Recently with a translation team, I asked about the verb tenses used in Mark 15:19. The translation at first read,
The Greek verbs here are all in the imperfect form which lead many scholars to conclude that these actions were not just one blow, spit, and kneel but provided a short "video" of some of the persecution our Lord underwent--whether several different people did these actions in turn or one monolithic group did them over and over again. For example, ESV translates "And they were striking...spitting...kneeling"; NIV and NET add "again and again they struck him..."; and HCSB translates as "They kept hitting..."
Once this was explained to the team, they re-read their verse and discovered that they had translated these actions as happening only once rather than repeatedly. By adding "many times," the team adjusted the TAM to more accurately reflect the repetitive nature of these verbs.
This was a dark hour for our Lord, especially since he bore the wrath of his Father who forsook him. But Jesus endured it "for the joy set before him" (Hebrews 12:2 ESV). And Peter wrote, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24 ESV). O praise Jesus for his suffering and his efficacious death, "so that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18 ESV)!
And they beat him over his head with reed stick, spat on him and knelt down and bowed down to him. (English Back Translation)We made two changes in this verse, one regarding the final action of this verse (which is not under discussion here) and the other pertaining to TAM (tense, aspect, mood) (the focus of this post).
The Greek verbs here are all in the imperfect form which lead many scholars to conclude that these actions were not just one blow, spit, and kneel but provided a short "video" of some of the persecution our Lord underwent--whether several different people did these actions in turn or one monolithic group did them over and over again. For example, ESV translates "And they were striking...spitting...kneeling"; NIV and NET add "again and again they struck him..."; and HCSB translates as "They kept hitting..."
Once this was explained to the team, they re-read their verse and discovered that they had translated these actions as happening only once rather than repeatedly. By adding "many times," the team adjusted the TAM to more accurately reflect the repetitive nature of these verbs.
This was a dark hour for our Lord, especially since he bore the wrath of his Father who forsook him. But Jesus endured it "for the joy set before him" (Hebrews 12:2 ESV). And Peter wrote, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24 ESV). O praise Jesus for his suffering and his efficacious death, "so that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18 ESV)!
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