Mark Chapter 9 - The Berean Open-Source (BOS) Bible

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.^fn "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.^fn An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.^fn)

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

And He was telling them: “Amen I tell you that there are some men *standing here who definitely won’t taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power.

The Transfiguration

And after six days, Jesus takes Peter and James and John with Himself and leads them up to a high mountain alone on their own, and He was transfigured in front of them.
And His clothes became an exceedingly radiant white, such as a launderer on the earth isn’t able to whiten this way.
And Elijah with Moses appeared to them, and they were discussing with Jesus.
And answering, Peter tells Jesus: “Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here, and should we make three tabernacles? One for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah?”
(For he hadn’t known how he should respond, for they were frightened.)
And a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him.”
And having looked around, they suddenly no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus alone.
And while they’re descending from the mountain, He commanded them that they describe what they saw to no one until the Son of Man rose from the dead.
And they held onto that statement, discussing among themselves what is meant by ‘to rise from the dead’.
And they were questioning Him, saying: “Why do the scribes say that it’s necessary for Elijah to come first?”
And He was declaring to them: “Having come first, Elijah indeed restores all things. And yet how is it *written of the Son of Man, that He should suffer many things and be despised?
“but I tell you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they were wanting, just as it has been written of him.”

Casting out a mute demon

And having come to the rest of the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and some scribes disputing with them.
And having seen Him, immediately all the crowd were stunned. And running to Him, they were welcoming Him.
And He asked them: “What are you disputing with them?”
And one man from the crowd answered Him: “Teacher, I brought my son having a mute spirit to you.
“And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and he is wasting away.^fn And I spoke to your disciples so they might cast it out, and they weren’t strong enough.”
And answering him, He says: “Oh unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring him to Me.”
And they brought him to Him. And having seen Him, the spirit immediately made him convulse violently. And having fallen on the ground, he was rolling and foaming at the mouth.
And He questioned his father: “It’s *happened like this with him for how long a time?” And he said “From childhood.
“And it also often threw him into fire and into waters so it might destroy him. But if you’re able to do something, then having been moved with compassion on us, help us.”
And Jesus said to him: “If you are able? All things are possible to the man who’s believing.”
Having immediately cried out, the child’s father was saying: “I believe, help my unbelief.”
And Jesus, having seen that a crowd is running to them, He rebuked the unclean spirit, telling it: “Mute and deaf spirit, I order you: come out of him and you should enter into him no more.”
And having cried out and with much convulsing, it came out and he became like a dead man, enough for many to say that he died.
And having taken hold of his hand, Jesus raised him up and he arose.
And with Him having entered into a house, His disciples were questioning Him on His own: “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”
And He told them: “This kind is able to go out by nothing, except by prayer [and fasting].”

Jesus predicts His death again

Having gone out from there, they were passing through Galilee and He wasn’t wanting anyone to know,^fn
for He was teaching His disciples and was telling them: “The Son of Man is handed over into the hands of men and they will kill Him. And having been killed, He will rise on the third day.”
Yet they weren’t understanding the matter and were fearing to question Him about it.

Who is the greatest?

And they went to Capernaum. And having been in the house, He was questioning them: “What were you discussing on the way?”
But they were keeping silent, for on the way they discussed with one another who was the greatest.
And having sat down, He summoned the twelve and tells them: “If someone wants to be first, he will be last of all and a servant of all.”
And having taken a young child, He stood him in their midst. And having embraced him, He told them:
“Whoever welcomes one of the children such as this in My name welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me doesn’t welcome Me, but the One who sent Me.”
John was reporting to Him: “Teacher, we saw someone [who doesn’t follow us] casting out demons in your name, and we were hindering him because he wasn’t following us.”
But Jesus said. “Don’t hinder him, for there’s no one who will do a miracle in My name and then will be able to quickly speak evil of Me.
“For whoever isn’t against us is for us.
“For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you are of the Anointed in name, amen I tell you that he definitely won’t lose his reward.
“And whoever makes one of these little ones believing in Me stumble, it would be better for him if a large millstone is hung around his neck and he’s *thrown into the sea.
“And if your hand makes you stumble, cut it off; it’s better for you to enter into the life maimed than having two hands and to depart into Gehenna,^fn into the unquenchable fire.
[“Where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire isn’t quenched.]^fn
“And if your foot makes you stumble, cut it off; it’s better for you to enter into the life crippled than having two feet and to be cast into Gehenna, [into the unquenchable fire].
[“Where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire isn’t quenched.]^fn
“And if your eye makes you stumble, cast it out; it’s better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes and to be cast into Gehenna,
“Where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire isn’t quenched.^fn
“For everyone will be salted with fire, [and every sacrifice will be salted with salt].^fn
“The salt is good, but if the salt becomes tasteless, by what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves and be peaceful with one another.”

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