Footnotes

1. Mark 7:31 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
2. Mark 7:31 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3. Mark 7:31 sn The Decapolis refers to a group of towns (originally consisting of ten; the Greek name literally means “ten towns”) whose region (except for Scythopolis) lay on the east side of the Jordan River. Although frequently seen as a league of independent city states organized by the Roman general Pompey, contemporary sources do not support such a view. Rather their unity came from their Greek (Hellenistic) culture and religions, which set them apart from surrounding areas.
4. Mark 7:33 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5. Mark 7:33 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the deaf man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6. Mark 7:33 sn After spitting, he touched his tongue. It was not uncommon in Judaism of the day to associate curative powers with a person’s saliva. The scene as a whole reflects Jesus’ willingness to get close to people and have physical contact with them where appropriate. See W. L. Lane, Mark (NICNT), 267 n. 78.