UTN uW Translation Notes:

Mark 10 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

5. Jesus instructs his disciples and journeys toward Jerusalem (8:22–10:52) * Jesus teaches about marriage and divorce (10:1–12) * Jesus blesses little children (10:13–16) * Jesus talks with a rich man (10:17–22) * Jesus teaches about wealth, possessions, and the kingdom (10:23–31) * Jesus predicts his death and resurrection (10:32–34) * Jesus and the disciples speak about who will be great (10:35–45) * Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus (10:46–52)Some translations set quotations farther to the right than the rest of the text to make them easier to read. The ULT does this with the quotations in 10:6–8, which are from Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24.

Special Concepts in this Chapter

Divorce

In 10:2, the Pharisees test Jesus by asking him about an issue that was controversial among Jewish religious leaders: divorce. More specifically, the religious leaders argued about whether men could divorce their wives and about what were valid grounds for divorce. So, they ask Jesus about this. When Jesus asks what Moses wrote in the Law, the Pharisees refer to Deuteronomy 24:1–4, which assumes that men do divorce their wives. Jesus responds that this section of the Law exists only because the Israelites were stubborn. He means that God knew that the Israelite men would sometimes divorce their wives, so he included a law about how to do it. Then Jesus argues that divorce is never what God wants, and he quotes from Genesis 1 and 2 to prove this. He further says that any divorced person who marries again is involved in adultery. Make sure that it is clear that both Jesus and the Pharisees are making arguments based on the Scriptures.

Rich people and the kingdom of God

In Jesus’ culture, many people thought that rich people had been specifically blessed by God. When Jesus said that it was extremely difficult for rich people to enter God’s kingdom (see 10:23–25), the disciples were shocked. They thought that if it was hard for rich people to enter the kingdom, it would be impossible for everyone else. That is why they ask the question, “And who is able to be saved?” (10:26). If your readers might not understand why the disciples respond in this way, you may need to include a footnote that explains some of this information.

Sitting at Jesus’ right and left hand

In 10:37 and 10:40, Jesus and James and John refer to sitting at Jesus’ right hand and at his left hand. They are referring to the places of honor at the right and left side of a king or ruler. The people who sit in these places have authority and are respected the most after the king or ruler. Make sure that this meaning is clear in your translation. See the notes on these two verses for translation options.

Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter

Drinking the cup

In 10:38–39, Jesus refers to a “cup” from which he is going to drink. He is using a figure of speech from the Old Testament that refers to experiencing suffering and pain (for example, see Psalm 75:8 and Isaiah 51:17). He means that he will experience suffering, and his disciples must be ready to experience it as well. Since this figure of speech is from the Old Testament, if possible you should preserve it or express the idea in simile form. (See: figs-metaphor)

Being baptized with a baptism

In 10:38–39, Jesus refers to a “baptism” with which he and his disciples will be “baptized.” He means that, just as people who are baptized are covered with water, he and his disciples will be overwhelmed by suffering and difficult circumstances. Since baptism is an important concept in the Bible, if possible you should preserve the figure of speech or express the idea in simile form. (See: figs-metaphor)

Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

Singular and plural forms of “you”

Most of the forms of “you” in this chapter appear in conversations, and many of the conversations are with one person. Because of this, the majority of the forms of “you” in this chapter are singular. So, you should assume forms of “you” are singular unless a note specifies that the form is plural. (See: figs-yousingular)

The historic present

To call attention to a development in the story, Mark uses the present tense in past narration. In this chapter, the historic present occurs in verses 2, 5, 19, and 35. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you could use the past tense in your translation. (See: translate-tense)