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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 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41
OET (OET-LV) For/Because whoever is_having, it_will_be_being_given to_him, and who is_ not _having, even what he_is_having will_be_being_taken_away from him.
OET (OET-RV) Anyone who has faith will be given a reward, but if you have none, even the little you have will be taken away.”
In this section Jesus told a parable about a lamp (4:21). He told this parable in order to encourage his disciples to share the gospel and not to hide it. Then he talked about hidden things and urged his disciples to listen carefully to what he told them.
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 parables of the lamp and measuring
We must not hide the light/truth
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 5:15 (also Matthew 7:2) and Luke 8:16–18 (also Luke 11:33, 6:38, 8:18).
For whoever has will be given more.
Because he who has some things will be given more,
Another way to say this is, those who have some knowledge/understanding will receive more.
For whoever has: This clause leaves implied what this person has. Because of the close connection of this verse with 4:24, the implied meaning is probably “Whoever has understanding.”
In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit what this person has. Some ways to do this are:
Use a word that specifically indicates the connection with 4:24. For example:
Those who have understanding (NCV)
Those who understand [these mysteries] (GW)
Use a general word. For example:
Everyone who has something (CEV)
For: The Greek word that the BSB literally translates as For indicates that the proverb in 4:25 is a further explanation of the preceding proverb in 4:24. In some languages the meaning of this conjunction can be expressed as:
Another way to say this is
Some versions leave the word For implied. You will need to decide whether it is natural in your language to introduce an explanation with a special word or phrase.
will be given more: The subject for the verb phrase will be given is implied but not repeated. It may be more natural in your language to repeat the subject. For example:
he will be given more
The verb given is passive. If it is more natural in your language to make this active and say who does the giving, the implied subject is God.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
he will receive more
God will add to his understanding
But whoever does not have,
but the one who does not have anything,
but whoever has no understanding,
And those who do not use the little knowledge they have,
even what he has will be taken away from him.”
even the little bit he has will be taken from him.”
he will lose even the little understanding that he has.”
God will take even that from them.”
But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him: This is a hyperbole. It means that the person has very little. It implies that the person ignores the small amount of understanding or knowledge that he has.
It may be more natural in your language to translate the meaning without the hyperbole. For example:
whoever ignores the little he has, even what he has will be taken from him
whoever understands very little, even that will be taken from him
But: The Greek word that the BSB translates as But is often translated as “and” (as in the RSV). There is contrast between the one who had in 4:25a, and the one who does not have in 4:25b. For this reason, some versions like the BSB indicate this contrast with the conjunction But. Likewise, the NET says:
but whoever does not have
However, some translations do not translate this conjunction at all. You should connect 4:25a and 4:25b in a way that is natural in your language.
will be taken away from him: The Greek verb phrase that the BSB translates as will be taken away is passive. If it is more natural in your language to make this active and say who will take something, you should refer to the same person as in 4:24c. For example:
God will take even that from him
will lose what little they have (CEV)
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
γὰρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅς Γάρ ἔχει δοθήσεται αὐτῷ καί ὅς οὐκ ἔχει καί ὅ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ)
Here, the word For introduces a further explanation of what Jesus said in the previous verse about paying careful attention to what one hears. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces this kind of explanation, or you could leave For untranslated. Alternate translation: [Here is what I mean:] or [To put it another way,]
Note 2 topic: writing-proverbs
ὃς & ἔχει, δοθήσεται αὐτῷ; καὶ ὃς οὐκ ἔχει, καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅς Γάρ ἔχει δοθήσεται αὐτῷ καί ὅς οὐκ ἔχει καί ὅ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ)
Here, Jesus uses or invents a proverb in order to teach that people who have something usually gain more of it, while people who have very little usually lose everything. Translate this proverb in a way that will be recognized as a proverb and be meaningful in your language and culture. Alternate translation: [people who have things receive more, and people who do not have things lose what they used to have]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὃς & ἔχει, δοθήσεται αὐτῷ; καὶ ὃς οὐκ ἔχει, καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅς Γάρ ἔχει δοθήσεται αὐτῷ καί ὅς οὐκ ἔχει καί ὅ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ)
Here Jesus implies that what the person has or does not have is knowledge or understanding about the good news that Jesus proclaims. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [he who has understanding, it will be given to him, and he who does not have understanding, even what he has will be taken away from him] or [he who has knowledge about the gospel, more will be given to him, and he who does not have knowledge about the gospel, even what knowledge he has will be taken away from him]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
δοθήσεται & ἀρθήσεται
˱it˲_˓will_be_being˒_given & ˓will_be_being˒_taken_away
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. If you need to say who does the action, it is clear from the context that it is God. Alternate translation: [God will give … God will take away]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
ὃς & αὐτῷ & ὃς οὐκ ἔχει & ἔχει & αὐτοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅς Γάρ ἔχει δοθήσεται αὐτῷ καί ὅς οὐκ ἔχει καί ὅ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ)
Although the terms he and him are masculine in this verse, Jesus is using the words in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use phrases that make this clear. Alternate translation: [the person who … to that person … the person who does not have … that person … him or her]
Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
καὶ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅς Γάρ ἔχει δοθήσεται αὐτῷ καί ὅς οὐκ ἔχει καί ὅ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ)
Here, the word and introduces a person who does not have in contrast to the person who has. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces this kind of contrast. Alternate translation: [but]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole
ὃς οὐκ ἔχει
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅς Γάρ ἔχει δοθήσεται αὐτῷ καί ὅς οὐκ ἔχει καί ὅ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ)
Jesus says he who does not have here as a generalization for emphasis. It is clear in the second half of the sentence that the person did have something. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different way to express the emphasis. Alternate translation: [he who has almost nothing] or [he who does not have much]
OET (OET-LV) For/Because whoever is_having, it_will_be_being_given to_him, and who is_ not _having, even what he_is_having will_be_being_taken_away from him.
OET (OET-RV) Anyone who has faith will be given a reward, but if you have none, even the little you have will be taken away.”
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.