Mark 12

Mc 12.1Et coepit illīs in parabolīs loquī: Vīneam pastināvit homō, et circumdedit sēpem, et fōdit lacum, et aedificāvit turrim, et locāvit eam agricolīs, et peregrē profectus est.

And he began to speak to them in comparisons: A man dug and planted a vineyard, and put a fence around it, and dug a pit, and built a tower, and rented it to farmers, and set out abroad.

Note. in parabolīs: 'in parables', comparisons drawn from everyday life (Greek parabolē). The man stands for God, the vineyard for Israel (an image from Isaiah 5), the tenant farmers for its leaders. lacus: the pit for the winepress. peregrē profectus est: 'went abroad'.

Mc 12.2Et mīsit ad agricolās in tempore servum ut ab agricolīs acciperet dē frūctū vīneae.

And he sent to the farmers, at the time, a slave, so that he might receive from the farmers some of the fruit of the vineyard.

Note. in tempore: 'at the (right) time', i.e. at the vintage. dē frūctū: dē with the ablative has a partitive sense, 'some of the fruit'.

Mc 12.3Quī apprehēnsum eum cecīdērunt, et dīmīsērunt vacuum.

They, having seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty.

Note. apprehēnsum eum cecīdērunt: 'they seized and beat him'; a perfect participle with the main verb is often best turned into two English verbs. cecīdērunt (long ī) is from caedō, 'beat'; cecidērunt (short i) would be from cadō, 'fall'.

Mc 12.4Et iterum mīsit ad illōs alium servum: et illum in capite vulnerāvērunt, et contumēliīs affēcērunt.

And again he sent to them another slave; and that one they wounded in the head, and treated with insults.

Note. contumēliīs affēcērunt: afficiō + ablative, 'treated with insults'.

Mc 12.5Et rūrsum alium mīsit, et illum occīdērunt: et plūrēs aliōs: quōsdam caedentēs, aliōs vērō occīdentēs.

And again he sent another, and him they killed; and more others: some beating, others, in fact, killing.

Note. quōsdam caedentēs, aliōs vērō occīdentēs: participles loosely attached to the subject, 'beating some, killing others'.

Mc 12.6Adhūc ergō ūnum habēns fīlium cārissimum, et illum mīsit ad eōs novissimum, dīcēns: Quia reverēbuntur fīlium meum.

Still, therefore, having one son, dearest, he sent him also to them, last, saying: That they will show respect to my son.

Note. cārissimum: superlative of cārus, 'dearest, beloved'. Quia reverēbuntur …: recitative quia; reverēbuntur is the future of the deponent revereor, 'respect'.

Mc 12.7Colōnī autem dīxērunt ad invicem: Hic est haerēs: venīte, occīdāmus eum: et nostra erit haerēditās.

The farmers, however, said to one another: This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and ours will be the inheritance.

Note. ad invicem: 'to one another'. haerēs and haerēditās are late spellings of hērēs, 'heir', and hērēditās, 'inheritance'. occīdāmus: hortatory subjunctive, 'let us kill'.

Mc 12.8Et apprehendentēs eum, occīdērunt: et ēiēcērunt extrā vīneam.

And seizing him, they killed him, and threw him out outside the vineyard.

Mc 12.9Quid ergō faciet dominus vīneae? Veniet, et perdet colōnōs, et dabit vīneam aliīs.

What therefore will the master of the vineyard do? He will come, and will destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.

Mc 12.10Nec scrīptūram hanc lēgistis: Lapidem quem reprobāvērunt aedificantēs, hic factus est in caput angulī:

Nor have you read this writing: The stone which those building rejected, this has been made into the head of the corner;

Note. The quotation is from Psalm 118. caput angulī: 'the head of the corner', the cornerstone. hic factus est: hic agrees with lapidem in sense; the case changes from accusative to nominative (attraction of the antecedent into the relative clause: Lapidem quem …).

Mc 12.11ā Dominō factum est istud, et est mīrābile in oculīs nostrīs?

from the Lord this has been made, and it is a marvel in our eyes?

Note. ā Dominō factum est istud: 'this has been done by the Lord'; istud is neuter, 'this thing'.

Mc 12.12Et quaerēbant eum tenēre: et timuērunt turbam: cognōvērunt enim quoniam ad eōs parabolam hanc dīxerit. Et relictō eō abiērunt.

And they were seeking to hold him, and they feared the crowd; for they recognized that he had spoken this comparison towards them. And, him left behind, they went away.

Note. quaerēbant eum tenēre: 'were seeking to arrest him'. cognōvērunt … quoniam … dīxerit: 'knew that he had spoken'; quoniam with the subjunctive replaces the accusative and infinitive. relictō eō: ablative absolute.

Mc 12.13Et mittunt ad eum quōsdam ex pharisaeīs, et hērōdiānīs, ut eum caperent in verbō.

And they send to him certain men from the Pharisees and Herodians, so that they might catch him in a word.

Note. Herodians: supporters of the family of Herod, who ruled under Roman protection. They would normally be on the opposite side from the Pharisees. ut eum caperent in verbō: 'to catch him in his talk'.

Mc 12.14Quī venientēs dīcunt eī: Magister, scīmus quia vērāx es, et nōn cūrās quemquam: nec enim vidēs in faciem hominum, sed in vēritāte viam Deī docēs. Licet darī tribūtum Caesarī, an nōn dabimus?

They, coming, say to him: Master, we know that you are truthful, and you do not care for anyone; for you do not look at the face of men, but in truth you teach the way of God. Is it allowed that tribute be given to Caesar, or shall we not give?

Note. nōn cūrās quemquam: 'you do not care about anyone', i.e. you are not swayed by anyone's rank. vidēs in faciem: 'look at the face', a Hebraism for showing favour. Licet darī tribūtum Caesarī: 'is it lawful for tribute to be given to Caesar?', the Roman poll tax paid by Judea. A 'yes' would anger the people; a 'no' would be treason to Rome.

Mc 12.15Quī sciēns versūtiam illōrum, ait illīs: Quid mē tentatis? afferte mihi dēnārium ut videam.

He, knowing their craftiness, says to them: Why do you test me? bring me a denarius, so that I may see.

Note. dēnārium: the Roman silver coin, a day's wage for a labourer, which bore the emperor's head (the emperor at the time was Tiberius).

Mc 12.16At illī attulērunt eī. Et ait illīs: Cuius est imāgō haec, et īnscrīptiō? Dīcunt eī: Caesaris.

But they brought it to him. And he says to them: Whose is this image, and the inscription? They say to him: Caesar's.

Note. Cuius: interrogative pronoun, 'whose?'. Caesaris: 'Caesar's'; 'Caesar' had become the title of the emperor.

Mc 12.17Respondēns autem Iēsus dīxit illīs: Reddite igitur quae sunt Caesaris, Caesarī: et quae sunt Deī, Deō. Et mīrābantur super eō.

But answering, Jesus said to them: Render therefore the things which are Caesar's, to Caesar; and the things which are God's, to God. And they were wondering over him.

Note. Reddite … quae sunt Caesaris, Caesarī: 'give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's'. The genitive Caesaris is predicative ('belong to Caesar'); the dative Caesarī is the indirect object.

Mc 12.18Et vēnērunt ad eum sadducaeī, quī dīcunt resurrēctiōnem nōn esse: et interrogābant eum, dīcentēs:

And there came to him Sadducees, who say that resurrection does not exist; and they were questioning him, saying:

Note. sadducaeī: the Sadducees, a party of priestly families who accepted only the five books of Moses and denied the resurrection of the dead. quī dīcunt resurrēctiōnem nōn esse: 'who say that there is no resurrection' (classical accusative and infinitive).

Mc 12.19Magister, Mōysēs nōbīs scrīpsit, ut sī cuius frāter mortuus fuerit, et dīmīserit uxōrem, et fīliōs nōn relīquerit, accipiat frāter eius uxōrem ipsīus, et resuscitet sēmen frātrī suō.

Master, Moses wrote for us that if the brother of someone has died, and has left a wife, and has not left sons, his brother is to take that man's wife, and is to raise up seed for his brother.

Note. The law (Deuteronomy 25) said that if a man died childless, his brother should marry the widow and raise a son in the dead man's name. sī cuius: 'if anyone's'; cuius is the genitive of the indefinite quis. accipiat … resuscitet: jussive subjunctives in an ut-clause after scrīpsit, 'that he should take … raise up'. sēmen: 'seed', i.e. offspring.

Mc 12.20Septem ergō frātrēs erant: et prīmus accēpit uxōrem, et mortuus est nōn relictō sēmine.

Seven brothers, then, there were; and the first took a wife, and died, no seed having been left.

Note. nōn relictō sēmine: ablative absolute, 'no offspring having been left'.

Mc 12.21Et secundus accēpit eam, et mortuus est: et nec iste relīquit sēmen. Et tertius similiter.

And the second took her, and died; and not even that one left seed. And the third in like manner.

Mc 12.22Et accēpērunt eam similiter septem: et nōn relīquērunt sēmen. Novissima omnium dēfūncta est et mulier.

And the seven took her in like manner, and did not leave seed. Newest of all, the woman also died.

Note. Novissima omnium: 'last of all'. dēfūncta est: from the deponent dēfungor, 'die' (literally 'finish (life)').

Mc 12.23In resurrēctiōne ergō cum resurrēxerint, cuius dē hīs erit uxor? septem enim habuērunt eam uxōrem.

In the resurrection, therefore, when they have risen again, of which of these will she be the wife? for seven had her as wife.

Note. cum resurrēxerint: future perfect, 'when they rise'. cuius dē hīs: 'whose of these'.

Mc 12.24Et respondēns Iēsus, ait illīs: Nōnne ideō errātis, nōn scientēs Scrīptūrās, neque virtūtem Deī?

And answering, Jesus says to them: Do you not wander for this reason, not knowing the Writings, nor the power of God?

Note. Nōnne ideō errātis …?: 'is it not for this reason that you go wrong?' errō means 'wander' and so 'be mistaken'. scientēs: present participle of sciō.

Mc 12.25Cum enim ā mortuīs resurrēxerint, neque nūbent, neque nūbentur, sed sunt sīcut angelī in caelīs.

For when they have risen again from the dead, they will neither marry, nor be married, but they are like angels in the heavens.

Note. neque nūbent neque nūbentur: active of the bride, passive of being given in marriage; together 'they neither marry nor are married'.

Mc 12.26Dē mortuīs autem quod resurgant, nōn lēgistis in librō Mōysī, super rubum, quōmodo dīxerit illī Deus, inquiēns: Ego sum Deus Abraham, et Deus Isaac, et Deus Iacob?

About the dead, moreover, that they rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, over the bramble bush, how God said to him, saying: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

Note. super rubum: 'at the bush', the burning bush of Exodus 3, where God spoke to Moses. quōmodo dīxerit: indirect question. inquiēns: a rare present participle of inquam, 'saying'. Abraham, Isaac, Iacob: indeclinable Hebrew names, here genitive.

Mc 12.27Nōn est Deus mortuōrum, sed vīvōrum. Vōs ergō multum errātis.

He is not the God of dead men, but of living men. You, therefore, wander much.

Mc 12.28Et accessit ūnus dē scrībīs, quī audierat illōs conquīrentēs, et vidēns quoniam bene illīs responderit, interrogāvit eum quod esset prīmum omnium mandātum.

And there came up one from the scribes, who had heard them disputing, and seeing that he had answered them well, he asked him which was the first precept of all.

Note. conquīrentēs: 'debating'. vidēns quoniam … responderit: 'seeing that he had answered'. quod esset prīmum …: indirect question; quod is an interrogative adjective with mandātum, 'which commandment was first'.

Mc 12.29Iēsus autem respondit eī: Quia prīmum omnium mandātum est: Audī Isrāël, Dominus Deus tuus, Deus ūnus est:

But Jesus answered him: That the first precept of all is: Hear, Israel, the Lord your God, God is one;

Note. Audī, Isrāël: the opening of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), the central Jewish confession of faith, said daily. Isrāël is vocative.

Mc 12.30et dīligēs Dominum Deum tuum ex tōtō corde tuō, et ex tōtā animā tuā, et ex tōtā mente tuā, et ex tōtā virtūte tuā. Hoc est prīmum mandātum.

and you will love the Lord your God out of your whole heart, and out of your whole soul, and out of your whole mind, and out of your whole strength. This is the first precept.

Note. dīligēs: the future indicative used as a command, 'you shall love' (a Hebrew and Greek habit). ex tōtō corde: 'out of / with the whole heart'.

Mc 12.31Secundum autem simile est illī: Dīligēs proximum tuum tamquam tēipsum. Maius hōrum aliud mandātum nōn est.

The second, moreover, is like to it: You will love your nearest one as you yourself. Greater than these, another precept there is not.

Note. Dīligēs proximum tuum tamquam tēipsum: from Leviticus 19:18. proximum: 'the one nearest', 'neighbour'. Maius hōrum: ablative of comparison would be classical; here the genitive hōrum is used, 'greater than these'.

Mc 12.32Et ait illī scrība: Bene, Magister, in vēritāte dīxistī, quia ūnus est Deus, et nōn est alius praeter eum.

And the scribe says to him: Well, Master, in truth you have spoken, that God is one, and there is not another besides him;

Mc 12.33Et ut dīligātur ex tōtō corde, et ex tōtō intellēctū, et ex tōtā animā, et ex tōtā fortitūdine, et dīligere proximum tamquam sēipsum, maius est omnibus holocautōmatibus, et sacrificiīs.

and that he be loved out of the whole heart, and out of the whole understanding, and out of the whole soul, and out of the whole strength, and to love one's nearest one as oneself, is greater than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Note. ut dīligātur: the ut-clause and the infinitive dīligere are both subjects of maius est, 'to love him … is greater'. holocautōmatibus: 'whole burnt offerings', sacrifices burnt entirely on the altar. omnibus … holocautōmatibus et sacrificiīs: ablatives of comparison after maius.

Mc 12.34Iēsus autem vidēns quod sapienter respondisset, dīxit illī: Nōn es longē ā regnō Deī. Et nēmō iam audēbat eum interrogāre.

But Jesus, seeing that he had answered wisely, said to him: You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no one now dared to question him.

Note. Nōn es longē ā regnō Deī: 'you are not far from the kingdom of God'.

Mc 12.35Et respondēns Iēsus dīcēbat, docēns in templō: Quōmodo dīcunt scrībae Chrīstum fīlium esse David?

And answering, Jesus was saying, teaching in the temple: In what way do the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

Note. Chrīstum: 'the Christ', Greek for 'the anointed one' (Hebrew Messiah), the king expected from David's line.

Mc 12.36Ipse enim David dīcit in Spīritū Sānctō: Dīxit Dominus Dominō meō: Sedē ā dextrīs meīs, dōnec pōnam inimīcōs tuōs scabellum pedum tuōrum.

For David himself says in the Holy Spirit: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right, until I place your enemies as a footstool of your feet.

Note. in Spīritū Sānctō: 'in (inspired by) the Holy Spirit'. The quotation is Psalm 110:1. ā dextrīs meīs: 'at my right', a plural idiom (literally 'from my right parts'). scabellum pedum tuōrum: 'a footstool for your feet', the image of a conquered enemy. dōnec pōnam: 'until I put'.

Mc 12.37Ipse ergō David dīcit eum Dominum, et unde est fīlius eius? Et multa turba eum libenter audīvit.

David himself, therefore, calls him Lord, and from where is he his son? And a great crowd heard him willingly.

Note. dīcit eum Dominum: dīcō with two accusatives, 'calls him Lord'. unde est fīlius eius?: 'how then is he his son?' (unde, 'from where', here 'how').

Mc 12.38Et dīcēbat eīs in doctrīnā suā: Cavēte ā scrībīs, quī volunt in stolīs ambulāre, et salūtārī in forō,

And he was saying to them in his teaching: Take care of the scribes, who want to walk about in long robes, and to be greeted in the forum,

Note. Cavēte ā scrībīs: caveō ā + ablative, 'beware of'. in stolīs: in long robes, a mark of status. salūtārī: passive infinitive, 'to be greeted'.

Mc 12.39et in prīmīs cathedrīs sedēre in synagōgīs, et prīmōs discubitūs in coenīs:

and to sit in the first chairs in the synagogues, and the first places at table at dinners;

Note. discubitūs in coenīs (= cēnīs): 'places at table at dinners'. Guests reclined on couches, and the places nearest the host were the most honoured.

Mc 12.40quī dēvorant domōs viduārum sub obtentū prōlixae ōrātiōnis: hī accipient prōlixius iūdicium.

who devour the houses of widows under the pretext of lengthy prayer: these will receive a more lengthy judgement.

Note. sub obtentū prōlixae ōrātiōnis: 'under the cover (pretext) of long prayer'. prōlixius iūdicium: a comparative, 'a more severe judgement'.

Mc 12.41Et sedēns Iēsus contrā gazophylacium, aspiciēbat quōmodo turba iactāret aes in gazophylacium, et multī dīvitēs iactābant multa.

And Jesus, sitting opposite the treasury chest, was looking at how the crowd was tossing bronze into the treasury chest; and many wealthy men were tossing many things.

Note. gazophylacium: Greek for 'treasury', here the offering chests in the Temple's Court of the Women. aes: 'bronze', i.e. copper money.

Mc 12.42Cum vēnisset autem vidua ūna pauper, mīsit duo minūta, quod est quadrāns,

But when one poor widow had come, she put in two little coins, which is a quarter-as.

Note. duo minūta: two lepta, the smallest coins in circulation. quadrāns: the smallest Roman coin, a quarter of an as. Mark explains the local coins in Roman terms for his readers.

Mc 12.43et convocāns discipulōs suōs, ait illīs: Āmēn dīcō vōbīs, quoniam vidua haec pauper plūs omnibus mīsit, quī mīsērunt in gazophylacium.

And calling together his disciples, he says to them: Amen I say to you, that this poor widow has put in more than all who have put into the treasury chest.

Note. plūs omnibus: 'more than all'; omnibus is an ablative of comparison.

Mc 12.44Omnēs enim ex eō, quod abundābat illīs, mīsērunt: haec vērō dē pēnūriā suā omnia quae habuit mīsit tōtum vīctum suum.

For all put in out of that which was overflowing to them; but she, out of her want, put in all things which she had, her whole livelihood.

Note. ex eō quod abundābat illīs: 'out of what was in excess for them', i.e. their surplus. dē pēnūriā suā: 'out of her want'. vīctum: 'living, means of life' (from vīvō).