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OET (OET-LV) And immediately a_man with an_ unclean _spirit was in the synagogue of_them, and he_cried_out
In this section Mark described the first of four events that happened in the town of Capernaum in the region of Galilee. Paragraph 1:21–26 tells how Jesus expelled an evil spirit from a man in the synagogue at Capernaum. Paragraph 1:27–28 describes the people’s amazed reaction to Jesus’ authority over evil spirits. See the note on “unclean spirit" in 1:23a for ways to translate “evil/unclean spirit.”
It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.
Here is another idea for this section heading:
The time when Jesus expelled an evil spirit
There is a parallel passage for this section in Luke 4:31–37.
This paragraph begins with a change of location. Jesus and his four disciples walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee to the town of Capernaum.
In 1:23–25 singular and plural forms are used in an interesting way. 1:23 talks about a man who was possessed by an evil/unclean spirit. The word for “spirit” is a singular form. The man shouted at Jesus, but the words that he shouted in 1:24a–b use the plural form “us.” This probably implies that the evil spirit was speaking for evil spirits as a group. In 1:24c the evil spirit changed from the pronoun “us” to “I.” When Jesus answered in 1:25, he rebuked “him/it.”
In your translation, use singular and plural forms in a way that is clear and natural in your language.
Suddenly a man…cried out in the synagogue: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Suddenly here introduces an event that is surprising and significant in the story.
The Greek text does not indicate when the man entered the synagogue. He may have been there while Jesus was speaking or he may have entered as Jesus finished speaking and immediately cried out. Normally, a person with an unclean spirit was not allowed to worship in the synagogue, so the man probably entered after Jesus finished speaking.There are two interpretations here: (1) The man suddenly entered the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. (2) The man was in the synagogue all along but suddenly shouted out. Most scholars feel that the man was not a member of the synagogue or else entered against the normal rules. Most versions are either ambiguous or unclear in English. Since it is difficult to clearly indicate the different positions, the different interpretations have not been listed in the notes. The GNT and the CEV make this explicit. For example:
Just then a man with an evil spirit came into the synagogue and screamed (GNT)
Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit
Just then, unexpectedly, a man with an evil spirit
There was a man whom an evil spirit controlled. Suddenly,
with an unclean spirit: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as with an unclean spirit indicates that an unclean spirit controlled the man’s thoughts and actions.
Languages have different ways to refer to possession by evil spirits.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
controlled by an evil spirit (GW)
had an evil spirit in him (NCV)
on whom an evil spirit had fastened
on whom an evil spirit was riding
Use an expression that is natural in your language to refer to an unclean spirit controlling a person.
unclean spirit: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as unclean spirit refers to a spirit that is unclean and can control people’s actions. The phrase unclean spirit refers to the same type of spirit as the Greek terms that are often translated as “demon” and “evil spirit.”
Here are some other ways to translate unclean spirit:
Use a general term in your language that refers to spirits that are evil and can control people. If there is one word with this meaning, you may not need a separate word like “unclean.” For example:
demon
Use a specific term in your language that refers to a certain type of spirit. This spirit should be able to do what is described in this context. Do not use a term that refers to the spirit of a dead person.
Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
an evil/bad spirit
an impure spirit (NIV11) Be sure that an expression like “unclean spirit” or “impure spirit” does not imply that the spirit is literally dirty.
See evil spirit in the Glossary for more information.
cried out in the synagogue:
entered the synagogue building. He shouted loudly at Jesus, saying,
this man entered their meeting place, and he screamed/shrieked at Jesus. He said,
cried out: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as cried out means “shouted” or “screamed.” Use a natural way in your language to describe a person shouting under the influence of an evil spirit.
In Greek it is the man who cried out. But the words that he shouted came from the evil spirit or spirits that possessed him. Use whatever subject is natural in your language to refer to a person speaking under the influence of an evil spirit.
in the synagogue: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the synagogue is more literally “their synagogue.” This phrase refers to the synagogue where the people who lived in Capernaum worshiped. It does not imply that the synagogue belonged to Jesus and his disciples. It is clear from 1:21 that Jesus had entered the synagogue in that town, so the BSB does not translate the pronoun “their.”
If your term for synagogue is a phrase such as “meeting place of the Jews,” you may need to use a form like “their.” For example:
their meeting place
See the note in 1:21b for the term synagogue. See also synagogue in the Glossary.
Note 1 topic: writing-participants
ἦν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν ἄνθρωπος ἐν πνεύματι ἀκαθάρτῳ
was in the synagogue ˱of˲_them ˓a˒_man with ˓a˒_spirit unclean
Here Mark is introducing this man as a new participant in the story. If your language has its own way of introducing new participants, you could use it here in your translation. Alternate translation: [there was a man in their synagogue. He had an unclean spirit]
Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns
τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν
the synagogue ˱of˲_them
The pronoun their refers to the Jewish people living in this region. Mark means that this is the same synagogue that Jesus was teaching in. If this is not clear for your readers, you could refer to these people more directly. Alternate translation: [that Jewish synagogue] or [that synagogue]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἄνθρωπος ἐν πνεύματι ἀκαθάρτῳ
˓a˒_man with ˓a˒_spirit unclean
Here Mark implies that an unclean spirit, or demon, was possessing or controlling this man. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [a demon-possessed man] or [a man controlled by an unclean spirit]
1:21-28 Jesus’ exorcisms reveal Jesus’ identity and his power over Satan (see study notes on Mark 1:12-13 and 3:27; see also 1:34, 39; 3:11-12, 22; 5:1-20; 6:13; 7:24-30; 9:14-29).
OET (OET-LV) And immediately a_man with an_ unclean _spirit was in the synagogue of_them, and he_cried_out
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.