complete verse (Mark 10:31)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 10:31:

  • Uma: “But many people who have big lives at this time will have small lives in the future. And many also who have small lives at this time will have big lives in the future.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Many who are ahead now, will be behind in the future and many who are behind now, will be ahead in the future.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There are many people today who seem to have high status, but in the future, their status will be very small. And there are many people today whose status is very small, but in the future, their status will be high,’ he said.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But many who are high/great nowadays will be brought-low, and also many of the low nowadays will be made-high/great.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But the truth is, there are many who are great/important today in man’s opinion who will become insignificant/low-class when that day comes. And they are many today who are only insignificant/low-class in man’s opinion who will become great/important in the kingdom of God.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Choapan Zapotec: “Some people rule the days they walk on earth. When they arrive where God is they will no longer rule. Some people don’t rule the days they walk on earth. When they arrive where God is they will rule.”
  • Tlahuitoltepec Mixe: “Many whom people think are important, desirable, God is going to make small, and he will better cause to come out pretty those whom people think are not important or desirable.” (Source for this and one above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

Translation commentary on Mark 10:31

Exegesis:

de ‘but,’ ‘and’: as Taylor says, it is impossible to dogmatize whether the particle is here adversative ‘but’ or explanatory ‘for.’ The interpretation of the saying is vitally affected by the question. Almost without exception commentators and translations adopt the adversative meaning ‘but’; Lagrange, however, understands it to mean ‘for’ and thus interprets the saying.

prōtoi ‘first’ and eschatoi ‘last’ probably refer, not to time, but to rank, as in 9.35.

Translation:

First and last in such a context as this are highly abstract terms (compare the usage in 9.35). In Huautla Mazatec first and last must be shifted to the figure of a line of men, e.g. ‘he who wants to be placed first will follow.’ A similar figure exists in Chicahuaxtla Triqui ‘those in front will go to the rear.’ In Copainalá Zoque the same figure is employed ‘first ones go behind and the behind ones go ahead.’ In some instances, however, the contrast must be related to importance, e.g. ‘the greatest’ (Highland Puebla Nahuatl).

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 .