Mark 4:26-29 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 4:26-29 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

Jesus also told a parable. What is the Kingdom of God like? What is it like? Jesus told an example. A man came into a field and sowed seed. Then he left and went about his business. He sleeps at night and goes about his business during the day, not caring how his seeds grow in the field. Meanwhile the seeds grow, the ears appear, the whole field changes, becomes yellow, it is time to harvest. This man comes and sees that it is time to harvest, then he takes a sickle and cuts off all the ears in the field, he harvests. That’s what the Kingdom of God is like.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

Иисус еще рассказал притчу. Какое оно, Царство Бога? На что оно похоже? Иисус рассказал пример. В поле пришел человек и посеял семена. Потом он ушел и занимался своими делами. Ночью он спит, днем занимается своими делами и не заботится о том, как растут его семена в поле. Между тем семена вырастают, появляются колосья, все поле меняется, становится желтым, уже пора собирать урожай. Этот человек приходит, и видит, что пора собирать урожай, тогда он берет серп и срезает все колосья на поле, собирает урожай. Вот на это и похоже Царство Божье.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

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Mark 4:30-32 in Russian Sign Language >>

Mark 4:26-33a in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 4:26-33a into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath:


© La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)

Jesús dijo: “Otro ejemplo, en la tierra de un campo un hombre sembró semillas, y cuando estaba listo el hombre se fue. ¿El hombre sabe hacer las plantas? No, él no sabe.

Las semillas sólas hacen la planta crecer, el hombre duerme y al día siguiente se despierta, y duerme y al día siguiente etc. La planta crece y después el hombre viene y ve que está listo y cosecha.

Eso parece a uds, la gente que cree que v a estar junto con Dios en su reino.

Oigan, otro ejemplo, dejame ver, mira, hay muchas diferentes semillas, pero la más pequeña es la mostaza, pero cuando cae en la tierra la planta crece fuerte y vence las otras plantas, y en la planta los pájaros pueden sentarse en sus nidos.

Eso es parecido a uds que creen en Dios, que ya están junto con Él en su reino.”

Jesús siguió a contar otras historias y muchos diferentes ejemplos.


Jesus said: “Another example, in de ground of a field a man sowed seeds and when he was ready the man went away. Does the man know how to make the plants? No, he does not know.

“The seeds on their own make the plant grow, the man sleeps and wakes up the next day, and sleeps and the next day… and so on. The plant grows and afterwards the man comes and sees that it is ready and harvests.

“This is like you people who believe that you will be together with God in his kingdom.

“Listen, another example, let me see, look here, there are many different kinds of seeds but the smallest is the mustard. But when it falls in the soil a strong plant grows, stronger than other plants, and in it birds can sit on their nests.

“This is like you people who believe in God who are already together with him in his kingdom.”

Jesus went on to tell other stories and many different examples.

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

<< Mark 4:26-33a in Mexican Sign Language
Mark 4:33b-34 in Mexican Sign Language >>

complete verse (Mark 4:27)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 4:27:

  • Uma: “At night he sleeps, during the day he gets up. During this time his planted-things grow bigger and bigger. But how his planted-things grow and become big, he does not know.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “After he had broadcasted it, he did his other work. He slept at night and got up when it was daytime. So-then the seed sprouted and grew by itself. The person did/does not understand how it grows.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He does not know the means by which his plants sprout; he just leaves them alone. He sleeps at night and he works in the daytime, and everyday his plants sprout and grow larger.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He sleeps at night and gets-up in the morning while-simultaneously what he planted sprouts and grows. But the way it grows, he doesn’t know.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “After he’d planted, it’s like he ignored it, for he just continued his daily work. But what he’d planted sprouted and grew, though he doesn’t know how.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 4:26 – 4:27

Exegesis:

hōs … balē ‘as though he might throw.’

ballō (cf. 2.22) ‘throw’: here used of scattering seed upon the ground in the process of sowing (cf. 4.3).

sporon (4.26, 27) ‘seed’: used as a synonym for sperma ‘seed’ (4.31).

kai katheudē kai egeirētai ‘and he should sleep and rise’: notice the two present tenses here in contrast with the aorist balē ‘throw.’ ‘Sleep and rise night and day’ means ‘sleep at night and rise by day’ (cf. Moffatt) i.e. the normal routine of daily activities: cf. Lagrange sa vie tranquille.

katheudō (4.38; 5.39; 13.36; 14.37, 40, 41) ‘sleep.’

egeirō ‘rise’: here, rise from sleep (cf. 1.31).

blasta (only here in Mark) ‘it sprouts,’ ‘it buds.’

mēkunētai (only here in Mark) ‘it becomes long’ (from mēkos ‘length’), ‘it grows.’

hōs ouk oiden autos ‘he doesn’t know how’: i.e. the man does not know how this process of germination and growth of the seed he planted takes place.

Translation:

For kingdom of God see 1.15 and 4.11.

Is as if introduces a difficult grammatical construction, which requires some expansion in some languages, e.g. ‘This is how God rules; it is as a man who…’ (Copainalá Zoque).

For scatter seed in the sense of ‘sowing’ see 4.3.

Ground should be ‘prepared soil’ or some other expression denoting the ground for planting, not just thrown on the ground indiscriminately.

The generic seed must often be translated as plural ‘seeds’ or ‘grains’ (Tabasco Chontal).

If one translates literally sleep and rise night and day it may mean as in one language that the person is constantly disturbed night and day while he is sleeping. Many languages require that the sleeping and rising be properly paired with the night and day, e.g. ‘sleep in the night and rise in the day’ (Central Mazahua, Highland Puebla Nahuatl, Chicahuaxtla Triqui, Southern Subanen, Southern Bobo Madaré). However, in some languages one must shift the order of ‘night and day’ to ‘day and night,’ since the ordinary way of speaking of such succession is first to mention the day and then the night (Tetelcingo Nahuatl).

He does not know how must in some instances be expanded because of the implied ellipsis following how, e.g. ‘he does not know this happens’ (or ‘how they grow’), referring to the germination and growing process (Barrow Eskimo; cf. Toraja-Sa’dan and Indonesian ‘but he does not know how the growth goes’).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 4:27

4:27a

Night and day he sleeps and wakes: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Night and day he sleeps and wakes is literally: “he might sleep and rise, night and day.” This expression indicates that many days pass. It also indicates that the seeds sprout and grow while the farmer sleeps and while he is awake.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up (New International Version, 2011 edition)
-or-
He sleeps at night, is up and about during the day, and all the while (Good News Bible)
-or-
then going to bed each night and getting up every morning, while (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
While he is asleep and while he is awake, as both night and day pass…

4:27b

sprouts: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sprouts refers to the way seeds become plants. Use the proper expression in your language.

4:27c

though: The word though means “despite the fact that.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

Yet (Good News Bible)
-or-
but (New Century Version)
-or-
although (God’s Word)

he knows not how: The phrase he knows not how means that the man has no knowledge about the way a seed becomes a plant and grows.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

he has no idea how it happens (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
he is ignorant about the way they become plants and grow

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