Jerusalem Bible 'prove'? Mark 2:10

Mass Fri  14 January

Gospel Mark 2:1-12.

The thoughts of the presiding priest spotlighted the Jerusalem Bible translation of Mark 2:10. “To PROVE to you …”. In the context, it is wrong. PROOF is in different world from  AUTHORITY.

The Jerusalem Bible seemed to be on its own in the use of “PROVE”.

Now I find The New Living Translation also uses “PROVE”

 

Most of the translations are.

“That you may know” versions have been in the main.

 

Ronald Knox turns his own furrow, translating, “Now to CONVINCE you”.

 

The Amplified Bible is the most challenging variant by the clause, “That you know positively and beyond a doubt”.

 

Further SEARCH see below Sacra Pagina

 

Considering that the Greek and Latin word is consistently unvarying.

 

There follows ths selection of versions.

 

 

Mark 2:10 (New Jerusalem Bible) But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority to forgive sins on earth' -- Mark 2 10 (Ronald Knox) And now, to convince you that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins while he is on earth (here he spoke to the palsied man); “CONVINCE”, translated by Knox and explained in the Knox-Cox ‘Gospel Story’, Jesus knew at once, in his spirit, of these secret thoughts of theirs (Pharisees), and said to them openly, 'Why do you reason thus in your minds? Which command is more lightly given, to say to the paralysed man, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Rise up, take your bed with you, and walk"? And now to convince you that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins while he is on earth' (here he spoke to the paralysed man), 'Rise up, take your bed with you, and go home.' (p.72) This is the most explicit public claim to divine power that our Lord makes during his Galilean ministry. He is not claiming delegated power from God (a human being could have such power, as a priest in the sacrament of Penance); he claims au­thority in his own right as the Messias ('Son of Man'), during his earthly life. This can only mean that he is God incarnate. He speaks openly like this mainly for the learned Pharisees; be would have them understand his claim to divinity from the start. (p.73) Mark 2:10 (Amplified Bible) 10But that you may know positively and beyond a doubt that the Son of Man has right and authority and power on earth to forgive sins--He said to the paralyzed man,   Mark 2:10 (New Living Translation) 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man[a] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, (Good News Bible) I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man,   Mark 2:10 (King James Version)  10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) Mark 2:10 (New King James Version) 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,   ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΡΚΟΝ 2:10 (1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament)  10ινα δε ειδητε οτι εξουσιαν εχει ο υιος του ανθρωπου αφιεναι αμαρτιας επι της γης λεγει τω παραλυτικω   (Vulgate)  ut autem sciatis quia potestatem habet Filius hominis in terra dimittendi peccata ait paralytico (DRB)  But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy):   Mark 2:10 (New International Version - UK) 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . . He said to the paralytic, (RSV)  But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the paralytic-- (UPDV) But that you+ may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins--he says to the sick of the palsy: SACRA PAGINA 2002 Mark 2:10. But you might realize that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sin,” he said to the paralyzed man; But that you might realize that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sin: This verse constitutes an anacoluthon, that is, a departure from the expected structure of the sentence or flow of thought. Verse 11 could follow immedi­ately upon v. 9. Many authors interpret the Son of Man saying here not as a continuation of Jesus' words but as an authorial aside to the reader (see 13:14). Still, though awkward, the text can be read as a saying of Jesus that interprets the following action. The key elements of the saying are the title "Son of Man" and the phrase "has power (or authority) on earth" (exousian echei ... epi ges).

 

William,

You have been so kind to pursue this search also.

Thank you for further clarity.

D. . .

Knox-Cox commentary - two magnificent passages:

"A dramatic interlude gave Jesus the opportunity of showing the true nature of his mission (forgiveness of sins), and sufficient evidence for thinking men of his divine nature".. and .. "This is the most explicit public claim to divine power that our Lord makes during his Galilean ministry. He is not claiming delegated power from God.. he claims authority in his own right as the Messias ('Son of Man'), during his earthly life. This can only mean that he is God incarnate. He speaks openly like this mainly for the learned Pharisees; he would have them understand his claim to divinity from the start." 

Jerome commentary - has three good sentences:

"the healing functions as the sign for the validity of Jesus' declaration about forgiveness"
"Jesus heals by word alone - a fact that confirms the authority of his words about forgiveness"

"the object of the crowd's amazement included both Jesus' healing power and his claim to forgive sins"

Nelson commentary - adds two reflections:

"[The title] 'Son of Man' - Jesus uses it at this early stage of his ministry to provoke reflection, and as a hint of his more than human person. [The words] 'authority' and 'on earth' are direct allusions to Daniel 7:14; Jesus here exercises his authority as universal judge.

Sacra Pagina - has a very interesting translation [based on the Greek text in Novum Testamentum Graece (27th ed. 1993) / Greek New Testament (4th ed. 1994) ] and subtle comment:-

But that you might realize that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sin

"This verse constitutes an anacolouthon {new word to me! Chambers dictionary: want of syntactical sequence, when the  latter part of a sentence does not grammatically fit the earlier}, that is, a departure from the expected structure of the sentence or flow of thought. Verse 11 could follow immediately upon v. 9. Many authors interpret the Son of Man saying here not as a continuation of Jesus' words but as an authorial aside to the reader. Still, though awkward, the text can be read as a saying of Jesus that interprets the following action. The key elements of the saying are the title 'Son of Man' and the phrase 'has power (or authority) on earth'."

In the Interpretation section there are some further reflections on the richness of "this short narrative for contemporary actualization of fundamental Christian themes".