Was Jesus Compassionate Or Angry? (Mark 1:41)

When reading the Bible, comparing multiple translations often provides different perspectives on how to understand the original text. However, this is not always the case. Consider these two translations of Mark 1:41:

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." (ESV)

Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" (NIV)

In this case, these two translations do not express different perspectives of the same Greek text; being “moved with pity” is hardly a different perspective of being “indignant”! Rather, the difference between the two translations is the result of a difference among Greek texts.

Most known Greek texts read splagchnistheis, “being compassionate”. Only one Greek manuscript, Codex Bezae from the fifth century CE, reads orgistheis, “being angry”. There could be other Greek manuscripts which also read orgistheis, but they have either not survived to this day or have not yet been discovered. Several Old Latin texts read iratus, “being angry”, which indicate that they may have been translated from older Greek texts which read orgistheis.

So then, which variant is the original reading of Mark 1:41?

• Most translations adopt the reading splagchnistheis, “being compassionate”, and render it as “moved with pity” (ESV) or “moved with compassion” (KJV, NASB, NLT).
• The reading orgistheis, “being angry” is adopted only in the NIV, which explains its unique rendering: “Jesus was indignant.”

In any case, neither possibility contradicts any teaching of the Bible. Whether Jesus was being compassionate for the man or angry at his condition (or perhaps his faithless question), both readings portray Jesus as a saviour who cares for those whom he came to save.

More importantly, how would you address the NIV’s unique rendering of Mark 1:41 during a Bible study or sermon, given the widespread use of the NIV among other Bible translations?