19:31a
If anyone asks: The phrase If anyone asks refers to an event that might happen when the disciples went to take the donkey. Jesus implied that someone might ask the disciples why they were taking the donkey. This event had not yet happened when Jesus said this. Another way to translate this phrase is:
Someone may ask you
Why are you untying it?: Here Jesus quoted what someone might say to the disciples. People might ask the disciples why they were untying the colt. They would ask this because they knew that the colt did not belong to the disciples. In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech. For example:
If anyone asks you why you are untying it
19:31b
tell him, ‘The Lord needs it’: Here Jesus told the two disciples what to say to anyone who asked them why they were untying the colt. In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech here. For example:
tell him that the Master needs it (Good News Translation)
In Mark 11:3 the text includes a phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “and will send it back here shortly.” Jesus wanted to use the donkey for only a short time. In some languages it may be helpful to indicate this in some way. For example:
The Lord needs ⌊to use/ride⌋ it.
Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means “master” or “the one who has authority over others.” It was a title that the disciples and early Christians gave to Jesus. Here the author does not tell us whether or not the owners of the donkey knew who Jesus was. You should translate Lord with a general term of respect that the disciples could use to refer to Jesus. See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary. Several versions translate Lord here as:
Master
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