UTN uW Translation Notes:

Mark 4 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

3. Jesus teaches and performs miracles (3:7–6:6) * The parable of the sower (4:1–9) * Jesus explains the parable of the sower (4:10–20) * Jesus teaches about secrets and knowledge (4:21–25) * The parable of the seeds growing by themselves (4:26–29) * The parable of the mustard seed (4:30–32) * Summary statement (4:33–34) * Jesus calms a storm (4:35–41)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 4:12, which is a quotation from Isaiah 6:9–10.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Farming

Jesus refers to several different farming practices in this chapter. In his culture, farmers often threw seeds over their fields, a process called sowing. After throwing the seeds, they would use a tool called a plow to cover the seeds with dirt. Then, they would water and take care of the seeds until they sprouted and grew. Finally, when the plants produced grain or other kinds of crops, they would cut down the plants, separate the edible parts from the inedible parts, and store the edible parts in a safe place. See the notes on the verses in which Jesus discusses farming practices for specific information and translation options.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Parables

Throughout this chapter, Jesus uses several parables to teach the crowds and his disciples. Each parable is a short story that includes a specific lesson. Jesus uses parables to teach so that people who already know his message will learn more but people who do not know his message will not learn anything (see 4:11–12). Jesus explains one of the parables, but he does not explain any of the others. Possible explanations for each parable are included below, but only for help in translation. Your translation should not directly explain the meaning of any parable more than Jesus does. (See: figs-parables)* The parable of the sower—In 4:3–9, Jesus tells a story about a man who sows seed and about what happens to the seed. Jesus explains this parable in 4:14–20. Even with this explanation, Christians debate who the sower is, what the seed represents, and what the different areas in the field represent. The sower could be Jesus himself, God, or anyone who preaches the gospel. The seed could be the gospel or the person who hears the gospel. The different areas in the field could be regions or areas where people hear the gospel, different kinds of people, or different ways of responding to the gospel. Most likely, the seed and the area in the field together describe what happens when people respond to the gospel in these four ways.* The parable of the seeds growing by themselves—In 4:26–29, Jesus tells a story about a farmer who sows seed. The seed sprouts, grows, and produces a crop all by itself, and the farmer does not know how it happens. However, when the crop is ready, he harvests it. Most likely, Jesus is describing how God’s kingdom grows and expands, even without help from people. By the time God judges everyone, which is like a harvest, the kingdom will be very large and productive, even though people do not always know how that happens.* The parable of the mustard seed—In 4:30–32, Jesus tells a story about how a very small seed (a mustard seed) grows into a very large plant. Most likely, he is describing how his group of followers was very small but will eventually become very large. Jesus mentions that birds nest in the shadow of this large plant. Some people think that Jesus is referring to passages like Ezekiel 17:23, which could suggest that the birds represent Gentiles who become part of God’s kingdom. Others think that the detail about the birds simply illustrates how large the plant is. If possible, your translation should allow for all of these interpretations.

Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

Singular and plural forms of “you”

Most of the forms of “you” in this chapter appear in teaching that Jesus gives to his disciples and to the crowds. 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 1, 13, 35, 36, 37 and 38. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you could use the past tense in your translation. (See: translate-tense)