MARK 11:20 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. Καί
2. kai
3. And
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. PS
10. Y33
11. 32094
1. πρωΐ
2. prōi
3. -
4. -
5. 44040
6. D·······
7. in_the_morning
8. in_the_morning
9. -
10. -
11. 32095
1. παραπορευόμενοι
2. paraporeuomai
3. passing through
4. -
5. 38990
6. VPPM·NMP
7. passing_through
8. passing_through
9. -
10. Y33; R31758; Person=Jesus; R31962
11. 32096
1. παρεπορεύετο
2. paraporeuomai
3. -
4. -
5. 38990
6. VIIM3··S
7. ˓was˒ passing_through
8. ˓was˒ passing_through
9. -
10. -
11. 32097
1. τό
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. R····NNS
7. the ‹time›
8. the ‹time›
9. -
10. -
11. 32098
1. πρωΐ
2. prōi
3. in the morning
4. morning
5. 44040
6. D·······
7. in_the_morning
8. in_the_morning
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32099
1. καί
2. kai
3. -
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. -
11. 32100
1. εἶδον
2. horaō
3. they saw
4. they noticed
5. 37080
6. VIAA3··P
7. ˱they˲ saw
8. ˱they˲ saw
9. -
10. Y33; R31758; Person=Jesus; R31962
11. 32101
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32102
1. συκῆν
2. sukē
3. fig tree
4. fig tree
5. 48080
6. N····AFS
7. fig_tree
8. fig_tree
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32103
1. ἐξηραμμένην
2. xērainō
3. having been withered
4. -
5. 35830
6. VPEP·AFS
7. ˓having_been˒ withered
8. ˓having_been˒ withered
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32104
1. ἐκ
2. ek
3. from
4. -
5. 15370
6. P·······
7. from
8. from
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32105
1. ῥιζῶν
2. rhiza
3. roots
4. -
5. 44910
6. N····GFP
7. roots
8. roots
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32106

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 11:20–26: Jesus used the withered fig tree as an example

The events in this section took place the morning after Jesus chased the merchants from the temple. On his way to Jerusalem the previous day, Jesus had spoken to a fig tree. He had said that no one would ever eat fruit from it again (11:12–14). In this section, 11:20–26, it was the next day. Jesus and his disciples were again walking from Bethany back to Jerusalem. They saw the same fig tree, which was now completely withered. It had died.

Jesus used the withered fig tree as an example to teach his disciples to trust God to do great things.Commentators think that what happened to the fig tree had a deeper meaning. The various interpretations include:(1) The withering of the fig tree at Jesus’ command was a symbol of God’s judgment on Jerusalem and the temple. (Kaiser, Evans page 182) thinks the judgment was of the temple.) France (page 444) mentions this interpretation but disagrees with it. That indicates that it might be good to check Kaiser on this matter, too.(2) The withering of the fig tree at Jesus’ command was a symbol of the coming judgment of Israel. It doesn’t seem necessary to give so much support for this. Lane (page 406) writes in his commentary: “Mark may have had in mind the passage from Hosea 9:16: The people of Israel are stricken. Their roots are dried up; they will bear no more fruit. And if they give birth, I will slaughter their beloved children. [NLT]”(3) The withering of the fig tree at Jesus’ command symbolized that the means of approaching God through worship at the temple was replaced so that now people would approach God through Jesus. (Edwards writes: “the fig tree thus symbolizes the temple: as the means of approach to God, the temple is fundamentally—‘from the roots’—replaced by Jesus as the center of Israel” page 346) He implied that he was able to make the fig tree wither because he trusted God. He told the disciples that their prayers would be answered if they trusted God. God would forgive their sins if they forgave others.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The Power of Faith (NCV)

A Lesson from the Fig Tree (CEV)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 21:19–22 and Matthew 6:14–15. See also Matthew 17:20, 18:35, and Luke 17:6.

11:20a

As they were walking back in the morning,

¶ Early next morning, as they passed by, (REB)
¶ While Jesus and his disciples were walking early in the morning, (GW)

As they were walking back in the morning: The Greek word that the BSB translates as in the morning is literally “early.” The context shows that this refers to the morning after the events in 11:12–19 (see 11:19).

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Next morning (NJB)

Early next morning (GNT)

As they were walking back: The pronoun they refers to Jesus and his disciples. You may need to make this clear since this is the beginning of a new section. For example, the GW says:

While Jesus and his disciples were walking

11:20b

they saw the fig tree withered from its roots.

they saw the fig tree. It was dried up all the way to/from its roots.
they saw the fig tree again. It was completely dried up.

they saw the fig tree: The phrase the fig tree refers to the same fig tree that Jesus had cursed in 11:14. It may be helpful here to identify this as the same fig tree. For example:

they saw the fig tree again

they passed by the fig tree he had cursed (NLT)

However, 11:21 makes this clear, so most English versions do not make this explicit in 11:20b.

withered from its roots: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as withered from its roots indicates that the whole tree had dried up and was completely dead. In some languages it may be more natural to say:

withered down to the roots

You may need to make it clear that it was more than just the roots that had withered. For example, the CEV says:

completely dried up, roots and all

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

παραπορευόμενοι

passing_through

Here Mark implies that Jesus and his disciples were passing by the same route that they had traveled the previous morning, which means that they went past the same fig tree that they had gone past the previous morning. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [passing by on the same path] or [going by the same route]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

τὴν συκῆν ἐξηραμμένην ἐκ ῥιζῶν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί παραπορευόμενοι πρωΐ εἶδον τήν συκῆν ἐξηραμμένην ἐκ ῥιζῶν)

The phrase the fig tree having withered from the roots means that the fig tree had completely shriveled up and dried out, including its roots. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the entire fig tree having withered and having died] or [that the fig tree, including its roots, had dried up and died]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear MARK 11:20

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 11:20–26: Jesus used the withered fig tree as an example

11:20a

11:20b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)