ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Mark 1.2-3

Book: Mark · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

There are ads on our codex that pay for hosting and keep the codex free. If you can, please consider whitelisting ris3n.com or allowing scripts to support the work.

Sponsored

ASV (ASV)

"1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

"2. Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way. 3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight;"

"4. John came, who baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins. 5. And there went out unto him all the country of Judaea, and all they of Jerusalem; And they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." (Mark 1:1-5, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

"2. As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you: 3. the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”"

"4. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 5. All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins." (Mark 1:1-5, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;"

"2. As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

"4. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. for: or, unto 5. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins." (Mark 1:1-5, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God."

"2. As it hath been written in the prophets, 'Lo, I send My messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee,', 3. 'A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye his paths,' --"

"4. John came baptizing in the wilderness, and proclaiming a baptism of reformation, to remission of sins, 5. and there were going forth to him all the region of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and they were all baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." (Mark 1:1-5, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: Mark / John Mark (traditionally, on Peter's preaching) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
  • Audience: Gentile-Roman Christian audience (heavy explanation of Jewish customs)
  • Location: first-century Palestine (events); Rome (likely composition)
  • Time period: events c. 4 BC, AD 30/33; composed c. AD 55-70

Theological reading

Key words

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.