UTN uW Translation Notes:

Mark 14 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

7. Jesus’ last days and death (14:1–15:47) * The chief priests and scribes plan to kill Jesus (14:1–2) * A woman anoints Jesus (14:3–9) * Judas agrees to hand Jesus over (14:10–11) * Jesus’ last meal with his disciples (14:12–25) * Jesus predicts that his disciples will deny him (14:26–31) * Jesus prays in Gethsemane (14:32–42) * Judas hands Jesus over, and the disciples flee (26:43–52) * Jesus’ trial before the Jewish council (14:53–65) * Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66–72)Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 14:27, which is a quote from Zechariah 13:7.

Special Concepts in this Chapter

Perfumed oil

In 14:3–9, a woman anoints Jesus with perfumed oil. The kind that the woman uses was very expensive. People would use these oils to make themselves look and smell good. Also, they used oils to anoint corpses before they buried them, possibly to keep them from smelling. In this story, the woman uses the oil to honor Jesus, and Jesus also interprets it as a preparation for his burial. Make sure that your readers understand what anointing with this kind of oil means. (See: oil)

Denying Jesus

Throughout this chapter, Jesus and his disciples speak about “denying” Jesus. If a disciple denies Jesus, the disciple claims to have no connection with Jesus, neither knowing nor following him. Consider how you might naturally express this idea in your language.

Jesus’ trial before the Jewish council

In 14:53–65, Mark narrates Jesus’ trial before the Jewish council. Since Jerusalem was governed by the Roman empire, the Roman governor, Pilate, was the only one who could actually have someone executed. So, the Jewish council needed to find evidence against Jesus that proved that he did something for which the Roman governor would execute him. This trial, then, was a preliminary step. They first needed to find good evidence to condemn Jesus, and then they needed to present evidence to the Roman governor that would lead to him executing Jesus. While you should not explain all these details in your translation, make sure that your translation does fit with this general idea.

The Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven

In 14:62, Jesus indicates that he, the Son of Man, will “come” on the clouds of heaven. However, he does not indicate the location to which he will “come.” Christians debate whether Jesus is describing his return to earth or his enthronement in heaven. If possible, your translation should allow for both possibilities. See the notes on this verse for translation options.

Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter

Body and bread, blood and cup

In 14:22–25, Jesus identifies bread as “my body” and wine in a cup as “my blood of the covenant.” These statements can be understood in at least three primary ways: (1) the bread and wine somehow become Jesus’ body and blood; (2) Jesus’ body and blood are present, physically or spiritually, in the bread and wine; or (3) the bread and wine memorialize or symbolize Jesus’ body and blood. Christians are divided on this question, and statements that link body and blood to bread and wine are very significant in the Bible and in Christian teaching. For these reasons, it is best to preserve these statements without expressing them as similes or in another nonfigurative way. If you must express them in another way, see the notes on 14:22–25 for translation possibilities. (See: figs-metaphor)

Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

Singular and plural forms of “you”

Many of the forms of “you” in this chapter appear when Jesus is talking to groups of people. Because of this, most forms of “you” in this chapter are plural. You should assume forms of “you” are plural unless a note specifies that the form is singular. (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 12, 13, 17, 27, 30, 32, 33, 34, 37, 41, 43, 45, 51, 53, 61, 63, 66, 67. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you could use the past tense in your translation. (See: translate-tense)

Abba, Father

In 14:36, Mark indicates that Jesus says “Abba, Father” when he prays. “Abba” is an Aramaic word that the Jews used to speak to their fathers. Mark writes it as it sounds. The word that follows, which is the word for “father” in Greek, could be Mark’s explanation of what “Abba” means. On the other hand, Jesus might have used this Greek word in his prayer. If possible, spell out “Abba” as it sounds in your language and then use the word you use to translate “Father” when it refers to God. See the notes on this verse for translation options. (See: translate-transliterate)

Judas’ kiss for Jesus

In 14:44–45, Mark describes how Judas kissed Jesus so the soldiers would know whom to arrest. In this culture, when men greeted other men who were family or friends, they would kiss them, probably on one cheek or on both cheeks. If men would not greet each other with a kiss in your culture, you could explain the purpose of the kiss, or you could translate the expression in a more general way. See the notes on these verses for translation options. (See: kiss)