I have kept all these since my youth

The Greek that is translated as “I have kept all these since my youth” or similar in English is translated in Githabul as “When I was a boy I heard [obeyed] all these things, I have never been disobedient [not hearing] to what you have said.” It was not possible to say “I have done all these things,” since that would have meant he killed, committed adultery, stole, etc. (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (Mark 10:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 10:20:

  • Uma: “The person said: ‘Teacher, all those commands, I have followed them all from when I was small.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘Na, Sir,’ he said, ‘all that I have followed/obeyed since I was a child.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the man answered Jesus, he said, ‘Teacher, all of those I have observed and I have not transgressed them beginning from the time I was still a child.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then that man said, ‘Sir teacher, beginning from my youth I have been obeying all these laws.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Teacher,’ said that man, ‘as for all that, I have been following/obeying that since my childhood.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 10:20

Exegesis:

There is no evidence, either in the man’s statement, or in Jesus’ reply, that these words are an exaggeration or a falsehood (cf. Lagrange).

ephulaxamēn (only here in Mark) ‘I kept,’ ‘I guarded’: with reference to a commandment, as here, the verb means ‘observe,’ ‘follow.’

ek neotētos ‘from youth (up to now),’ ‘ever since I was young.’

Translation:

Said may need to be translated as ‘replied.’

For teacher see 2.13.

All these I have observed must be translated carefully, for obviously this must not be translated literally in the sense of ‘looked at,’ or ‘regarded.’ The meaning here is ‘I have obeyed these commandments.’ In some translations the rendering has been ‘have done all these things,’ with exactly the wrong meaning, for though the last commandment is a positive one, the previous ones are in negative form, and to say ‘I have done these’ might be entirely in error. Accordingly, one may translate in some cases as ‘I have done just what I should’ or ‘I have obeyed these words.’

Youth would imply approximately thirteen years of age, at which time Jewish boys were regarded as having reached the age of accountability and hence moral responsibility for their actions.

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 .