MARK 8:36 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. τί
2. tis
3. what
4. -
5. 51010
6. R····ANS
7. what
8. what
9. -
10. Y32
11. 29130
1. Γάρ
2. gar
3. For/Because
4. Because
5. 10630
6. C·······
7. for
8. for
9. S
10. Y32
11. 29131
1. ὠφελήσει
2. ōfeleō
3. -
4. -
5. 56230
6. VIFA3··S
7. ˱it˲ ˓will_be˒ benefiting
8. ˱it˲ ˓will_be˒ benefiting
9. -
10. -
11. 29132
1. ὠφελεῖ
2. ōfeleō
3. is it benefiting
4. it benefit
5. 56230
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˱it˲ ˓is˒ benefiting
8. ˱it˲ ˓is˒ benefiting
9. -
10. Y32
11. 29133
1. τόν
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. -
11. 29134
1. ἄνθρωπον
2. anthrōpos
3. +a person
4. person
5. 4440
6. N····AMS
7. ˓a˒ person
8. ˓a˒ person
9. -
10. Y32; F29139; F29146; F29150
11. 29135
1. ἄνθρωπος
2. anthrōpos
3. -
4. -
5. 4440
6. N····NMS
7. person
8. person
9. -
10. -
11. 29136
1. ἐάν
2. ean
3. -
4. -
5. 14370
6. C·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. -
11. 29137
1. κερδήσῃ
2. kerdainō
3. he may gain
4. -
5. 27700
6. VSAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓may˒ gain
8. ˱he˲ ˓may˒ gain
9. -
10. Y32
11. 29138
1. κερδῆσαι
2. kerdainō
3. -
4. -
5. 27700
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ gain
8. ˓to˒ gain
9. -
10. R29135
11. 29139
1. τόν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y32
11. 29140
1. κόσμον
2. kosmos
3. world
4. world
5. 28890
6. N····AMS
7. world
8. world
9. -
10. Y32
11. 29141
1. ὅλον
2. holos
3. whole
4. -
5. 36500
6. E····AMS
7. whole
8. whole
9. -
10. Y32
11. 29142
1. κερδήσῃ
2. kerdainō
3. -
4. -
5. 27700
6. VSAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓may˒ gain
8. ˱he˲ ˓may˒ gain
9. -
10. -
11. 29143
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. but
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y32
11. 29144
1. ζημιωθῇ
2. zēmioō
3. -
4. -
5. 22100
6. VSAP3··S
7. ˓may_be˒ losing
8. ˓may_be˒ losing
9. -
10. -
11. 29145
1. ζημιωθῆναι
2. zēmioō
3. to be lost
4. -
5. 22100
6. VNAP····
7. ˓to_be˒ lost
8. ˓to_be˒ lost
9. -
10. Y32; R29135
11. 29146
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y32
11. 29147
1. ἑαυτοῦ
2. heautou
3. -
4. -
5. 14380
6. R···3GMS
7. himself
8. himself
9. -
10. -
11. 29148
1. ψυχήν
2. psuχē
3. soul
4. soul
5. 55900
6. N····AFS
7. soul
8. soul
9. -
10. Y32
11. 29149
1. αὐτοῦ
2. autos
3. of him
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y32; R29135
11. 29150

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 8:34–9:1: Jesus spoke about what a person must do to be his disciple

In the preceding section Jesus was speaking to his disciples. In this section Jesus called the crowd of people who were there to come and listen to him also. So in these verses Jesus was speaking to the crowd, as well as to his disciples. This meant that most of the people to whom Jesus spoke were not his followers. Many of them may have been part of the people whom Jesus described in 8:38b as “this adulterous and sinful generation.”

The requirements for being/becoming a disciple are given in 8:34.The phrases in 8:34b–d are arranged in the form of a chiasm: (A) wants to come after Me, (B) must deny himself, (B') take up his cross, (A') follow Me.The expressions in (A) and (A') both refer to following Jesus as a disciple, but they are not redundant. Actually obeying Jesus and following him as a disciple (A') involves more than simply wanting to become his disciple (A). Similarly, (B) and (B') both involve denying oneself, but picking up and carrying one’s cross (B') is a specific and extreme example of self-denial. The next verses (8:35–38) each explain why a person who wants to follow Christ must obey the commands given in 8:34. Each reason involves a choice between the present and the future. A person who chooses to avoid death and shame in the present life will be shamed in the future at the final judgment. He will forfeit true life with God. By contrast, a person who chooses to follow Christ may lose his present life but he will gain true life with God.

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

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus told people how to be his true disciples

What It Means to Follow Jesus (GW)

Following Jesus (NET)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 16:24–28 and Luke 9:23–27. See also Luke 14:27, 17:33; John 12:25.

8:36a

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world,

For do you gain anything if you own everything in the entire world
After all, it does a person no good to get everything in this world

8:36b

yet forfeit his soul?

but lose your opportunity to have true life with God? Of course not!
if he does not have/gain life that is forever.

8:36a–b

In Greek, this verse begins with the same conjunction that the BSB translates as “For” in 8:35a. See the note there. Also see the note on Paragraph 8:34–9:1. Here in 8:36a, the conjunction introduces another reason why a person should deny himself and be ready to die as a disciple. The reason is that it is useless for a person to gain everything in this world and then forfeit eternal life with God.

Some English versions indicate this connection by using the word “For” (as in the RSV).

Here is another way to indicate this connection:

Here is another reason

Connect this verse to 8:35 in a natural way in your language. In some languages a connector may not be needed.

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus asked this question to emphasize something that everyone should know to be true: It is worth nothing for someone to gain the whole world if they forfeit their true life with God. There are at least two ways to translate this:

As a rhetorical question. For example, the REB says:
What does anyone gain by winning the whole world at the cost of his life?
As a statement. For example, the NCV says:
It is worth nothing for them to have the whole world if they lose their souls.

Use whichever form is most natural in your language to emphasize the recognized fact that Jesus was teaching here.

What does it profit: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as does it profit means “benefit, help, be of use to.” The expected answer to the question is “there will be no profit.”

to gain the whole world: The phrase to gain the whole world literally means to own the world and everything in it. This is a hyperbole. It refers to being very successful in earning money and obtaining material goods.

Here are some other ways to translate gain the whole world:

win the whole world (GNT)

own the whole world (CEV)

This figure of speech emphasizes that even the whole world is worthless compared to the worth of a person’s soul. If a literal translation gives a wrong meaning in your language, you may need to express the emphasis in another way. For example:

obtain immense riches

be the wealthiest person in the world

forfeit his soul: In this context the Greek phrase that the BSB translates as forfeit his soul means to fail to obtain eternal life with God.

soul: The Greek word that the BSB translates as soul refers to the same thing as the word “it” in 8:35a and 8:35b. The word soul refers here to eternal life or true life with God.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γὰρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον κερδήσῃ τόν κόσμον ὅλον καί ζημιωθῆναι τήν ψυχήν αὐτοῦ)

Here, the word For introduces another basis for what Jesus said in [8:34](../08/34.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a reason or basis for a claim, or you could leave For untranslated. Alternate translation: [Another reason I say that is because] or [Even further,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί & ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον, κερδήσῃ τὸν κόσμον ὅλον καὶ ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ?

what & ˱it˲_˓is˒_benefiting ˓a˒_person ˱he˲_˓may˒_gain (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον κερδήσῃ τόν κόσμον ὅλον καί ζημιωθῆναι τήν ψυχήν αὐτοῦ)

Jesus is using the question form to teach his disciples. 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: [a man benefits nothing if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life.] or [a man never benefits anything if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life!]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

τί & ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον, κερδήσῃ τὸν κόσμον ὅλον καὶ ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ

Here Jesus uses an imaginary situation to show that forfeiting one’s life is bad enough that gaining anything else cannot make up for it. Use a natural method in your language for introducing an imaginary situation. Alternate translation: [image a man who gained the whole world but forfeited his life. What does that man benefit]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἄνθρωπον & αὐτοῦ

˓a˒_person & ˱of˲_him

Although the terms man and his are masculine, 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: [a person … his or her]

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

καὶ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον κερδήσῃ τόν κόσμον ὅλον καί ζημιωθῆναι τήν ψυχήν αὐτοῦ)

Here, the word and introduces something bad that happens in contrast to gaining the whole world. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces this kind of contrast. Alternate translation: [but]

τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον κερδήσῃ τόν κόσμον ὅλον καί ζημιωθῆναι τήν ψυχήν αὐτοῦ)

Alternate translation: [his soul]

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 8:36

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

Section 8:34–9:1: Jesus spoke about what a person must do to be his disciple

8:36a

8:36b

8:36a–b

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