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

² sn The ancient term for leprosy covers a wider array of conditions than what we call leprosy today. A leper was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45-46).

³ tn This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.

⁴ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the shift from the thoughts of the experts in the law to Jesus’ response.

⁵ tn Grk “they were thus reasoning within themselves.”

⁶ tn Grk “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts?”

⁷ sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).

⁸ sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.

⁹ sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.

¹⁰ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

¹¹ tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

¹² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

¹³ tn Grk “He has Beelzebul.”

sn Beelzebul is another name for Satan. So some people recognized Jesus’ work as supernatural, but called it diabolical.

¹⁴ tn Or “prince.”

¹⁵ tc ‡ Many mss read “and your sisters” here after “your brothers” (A D Γ 700 pm it). However, the pedigree of several of the mss which lack this phrase is considerable (א B C K L W Δ Θ Ë^1,13 28 33 565 892 1241 1424 2542 pm lat sy). It seems likely that this phrase was added by an early Western scribe to harmonize this statement with Jesus’ response in v. 35. NA²⁷ has the words in brackets, indicating some doubt as to their authenticity.

¹⁶ tn Grk “Behold my mother and my brothers.”

¹⁷ tn Grk “the mystery.”

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).

¹⁸ tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).

¹⁹ tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”

²⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²¹ tn The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.

²² tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

²³ tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).

²⁴ sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Ps 104:3; 135:7; 107:23-30. When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.

²⁵ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

²⁶ 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.

²⁷ 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.

²⁸ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

²⁹ tn Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).

³⁰ tn The term “heart” is a collective singular in the Greek text.

³¹ sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.

³² sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.

³³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

³⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

³⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the boy) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

³⁸ tn Grk “But answering, Jesus again said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.

³⁹ tc Most mss (A C D Θ Ë^1,13 28 565 2427 Ï lat sy) have here “for those who trust in riches” (τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐπὶ [τοῖς] χρήμασιν, tou" pepoiqota" epi [toi"] crhmasin); W has πλούσιον (plousion) later in the verse, producing the same general modification on the dominical saying (“how hard it is for the rich to enter…”). But such qualifications on the Lord’s otherwise harsh and absolute statements are natural scribal expansions, intended to soften the dictum. Further, the earliest and best witnesses, along with a few others (א B Δ Ψ sa), lack any such qualifications. That W lacks the longer expansion and only has πλούσιον suggests that its archetype agreed with א B here; its voice should be heard with theirs. Thus, both on external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is preferred.

⁴⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁴¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁴² tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς is redundant and has not been translated.

⁴³ tn Or “Master”; Grk ῥαββουνί (rabbouni).

⁴⁴ 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.

⁴⁵ tn Or “received” (see the note on the phrase “let me see again” in v. 51).

⁴⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

⁴⁷ 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.

⁴⁸ 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.

⁴⁹ 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.

⁵⁰ tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 28.

⁵¹ tn Grk “Aware of their hypocrisy he said.”

⁵² tn Here the specific name of the coin was retained in the translation, because not all coins in circulation in Palestine at the time carried the image of Caesar. In other places δηνάριον (dhnarion) has been translated simply as “silver coin” with an explanatory note.

sn A denarius was a silver coin stamped with the image of the emperor and worth approximately one day’s wage for a laborer.

⁵³ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate their response to Jesus’ request for a coin.

⁵⁴ tn Or “whose likeness.”

sn In this passage Jesus points to the image (Grk εἰκών, eikwn) of Caesar on the coin. This same Greek word is used in Gen 1:26 (LXX) to state that humanity is made in the “image” of God. Jesus is making a subtle yet powerful contrast: Caesar’s image is on the denarius, so he can lay claim to money through taxation, but God’s image is on humanity, so he can lay claim to each individual life.

⁵⁵ tn Grk “they said to him.”

⁵⁶ tn Or “mistaken” (cf. BDAG 822 s.v. πλανάω 2.c.γ).

⁵⁷ tn Or “that the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

⁵⁸ tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

sn See the note on Christ in 8:29.

⁵⁹ sn It was a common belief in Judaism that Messiah would be David’s son in that he would come from the lineage of David. On this point the Pharisees agreed and were correct. But their understanding was nonetheless incomplete, for Messiah is also David’s Lord. With this statement Jesus was affirming that, as the Messiah, he is both God and man.

⁶⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶¹ tn Or “for the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

⁶² tn In Greek this is the only infinitive in vv. 38-39. It would be awkward in English to join an infinitive to the following noun clauses, so this has been translated as a gerund.

⁶³ sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.

⁶⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

⁶⁵ tn See the note on the term “offering box” in v. 41.

⁶⁶ 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.

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

⁶⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶⁹ sn The Jerusalem temple was widely admired around the world. See Josephus, Ant. 15.11 [15.380-425]; J. W. 5.5 [5.184-227] and Tacitus, History 5.8, who called it “immensely opulent.” Josephus compared it to a beautiful snowcapped mountain.

⁷⁰ 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.

⁷¹ tn Grk “not one stone will be left here on another which will not be thrown down.”

⁷² tn Grk “while they were reclined at the table.”

sn 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.

⁷³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

⁷⁴ tn Or “will hand me over”; Grk “one of you will betray me, the one who eats with me.”

⁷⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁷⁶ sn A quotation from Zech 13:7.

⁷⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

⁷⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷⁹ tn Grk “said emphatically.”

⁸⁰ tn The word means “Father” in Aramaic.

⁸¹ sn This cup alludes to the wrath of God that Jesus would experience (in the form of suffering and death) for us. See Ps 11:6; 75:8-9; Isa 51:17, 19, 22 for this figure.

⁸² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁸³ sn An allusion to Ps 110:1. This is a claim that Jesus shares authority with God in heaven. Those present may have thought they were his judges, but, in fact, the reverse was true.

⁸⁴ sn The expression the right hand of the Power is a circumlocution for referring to God. Such indirect references to God were common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.

⁸⁵ sn An allusion to Dan 7:13.

⁸⁶ tn Grk “Truly you are.”

⁸⁷ sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like Paul.

⁸⁸ tn Grk “the way he breathed his last”; or “the way he expired”; or “that he thus breathed no more.”

⁸⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁹⁰ tn Grk “they began to have trembling and bewilderment.”