howl

The Greek that is translated as “howl” or similar in English is translated in the Kölsch translation (publ. 2017) as jebröllt wie am Spieß, literally “screamed as if pierced on a skewer.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

He gave freedom to those in bondage of evil (image)

“In Thai society, those who are possessed by evil spirits are usually the weak or mentally unstable. This man is shown as freed from his spiritual and physical chains. Even though he is naked Jesus is not ashamed to be close to him.”

Drawing by Sawai Chinnawong who employs northern and central Thailand’s popular distinctive artistic style originally used to depict Buddhist moral principles and other religious themes; explanation by Paul DeNeui. From That Man Who Came to Save Us by Sawai Chinnawong and Paul H. DeNeui, William Carey Library, 2010.

For more images by Sawai Chinnatong in TIPs see here.

complete verse (Mark 5:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 5:5:

  • Uma: “In that land of Gerasa, there was a person who was possessed by an evil-spirit. His dwelling was in the graves. He couldn’t be kept bound even with chains, for no kidding was he strong. Sometimes his feet and hands were bound, but he could always break the ropes and chains. Because he was so strong, no-one dared to guard him. Day and night he kept wandering among the graves and in the mountains, and he called out and wounded himself with rocks. So, just as Yesus got-off/descended from the boat, this possessed person appeared from the graves.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Day and night he was always shouting in the burial places and in the hills and cutting himself with stones.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore day and night, he wandered around the graves and the mountains, and he was always screaming and wounding his body with stones.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Every-day and every-night, he went-about the caves and mountainous-area screaming/screeching and cutting himself (lit. body) with stones.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Night and day he would cry out there in the cemetary and in the hilly-country, and he was wounding his body with rocks.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 5:5

Exegesis:

dia pantos nuktos kai hēmeras ‘continually, night and day.’

ēn krazōn kai katakoptōn ‘he was shrieking and cutting.’

krazō (cf. 3.11) ‘shriek,’ ‘cry out,’ ‘shout.’

katakoptō (only here in N.T.) ‘cut,’ ‘gash’: Field contends for the meaning ‘beating himself,’ which the verb sometimes has. The great majority of commentators and translations, however, prefer the usual meaning.

lithois (12.10; 13.1, 2; 15.46; 16.3, 4) ‘with stones,’ ‘with rocks.’

Translation:

Night and day, as an expression of ‘all the time’ or ‘continually,’ may in some instances need to be altered in order, e.g. ‘day and night,’ depending on the more usual order of speaking. On the other hand, it may be necessary to expand the phrase somewhat, e.g. ‘all the time, both night and day,’ in order that the reader may understand this action as continuous.

Crying out is here ‘shrieking,’ ‘howling,’ and ‘screaming.’

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 .