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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 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41
OET (OET-LV) And he_was_saying:
How may_we_liken the kingdom of_ the _god, or with what parable may_we_present it?
OET (OET-RV) Again he said, “What could we liken God’s kingdom to? Or what parable could we explain it with?
This parable compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed. The parable illustrates how God’s kingdom will grow from a very small beginning to a very large size.
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 parable about a mustard seed
Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a tiny seed that grows into a big shrub/bush
The mustard seed parable/story/illustration
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 13:31–34 and Luke 13:18–19.
Then He asked,
¶ He also said,
¶ Then Jesus said/asked,
Then He asked: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Then He asked is the same phrase as in 4:26a that the BSB translated as Jesus also said. As there, this phrase indicates that Jesus was beginning a new topic.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
He continued, saying
He also said
Then Jesus said (NCV)
Because Jesus asked a rhetorical question, it is also possible to translate this as the NLT96 has done:
Jesus asked
“To what can we compare the kingdom of God?
“Is there something we(incl) can compare the kingdom of God to?
“Here’s what we(incl) can compare God’s rule over his people to.
With what parable shall we present it?
Or is there a parable to describe it? Here is something to compare it to:
Here is a story we(incl) can use to illustrate what it is like.
To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?: These two questions are similar in meaning. The first question To what can we compare the kingdom of God? is asking about a comparison in a general way. The second question With what parable shall we present it? is asking specifically about a parable for comparison. Another way to translate these questions is:
What shall we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable shall we use to describe it?
These are rhetorical questions. Jesus used them to introduce his teaching about the kingdom of God. They caused the listener to start thinking about what the kingdom of God is like. Jesus himself answered the rhetorical questions in 4:31–32. Translate these questions in a way which shows that Jesus was introducing a teaching about the kingdom of God. Some ways to translate this are:
As a rhetorical question or questions. For example:
Is there something we(incl) can compare the kingdom of God to, or a parable to describe it? Here is something to compare it to:
Shall we(incl) find something to compare the kingdom of God to? Shall we find a parable to describe it? How about this comparison?
As a statement. For example:
There is something we(incl) can compare the kingdom of God to; we can use this parable to describe it.
Here’s what we(incl) can compare the kingdom of God to. Let me tell you(plur) this parable.
As a rhetorical question followed by a statement. For example:
To what shall we compare the kingdom of God? Here is a parable we can use to describe it.
Use whichever form is most natural in your language to introduce a new teaching.
parable: Here Jesus used the word parable to describe the illustration about the mustard seed in 4:31–32. Use a word in your language that describes this illustration. See the notes on 4:2a and 4:10b.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔλεγεν Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τήν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἤ ἐν τίνι αὐτήν παραβολῇ θῶμεν)
Jesus is using the question form to introduce what he is about to teach. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [We will now compare the kingdom of God to something. We will put it in a parable.]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive
πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔλεγεν Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τήν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἤ ἐν τίνι αὐτήν παραβολῇ θῶμεν)
By we, Jesus means himself and his audience, so use the inclusive form of that word in your translation if your language marks that distinction. Jesus uses this form because he wants his audience to be involved in thinking about how parables can help explain the kingdom of God. Alternate translation: [What would be a good comparison for us to use for the kingdom of God, or what parable could we use for it]
Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
ἢ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔλεγεν Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τήν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἤ ἐν τίνι αὐτήν παραβολῇ θῶμεν)
Here, the word or introduces another similar question. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a related question, or you could leave or untranslated. Alternate translation: [and] or [or again,]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν
with what (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔλεγεν Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τήν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἤ ἐν τίνι αὐτήν παραβολῇ θῶμεν)
Here Jesus speaks as if the kingdom of God were an object that he could put in a parable, which he speaks about as if it were a container. He means that he can explain the kingdom of God by using a parable. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [with what parable will we describe it] or [what parable can we use to explain it]
4:1-34 In this section Mark collects a number of Jesus’ teaching parables.
OET (OET-LV) And he_was_saying:
How may_we_liken the kingdom of_ the _god, or with what parable may_we_present it?
OET (OET-RV) Again he said, “What could we liken God’s kingdom to? Or what parable could we explain it with?
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.