Mark 2

Mc 2.1Et iterum intrāvit Capharnaum post diēs,

And again he went into Capernaum after days,

Note. intrāvit Capharnaum: no preposition with the indeclinable town name. post diēs: 'after (some) days'.

Mc 2.2et audītum est quod in domō esset, et convēnērunt multī, ita ut nōn caperet neque ad iānuam, et loquēbātur eīs verbum.

and it was heard that he was in the house; and many came together, so that it did not hold them, not even at the door; and he was speaking the word to them.

Note. audītum est quod in domō esset: 'it was heard that he was at home'. Late Latin often uses quod, quia or quoniam + a finite verb instead of the accusative and infinitive. caperet: 'there was no room', literally '(the place) did not hold (them)'.

Mc 2.3Et vēnērunt ad eum ferentēs paralyticum, quī ā quatuor portābātur.

And they came to him carrying a paralysed man, who was being carried by four.

Mc 2.4Et cum nōn possent offerre eum illī prae turbā, nūdāvērunt tēctum ubi erat: et patefacientēs submīsērunt grabātum in quō paralyticus iacēbat.

And when they could not bring him to him on account of the crowd, they stripped the roof where he was, and opening it up they let down the pallet on which the paralysed man was lying.

Note. nūdāvērunt tēctum: Palestinian houses had flat roofs of beams, branches and packed earth, reached by an outside stair. grabātus: a poor man's mat or camp bed.

Mc 2.5Cum autem vīdisset Iēsus fidem illōrum, ait paralyticō: Fīlī, dīmittuntur tibi peccāta tua.

But when Jesus had seen their faith, he says to the paralysed man: "Son, your sins are being let go for you."

Note. Fīlī: vocative of fīlius. dīmittuntur tibi peccāta: dīmittō, 'send away, let go', is the regular Vulgate verb for forgiving sins.

Mc 2.6Erant autem illīc quīdam dē scrībīs sedentēs, et cōgitantēs in cordibus suīs:

But there were there certain of the scribes, sitting and thinking in their hearts:

Mc 2.7Quid hic sīc loquitur? blasphēmat. Quis potest dīmittere peccāta, nisi sōlus Deus?

"Why does this man speak thus? He blasphemes. Who is able to let go sins, except God alone?"

Note. Quid hic sīc loquitur?: quid, 'why?'. hic, 'this fellow', is contemptuous. The scribes reason that only God can forgive sins against God, so Jesus is claiming a divine right.

Mc 2.8Quō statim cognitō Iēsus spīritū suō, quia sīc cōgitārent intrā sē, dīcit illīs: Quid ista cōgitātis in cordibus vestrīs?

Which thing having been recognized at once by Jesus in his spirit, that they were thinking thus within themselves, he says to them: "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

Mc 2.9Quid est facilius dīcere paralyticō: Dīmittuntur tibi peccāta: an dīcere: Surge, tolle grabātum tuum, et ambulā?

What is easier, to say to the paralysed man: 'Your sins are being let go for you', or to say: 'Get up, lift your pallet, and walk'?

Note. Quid est facilius …?: the two infinitive phrases are the alternatives, joined by an, 'or'.

Mc 2.10Ut autem sciātis quia Fīlius hominis habet potestātem in terrā dīmittendī peccāta (ait paralyticō),

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth of letting go sins" (he says to the paralysed man),

Note. Ut … sciātis quia …: purpose clause, with quia + indicative standing for an indirect statement ('know that'). Fīlius hominis, 'the Son of Man', is Jesus' usual way of speaking of himself in Mark. potestātem dīmittendī peccāta: gerund with a direct object, 'the power of forgiving sins'.

Mc 2.11tibi dīcō: Surge, tolle grabātum tuum, et vāde in domum tuam.

"to you I say: Get up, lift your pallet, and go into your house."

Mc 2.12Et statim surrēxit ille: et, sublātō grabātō, abiit cōram omnibus, ita ut mīrārentur omnēs, et honōrificent Deum, dīcentēs: Quia numquam sīc vīdimus.

And at once that man got up; and, the pallet having been lifted, he went away in front of all, so that all were amazed and gave honour to God, saying: "Never have we seen it thus."

Note. ita ut mīrārentur … et honōrificent: result clause; the second verb slips into the present subjunctive. Quia numquam sīc vīdimus: recitative quia again.

Mc 2.13Et ēgressus est rūrsus ad mare, omnisque turba veniēbat ad eum, et docēbat eōs.

And he went out again to the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.

Mc 2.14Et cum praeterīret, vīdit Levi Alphaeī sedentem ad telōnium, et ait illī: Sequere mē. Et surgēns secūtus est eum.

And as he was passing by, he saw Levi of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he says to him: "Follow me." And rising, he followed him.

Note. Levi is indeclinable. telōnium: a booth where tolls and customs dues were collected. Sequere: present imperative of the deponent sequor.

Mc 2.15Et factum est, cum accumberet in domō illīus, multī pūblicānī et peccātōrēs simul discumbēbant cum Iēsū et discipulīs eius: erant enim multī, quī et sequēbantur eum.

And it was done, when he was reclining at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining together with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many, who also were following him.

Note. Et factum est, cum …: 'and it happened that, while …'. accumberet, discumbēbant: at a formal meal guests reclined on couches. pūblicānī: tax collectors, despised as collaborators with the Roman and Herodian authorities.

Mc 2.16Et scrībae et pharisaeī videntēs quia mandūcāret cum pūblicānīs et peccātōribus, dīcēbant discipulīs eius: Quārē cum pūblicānīs et peccātōribus mandūcat et bibit Magister vester?

And the scribes and Pharisees, seeing that he was eating with tax collectors and sinners, were saying to his disciples: "Why does your Master eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

Note. videntēs quia mandūcāret: 'seeing that he was eating', quia + subjunctive for indirect statement. mandūcō, originally 'chew', is the everyday Late Latin word for 'eat' (Italian mangiare, French manger).

Mc 2.17Hōc audītō Iēsus ait illīs: Nōn necesse habent sānī medicō, sed quī male habent: nōn enim vēnī vocāre iūstōs, sed peccātōrēs.

This having been heard, Jesus says to them: "The healthy do not have need of a doctor, but those who have it badly; for I did not come to call just people, but sinners."

Note. Nōn necesse habent: 'they have no need'; necesse habeō is a late idiom. quī male habent: 'those who are unwell'.

Mc 2.18Et erant discipulī Iōannis et pharisaeī iēiūnantēs: et veniunt, et dīcunt illī: Quārē discipulī Iōannis et pharisaeōrum iēiūnant, tuī autem discipulī nōn iēiūnant?

And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting; and they come, and say to him: "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"

Mc 2.19Et ait illīs Iēsus: Numquid possunt fīliī nūptiārum, quamdiū spōnsus cum illīs est, iēiūnāre? Quantō tempore habent sēcum spōnsum, nōn possunt iēiūnāre.

And Jesus says to them: "Surely the sons of the wedding cannot fast, for as long as the bridegroom is with them? For how much time they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

Note. Numquid possunt …?: numquid expects the answer 'no'. fīliī nūptiārum: 'the sons of the wedding', a Hebraism for the wedding guests. Quantō tempore …: 'for as long as …'.

Mc 2.20Venient autem diēs cum auferētur ab eīs spōnsus: et tunc iēiūnābunt in illīs diēbus.

But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; and then they will fast, in those days.

Note. Venient … diēs cum auferētur: 'the days will come when … will be taken away', cum with a future indicative.

Mc 2.21Nēmō assūmentum pannī rudis assuit vestīmentō veterī: aliōquīn aufert supplēmentum novum ā veterī, et maior scissūra fit.

No one sews a patch of raw cloth onto an old garment; otherwise the new piece takes away from the old, and a greater split is made.

Note. Unshrunk cloth will shrink when the garment is washed and tear away from the old fabric. maior scissūra: comparative, 'a worse tear'.

Mc 2.22Et nēmō mittit vīnum novum in utrēs veterēs: aliōquīn dīrumpet vīnum utrēs, et vīnum effundētur, et utrēs perībunt: sed vīnum novum in utrēs novōs mittī dēbet.

And no one sends new wine into old skins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine will be poured out, and the skins will perish; but new wine must be sent into new skins."

Note. ūter, -tris (short u) is a wineskin, made of goat hide. New wine still fermenting would stretch the skin; an old, stiff skin would burst.

Mc 2.23Et factum est iterum cum Dominus sabbatīs ambulāret per sata, et discipulī eius coepērunt prōgredī, et vellere spīcās.

And it was done again, when the Lord on the sabbaths was walking through the sown fields, and his disciples began to go forward and to pluck ears of grain.

Note. per sata: sata, 'sown fields', from serō. The Law allowed travellers to pluck grain by hand from a neighbour's field (Deuteronomy 23:25); the complaint was about doing it on the Sabbath, when reaping was forbidden.

Mc 2.24Pharisaeī autem dīcēbant eī: Ecce, quid faciunt sabbatīs quod nōn licet?

But the Pharisees were saying to him: "Look, why do they do on the sabbaths that which is not allowed?"

Note. quod nōn licet: 'what is not lawful'. licet + dative and infinitive is the regular construction ('it is permitted to someone to …').

Mc 2.25Et ait illīs: Numquam lēgistis quid fēcerit David, quandō necessitātem habuit, et ēsuriit ipse, et quī cum eō erant?

And he says to them: "Have you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry, himself and those who were with him?

Note. The story is in 1 Samuel 21. quid fēcerit David: indirect question with the perfect subjunctive.

Mc 2.26quōmodo introīvit in domum Deī sub Abiathar prīncipe sacerdōtum, et pānēs prōpositiōnis mandūcāvit, quōs nōn licēbat mandūcāre, nisi sacerdōtibus, et dedit eīs quī cum eō erant?

How he went into the house of God under Abiathar, chief of the priests, and ate the loaves of setting-out, which it was not allowed to eat except for the priests, and gave to those who were with him?"

Note. pānēs prōpositiōnis: the twelve loaves 'of setting out' placed before God in the sanctuary each Sabbath and eaten afterwards by the priests. sub Abiathar: 'in the time of Abiathar'.

Mc 2.27Et dīcēbat eīs: Sabbatum propter hominem factum est, et nōn homō propter sabbatum.

And he was saying to them: "The sabbath was made on account of the human being, and not the human being on account of the sabbath.

Note. A neat chiasmus (A B / B A): sabbatum … hominem, homō … sabbatum.

Mc 2.28Itaque Dominus est Fīlius hominis, etiam sabbatī.

Therefore the Son of Man is Lord, also of the sabbath."