Translation commentary on Mark 5:1 – 5:2

Text:

Instead of Gerasēnōn ‘Gerasenes’ of the great majority of modern editions of the Greek text, Textus Receptus and Vogels have Gadarenōn ‘Gaderenes’ (the correct reading in Mt. 8.28).

Exegesis:

tēn chōran tōn Gerasēnōn ‘the region of the Gerasenes’ (cf. 1.5 for chōra ‘region’): for the exact identification of this region, which is disputed.

hupēntēsen (only here in Mark) ‘he met,’ ‘he encountered’; sometimes in a hostile sense (cf. Lk. 14.31).

ek tōn mnēmeiōn ‘out of the tombs,’ i.e. ‘coming out of the tombs’ (cf. Goodspeed, Manson, The Modern Speech New Testament).

mnēmeion (6.29; 15.46; 16.3, 5, 8) ‘grave,’ ‘tomb’ (synonym of mnēma ‘tomb’ vv. 3, 5).

Translation:

For difficulties involved in expressions of ‘going to the other side,’ see 4.35.

The country of the Gerasenes may be variously translated, depending upon the usage of the receptor language in question, e.g. ‘land where the Gerasenes lived,’ ‘land which belonged to the Gerasene people,’ ‘region inhabited by the Gerasene tribe.’

The apposition involved in the expressions to the other side … to the country … may be treated in some instances as two paratactically combined clauses: ‘they went to the other side of the lake; this was the land of the Gerasene people.’

For problems involved in verbs for ‘coming’ and ‘going’ see 1.14. In many languages one must translate came to the other side as ‘arrived at the other side’ and come out of the boat as ‘went out of…’ or ‘climbed out of….’

The word tombs refers either to cave-like rooms cut into the rock or small mausoleum-like structures, which might provide some shelter for the demoniac. If people have a custom of burying the dead in such places, there is generally no problem, except where, as in one language, the informants insisted that the demoniac could not come out of more than one tomb at a time, hence, ‘met him, coming out of the tomb’ or ‘met him, coming from where the tombs were.’ On the other hand, if people bury only in holes in the ground, it would be quite misleading to imply that the demoniac came out of the graves in the ground. In such instances, the closest equivalent is usually ‘came from where the dead were buried,’ i.e. from the cemetery.

For unclean spirit see 1.26.

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 5:2

5:2a

As soon as Jesus got out of the boat: When Jesus got out of the boat, his disciples probably also got out of it. The author does not mention the disciples here, because Jesus is in focus. However, in some languages it may be confusing not to include the disciples. If that is true in your language, here are some ways to include them:

As soon as they got out of the boat
-or-
As soon as Jesus along with the disciples got out of the boat
-or-
As soon as Jesus and the disciples got out of the boat

Some languages may have a plural form that indicates a person and those with him. For example:

plural Jesus

Be alert for ways in your language to keep the focus on Jesus while still indicating that the disciples were also with him.

As soon as: In the Greek text, 5:2a begins with a word that indicates in this context that the man came as soon as Jesus arrived.

Here are some other ways to indicate this:

Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat (NET Bible)
-or-
And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
When he was getting out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit quickly ran to him… (Contemporary English Version)

5:2b–c

In some languages, it may be natural to combine the information in these verse parts with 5:3a. See the General Comment on 5:2b–3a at the end of 5:3a for an example of how to do this.

He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs: This clause describes:

(a) how a man met Jesus,

(b) the problem the man had,

(c) where he came from.

Consider what is a natural way in your language to introduce a new participant in a story. Also consider what is a natural order to give the details about him and what he does.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

There was a man there who had an evil spirit and lived among the tombs. He came immediately to meet Jesus.
-or-
immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him (New Revised Standard Version)

5:2b

He was met by a man with an unclean spirit: While the Berean Standard Bible translates this clause as passive, it is active in Greek, and in some languages it may be more natural to translate it as active. For example, the New Revised Standard Version says:

a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him

He was met by: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as met simply indicates that the man came to where Jesus was. The verb can be used for many contexts, including when people meet to oppose each other. The context implies that the unclean spirit in the man was hostile toward Jesus. Your translation should not imply that the man wanted to welcome Jesus or to greet him politely. It should also not imply that Jesus and the man had already decided to meet together. Some English versions simply say:

came to him (New Century Version)
-or-
came up to him (Revised English Bible)

a man with an unclean spirit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as with an unclean spirit indicates that an unclean spirit controlled the man’s thoughts and actions.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

controlled by an evil spirit (God’s Word)
-or-
possessed by an evil spirit (New Living Translation)
-or-
on whom an unclean spirit had fastened
-or-
on whom an unclean spirit was riding

Use an expression that is natural in your language to refer to an unclean spirit controlling a person. Refer to how you translated this same phrase in 1:23a. See also evil spirit in the Glossary for more information.

unclean spirit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unclean spirit refers to a spirit that is evil and can control people’s actions. The phrase unclean spirit refers to the same type of spirit as the Greek terms that are often translated as “demon” and “evil spirit.”

Here are some other ways to translate unclean spirit:

• Use a general term in your language that refers to spirits that are evil and can control people. If there is one word with this meaning, you may not need a separate word such as “unclean.” For example:

demon

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to a certain type of spirit. This spirit should be able to do what is described in this context. Do not use a term that refers to the spirit of a dead person.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

an evil/bad spirit
-or-
an impure spirit (New International Version, 2011 edition)

If you translate this as “unclean spirit” as the Berean Standard Bible does, be sure that your translation does not imply that the spirit was literally dirty.

Refer to how you translated this term in 1:23a. See also evil spirit in the Glossary for more information.

5:2c

from the tombs: The man came to them from a place where there were tombs. This place was probably near the lake. Be sure that your translation does not imply that the man was a ghost.

The tombs were caves or small rooms that were cut out of a rock hillside. The people placed dead bodies in the tombs. Your translation should not imply that the man came up out of a grave that was dug down into the ground. It may be helpful to say something like:

out of caves where dead bodies were put
-or-
from the cemetery

Consider using a footnote to explain the burial practices of the Jews and other peoples who lived nearby. Here is an example of a possible footnote:

It was customary for Jews and nearby peoples to put the dead in natural caves or caves that were cut into rock hillsides.

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