[B-Greek] Translation of Mark 1:31

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at ioa.com
Tue Oct 18 19:20:01 EDT 2005


Forwarded for: "Dan Gleason" <dan-bgreek at hotmail.com>
Date: October 18, 2005 5:05:58 PM EDT
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Translation of Mark 1:31 where Jesus performs a quick cure  
of Simon's Mother in


Thank you Dr Conrad and Andrew for your initial response.

Here is the Greek text of Mark 1:31:
KAI PROSELQWN  HGEIREN AUTHN KRATHSAS THS CEIROS; KAI AFHKEN AUTHN hO  
PURETOS, KAI  DIHKONEI AUTOIS.

This was my tentative translation of Mk 1:31 and I know it is very  
literal and wooden ... but that's the way the author wrote it:
And having-come-near, he-raised her ... taking of-the hand, and the  
fever
left her ... and she-was-serving them.

My NAB translates this verse as:
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever  
left her
and she waited on them.
I question the NAB translation because it seems to be paraphrasing  
too much.
I had three questions which I will now reword a little by taking a  
position.

1) The previous verse tells us the woman was lying down because she  
had a hot-fever. Verse 31 tells us that Jesus did two things ... he  
raised the woman up from her prone position and then took away her  
fever. He was able to do this because of the supernatural power he  
possessed. Does the text allow me to say that Jesus raised the woman  
(she got up by herself) by just coming near her. The woman was now  
able to get up but she still had her fever.

2) Regarding the hand of Jesus causing the fever to leave the woman:
The text (KRATHSAS THS CEIROS) says "taking of-the hand" followed by  
(KAI AFHKEN AUTHN hO PURETOS) and the fiery-fever left her. The way I  
read this is that the woman was now standing and then she "took the  
hand" meaning Jesus put his hand on her (perhaps on her head, or  
shoulder, or her hand, or anywhere on her body). It was the laying on  
of his hand and the power in his hand that took away the fever.

3) Is the Greek text ambiguous enough to support my translation?

Dan Gleason




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