Footnotes

1. Mark 2:1 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
2. Mark 2:1 sn Capernaum was a town located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It existed since Hasmonean times and was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region. The population in the first century is estimated to be around 1,500. Capernaum became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt 4:13; Mark 2:1). In modern times the site was discovered in 1838 by the American explorer E. Robinson, and major excavations began in 1905 by German archaeologists H. Kohl and C. Watzinger. Not until 1968, however, were remains from the time of Jesus visible; in that year V. Corbo and S. Loffreda began a series of annual archaeological campaigns that lasted until 1985. This work uncovered what is thought to be the house of Simon Peter as well as ruins of the first century synagogue beneath the later synagogue from the fourth or fifth century A.D. Today gently rolling hills and date palms frame the first century site, a favorite tourist destination of visitors to the Galilee.
3. Mark 2:1 tn Grk “it was heard.”
4. Mark 2:2 tn Some translations (e.g., NIV, NLT) take the preposition πρός (pros), which indicates proximity, to mean “outside the door.” Others render it as “in front of the door” (TEV, CEV), and still others, “around the door” (NAB). There is some ambiguity inherent in the description here.
5. Mark 2:3 tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6. Mark 2:3 tn The redundancy in this verse is characteristic of the author’s rougher style.
7. Mark 2:4 sn A house in 1st century Palestine would have had a flat roof with stairs or a ladder going up. This access was often from the outside of the house.
8. Mark 2:4 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9. Mark 2:4 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
10. Mark 2:5 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
11. Mark 2:5 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
12. Mark 2:6 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
13. Mark 2:6 tn Grk “Reasoning within their hearts.”