5:20a

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So is a common connector that is often translated as “and” (Revised Standard Version). In this context it introduces what the man did when Jesus told him to go home. He did what Jesus told him to do. Connect 5:20 to 5:19 in a natural way in your language.

the man went away: The words went away here indicate that the man obeyed Jesus and went to his home area and to his people. If your readers may not understand that the man obeyed Jesus’ command, you may want to make this explicit. For example:

So the man went to his home area. Then he began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.

5:20b–c

and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as began to proclaim can also be translated simply as “told,” as in the Good News Bible. Here Mark used the verb began to introduce an action that occurred not once but many times. It does not imply that the man began to proclaim but did not finish proclaiming to people in the Decapolis. If it is confusing in your language to use a verb like “begin” here, you may leave this idea implicit, as the Revised English Bible does:

The man went off and made known throughout the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him

proclaim: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as proclaim means to “tell” or “announce.” It is one of the common verbs that is used in the Bible for proclaiming the good news about Jesus. Use a verb that is natural for telling good news to people, especially for telling the good news about Jesus. Be sure that the word you use does not refer only to what a preacher does when speaking in church.

Decapolis: The name Decapolis means “The Ten Cities.” The Decapolis was a region to the east of Lake Galilee and the Jordan River. The place where this story happened was in the area of the Gerasenes, which was in the region of the Decapolis. In translation you could either:

• Transliterate the name, Decapolis, according to the sounds of your language. For example:

Dikapolise

• Translate the meaning of the name. For example, the God’s Word says:

the Ten Cities

You may also want to include a map or footnote with an explanation. For example:

The region called the Decapolis, which means “the Ten Cities,” was a large area to the east of Lake Galilee and the Jordan River. Some Jews lived in this area, but most of the people living there were Gentiles.

5:20d

And: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces a clause that expresses the result of the man’s actions. This clause is also the conclusion of the story. Use a natural way to express a concluding result in your language.

everyone was amazed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was amazed means “marveled.” It refers to the feeling of wonder or awe that comes from seeing or hearing about something extraordinary or wonderful.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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