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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Mark C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
Mark 4 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41
OET (OET-LV) And again he_began to_be_teaching beside the sea.
And a_ very_great _crowd is_being_gathered_together to him, so_that him having_boarded into the boat, to_be_sitting in the sea, and all the crowd were on the land to the sea.
OET (OET-RV) Again Yeshua started teaching by the edge of the lake. A huge crowd gathered around him, but he had boarded a boat that was floating in the water, and all the people were there on the land.
Jesus told a parable about a man who scattered seed in different kinds of soil. The different kinds of soil represent different kinds of people. The seeds thrown by the man represent God’s word. Different kinds of people receive God’s word in different ways.
Satan causes some people to forget God’s Word so they do not accept it. These people are represented by the soil along the path (4:4). Some people accept God’s Word but when troubles or persecution happen to them, they quickly reject God’s Word. These people are represented by the rocky soil (4:5–6). Some people accept God’s Word but worries about daily living cause them to not do anything for God. These people are represented by the soil with thorns (4:7). Some people accept God’s Word and do deeds that honor God. These people are represented by the good soil (4:8).
It is good to translate the section before you decide on a heading for it. Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The parable about four kinds of soil
The parable of the sower and the soils
The four soils parable/story/illustration
A parable of a man scattering seed
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 13:1–9 and Luke 8:4–8.
Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea,
¶ Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. (NLT)
¶ Another time Jesus went to the lake of Galilee and began to teach the people.
Once again: The phrase Once again indicates that this occasion was another time that Jesus taught by the lake. Previous occasions are mentioned in 2:13 and 3:7–12. The events in this section may have taken place later on the same day as the events in 3:7–12. Use whatever is most natural in your language to indicate that Jesus had taught by the lake before. For example:
Again (NIV)
Another time
Then once again (JBP)
Jesus began to teach: In some languages it may be more natural to supply an object for the verb teach. In other words, it may be more natural to say whom Jesus taught or what Jesus taught. For example:
Jesus began to teach the people
Jesus began to teach the good news
In some languages it may be natural to supply both whom Jesus taught and what he taught. For example:
Jesus began to teach the good news to the people
beside the sea: Jesus taught the people beside or “by” the sea. In some languages, it will be more natural to indicate that Jesus taught on the land or shore beside the lake. For example:
by the lakeshore (NLT)
by the lakeside (REB)
the sea: The phrase the sea here refers specifically to the Lake of Galilee. If people in your area refer to lakes by their names, you may want to include the name. For example, the GNT says:
Lake Galilee (GNT)
sea: Here, sea refers to a large body of water that is smaller than an ocean but wider than a river. For example, the NIV translates this word as “lake.” This body of water contains fresh water rather than salt water.
If you do not have a word for lake, here are some other ways to translate it:
body of water
wide pond/river
See how you translated this word in 1:16a.
The context implies that Jesus left the house (3:20) and went to the sea. It may be more natural in your language to include a verb of motion. For example:
Again Jesus went to the sea and began to teach.
and such a large crowd gathered around Him
A very large crowd gathered around him.
Many people crowded around Jesus.
that He got into a boat
That is the reason why he went/climbed into a boat
Therefore/So he entered a boat
In Greek, 4:1b begins with the conjunction that is usually translated “and” (as in the BSB). You should connect 4:1a and 4:1b in the way that is natural in your language.
such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat: 4:1b gives the reason for 4:1c.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
1bThe crowd that gathered around him was very large, 1cthat is the reason why he got into a boat.
1bThe crowd that gathered around him was very large, 1cso he got into a boat.
1cJesus got into a boat 1bbecause of the large crowd that gathered around him.
crowd: The word crowd refers to a large group of people.
He got into a boat: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as got is a specific verb for entering a boat.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
he entered a boat
he descended into a boat
he stepped/climbed into a boat
You should use whichever verb is appropriate in your language for entering a boat.
As in 3:9, Jesus probably got into a boat so that the crowd of people would not crush him.
boat: This boat was probably a wooden boat used for fishing. It was probably big enough for several people to sit inside.
If you do not have a word for boatin your language, some ways to translate it are:
Use a phrase that describes the function of a boat. For example:
a vehicle for crossing water
something for carrying people on top of water
Use the word for a specific kind of boat in your culture. For example:
canoe
The same word also occurs in 1:19c.
and sat in it,
and sat down in it and went out on the lake.
and sat down in it to teach. The boat was a short distance out in the lake,
sat in it: The pronoun it refers to the boat. Jesus sat in the boat upon one of the wooden boards/seats laid across it from side to side. In this context, your language may use a different word than in. For example:
sat to teach upon the boat
in it: The phrase in it indicates that the boat was in the water while Jesus was sitting in it. Jesus probably got into the boat while it was on land. Then some men pushed the boat into the water a short distance from the shore.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
in it and went out on the lake
in the boat and asked some men to move the boat out into the water
in it. The boat was out on the lake
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine 4:1c and 4:1d as follows:
he got into and sat down in a boat
while all the people crowded along the shore.
As for the whole crowd, they remained on the shore close to the water.
while all the people were standing at the edge of the lake to listen.
all the people crowded: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as all the people is literally “all the crowd.” This phrase refers to the same crowd as in 4:1b. The verb that the BSB translates as crowded is literally “was.” It is general in meaning and does not indicate whether the people stood or sat. They probably stood (see Matthew 13:2). The GNT says:
the crowd stood
The implied purpose for the people crowding along the shore was to listen to Jesus. It may be more natural in your language to include the purpose here. For example:
the crowd stood to listen
along the shore: The Greek text that the BSB translates as along the shore is literally “at the sea on the land.” These two phrases indicate that the crowd was near the shore but not in the water. For example, the NCV has:
on the shore close to the water
In some languages, one phrase may be sufficient to express the proper meaning. For example:
along the shore (NLT96)
on the shore (CEV)
Note 1 topic: writing-newevent
καὶ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί πάλιν ἤρξατο διδάσκειν παρά τήν θάλασσαν Καί συνάγεται πρός αὐτόν ὄχλος πλεῖστος ὥστε αὐτόν εἰς τό πλοῖον ἐμβάντα καθῆσθαι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καί πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος πρός τήν θάλασσαν ἐπί τῆς γῆς ἦσαν)
Here, the word And introduces the next major event in the story. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces the next event, or you could leave And untranslated. Alternate translation: [After that,] or [One day,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole
ὄχλος πλεῖστος
˓a˒_crowd very_great
Mark says the largest crowd here as an overstatement for emphasis. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different way to express the emphasis. Alternate translation: [a huge crowd] or [an enormous crowd]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
συνάγεται πρὸς αὐτὸν
˓is_being˒_gathered_together (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί πάλιν ἤρξατο διδάσκειν παρά τήν θάλασσαν Καί συνάγεται πρός αὐτόν ὄχλος πλεῖστος ὥστε αὐτόν εἰς τό πλοῖον ἐμβάντα καθῆσθαι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καί πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος πρός τήν θάλασσαν ἐπί τῆς γῆς ἦσαν)
If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [gathered to him] or [came to listen to him]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
καθῆσθαι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ
˓to_be˒_sitting in the sea
In Jesus’ culture, teachers usually sat down when they were going to teach. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [sat down on the sea to instruct them] or [sat down on the sea as a teacher does]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ
in the sea
Here Mark means that Jesus sat down in the boat, which was floating on the sea. Jesus did not sit directly on top of the water. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [in the boat as it was on the sea] or [in it]
πρὸς τὴν θάλασσαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί πάλιν ἤρξατο διδάσκειν παρά τήν θάλασσαν Καί συνάγεται πρός αὐτόν ὄχλος πλεῖστος ὥστε αὐτόν εἰς τό πλοῖον ἐμβάντα καθῆσθαι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καί πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος πρός τήν θάλασσαν ἐπί τῆς γῆς ἦσαν)
Alternate translation: [on the shore]
OET (OET-LV) And again he_began to_be_teaching beside the sea.
And a_ very_great _crowd is_being_gathered_together to him, so_that him having_boarded into the boat, to_be_sitting in the sea, and all the crowd were on the land to the sea.
OET (OET-RV) Again Yeshua started teaching by the edge of the lake. A huge crowd gathered around him, but he had boarded a boat that was floating in the water, and all the people were there on the land.
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.
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