The Gospel according to Mark: A New Rendition

BYU New Testament Commentary

by Julie M. Smith

The New Rendition of the Gospel of Mark provides a modern English translation of Mark’s earliest known Greek texts. It is excerpted from The Gospel according to Mark by Julie M. Smith.

There is no such thing as perfect translation, even theoretically. This Rendition reflects Julie Smith’s deliberate choice to translate as literally as possible in order to aid the reader in appreciating the literary features of Mark’s text. These include purposeful repetitions, awkward constructions, intentional word choices, and similar features.

One exception to the principle of strictly literal translation is that the Greek idioms in Mark are translated with comparable English idioms. A second exception is for culturally specific expressions. For example, “the fourth watch” is translated as “when night was ending,” and “over three hundred denarii” is rendered as “over a year’s wages.”

But aside from these two exceptions, the quest for authentic literalism is the overriding concern—even at the cost of smoothness and elegance. There is no doubt that this Rendition will strike the reader as infelicitous at first. But hewing closely to the source text outweighs, in this context, the benefits of attempting to improve the source. This New Rendition will sound a little foreign to LDS readers accustomed to the distinctive register of the King James Version—which strikes the modern reader as elegant, formal, and magisterial. But because the New Rendition more closely reflects the original tone of Mark’s text, readers soon experience this dynamic Gospel more as it would have sounded to a first-century audience: not antiquated, lofty, or reverent but rather common, plain, and impressive.

This Rendition is part of the BYU New Testament Commentary series. This scholarly project aims to create a faithful modern English translation together with a full, in-depth, carefully researched commentary for each book on the New Testament. More of the New Rendition and commentary volumes will be added in coming months and years. As of 2019, volumes have been published on Mark, Luke, First Corinthians, and Revelation.

Genres: Religion, Lds

41 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2019

About the author

Julie M. Smith graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in English and from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, with an MA in Biblical Studies. She is on the executive board of the Mormon Theology Seminar and the steering committee for the BYU New Testament Commentary. She is the author of Search, Ponder, and Pray: A Guide to the Gospels and the editor of and contributor to As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture and Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21–22. Julie is married to Derrick Smith; they live near Austin, Texas, where she homeschools their children.

Reviews

[R.W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literal translation is fascinating!

Smith is an LDS (Mormon) scholar who has produced a very literal and fascinating translation of Mark. I question one place which she translates “in the eternities” (I’ve never seen it anywhere else). (I think the words usually translated “eternal” are better rendered “eon, age, of the coming age” rather than words that specify unlimited duration.)

She usually renders the word usually translated “faith” or “belief” as “trust,” which I think is much closer to the meaning—it’s not just the stuff in your head, but about in whom you place your trust.

[Nick O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read the entirety but this is definitely a new tool for my study. Smith provides insights to the book of Mark that help the reader dig towards a deeper foundation. So often our scriptural knowledge is not based on doctrine, only sand. A deeper understanding of the context of Mark helps us to find rock that we can begin to build our lives upon. A true example of exegetical reading.

[Wendy Box · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource to deepen our thinking! Hope she does the rest of the gospels!

[Karl Nehring · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Translation of Mark

A perfectly serviceable translation of this brief text. A version for LDS members to read along with those from Wayment and Hart.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting to read and compare to the King James version. It shakes up the part of you that knows the story so you can think about it differently.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transliteration

Well, this is not like commentary at all, more like translation, or more transliteration of the entire book of mark.