Mark 10

Mc 10.1Et inde exsurgēns vēnit in fīnēs Iūdaeae ultrā Iordānem: et conveniunt iterum turbae ad eum: et sīcut cōnsuēverat, iterum docēbat illōs.

And rising up from there he comes into the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan; and crowds come together again to him, and as he had been accustomed, again he was teaching them.

Note. Iūdaeae … ultrā Iordānem: Judea and the land east of the Jordan (Perea). The present tenses venit … conveniunt are 'historic presents', very common in Mark: tell the story in the past. sīcut cōnsuēverat: pluperfect of cōnsuēscō with present-like sense, 'as he was accustomed'.

Mc 10.2Et accēdentēs pharisaeī interrogābant eum: Sī licet virō uxōrem dīmittere: tentantēs eum.

And coming up, Pharisees were asking him if it is allowed for a husband to dismiss a wife, testing him.

Note. Sī licet …: in late and biblical Latin sī can introduce a question, direct or indirect, 'whether'. tentantēs (classical temptantēs): present participle, 'testing him', i.e. hoping to trap him.

Mc 10.3At ille respondēns, dīxit eīs: Quid vōbīs praecēpit Mōysēs?

But he, answering, said to them: What did Moses order you?

Mc 10.4Quī dīxērunt: Mōysēs permīsit libellum repudiī scrībere, et dīmittere.

They said: Moses permitted to write a little document of divorce, and to dismiss.

Note. libellum repudiī: a 'little document of divorce'; repudium is the formal rejection of a spouse. The law referred to is Deuteronomy 24:1.

Mc 10.5Quibus respondēns Iēsus, ait: Ad dūritiam cordis vestrī scrīpsit vōbīs praeceptum istud:

Answering them, Jesus says: In view of the hardness of your heart he wrote for you that order;

Note. Quibus: a connecting relative, 'to them' (= eīs). Ad dūritiam cordis: ad here means 'with regard to, because of'.

Mc 10.6ab initiō autem creātūrae masculum et fēminam fēcit eōs Deus.

but from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.

Note. masculum et fēminam: quoted from Genesis 1:27. creātūrae is genitive of creātūra, 'creation'.

Mc 10.7Propter hoc relinquet homō patrem suum et mātrem, et adhaerēbit ad uxōrem suam:

On account of this a man will leave his father and mother, and will hold fast to his wife,

Note. adhaerēbit ad uxōrem: classical Latin would put a dative (uxōrī); biblical Latin often uses ad + accusative where classical Latin has a dative.

Mc 10.8et erunt duo in carne ūnā. Itaque iam nōn sunt duo, sed ūna carō.

and the two will be in one flesh. And so now they are not two, but one flesh.

Note. erunt duo in carne ūnā: a Hebraism, literally 'the two will be into/in one flesh' (Hebrew le-, 'become'). duo is nominative plural; ūnā agrees with carne.

Mc 10.9Quod ergō Deus coniūnxit, homō nōn sēparet.

What therefore God has joined, a man is not to separate.

Note. Quod … coniūnxit: a relative clause standing as the object of sēparet: '(that) which God joined'. sēparet: jussive subjunctive, 'let no man separate'.

Mc 10.10Et in domō iterum discipulī eius dē eōdem interrogāvērunt eum.

And in the house again his disciples questioned him about the same matter.

Mc 10.11Et ait illīs: Quīcumque dīmīserit uxōrem suam, et aliam dūxerit, adulterium committit super eam.

And he says to them: Whoever dismisses his wife and takes another commits adultery towards her.

Note. Quīcumque dīmīserit … dūxerit: future perfect in a general relative clause, 'whoever has dismissed …'. dūcere (uxōrem): 'to marry', literally 'to lead (a wife home)'. super eam: 'against her'.

Mc 10.12Et sī uxor dīmīserit virum suum, et aliī nūpserit, moechātur.

And if a wife dismisses her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.

Note. nūbō (+ dative) is said of the woman: 'to marry (a man)'. moechātur: deponent, 'commits adultery' (from the Greek).

Mc 10.13Et offerēbant illī parvulōs ut tangeret illōs. Discipulī autem comminābantur offerentibus.

And they were offering little ones to him, so that he might touch them. But the disciples were threatening those offering them.

Note. parvulōs: 'little ones', young children. comminābantur offerentibus: comminor takes the dative, 'threatened / scolded those bringing them'.

Mc 10.14Quōs cum vidēret Iēsus, indignē tulit, et ait illīs: Sinite parvulōs venīre ad mē, et nē prohibuerītis eōs: tālium enim est regnum Deī.

When Jesus saw them, he bore it with indignation, and says to them: Allow the little ones to come to me, and do not hinder them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

Note. indignē tulit: 'he took it badly', 'was indignant'. nē prohibuerītis: a prohibition with nē and the perfect subjunctive, 'do not hinder'. tālium … est regnum: predicative genitive, 'the kingdom belongs to such as these'.

Mc 10.15Āmēn dīcō vōbīs: Quisquis nōn recēperit regnum Deī velut parvulus, nōn intrābit in illud.

Amen I say to you: whoever has not received the kingdom of God like a little one, will not enter into it.

Note. Āmēn: a Hebrew word ('surely, truly') that Jesus uses to begin solemn statements. It is not translated into Latin but kept as it is.

Mc 10.16Et complexāns eōs, et impōnēns manūs super illōs, benedīcēbat eōs.

And embracing them, and placing his hands upon them, he was blessing them.

Mc 10.17Et cum ēgressus esset in viam, prōcurrēns quīdam genū flexō ante eum, rogābat eum: Magister bone, quid faciam ut vītam aeternam percipiam?

And when he had gone out into the road, a certain man, running forward with knee bent before him, was asking him: Good master, what am I to do so that I may obtain eternal life?

Note. genū flexō: ablative absolute, 'with knee bent'. quid faciam: deliberative subjunctive, 'what am I to do?' percipiam: 'gain, obtain'.

Mc 10.18Iēsus autem dīxit eī: Quid mē dīcis bonum? nēmō bonus, nisi ūnus Deus.

But Jesus said to him: Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one, God.

Note. Quid mē dīcis bonum?: dīcō with two accusatives, 'call me good'. nisi ūnus Deus: 'except God alone'.

Mc 10.19Praecepta nōstī: nē adulterēs, nē occīdās, nē fūrēris, nē falsum testimōnium dīxerīs, nē fraudem fēcerīs, honōrā patrem tuum et mātrem.

You know the precepts: Do not commit adultery, do not slay, do not steal, do not speak false testimony, do not do fraud, honour your father and mother.

Note. The commandments are given as prohibitions with nē + subjunctive (adulterēs, occīdās, fūrēris, dīxerīs, fēcerīs). fūrēris is from the deponent fūror, -ārī, 'steal', not from the noun furor 'rage'. nōstī = nōvistī, 'you know'.

Mc 10.20At ille respondēns, ait illī: Magister, haec omnia observāvī ā iuventūte meā.

But he, answering, says to him: Master, all these things I have observed from my youth.

Mc 10.21Iēsus autem intuitus eum, dīlēxit eum, et dīxit eī: Ūnum tibi dēest: vāde, quaecumque habēs vēnde, et dā pauperibus, et habēbis thēsaurum in caelō: et venī, sequere mē.

But Jesus, having looked at him, loved him, and said to him: One thing is wanting to you: go, whatever things you have, sell, and give to the poor, and you will have a treasure in the sky; and come, follow me.

Note. intuitus is the perfect participle of the deponent intueor, 'having looked at'. vāde, vēnde, dā, venī, sequere: a chain of imperatives. sequere is the imperative of the deponent sequor.

Mc 10.22Quī contrīstātus in verbō, abiit moerēns: erat enim habēns multās possessiōnēs.

He, saddened at the word, went away grieving; for he was having many possessions.

Note. erat … habēns: the periphrastic 'was having', a Greek-style construction common in the Vulgate (= habēbat).

Mc 10.23Et circumspiciēns Iēsus, ait discipulīs suīs: Quam difficile quī pecūniās habent, in regnum Deī introībunt!

And looking around, Jesus says to his disciples: How with difficulty those who have moneys will go in into the kingdom of God!

Note. Quam difficile …: an exclamation, 'how with difficulty!' (difficile used as an adverb). pecūniās: the plural means 'riches, money'.

Mc 10.24Discipulī autem obstupēscēbant in verbīs eius. At Iēsus rūrsus respondēns ait illīs: Fīliolī, quam difficile est, cōnfīdentēs in pecūniīs, in regnum Deī introīre!

But the disciples were becoming stunned at his words. But Jesus, again answering, says to them: Little sons, how difficult it is, for those trusting in moneys, to go in into the kingdom of God!

Note. Fīliolī: vocative plural of fīliolus, a fond diminutive, 'children'. cōnfīdentēs in pecūniīs: accusative subject of the infinitive introīre.

Mc 10.25Facilius est camēlum per forāmen acūs trānsīre, quam dīvitem intrāre in regnum Deī.

Easier is it for a camel to pass across through the hole of a needle, than for a wealthy man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Note. Facilius est … quam …: 'it is easier for a camel to pass … than for a rich man to enter'. The accusatives camēlum and dīvitem are the subjects of the infinitives. acūs: genitive of acus, -ūs, 'needle'.

Mc 10.26Quī magis admīrābantur, dīcentēs ad sēmetipsōs: Et quis potest salvus fierī?

They were wondering more, saying towards themselves: And who is able to become safe?

Note. ad sēmetipsōs: 'to one another' (sē + the emphatic -met + ipsōs). salvus fierī: 'to be saved', literally 'to become safe'.

Mc 10.27Et intuēns illōs Iēsus, ait: Apud hominēs impossibile est, sed nōn apud Deum: omnia enim possibilia sunt apud Deum.

And Jesus, gazing at them, says: Among men it is impossible, but not among God; for all things are possible among God.

Note. Apud hominēs … apud Deum: apud with persons, 'in the eyes of, with'.

Mc 10.28Et coepit eī Petrus dīcere: Ecce nōs dīmīsimus omnia, et secūtī sumus tē.

And Peter began to say to him: See, we have dismissed all things, and have followed you.

Mc 10.29Respondēns Iēsus, ait: Āmēn dīcō vōbīs: Nēmō est quī relīquerit domum, aut frātrēs, aut sorōrēs, aut patrem, aut mātrem, aut fīliōs, aut agrōs propter mē et propter Evangelium,

Answering, Jesus said: Amen I say to you: there is no one who has left a house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or sons, or fields on account of me and on account of the Gospel,

Note. Nēmō est quī relīquerit … quī nōn accipiat: relative clauses of characteristic, with the subjunctive: 'there is no one who has left … who will not receive …'.

Mc 10.30quī nōn accipiat centiēs tantum, nunc in tempore hōc: domōs, et frātrēs, et sorōrēs, et mātrēs, et fīliōs, et agrōs, cum persecūtiōnibus, et in saeculō futūrō vītam aeternam.

who will not receive a hundred times as much, now in this time: houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and sons, and fields, with persecutions, and in the age about to be, eternal life.

Note. centiēs tantum: 'a hundred times as much'. in saeculō futūrō: 'in the age to come'; saeculum often means 'age, world' in Christian Latin.

Mc 10.31Multī autem erunt prīmī novissimī, et novissimī prīmī.

Many, however, being first will be last, and the last first.

Note. novissimī: 'last' (the superlative of novus, 'newest', hence 'last'). A short saying built on chiasmus: first … last, last … first.

Mc 10.32Erant autem in viā ascendentēs Ierosolymam: et praecēdēbat illōs Iēsus, et stupēbant: et sequentēs timēbant. Et assūmēns iterum duodecim, coepit illīs dīcere quae essent eī ēventūra.

They were, moreover, on the road, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were stunned; and those following were afraid. And taking up the twelve again, he began to say to them the things which were to happen to him:

Note. ascendentēs Ierosolymam: going 'up' to Jerusalem, which stands high in the hills; the accusative of a town name with no preposition expresses motion towards. quae essent eī ēventūra: indirect question with the future participle, 'what was going to happen to him'.

Mc 10.33Quia ecce ascendimus Ierosolymam, et Fīlius hominis trādētur prīncipibus sacerdōtum, et scrībīs, et seniōribus, et damnābunt eum morte, et trādent eum gentibus:

That, see, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be handed over to the leaders of the priests, and to the scribes, and to the elders, and they will condemn him to death, and will hand him over to the nations;

Note. Quia: 'recitative' quia, introducing direct speech like a colon or quotation mark; leave it untranslated. This is a Greek habit (hoti) copied into the Vulgate. Fīlius hominis: 'Son of Man', Jesus' usual way of referring to himself. gentibus: 'the Gentiles', the non-Jewish peoples (here the Romans).

Mc 10.34et illūdent eī, et cōnspuent eum, et flagellābunt eum, et interficient eum: et tertiā diē resurget.

and they will make sport of him, and spit on him, and lash him, and kill him; and on the third day he will rise again.

Note. tertiā diē: ablative of time when. The future tenses run in a chain: illūdent, cōnspuent, flagellābunt, interficient, resurget.

Mc 10.35Et accēdunt ad eum Iacōbus et Iōannēs fīliī Zebedaeī, dīcentēs: Magister, volumus ut quodcumque petierimus, faciās nōbīs.

And there come up to him James and John, sons of Zebedee, saying: Master, we want that whatever we ask, you do for us.

Note. Iacōbus et Iōannēs fīliī Zebedaeī: James and John, fishermen, two of the first disciples. volumus ut … faciās: volō + ut + subjunctive, 'we want you to do'. petierimus: future perfect, 'whatever we (shall) have asked'.

Mc 10.36At ille dīxit eīs: Quid vultis ut faciam vōbīs?

But he said to them: What do you want that I do for you?

Note. Quid vultis ut faciam: 'what do you want me to do?' (literally 'what do you want that I do?').

Mc 10.37Et dīxērunt: Dā nōbīs ut ūnus ad dexteram tuam, et alius ad sinistram tuam sedeāmus in glōriā tuā.

And they said: Give to us that we may sit, one at your right, and the other at your left, in your glory.

Note. ad dexteram … ad sinistram: 'at the right (hand) … at the left'; manum is understood. The places of highest honour beside a king.

Mc 10.38Iēsus autem ait eīs: Nescītis quid petātis: potestis bibere calicem, quem ego bibō, aut baptismō, quō ego baptizor, baptizārī?

But Jesus says to them: You do not know what you are seeking. Are you able to drink the cup which I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?

Note. calicem … baptismō: 'cup' and 'baptism' are images of the suffering he will undergo. baptizor: the passive of a Greek verb, 'I am dipped, baptized'.

Mc 10.39At illī dīxērunt eī: Possumus. Iēsus autem ait eīs: Calicem quidem, quem ego bibō, bibētis; et baptismō, quō ego baptizor, baptizābiminī:

But they said to him: We are able. But Jesus says to them: The cup indeed which I drink, you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;

Mc 10.40sedēre autem ad dexteram meam, vel ad sinistram, nōn est meum dare vōbīs, sed quibus parātum est.

but to sit at my right, or at my left, is not mine to give to you, but for whom it has been prepared.

Note. nōn est meum dare: 'it is not mine to give'. sed quibus parātum est: supply 'it is for those' before quibus.

Mc 10.41Et audientēs decem, coepērunt indignārī dē Iacōbō et Iōanne.

And the ten, hearing, began to be indignant about James and John.

Mc 10.42Iēsus autem vocāns eōs, ait illīs: Scītis quia hī, quī videntur prīncipārī gentibus, dominantur eīs: et prīncipēs eōrum potestātem habent ipsōrum.

But Jesus, calling them, says to them: You know that these, who are seen to rule over the nations, are masters over them; and their leaders have power over them.

Note. Scītis quia …: in the Vulgate, quia (or quod, quoniam) + indicative often replaces the classical accusative and infinitive after verbs of knowing and saying: 'you know that …'. videntur prīncipārī: 'are seen to rule' or 'are reckoned to rule'. dominantur eīs: dominor takes the dative here.

Mc 10.43Nōn ita est autem in vōbīs, sed quīcumque voluerit fierī maior, erit vester minister:

It is not so, however, among you, but whoever wants to become greater will be your attendant;

Note. quīcumque voluerit: future perfect, 'whoever wishes'. maior: comparative of magnus.

Mc 10.44et quīcumque voluerit in vōbīs prīmus esse, erit omnium servus.

and whoever wants to be first among you, will be the slave of all.

Mc 10.45Nam et Fīlius hominis nōn vēnit ut ministrārētur eī, sed ut ministrāret, et daret animam suam redēmptiōnem prō multīs.

For the Son of man also did not come so that it might be ministered to him, but so that he might minister, and might give his soul as a ransom for many.

Note. ut ministrārētur eī: impersonal passive with a dative, literally 'that it be served to him', i.e. 'to be served'. animam: 'life' (soul). redēmptiōnem: 'as a ransom', in apposition to animam.

Mc 10.46Et veniunt Iericho: et proficīscente eō dē Iericho, et discipulīs eius, et plūrimā multitūdine, fīlius Timaeī Bartimaeus caecus, sedēbat iūxtā viam mendīcāns.

And they come to Jericho; and as he was setting out from Jericho, and his disciples, and a very large multitude, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind man, was sitting beside the road, begging.

Note. Iericho: an indeclinable Hebrew name, used here as accusative (motion to) and ablative (dē Iericho). proficīscente eō … et discipulīs … et plūrimā multitūdine: a long ablative absolute, 'as he and his disciples and a very large crowd were setting out'. Bartimaeus means 'son of Timaeus' in Aramaic, which the Latin explains.

Mc 10.47Quī cum audīsset quia Iēsus Nazarēnus est, coepit clāmāre, et dīcere: Iēsū fīlī David, miserēre meī.

He, when he had heard that it is Jesus the Nazarene, began to cry out and to say: Jesus, son of David, pity me.

Note. audīsset quia … est: 'had heard that it was'; quia + indicative replaces the accusative and infinitive. Iēsū is vocative; fīlī David: 'son of David' was a title for the expected Messiah, a descendant of King David. miserēre meī: misereor takes the genitive, 'have pity on me'.

Mc 10.48Et comminābantur eī multī ut tacēret. At ille multō magis clāmābat: Fīlī David, miserēre meī.

And many were threatening him, so that he would be silent. But he was crying out much more: Son of David, pity me.

Note. multō magis: 'much more'; multō is ablative of degree of difference.

Mc 10.49Et stāns Iēsus praecēpit illum vocārī. Et vocant caecum, dīcentēs eī: Animaequior estō: surge, vocat tē.

And standing, Jesus ordered him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying to him: Be of calmer mind; rise, he calls you.

Note. praecēpit illum vocārī: 'ordered him to be called', accusative and passive infinitive. Animaequior estō: 'be of better courage'; estō is the future imperative of sum. animaequus is a late compound of animus and aequus.

Mc 10.50Quī prōiectō vestīmentō suō exiliēns, vēnit ad eum.

He, his garment thrown away, leaping out, came to him.

Note. prōiectō vestīmentō suō: ablative absolute, 'his cloak having been thrown off'. exiliēns (= exsiliēns): 'leaping up'.

Mc 10.51Et respondēns Iēsus dīxit illī: Quid tibi vīs faciam? Caecus autem dīxit eī: Rabboni, ut videam.

And answering, Jesus said to him: What do you want that I do for you? But the blind man said to him: Rabboni, that I may see.

Note. Quid tibi vīs faciam?: vīs + subjunctive without ut, 'what do you want me to do?'. Rabboni: an Aramaic form of rabbi, 'my master'.

Mc 10.52Iēsus autem ait illī: Vāde, fidēs tua tē salvum fēcit. Et cōnfestim vīdit, et sequēbātur eum in viā.

But Jesus says to him: Go, your faith has made you safe. And immediately he saw, and was following him on the road.

Note. fidēs tua tē salvum fēcit: facio with a predicate adjective, 'has made you safe / well'. salvus covers both 'healed' and 'saved'.