complete verse (Mark 12:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 12:21:

  • Uma: “His younger brother married his widow. He also died, yet he had not yet had children. Thus also is what happened to the third,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The next-one married the widow and he died, they also had no children. Likewise also the one next to him (mapasunu’).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The second married the widow and he also died without any children. The same thing happened to the third one.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore his younger-sibling took-his-place and married the widow, but he died without their also having children. It was also the same with the third. Then so-on-and-so-forth. All those seven siblings, they took-each-other’s-places in marrying that widow,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That’s why his wife was inherited by the one who followed him. But that one died (lit. his end/limit-of-fortune was reached) without any children either. Like that too was the third who succeeded/took-over.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 12:21

Exegesis:

mē katalipōn ‘not leaving’: the participle may be that of manner or accompanying circumstances.

hōsautōs (14.31) ‘in like manner,’ ‘similarly,’ ‘in the same way.’ The third brother married the woman and died childless also.

Translation:

The second is ‘the second brother’ or ‘the younger brother.’ Took her is ‘married her’ (see the preceding verse).

Leaving no children may often be placed after the verb ‘died’ if the meaning is quite clear. In some instances, however, it is necessary to say ‘without leaving any children.’ In other languages one must say ‘the younger brother married the woman; they did not have children; and he died.’

The third likewise may require some expansion to fill out the elliptical expression, e.g. ‘the same thing happened to the third brother’ or ‘the third brother did the same.’

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 .