Mark 8:12 Fun

Spoiling the fun by adding a "no"

This verse is one of those where Jesus’s meaning is lost and somewhat reversed by the translators adding a “no” to it. The verse is Mark 8:12:

KJV: Why does this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
NIV: Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.

This addition of the negative is especially funny after the “truly” phrase. The translators aren’t telling us truly at all! They are simply echoing the negatives in similar verses in Matthew (12:39, 16:4) and in Luke 11:29, which do have negatives in the Greek.

Since there is no negative, is Jesus saying he will give a sign to them? No, he is playing a word game, teasing them. What does he really say? The translation is easy to understand but how Jesus gets there is tricky. A little treat for paid subscribers.