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Mark Chapter 5

Mark Chapter 5

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Casting out Legion

(Parallel accounts:  Matthew 8:28–34;  Luke 8:26–39)

  1. And they came to the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes.fn“Gerasenes” many manuscripts have “Gadarenes” here, and some have “Gergesenes”.
  2. And with Him having gone out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit immediately went out of the tombs and met Him,
  3. a man who had his dwelling in the tombs.  And no one was able to bind him any longer, not even with a chain,
  4. because he often was *bound with shackles and chains, and the chains were *broken by him, and the shackles were *shattered, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
  5. And all through the night and day in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and cutting himself with stones.
  6. And having seen Jesus from far away, he ran and bowed down before Him.
  7. And having cried out in a loud voice, he says: “What’s between you and me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore you in God’s name, don’t torment me.”
  8. For He was saying to him: “Unclean spirit, come out of the man.”
  9. And Jesus was asking him: “What’s your name?”  And he says to Him: “My name is Legion, because we are many.”
  10. And he was begging Him many times so He might not send them out of the region.
  11. Now, a large herd of pigs was there, feeding near the mountain.
  12. And they begged Him, saying: “Send us into the pigs so we might enter into them.”
  13. And He allowed them.  And having come out, the unclean spirits entered into the pigs, and rushed the herd down the steep bank into the sea, and about 2,000 were drowning in the sea.
  14. And the men feeding them fled and reported this in the city, and in the country, and they went out to see what’s *happened.
  15. And they come to Jesus and see the demon-possessed man sitting *clothed and sober-minded (the man who *had the Legion) and they were frightened.
  16. And the men who saw it described to them how it happened with the demon-possessed man, and about the pigs.
  17. And they began to beg Him to depart from their region.
  18. And with Him entering into the boat, the man who was demon-possessed was begging Him that he might be coming with Him.
  19. And He didn’t permit him, but tells him: “Go to your home, to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”
  20. And the man departed and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus did for him, and all were marveling.
Jairus’ Daughter, and healing a bloody flow

(Parallel accounts:  Matthew 9:18–26;  Luke 8:40–56)

  1. And with Jesus having crossed over to the other side of the sea in the boat again, a great crowd was gathered to Him, and He was beside the sea.
  2. And one of the synagogue rulers named Jairus comes to Him.  And having seen Him, falls at His feet.
  3. And he begs Him repeatedly saying: “My little daughter is holding herself at the point of death.  So having come, would you lay hands on her so she might be healed and live?”
  4. And He departed with him, and a numerous crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.
  5. And there was a woman living with a bloody flowfn“bloody flow” is literal, almost certainly a reference to constant menstrual bleeding. This made her ceremonially unclean; see Leviticus 15:19-24.  Additionally, what to do about menstrual bleeding that went on for an extended time was covered in Leviticus 15:25-30. for twelve years,
  6. and having suffered much under many physicians, and having spent all of her money, and yet she benefitted nothing, but rather she became worse.
  7. Having heard about Jesus, and having come up behind Him in the crowd, she touched His cloak.
  8. For she was saying, “If I only touch His clothes, I will be healed.”fnquotation/allusion to Malachi 4:2, which says that “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.”  The Hebrew word translated “wings” in that verse is “כָּנָף” (kanaph).  It means any extremity, including wings and also the edge of a garment.  It could be accurately translated “healing in the edge of His clothes”.  This woman likely knew this verse, and that’s probably why she specifically touched the edge of His cloak in Matthew’s account.  The Jews believed Malachi 4:2 was a prophecy about the Messiah, so by touching His cloak, she was almost certainly expressing her faith that Jesus was the Messiah.  This is quite possibly why Jesus said her faith healed her.
  9. And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she realized that her body has been healed of the scourge.
  10. And immediately having known in Himself that power went out of Him, and having turned in the crowd, Jesus was saying: “Who touched My clothes?”
  11. And His disciples were saying to Him: “You see the crowd pressing in on you, and you say ‘Who touched Me’?”
  12. And He was looking around to see the woman who did this.
  13. Now, having been frightened and trembling, *knowing what *happened to her, the woman came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
  14. And He told her: “Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be healthy from your scourge.”
  15. While He’s still speaking, messengers come from the synagogue ruler’s house, saying: “Your daughter died; why still trouble the teacher?”
  16. Now, having heard this word spoken, Jesus says to the synagogue ruler: “Don’t fear, only believe.”
  17. And He didn’t allow anyone to follow with Him except Peter, and James, and John (the brother of James).
  18. And they come to the synagogue ruler’s house, and He sees a commotion, and weeping, and much wailing.
  19. And having entered into the house, He says to them: “Why are you making a commotion and weeping?  The child didn’t die, but is sleeping.”
  20. And they were derisively laughing at Him.  And having thrown all of them out, He takes the father and mother of the child with Him, and the men with Him, and enters into where the child was.
  21. And having taken the child’s hand, He tells her: “Talitha koum”, which is translated: “Little girl, I tell you: rise.”
  22. And immediately the little girl rose and was walking (for she was twelve years old).  And they were immediately overwhelmed with great amazement.
  23. And He instructed them often so no one might know this, and He commanded her to be given food to eat.

 

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