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The Triumphal Entry

11 Now[a] as they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage[b] and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives,[c] Jesus[d] sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you.[e] As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden.[f] Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it[g] and will send it back here soon.’” So[h] they went and found a colt tied at a door, outside in the street, and untied it. Some people standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders[i] let them go. Then[j] they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks[k] on it, and he sat on it.[l] Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna![m] Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord![n] 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 Then[o] Jesus[p] entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.

Cursing of the Fig Tree

12 Now[q] the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit[r] on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it,[s] “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.[t]

Cleansing the Temple

15 Then[u] they came to Jerusalem. Jesus[v] entered the temple area[w] and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts.[x] He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise[y] through the temple courts.[z] 17 Then he began to teach[aa] them and said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?[ab] But you have turned it into a den[ac] of robbers!”[ad] 18 The chief priests and the experts in the law[ae] heard it and they considered how they could assassinate[af] him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching. 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[ag] went out of the city.

The Withered Fig Tree

20 In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.” 22 Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth,[ah] if someone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will[ai] also forgive you your sins.”[aj]

The Authority of Jesus

27 They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus[ak] was walking in the temple courts,[al] the chief priests, the experts in the law,[am] and the elders came up to him 28 and said, “By what authority[an] are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from people?[ao] Answer me.” 31 They discussed with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From people—’” (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet). 33 So[ap] they answered Jesus,[aq] “We don’t know.”[ar] Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you[as] by what authority[at] I am doing these things.”

The Parable of the Tenants

12 Then[au] he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.[av] He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then[aw] he leased it to tenant farmers[ax] and went on a journey. At harvest time he sent a slave[ay] to the tenants to collect from them[az] his portion of the crop.[ba] But[bb] those tenants[bc] seized his slave,[bd] beat him,[be] and sent him away empty-handed.[bf] So[bg] he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously. He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed. He had one left, his one dear son.[bh] Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’ So[bi] they seized him,[bj] killed him, and threw his body[bk] out of the vineyard.[bl] What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy[bm] those tenants and give the vineyard to others.[bn] 10 Have you not read this scripture:

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.[bo]
11 This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”[bp]

12 Now[bq] they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized that he told this parable against them. So[br] they left him and went away.[bs]

Paying Taxes to Caesar

13 Then[bt] they sent some of the Pharisees[bu] and Herodians[bv] to trap him with his own words.[bw] 14 When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality[bx] but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.[by] Is it right[bz] to pay taxes[ca] to Caesar[cb] or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” 15 But he saw through their hypocrisy and said[cc] to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius[cd] and let me look at it.” 16 So[ce] they brought one, and he said to them, “Whose image[cf] is this, and whose inscription?” They replied,[cg] “Caesar’s.” 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”[ch] And they were utterly amazed at him.

Marriage and the Resurrection

18 Sadducees[ci] (who say there is no resurrection)[cj] also came to him and asked him,[ck] 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us: ‘If a mans brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man[cl] must marry[cm] the widow and father children[cn] for his brother.’[co] 20 There were seven brothers. The first one married,[cp] and when he died he had no children. 21 The second married her and died without any children, and likewise the third. 22 None of the seven had children. Finally, the woman died too. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again,[cq] whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”[cr] 24 Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you deceived[cs] for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels[ct] in heaven. 26 Now as for the dead being raised,[cu] have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush,[cv] how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the[cw] God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?[cx] 27 He is not the God of the dead but of the living.[cy] You are badly mistaken!”

The Greatest Commandment

28 Now[cz] one of the experts in the law[da] came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus[db] answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love[dc] the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’[dd] 31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[de] There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 The expert in the law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him.[df] 33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength[dg] and to love your neighbor as yourself[dh] is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”[di] Then no one dared any longer to question him.

The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he said, “How is it that the experts in the law[dj] say that the Christ[dk] is David’s son?[dl] 36 David himself, by the Holy Spirit, said,

The Lord said to my lord,[dm]
Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’[dn]

37 If David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”[do] And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Warnings About Experts in the Law

38 In his teaching Jesus[dp] also said, “Watch out for the experts in the law.[dq] They like walking[dr] around in long robes and elaborate greetings[ds] in the marketplaces,[dt] 39 and the best seats in the synagogues[du] and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They[dv] devour widows’ property,[dw] and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment.”

The Widow’s Offering

41 Then[dx] he[dy] sat down opposite the offering box,[dz] and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins,[ea] worth less than a penny. 43 He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth,[eb] this poor widow has put more into the offering box[ec] than all the others.[ed] 44 For they all gave out of their wealth.[ee] But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”[ef]

Footnotes

  1. Mark 11:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
  2. Mark 11:1 sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.
  3. Mark 11:1 sn “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.
  4. Mark 11:1 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. Mark 11:2 tn Grk “the village lying before you” (BDAG 530 s.v. κατέναντι 2.b).
  6. Mark 11:2 tn Grk “a colt tied there on which no one of men has ever sat.”
  7. Mark 11:3 sn The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.
  8. Mark 11:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
  9. Mark 11:6 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people mentioned in v. 5) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. Mark 11:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  11. Mark 11:7 tn Grk “garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.
  12. Mark 11:7 sn See Zech 9:9, a prophecy fulfilled here (cf. Matt 21:5; John 12:15.
  13. Mark 11:9 tn The expression ῾Ωσαννά (hōsanna, literally in Hebrew, “O Lord, save”) in the quotation from Ps 118:25-26 was probably by this time a familiar liturgical expression of praise, on the order of “Hail to the king,” although both the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expressions meant “O Lord, save us.” The introductory ὡσαννά is followed by the words of Ps 118:25, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου (eulogēmenos ho erchomenos en onomati kuriou), although in the Fourth Gospel the author adds for good measure καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (kai ho basileus tou Israēl). In words familiar to every Jew, the author is indicating that at this point every messianic expectation is now at the point of realization. It is clear from the words of the psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic king. See E. Lohse, TDNT 9:682-84.sn Hosanna is an Aramaic expression that literally means, “help, I pray,” or “save, I pray.” By Jesus’ time it had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise, however, and was used as an exclamation of praise to God.
  14. Mark 11:9 sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
  15. Mark 11:11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to indicate the transition from the previous narrative.
  16. Mark 11:11 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  17. Mark 11:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
  18. Mark 11:13 tn Grk “anything.”
  19. Mark 11:14 tn Grk “And answering, he said to it.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant and has not been translated.
  20. Mark 11:14 sn Mark 11:12-14. The incident of the cursing of the fig tree occurs before he enters the temple for a third time (11:27ff) and is questioned at length by the religious leaders (11:27-12:40). It appears that Mark records the incident as a portent of what is going to happen to the leadership in Jerusalem who were supposed to have borne spiritual fruit but have been found by Messiah at his coming to be barren. The fact that the nation as a whole is indicted is made explicit in chapter 13:1-37 where Jesus speaks of Jerusalem’s destruction and his second coming.
  21. Mark 11:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  22. Mark 11:15 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  23. Mark 11:15 tn Grk “the temple.”sn The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.
  24. Mark 11:15 tn Grk “the temple.”sn Matthew (21:12-27), Mark (here, 11:15-19), and Luke (19:45-46) record this incident of the temple cleansing at the end of Jesus’ ministry. John (2:13-16) records a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. See the note on the word temple courts in John 2:14 for a discussion of the relationship of these accounts to one another.
  25. Mark 11:16 tn Or “things.” The Greek word σκεῦος (skeuos) can refer to merchandise, property, goods, a vessel, or even generally “things” (but in the sense of some implement or tool). The idea here is almost certainly restricted to merchandise, rather than the more general “things,” although some suggest from the parallel with m. Berakhot 9.5 that Jesus was not even allowing sandals, staffs, or coin-purses to be carried through the court. The difficulty with this interpretation, however, is that it is fundamentally an appeal to Jewish oral tradition (something Jesus rarely sided with) as well as being indiscriminate toward all the worshipers.
  26. Mark 11:16 tn Grk “the temple.”
  27. Mark 11:17 tn The imperfect ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) is here taken ingressively.
  28. Mark 11:17 sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.
  29. Mark 11:17 tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).
  30. Mark 11:17 sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.
  31. Mark 11:18 tn Or “The chief priests and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
  32. Mark 11:18 tn Grk “how they could destroy him.”
  33. Mark 11:19 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Jesus and his disciples) have been specified in the translation for clarity. Without such clarification there is room for considerable confusion here, since there are two prior sets of plural referents in the context, “the chief priests and experts in the law” and “the whole crowd” (both in v. 18).
  34. Mark 11:23 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  35. Mark 11:25 tn Although the Greek subjunctive mood, formally required in a subordinate clause introduced by ἵνα (hina), is traditionally translated by an English subjunctive (e.g., “may,” so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV), changes in the use of the subjunctive in English now result in most readers understanding such a statement as indicating permission (“may” = “has permission to”) or as indicating uncertainty (“may” = “might” or “may or may not”). Thus a number of more recent translations render such instances by an English future tense (“will,” so TEV, CEV, NLT, NASB 1995 update). That approach has been followed here.
  36. Mark 11:25 tc A number of significant mss of various textual families (א B L W Δ Ψ 565 700 892 sa) do not include 11:26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your sins.” The verse is included in most later mss (A [C D] Θ1,13 33] M lat) and is not likely to be original. It is probably an assimilation to Matt 6:15. The present translation follows NA28 in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
  37. Mark 11:27 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  38. Mark 11:27 tn Grk “the temple.”
  39. Mark 11:27 tn Or “the chief priests, the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
  40. Mark 11:28 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.
  41. Mark 11:30 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn) is probably used here (and in v. 32) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).sn The question is whether John’s ministry was of divine or human origin.
  42. Mark 11:33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
  43. Mark 11:33 tn Grk “answering, they said to Jesus.” The participle ἀποκριθέντες (apokrithentes) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been modified to conform to English style.
  44. Mark 11:33 sn Very few questions could have so completely revealed the wicked intentions of the religious leaders. Jesus’ question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were—hypocrites. They indicted themselves when they cited only two options and chose neither of them (“We do not know”). The point of Mark 11:27-33 is that no matter what Jesus said in response to their question they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him.
  45. Mark 11:33 sn Neither will I tell you. Though Jesus gave no answer, the analogy he used to their own question makes his view clear. His authority came from heaven.
  46. Mark 11:33 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 28.
  47. Mark 12:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  48. Mark 12:1 sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.
  49. Mark 12:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  50. Mark 12:1 sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.
  51. Mark 12:2 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 10:44.sn This slave (along with the others) represent the prophets God sent to the nation, who were mistreated and rejected.
  52. Mark 12:2 tn Grk “from the tenants,” but this is redundant in English, so the pronoun (“them”) was used in the translation.
  53. Mark 12:2 tn Grk “from the fruits of the vineyard.”
  54. Mark 12:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  55. Mark 12:3 tn Grk “But they”; the referent (the tenants, v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  56. Mark 12:3 tn Grk “seizing him, they beat and sent away empty-handed.” The referent of the direct object of “seizing” (the slave sent by the owner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The objects of the verbs “beat” and “sent away” have been supplied in the translation to conform to English style. Greek often omits direct objects when they are clear from the context.
  57. Mark 12:3 sn The image of the tenants beating up the owner’s slave pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.
  58. Mark 12:3 sn The slaves being sent empty-handed suggests that the vineyard was not producing any fruit—and thus neither was the nation of Israel.
  59. Mark 12:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ mistreatment of the first slave.
  60. Mark 12:6 tn Grk “one beloved son.” See comment at Mark 1:11.sn The owner’s decision to send his one dear son represents God sending Jesus.
  61. Mark 12:8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
  62. Mark 12:8 tn Grk “seizing him.” The participle λαβόντες (labontes) has been translated as attendant circumstance.
  63. Mark 12:8 tn Grk “him.”
  64. Mark 12:8 sn Throwing the heir’s body out of the vineyard pictures Jesus’ death outside of Jerusalem.
  65. Mark 12:9 sn The statement that the owner will come and destroy those tenants is a promise of judgment; see Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44.
  66. Mark 12:9 sn The warning that the owner would give the vineyard to others suggests that the care of the promise and the nation’s hope would be passed to others. This eventually looks to Gentile inclusion; see Eph 2:11-22.
  67. Mark 12:10 tn Or “capstone,” “keystone.” Although these meanings are lexically possible, the imagery in Eph 2:20-22 and 1 Cor 3:11 indicates that the term κεφαλὴ γωνίας (kephalē gōnias) refers to a cornerstone, not a capstone.sn The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The use of Ps 118:22-23 and the “stone imagery” as a reference to Christ and his suffering and exaltation is common in the NT (see also Matt 21:42; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:6-8; cf. also Eph 2:20). The irony in the use of Ps 118:22-23 in Mark 12:10-11 is that in the OT, Israel was the one rejected (or perhaps her king) by the Gentiles, but in the NT it is Jesus who is rejected by Israel.
  68. Mark 12:11 sn A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.
  69. Mark 12:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to introduce a somewhat parenthetical remark by the author.
  70. Mark 12:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
  71. Mark 12:12 sn The point of the parable in Mark 12:1-12 is that the leaders of the nation have been rejected by God and the vineyard (v. 9, referring to the nation and its privileged status) will be taken from them and given to others (an allusion to the Gentiles).
  72. Mark 12:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  73. Mark 12:13 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
  74. Mark 12:13 sn Pharisees and Herodians made a very interesting alliance. W. W. Wessel (“Mark,” EBC 8:733) comments: “The Herodians were as obnoxious to the Pharisees on political grounds as the Sadducees were on theological grounds. Yet the two groups united in their opposition to Jesus. Collaboration in wickedness, as well as goodness, has great power. Their purpose was to trip Jesus up in his words so that he would lose the support of the people, leaving the way open for them to destroy him.” See also the note on “Herodians” in Mark 3:6.
  75. Mark 12:13 tn Grk “trap him in word.”
  76. Mark 12:14 tn Grk “and it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”
  77. Mark 12:14 sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians was specifically designed to trap Jesus.
  78. Mark 12:14 tn Or “lawful,” that is, in accordance with God’s divine law. On the syntax of ἔξεστιν (exestin) with an infinitive and accusative, see BDF §409.3.
  79. Mark 12:14 tn According to L&N 57.180 the term κῆνσος (kēnsos) was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government.sn This question concerning taxes was specifically designed to trap Jesus. If he answered yes, then his opponents could publicly discredit him as a sympathizer with Rome. If he answered no, then they could go to the Roman governor and accuse Jesus of rebellion.
  80. Mark 12:14 tn Or “the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
  81. Mark 12:15 tn Grk “Aware of their hypocrisy he said.”
  82. Mark 12:15 tn Here the specific name of the coin was retained in the translation, because not all coins in circulation in Palestine at the time carried the image of Caesar. In other places δηνάριον (dēnarion) has been translated simply as “silver coin” with an explanatory note.sn A denarius was a silver coin stamped with the image of the emperor and worth approximately one day’s wage for a laborer.
  83. Mark 12:16 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate their response to Jesus’ request for a coin.
  84. Mark 12:16 tn Or “whose likeness.”sn In this passage Jesus points to the image (Grk εἰκών, eikōn) of Caesar on the coin. This same Greek word is used in Gen 1:26 (LXX) to state that humanity is made in the “image” of God. Jesus is making a subtle yet powerful contrast: Caesar’s image is on the denarius, so he can lay claim to money through taxation, but God’s image is on humanity, so he can lay claim to each individual life.
  85. Mark 12:16 tn Grk “they said to him.”
  86. Mark 12:17 sn Jesus’ answer to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s was a both/and, not the questioners’ either/or. So he slipped out of their trap.
  87. Mark 12:18 sn The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). They also did not believe in resurrection or in angels, an important detail in v. 25. See also Matt 3:7; 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 4:1; 5:17; 23:6-8.
  88. Mark 12:18 sn This remark is best regarded as a parenthetical note by the author.
  89. Mark 12:18 tn Grk “and asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  90. Mark 12:19 tn Grk “his brother”; but this would be redundant in English with the same phrase “his brother” at the end of the verse, so most modern translations render this phrase “the man” (so NIV, NRSV).
  91. Mark 12:19 tn The use of ἵνα (hina) with imperatival force is unusual (BDF §470.1).
  92. Mark 12:19 tn Grk “raise up seed” (an idiom for fathering children).
  93. Mark 12:19 sn A quotation from Deut 25:5. This practice is called levirate marriage (see also Ruth 4:1-12; Mishnah, m. Yevamot; Josephus, Ant. 4.8.23 [4.254-256]). The levirate law is described in Deut 25:5-10. The brother of a man who died without a son had an obligation to marry his brother’s widow. This served several purposes: It provided for the widow in a society where a widow with no children to care for her would be reduced to begging, and it preserved the name of the deceased, who would be regarded as the legal father of the first son produced from that marriage.
  94. Mark 12:20 tn Grk “took a wife” (an idiom for marrying a woman).
  95. Mark 12:23 tc The words “when they rise again” are missing from several significant witnesses (א B C D L W Δ Ψ 33 579 892 c r1 k syp co). They are included in A Θ ƒ1,(13) M lat sys,h. The strong external pedigree of the shorter reading gives one pause. Nevertheless, the Alexandrian and other mss most likely dropped the words from the text either to conform the wording to the parallel in Matt 22:28 or because “when they rise again” was redundant. But the inclusion of these words is thoroughly compatible with Mark’s usually pleonastic style (see TCGNT 93), and therefore most probably authentic to Mark’s Gospel.
  96. Mark 12:23 tn Grk “For the seven had her as wife.”
  97. Mark 12:24 tn Or “mistaken” (cf. BDAG 822 s.v. πλανάω 2.c.γ).
  98. Mark 12:25 sn Angels do not die, nor do they eat according to Jewish tradition (1 En. 15:6; 51:4; Wis 5:5; 2 Bar. 51:10; 1QH 3.21-23).
  99. Mark 12:26 tn Grk “Now as for the dead that they are raised.”
  100. Mark 12:26 sn See Exod 3:6. Jesus used a common form of rabbinic citation here to refer to the passage in question.
  101. Mark 12:26 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  102. Mark 12:26 sn A quotation from Exod 3:6.
  103. Mark 12:27 sn He is not God of the dead but of the living. Jesus’ point was that if God could identify himself as God of the three old patriarchs, then they must still be alive when God spoke to Moses; and so they must be raised.
  104. Mark 12:28 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
  105. Mark 12:28 tn Or “One of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
  106. Mark 12:28 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  107. Mark 12:30 tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).
  108. Mark 12:30 sn A quotation from Deut 6:4-5 and Josh 22:5 (LXX). The fourfold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.
  109. Mark 12:31 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
  110. Mark 12:32 sn A quotation from Deut 4:35.
  111. Mark 12:33 sn A quotation from Deut 6:5.
  112. Mark 12:33 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
  113. Mark 12:34 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself.
  114. Mark 12:35 tn Or “that the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
  115. Mark 12:35 tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 8:29.
  116. Mark 12:35 sn It was a common belief in Judaism that Messiah would be David’s son in that he would come from the lineage of David. On this point the Pharisees agreed and were correct. But their understanding was nonetheless incomplete, for Messiah is also David’s Lord. With this statement Jesus was affirming that, as the Messiah, he is both God and man.
  117. Mark 12:36 sn The Lord said to my lord. With David being the speaker, this indicates his respect for his descendant (referred to as my lord). Jesus was arguing, as the ancient exposition assumed, that the passage is about the Lord’s anointed. The passage looks at an enthronement of this figure and a declaration of honor for him as he takes his place at the side of God. In Jerusalem, the king’s palace was located to the right of the temple to indicate this kind of relationship. Jesus was pressing the language here to get his opponents to reflect on how great Messiah is.
  118. Mark 12:36 sn A quotation from Ps 110:1.
  119. Mark 12:37 tn Grk “David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ So how is he his son?” The conditional nuance, implicit in Greek, has been made explicit in the translation (cf. Matt 22:45).
  120. Mark 12:38 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  121. Mark 12:38 tn Or “for the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
  122. Mark 12:38 tn In Greek this is the only infinitive in vv. 38-39. It would be awkward in English to join an infinitive to the following noun clauses, so this has been translated as a gerund.
  123. Mark 12:38 sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.
  124. Mark 12:38 sn See the note on marketplaces in Mark 6:56.
  125. Mark 12:39 sn See the note on synagogue in 1:21.
  126. Mark 12:40 tn Grk “who,” continuing the sentence begun in v. 38.
  127. Mark 12:40 tn Grk “houses,” “households”; however, the term can have the force of “property” or “possessions” as well (O. Michel, TDNT 5:131; BDAG 695 s.v. οἶκια 1.a).
  128. Mark 12:41 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  129. Mark 12:41 tc Most mss, predominantly of the Western and Byzantine texts (A D W Θ ƒ1,13 33 2542 M lat), have ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (ho Iēsous, “Jesus”) as the explicit subject here, while א B L Δ Ψ 892 lack the name. A natural scribal tendency is to expand the text, especially to add the Lord’s name as the explicit subject of a verb. Scribes much less frequently omitted the Lord’s name (cf. the readings of W Θ 565 1424 in Mark 12:17). The internal and external evidence support one another here in behalf of the shorter reading.
  130. Mark 12:41 tn On the term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazophulakion), often translated “treasury,” see BDAG 186 s.v., which states, “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.sn The offering box probably refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings. These are mentioned by Josephus, J. W. 5.5.2 (5.200); 6.5.2 (6.282); Ant. 19.6.1 (19.294), and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Luke 21:1; John 8:20).
  131. Mark 12:42 sn These two small copper coins were lepta (sing. “lepton”), the smallest and least valuable coins in circulation in Palestine, worth one-half of a quadrans or 1/128 of a denarius, or about six minutes of an average daily wage. This was next to nothing in value.
  132. Mark 12:43 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  133. Mark 12:43 tn See the note on the term “offering box” in v. 41.
  134. Mark 12:43 sn Has put more into the offering box than all the others. With God, giving is weighed evaluatively, not counted. The widow was praised because she gave sincerely and at some considerable cost to herself.
  135. Mark 12:44 tn Grk “out of what abounded to them.”
  136. Mark 12:44 sn The contrast between this passage, 12:41-44, and what has come before in 11:27-12:40 is remarkable. The woman is set in stark contrast to the religious leaders. She was a poor widow, they were rich. She was uneducated in the law, they were well educated in the law. She was a woman, they were men. But whereas they evidenced no faith and actually stole money from God and men (cf. 11:17), she evidenced great faith and gave out of her extreme poverty everything she had.