MARK 10:17 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) One time when Yeshua was starting out on a trip, a man caught up to him and kneeling down in front of him asked, “Good teacher, what do I have to do to inherit eternal life?”

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, magenta:vocative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And he going out on the way, one, having run up to him and having knelt before him, was asking him, “Good Teacher, what should I do in order that I might inherit eternal life?”

UST One day, Jesus was walking along with his disciples. A certain person ran to where he was and bowed down before him. He said, “Instructor, you are a good person! What is something that I can do so that I will live with God forever?”

BSB As [Jesus] started on His way, [a man] ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

MSB As [Jesus] started on His way, [a man][fn] ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

BLB And going forth on His journey, one having run up and having knelt down to Him, was asking Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I might inherit eternal life?"

AICNT As he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

OEB As Jesus was resuming his journey, a man came running up to him, and threw himself on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to gain eternal life?’

WEBBE As he was going out into the way, one ran to him, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

WMBB As he was going out into the way, one ran to him, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Rabbi, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

NET Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

LSV And as He is going forth into the way, one having run and having kneeled to Him, was questioning Him, “Good Teacher, what may I do that I may inherit continuous life?”

FBV As Jesus set out on his journey,[fn] a man came running over and kneeled down before Jesus. “Good teacher, what should I do to make sure I have eternal life?” he asked.

10:17 To Jerusalem, see 11:1.

TCNT As he was setting out on the road, [fn]a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

10:17 a man ¦ someone PCK

T4T As Jesus was starting to travel again with his disciples, a young man ran up to him. He knelt before Jesus and then he asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to have eternal life/in order to live with God eternally?”

LEB ¶ And as[fn] he was setting out on his way, one individual ran up and knelt down before him and[fn] asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do so that I will inherit eternal life?”

10:17 *Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was setting out”)

10:17 *Here “and” is supplied because the two previous participles (“ran up” and “knelt down before”) have been translated as finite verbs

BBE And while he was going out into the way, a man came running to him, and went down on his knees, saying, Good Master, what have I to do so that I may have eternal life?

Moff As he went out on the road a man ran up and knelt down before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit life eternal?"

Wymth As He went out to resume His journey, there came a man running up to Him, who knelt at His feet and asked, "Good Rabbi, what am I to do in order to inherit the Life of the Ages?"

ASV And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

DRA And when he was gone forth into the way, a certain man running up and kneeling before him, asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may receive life everlasting?

YLT And as he is going forth into the way, one having run and having kneeled to him, was questioning him, 'Good teacher, what may I do, that life age-during I may inherit?'

Drby And as he went forth into the way, a person ran up to [him], and kneeling to him asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

RV And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
(And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and knelt to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? )

SLT And he going in the way, one running and having fallen upon his knees, asked him, Good teacher, What shall I do that I might inherit eternal life.

Wbstr And when he had gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

KJB-1769 ¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
(¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and knelt to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? )

KJB-1611 ¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good master, what shall I doe that I may inherit eternall life?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Bshps And when he was gone foorth into the way, there came one runnyng, and kneeled to hym, and asked hym: good Maister, what shall I do, that I may inherite eternall lyfe?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Gnva And when hee was gone out on the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I doe, that I may possesse eternall life?
(And when he was gone out on the way, there came one running, and knelt to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do, that I may possess eternal life? )

Cvdl And whan he was gone forth vpon the waye, there came one runninge, and kneled vnto him, & axed him: Good Master, what shal I do, that I maye inheret euerlastinge life?
(And when he was gone forth upon the way, there came one runninge, and knelt unto him, and asked him: Good Master, what shall I do, that I may inherit everlasting life?)

TNT And when he was come in to the waye ther came one runninge and kneled to him and axed him: good master what shall I do that I maye enheret eternall lyfe?
(And when he was come in to the way there came one runninge and knelt to him and asked him: good master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? )

Wycl And whanne Jhesus was gon out in the weie, a man ranne bifore, and knelide bifor hym, and preiede hym, and seide, Good maister, what schal Y do, that Y resseyue euerlastynge lijf?
(And when Yhesus was going out in the way, a man ran before, and knelt before him, and prayed him, and said, Good master, what shall I do, that I receive everlasting life?)

Luth Und da er hinausgegangen war auf den Weg, lief einer vorne vor, kniete vor ihn und fragte ihn: Guter Meister, was soll ich tun, daß ich das ewige Leben ererbe?
(And there he went_out what/which on/in/to the way/path/road, ran one/a in_front before/in_front_of, knelt before/in_front_of him/it and asked him/it: Good master, what/which should I do/put, that I the eternal life inherit?)

ClVg Et cum egressus esset in viam, procurrens quidam genu flexo ante eum, rogabat eum: Magister bone, quid faciam ut vitam æternam percipiam?[fn]
(And when/with going_out was in/into/on way/road, procurrens some knee bend before him, he_asked him: Teacher/Master bone, what I_will_do as life eternal percipiam? )

10.17 Procurrens quidam genu. BEDA. Audierat, credo, iste a Domino tantum eos qui volunt parvulis esse similes introitu regni cœlestis esse dignos, et ideo certior esse desiderat, non per parabolas, sed aperte: quibus operum meritis vitam æternam consequi possit.

10.17 Procurrens some knee. BEDA. Listenerat, credo, this from Master only them who/which they_want little_ones to_be similar entrance of_the_kingdom heavenly to_be worthy, and therefore/for_that_reason certior to_be desires, not/no through parables, but openly: to_whom works merits life eternal to_achieve can.

UGNT καὶ ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ εἰς ὁδὸν, προσδραμὼν εἷς καὶ γονυπετήσας αὐτὸν, ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν, Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσω ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω?
(kai ekporeuomenou autou eis hodon, prosdramōn heis kai gonupetaʸsas auton, epaʸrōta auton, Didaskale agathe, ti poiaʸsō hina zōaʸn aiōnion klaʸronomaʸsō?)

SBL-GNT Καὶ ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ εἰς ὁδὸν προσδραμὼν εἷς καὶ γονυπετήσας αὐτὸν ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν· Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσω ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω;
(Kai ekporeuomenou autou eis hodon prosdramōn heis kai gonupetaʸsas auton epaʸrōta auton; Didaskale agathe, ti poiaʸsō hina zōaʸn aiōnion klaʸronomaʸsō;)

RP-GNT Καὶ ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ εἰς ὁδόν, προσδραμὼν εἷς καὶ γονυπετήσας αὐτὸν ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν, Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσω ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω;
(Kai ekporeuomenou autou eis hodon, prosdramōn heis kai gonupetaʸsas auton epaʸrōta auton, Didaskale agathe, ti poiaʸsō hina zōaʸn aiōnion klaʸronomaʸsō;)

TC-GNT Καὶ ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ εἰς ὁδόν, προσδραμὼν [fn]εἷς καὶ γονυπετήσας αὐτὸν ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν, Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσω ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω;
(Kai ekporeuomenou autou eis hodon, prosdramōn heis kai gonupetaʸsas auton epaʸrōta auton, Didaskale agathe, ti poiaʸsō hina zōaʸn aiōnion klaʸronomaʸsō; )

10:17 εις ¦ τις PCK

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Encounters with Jesus

Jesus’ dramatic miracles and intriguing parables can overshadow his transformative encounters with individuals. In these encounters Jesus deals with people where they are and as they are. He invites people of all backgrounds, personalities, and commitments to embrace him as master and friend, to become his followers and ambassadors of his eternal Kingdom. But Jesus’ invitation to follow always comes with a choice, because the power and wealth of this world is often too heavy and distracting to carry into Kingdom service. To follow Jesus, those who encounter him usually have to abandon something and leave it behind. Those who cannot give up what this world offers are often forced to turn away from Jesus. The same choice faces all who encounter Jesus in the Gospels and hear his invitation to follow.

Andrew was a fisherman in Galilee, but he longed for the Messiah and his Kingdom. He followed John the Baptist until John pointed to Jesus. Then Andrew not only followed Jesus, but called others, including Peter, to come too. See John 1:29-42

Simeon and Anna had long waited to see the promised Messiah. When they saw the infant Jesus, they recognized him as the Messiah, blessed him, and praised God for his coming and the hope he brought. See Luke 2:25-38

Nathanael responded skeptically when he was first invited to meet Jesus, but when Jesus demonstrated that he already knew him, Nathanael’s response dramatically changed, and he followed Jesus without hesitation. See John 1:43-51

A rich man came to Jesus and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life. This man demonstrated humility and was careful to obey all God’s laws. Jesus loved this man but told him that he still needed to sell all his possessions, give to the poor, and follow him. The man was unwilling to abandon his wealth and in sadness walked away from Jesus. See Mark 10:17-22

Matthew had turned from his Jewish heritage, become a traitor to his people by collecting Roman taxes, and chosen a lifestyle of wealthy indulgence. When Jesus called him, Matthew left his old life and followed. Before joining Jesus in his travels, Matthew invited his friends to meet Jesus. See Matthew 9:9-13

Thomas doubted the other disciples’ claim that Jesus had come back to life. When Jesus finally appeared to Thomas, he singled Thomas out and asked him to touch his wounded, resurrected body. Thomas immediately bowed before Jesus and confessed what he believed—that Jesus was his Lord and God. See John 20:19-29

Martha was working hard to prepare a meal for Jesus in her home and became upset that her sister Mary was sitting and learning at Jesus’ feet. Jesus gently encouraged Martha not to be angry and pointed out that Mary had chosen best by stopping to listen. On a later occasion, Jesus confronted Martha to affirm faith in him for eternal life. See Luke 10:38-42; John 11:17-27

A Roman officer asked Jesus to save his dying slave but excused Jesus from coming to his unclean Gentile home, because he believed Jesus could heal his slave from where he stood. Jesus honored this Roman’s faith by doing just that. Jesus also affirmed that many Gentiles would be welcomed by faith into the Kingdom of Heaven. See Matthew 8:5-13

A woman caught in adultery was brought by Jewish leaders to Jesus for judgment. Stoning was the expected punishment, but Jesus, writing in the dust, asked any accuser without sin to throw the first stone. When they all walked away, Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more. See John 8:1-11

Nicodemus, a leading Pharisee, was cautious about being seen with Jesus, so he came to him at night. Jesus engaged Nicodemus and challenged his assumptions about spiritual truth. Nicodemus later defended Jesus in the Council. After the crucifixion, he helped to bury Jesus, revealing his commitment. See John 3:1-21; 7:50-52; 19:38-42

James and John believed God’s Kingdom was at hand, and they requested places of honor, angering the other disciples. Jesus gently explained that true leadership is demonstrated through service, not wealth or power. The disciples would all learn this through hard experience. See Mark 10:35-45; John 13:1-17

The people of Nazareth had known Jesus as Joseph’s son and couldn’t believe he could be the Messiah. Their doubt greatly limited Jesus’ miracles among them, and their anger at his claims forced him to leave. See Luke 4:14-30

The religious leaders knew and obeyed external laws down to fine detail but failed to show love in more important ways. Over and over again, Jesus confronted them for this, but most of these leaders rejected Jesus’ criticism and looked for ways to destroy him. See Luke 11:37-54; cp. Acts 6:8–8:1; 9:1-31

Zacchaeus collected taxes for Rome, becoming wealthy at his people’s expense. He was curious about Jesus and climbed a tree to see him over the crowd. Jesus singled him out, went to his house, and called Zacchaeus to a new life. Zacchaeus repented of his ways and paid back everyone he had wronged. See Luke 19:1-10

Two followers of Jesus were returning home to Emmaus after Jesus’ death. Along the way, the resurrected Jesus joined them and explained from Scripture why he had died. They didn’t recognize Jesus until he broke bread with them, after which Jesus disappeared. The two joyfully went to tell the disciples that Jesus was alive. See Luke 24:13-35

A Samaritan woman of ill-repute went to Jacob’s well to draw water and found Jesus there. Jesus offered her living water and a new life. She was surprised but responded in faith and called others to meet the Messiah they longed for. See John 4:1-42

Pilate was pressured by the Jewish leaders to execute Jesus. He believed Jesus was innocent and sought to free him. Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” but did not realize that Jesus himself was the Truth. In the end, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified to keep the peace. See John 18:28–19:16

Simon Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus. After his resurrection, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. Each time, Peter reaffirmed his love, and Jesus told him to feed his sheep. Thus, Jesus restored Peter. See John 21:1-23; see also Matt 16:15-19

Passages for Further Study

Matthew 8:5-13; 9:9-13; 16:15-19; Mark 10:17-22, 35-45; Luke 2:25-38; 4:14-30; 10:38-42; 11:37-54; 19:1-10; 24:13-35; John 1:29-42, 43-51; 3:1-21; 4:1-42; 7:50-52; 8:1-11; 11:17-27; 13:1-17; 18:28–19:16; 19:38-42; 20:19-29; 21:1-23

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 10:17–31: Jesus taught about entering the kingdom of God

A young man asked Jesus how he could obtain eternal life. Jesus gave an answer that was well known to Jews. He told the man to obey God’s commands. The man said that he had been obeying God’s commands since he was a child.

Jesus then told the young man that he still needed to do one thing (10:21). He needed to give away his riches and follow Jesus. But the young man did not follow Jesus’ advice. The man was rich (10:22). He valued his riches too highly to give them up to follow Jesus.

Jesus used the young man as an example to explain that it is hard for rich people to devote themselves to God and his kingdom (10:23–25). He said that unless God makes it possible, neither a rich person nor anyone else is able to enter heaven (10:27).

Jesus promised that those who had left their possessions and family behind to serve him would receive great rewards (10:29–31).

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 taught that riches make it difficult to obtain eternal life

A Rich Young Man’s Question (NCV)

The rich young man (NJB)

Riches hinder rather than help in seeking to enter the kingdom of God

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 19:16–30 and Luke 18:18–30.

10:17a

As Jesus started on His way,

¶ As Jesus started to leave, (NCV)
¶ After that, Jesus and his disciples were beginning a journey when

The events in the story in 10:17–31 happened sometime after the events in 10:13–16. The Greek text does not indicate how much time passed between these two stories. In some languages, it is natural to begin a story with a time word or phrase. If this is true in your language, use an expression here that is not too specific. For example:

Then

After that

In other languages, a time word or phrase is not necessary. Introduce this story in a natural way in your language.

As Jesus started on His way: The expression As Jesus started on His way indicates that Jesus began a journey. Soon after he started, the events in 10:17b occurred.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

As Jesus started to leave (NCV)

He was beginning a journey when

Jesus: Here the Greek text is literally the pronoun “he” (as in the RSV). The pronoun “he” refers to Jesus. Since this is the beginning of a new section, it may be natural in your language to use the name Jesus here.

It is clear from 10:23 that Jesus’ disciples were with him. In some languages it may be clearer to make this information explicit here at the beginning of the story. For example:

Jesus and his disciples

10:17b

a man ran up and knelt before Him.

there was a man who ran to him. He knelt before him
a man ran to him and knelt before him to show respect.

a man: The Greek word that the BSB translates as a man is literally “one.” It refers to a man who is mentioned here for the first time in this story. Introduce him in a natural way in your language.

ran up: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as ran up is literally “ran.” It indicates that the man ran to Jesus. The BSB has supplied the word up to make the clause sound more natural in English.

knelt before Him: The expression knelt before Him means to kneel or bow down in front of someone to show respect. It often indicates also that a person wanted to make an earnest request.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

knelt before him to show humility

bowed low before him

A similar expression occurs in 5:22b and 5:33b.

10:17c

“Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

and asked, “Good/Righteous teacher, what shall I do to receive eternal life?”
The man asked, “Sir/Teacher, you are a good/upright person. What deed should I do so that God will give me eternal life?”

Good Teacher: The phrase Good Teacher means “teacher who is morally good, upright, or holy.” It does not refer to a teacher who teaches well.

In some languages it may not be natural to use a description like “good” as part of a person’s title when you are addressing that person. If that is true in your language, you may want to put the word “good” in a different phrase. For example:

Sir teacher, you are a good person.

Teacher: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. In some languages the appropriate way to address a religious teacher may be:

Sir Teacher

Sir

Master

Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a school teacher. See how you translated this word in 4:38c or 9:17b.

he asked: The BSB places the words he asked in the middle of the man’s words. In Greek, he asked occurs before the man’s words. Put the words he asked in a place that is natural in your language.

what must I do to inherit eternal life?: This is a real question. The man was asking what religious duty or deed he should perform in order to receive eternal life.

Here are some other ways to translate this question:

…what can I do to have eternal life? (CEV)

…what deed should I do so that I may live eternally?

to inherit: In this context, the Greek word that the BSB translates as inherit means “acquire, obtain.” The man wanted to know what deed would cause God to give him eternal life in heaven.

Here i another way to translate this:

so that I may receive

In some languages, it may be necessary to say from whom the man expected to obtain eternal life. If that is true in your language, you may need to supply the information that it is God who gives that life. For example:

so that God will give me eternal life

eternal life: The word eternal refers to something that does not end. The phrase eternal life refers to life in heaven with God.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

unending life

life that never ends

In some languages, a literal translation of eternal life would wrongly mean that the man hoped to live forever without dying. If that is true in your language, it may be necessary to supply some implied information. For example:

unending life in heaven

to live forever with God after I die

In some languages, it may be best to translate life as a verb. For example:

to live eternally/forever

so that God will cause me to live forever in heaven

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-newevent

καὶ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ εἰς ὁδόν προσδραμών εἱς καί γονυπετήσας αὐτόν ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν Διδάσκαλε Ἀγαθέ τί ποιήσω ἵνα ζωήν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω)

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: [Sometime later,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

αὐτοῦ

˱of˲_him

Mark is referring to Jesus to represent both Jesus and his disciples, who traveled with Jesus. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [he, along with his disciples,]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / go

ἐκπορευομένου

going_out

In a context such as this, your language might say “coming” instead of going. Alternate translation: [coming out]

Note 4 topic: writing-participants

προσδραμὼν εἷς καὶ γονυπετήσας αὐτὸν, ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν

Here Mark introduces a man as a new participant in the story. If your language has its own way of introducing new participants, you could use it here in your translation. Alternate translation: [a man ran up to him. He knelt before him and was asking him]

Note 5 topic: translate-symaction

γονυπετήσας αὐτὸν

˓having˒_knelt (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ εἰς ὁδόν προσδραμών εἱς καί γονυπετήσας αὐτόν ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν Διδάσκαλε Ἀγαθέ τί ποιήσω ἵνα ζωήν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω)

In this man’s culture, kneeling down before a person was a way to honor a greater person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could refer to a similar action from your culture, or you could explain what kneeling down means. Alternate translation: [having prostrated himself before him] or [having bowed down to him in respect]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω

Here the man speaks as if he were a child who would receive property from a relative. He speaks in this way to indicate that he wants to receive eternal life. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [I might receive eternal life] or [I might be given eternal life]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of life, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [I might be able to live eternally]

Parallel MARK 10:17

Section 10:17–31: Jesus taught about entering the kingdom of God

10:17a

10:17b

10:17c