MARK 3:23 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.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object.
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 having summoned them, in parables he was saying to them, “How is Satan able to cast out Satan?

UST So Jesus told the people there to come to him. He used stories to teach them. He said, “Satan does not enable people to force out his own demons!

BSB So [Jesus] called them together [and] began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?

BLB And having called them to Him, He began speaking to them in parables: "How is Satan able to cast out Satan?

AICNT And calling them to him, he spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

OEB So Jesus called them to him, and answered them in parables, ‘How can Satan drive out Satan?

WEBBE He summoned them and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET So he called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan?

LSV And having called them near, He said to them in allegories, “How is Satan able to cast out Satan?

FBV But Jesus called them over to him. Using illustrations[fn] he asked them, “How can Satan throw out Satan?

3:23 Or “parables,” meaning analogies, comparisons, illustrations.

TCNT So Jesus called them over and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

T4T Jesus summoned those men. Then he spoke to them in parables to enable them to realize that Satan would not oppose his own evil spirits. He also wanted them to realize that by expelling evil spirits, he was demonstrating that he was much more powerful than Satan. So he said, “◄It is ridiculous to suggest that Satan would expel his own evil spirits!/Why would Satan expel his own evil spirits?► [RHQ]

LEB And he called them to himself and[fn] was speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan expel Satan?

3:23 *Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“called”) has been translated as a finite verb

BBE And turning to them, he said to them in the form of a story, How is it possible for Satan to put out Satan?

Moff So he called them and said to them by way of parable, "How can Satan cast out Satan?

Wymth So He called them to Him, and using figurative language He appealed to them, saying, "How is it possible for Satan to expel Satan?

ASV And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

DRA And after he had called them together, he said to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan?

YLT And, having called them near, in similes he said to them, 'How is the Adversary able to cast out the Adversary?

Drby And having called them to [him], he said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

RV And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

SLT And having called them, in parables spake he to them, How can Satan cast out Satan.

Wbstr And he called them to him , and said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

KJB-1769 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

KJB-1611 And he called them vnto him, and said vnto them in parables, Howe can Satan cast out Satan?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps And he called them vnto hym, & sayde vnto them in parables: Howe can Satan driue out Satan?
(And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables: How can Satan drive out Satan?)

Gnva But he called them vnto him, and said vnto them in parables, How can Satan driue out Satan?
(But he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan drive out Satan? )

Cvdl And he called them together, and spake vnto them in symilitudes:How can one Sathan dryue out another?
(And he called them together, and spake unto them in similitudes:How can one Satan drive out another?)

TNT And he called them vnto him and sayde vnto them in similitudes. How can Satan drive out Satan?
(And he called them unto him and said unto them in similitudes. How can Satan drive out Satan? )

Wycl And he clepide hem togidir, and he seide to hem in parablis, Hou may Sathanas caste out Sathanas?
(And he called hem together, and he said to hem in parables, How may Satan cast/threw out Satan?)

Luth Und er rief sie zusammen und sprach zu ihnen in Gleichnissen: Wie kann ein Satan den andern austreiben?
(And he shouted they/she/them together and spoke to/for to_them in parables/allegoriesn: How can a Satan the change expel/drive_out?)

ClVg Et convocatis eis in parabolis dicebat illis: Quomodo potest Satanas Satanam ejicere?[fn]
(And topned to_them in/into/on parables he_said to_them: How/In_what_manner can Satan Satanam to_throw_out? )

3.23 Quomodo potest Satanas, etc. BEDA. Eligant quod volunt. Si Satanas Satanam non potest ejicere, nihil contra Dominum dicunt. Si autem potest, recedant a regno ejus, quod divisum stare non potest.

3.23 How/In_what_manner can Satan, etc. BEDA. Eligant that they_want. When/But_if Satan Satanam not/no can to_throw_out, nothing on_the_contrary the_Master they_say. When/But_if however can, they_retreat from kingdom his, that divisum to_stand not/no can.

UGNT καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς, ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς, πῶς δύναται Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν?
(kai proskalesamenos autous, en parabolais elegen autois, pōs dunatai Satanas Satanan ekballein?)

SBL-GNT καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Πῶς δύναται Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν;
(kai proskalesamenos autous en parabolais elegen autois; Pōs dunatai Satanas Satanan ekballein;)

RP-GNT Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτούς, ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς, Πῶς δύναται Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν;
(Kai proskalesamenos autous, en parabolais elegen autois, Pōs dunatai Satanas Satanan ekballein;)

TC-GNT Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτούς, ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς, Πῶς δύναται Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν;
(Kai proskalesamenos autous, en parabolais elegen autois, Pōs dunatai Satanas Satanan ekballein; )

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:20–30: Jesus proved that he did not use Satan’s power

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 is stronger than Satan

Jesus sends evil spirits away by defeating Satan

Do not insult the Holy Spirit

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 12:22–32 and Luke 11:14–23; 12:10.

Paragraph 3:22–30

In the previous paragraph, Jesus’ family decided that it was time to bring him home and restrain him. This paragraph continues Mark’s theme of people opposing Jesus. Here, Jesus’ enemies did not want to admit that Jesus was doing miracles by God’s power. So they accused him of using Satan’s power instead. Jesus had a good answer to give to them.

3:23a

So Jesus called them together

So Jesus called them to him
Jesus told the people to gather around him. (CEV)

So: The Greek conjunction that the BSB here translates as So is a simple connector. It is often translated as “and” (as in the RSV). This word connects 3:22 to 3:23–39. It introduces what Jesus said and did in response to what his enemies accused him of doing.

The BSB shows this connection with the word So. Some English versions do not translate this word. You should connect these verses in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus called them together: Jesus told the people to come nearer before he confronted them. The CEV says:

Jesus told the people to gather around him.

them: The pronoun them refers to both the teachers of the law and the crowd.

3:23b

and began to speak to them in parables:

and told them some parables:
Then he told/recounted the following illustrations:

speak to them in parables: The phrase speak to them in parables describes what Jesus said to the people in 3:23–27. The Greek word that the BSB translates as parables is used to describe different types of wise speech like proverbs, illustrations, and metaphors.

In this context there are two different parables: 3:23c–26c and 3:27. You will need to read these two parables carefully. Then consider how you would describe this type of speech in your language. See parable, Type 2, in the Glossary.

3:23c–26c

Jesus’ first parable is in 3:23c–26c. In this parable, Jesus proved that what the teachers of the law were saying could not be right. If Satan controlled Jesus, he would not want to send his own helpers away. If he did, then Satan would be fighting against himself.

3:23c

“How can Satan drive out Satan?

“How can Satan cast/throw out himself?
“Will Satan cast/force Satan’s demons out of people? Of course not!
“Surely, Satan will not throw/force his own demons out of people!

How can Satan drive out Satan?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus asked this question to rebuke the Jewish religious leaders. He did this by emphasizing a fact that everyone should know is true: Surely, Satan would not do something against himself. There are at least two ways to translate this:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
How can Satan be the one who forces his own evil spirits to leave?
Will Satan force his own demons out of people? Of course not!
As a statement. For example:
Surely, Satan will not want to force his own evil spirits to leave.
Satan does not work against himself by forcing/causing his own demons to come out of people.
Satan will not force himself out of people. (NCV)

Use whichever form is most natural in your language to emphasize a fact that is obviously true and that expresses a rebuke.

Satan drive out Satan: Here, the word Satan occurs two times. The first Satan refers to Satan himself. The second Satan represents the demons over which Satan rules.

In some languages, it may be clearer to translate the second Satan as “his demons.” For example:

Why would Satan force out his own demons?

Satan: The word Satan is the Hebrew name of the chief or leader of all the evil spirits. In Hebrew his name means “enemy.” He is the enemy of God and God’s people. Here are some ways to translate Satan:

Use a local name or idiom that refers to the chief of all demons.
Use a descriptive phrase such as:
the chief/leader of the evil spirits
the spirit enemy of God
Transliterate the name Satan. If this word is not already known in your area, you may also want to add a descriptive phrase. For example:
Satanas, the ruler of demons
Shaitan If you transliterate Satan or borrow a word from another language, be sure that it communicates the biblical meaning to people in your culture. It is important to check this in each biblical context.

Try to use a term that will be acceptable to churches in the area. It is suggested that you also add a footnote or glossary entry that further explains who Satan is. For example:

Satan is the leader of all the evil spirits or demons. Once he was an angel in heaven, but he rebelled against God. God expelled him from heaven, and now he tempts people on earth. Here are other names for Satan that are used in the Bible: “Beelzebul,” “the Devil,” “the Evil One,” “the Enemy,” and “the Tempter.”

See how you translated this word in 1:13a.

drive out: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as drive out is literally “cast/throw out.” It refers to causing evil spirits to stop controlling someone. See the notes on 3:15 and 3:22d, where the same term is used.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

αὐτοὺς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτούς ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς Πῶς δύναται Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν)

The pronoun them refers to the scribes and the people who were nearby. If this is not clear for your readers, you could use refer to these people more directly. Alternate translation: [the scribes and the rest of the people] or [the people who were nearby]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

πῶς δύναται Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν?

Jesus is using the question form to rebuke the scribes. The question shows that it does not make any sense for Satan to cast out Satan. 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: [Satan cannot cast out Satan.] or [It makes no sense for Satan to cast out Satan!]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

δύναται Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν

˓is˒_able Satan Satan ˓to_be˒_casting_out