reference to him as the son of Mary (even though Jesus’ father was probably dead by this point) appears to be somewhat derogatory, for a man was not regarded as his mother’s son in Jewish usage unless an insult was intended (cf. Judg 11:1-2; John 6:42; 8:41; 9:29).

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

¹⁶ tn Grk “came out [of the boat],” with the reference to the boat understood.

¹⁷ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate this action is the result of Jesus’ compassion on the crowd in the narrative.

¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

¹⁹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

²¹ tn Grk “And answering, Peter said to Jesus.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.

²² tn Or “dwellings,” “booths” (referring to the temporary booths constructed in the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles).

sn Peter apparently wanted to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles or Booths that looked forward to the end and wanted to treat Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as equals by making three shelters (one for each). It was actually a way of expressing honor to Jesus, but the next few verses make it clear that it was not enough honor.

²³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

²⁴ tn The words “to do so” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity and stylistic reasons.

²⁵ tn Grk “him.”

²⁶ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

²⁷ tn Grk “and”; καί (kai) is elastic enough to be used contrastively on occasion, as here.

²⁸ tn Grk “But so that”; the verb “has happened” is implied.