Translation commentary on Mark 6:35 – 6:36

Text:

Verse 36. Instead of ti phagōsin ‘what they may eat’ of all modern editions of the Greek text, Textus Receptus has artous ti gar phagōsin ouk echousin ‘bread: for they have nothing to eat.’

Exegesis:

ēdē hōras pollēs genomenēs ‘it was already a late hour’: for the participial genitive clause used to express time cf. 6.21.

ēdē (4.37; 8.2; 11.11; 13.28; 15.42, 44) ‘already,’ ‘by now.’

hōra (11.11; 13.11, 32; 14.35, 37, 41; 15.25, 33, 34) ‘hour’: the expression hōra pollē means ‘late hour.’

proselthontes (cf. 1.31) ‘coming to,’ ‘approaching,’ ‘drawing near.’

apoluson autous ‘dismiss them,’ ‘send them away.’ The verb apoluō appears in Mark with three meanings: (1) ‘send away,’ ‘dismiss’ 6.36, 45; 8.3, 9; (2) ‘divorce’ 10.2, 4, 11, 12; (3) ‘release,’ ‘set free’ 15.6, 9, 11, 15.

eis tous kuklō agrous kai kōmas ‘to the nearby villages and towns.’

kuklō (cf. 3.34) ‘around,’ ‘surrounding,’ ‘nearby.’

agros (cf. 5.14) ‘hamlet,’ ‘small country town.’

kōmē (cf. 6.6) ‘village,’ ‘town.’

hina … agorasōsin heautois ti phagōsin ‘in order that … they may buy for themselves something they may eat.’

agorazō (6.37; 11.15; 15.46; 16.1) ‘buy,’ ‘purchase.’

ti phagōsin ‘what they may eat’: the interrogative pronoun ti is used here as a relative ‘something’: cf. 8.1, 2 for further examples.

Translation:

Grew late probably refers to late in the afternoon, perhaps toward sundown, but not late at night, for it is presumed that the village market places would still be open.

Send them away must not be understood in the sense of ‘getting rid of the people,’ but simply urging them to go and provide for themselves.

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 6:36

6:36a

Dismiss the crowd: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as Dismiss the crowd is in the form of a command. The disciples were suggesting to Jesus what they thought was a reasonable thing to do. They were not speaking harshly to Jesus. They were not forcing Jesus to do something.

If students use the form of a command in your language to make a suggestion to their teacher, you may translate this literally. But if it would be rude in your culture for a student to speak in this way to his teacher, you may need to use a more respectful form. For example:

Please send the crowds away…
-or-
We suggest that you send the crowds away…

Dismiss…: The word Dismiss in this context refers to telling the crowd that it was time for them to go home. Be careful not to translate this in a way that sounds like getting rid of people who are not wanted. You could use a verb such as:

send away/release
-or-
urge (them) to go

6:36b

so they can go: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so can also be translated as: “in order that.” This word introduces the purpose for 6:36a.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

that they may go (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
to go (Revised Standard Version)

countryside: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as countryside can also be translated as “farms” (as in the Good News Bible). This refers to places where a small group of people lived and where there was food. This same word occurs in 5:14b.

villages: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as villages refers to small towns or villages.

6:36c

and buy themselves something to eat: (There is a textual issue here: (1) Some Greek manuscripts have so…they may buy themselves what they may eat. For example, the Good News Bible says: “in order to buy themselves something to eat” (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, English Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version). (2) Some Greek manuscripts have and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat. For example, the King James Version says: “and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat” (King James Version). It is recommended that you follow option (1) as most English versions do.) The Greek says literally “so they may buy themselves what they may eat.”

Here is another way to translate the phrase something to eat:

some food

General Comment on 6:35c–36c

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate 6:35c–36c as indirect speech. For example:

35cThey told him that the area was remote and 36dthat the day was almost over. 36aTherefore he should send the people away 36bso that they could go to the surrounding farms and villages 36cand buy themselves something to eat.

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