Mark 9:30-37
New English Translation
Second Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
30 They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But[a] Jesus[b] did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.[c] They[d] will kill him,[e] and after three days he will rise.”[f] 32 But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him.
Questions About the Greatest
33 Then[g] they came to Capernaum.[h] After Jesus[i] was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes[j] one of these little children[k] in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Mark 9:30 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
- Mark 9:30 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Mark 9:31 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn) is considered by some to be used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NRSV, “into human hands”; CEV, “to people”). However, because this can be taken as a specific reference to the group responsible for Jesus’ arrest, where it is unlikely women were present (cf. Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12), the word “men” has been retained in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” earlier in the verse.
- Mark 9:31 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- Mark 9:31 tn Grk “They will kill him, and being killed, after…” The redundancy in the statement has been removed in the translation.
- Mark 9:31 sn They will kill him and after three days he will rise. See the note at the end of Mark 8:30 regarding the passion predictions.
- Mark 9:33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
- Mark 9:33 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.
- Mark 9:33 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Mark 9:37 tn This verb, δέχομαι (dechomai), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).
- Mark 9:37 sn Children were very insignificant in ancient culture, so this child would be the perfect object lesson to counter the disciples’ selfish ambitions.
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