A Torah transformed? Mark's use of Numbers and Genesis

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Beverly Devry-Smith
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Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 6:54 pm

A Torah transformed? Mark's use of Numbers and Genesis

Post by Beverly Devry-Smith »

The gospel author is making use of Numbers 14 and Genesis 48 in composing the "children" sections at chapters 9-10 of Mark=

MARK 10:13-16= "And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said to them: “Suffer the little ones to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Amen I say unto you, ‘Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein’”. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them."


-Numbers 14:23= “Assuredly [ημην] they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, but only their children who are here with me, every inexperienced young one who has known neither good nor evil—to these I will give the land.”
(=note how the translator of Numbers has tried to preserve the “amen” of the Hebrew in this sentence, using a homonym word in Greek, a phenomenon more prevalent in the LXX of Isaiah)
-Mark 10:15 = “Amen [αμην] … whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of heaven as a child, shall not enter into into it.”
=Numbers 14 is here summed up= the inheritors who were guided to Eretz Israel by Moses, Joshua and Caleb were all under 20. All other adults were killed by God’s curse. Perhaps Mark 9’s promise where Jesus says “some will not die” until they “see the kingdom come”—again the motif of arriving at the promised land seems to be here spiritualized.
-Numbers 14:30 = “Shall you enter into the land which I stretch out my hand to encamp you—no!”
-Numbers 14:24= Caleb is described glowingly by God as someone who “has another spirit in him” from others and has “followed after” the Lord’s words. Perhaps such is in view with Peter’s comment at Mark 10:28?
-Mark 10:14b= "Don't prevent them!" (this repeats Mark 9:38-39)

MARK 9:36-37 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them: “Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me: and whosoever shall receive me, receives not me, but him that sent me.”


-Mark 9:35= Jesus is “sitting down” [καθισας]
-Gen 48:2 = Jacob/Israel “sits” [εκαθισεν] up in bed to meet and bless his grandsons.
-Gen 48:16 = blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, Israel says “they shall be called by my name” [επικληθησεται αυτοις το ονομα μου]; then in verse 19 he proclaims the younger brother shall be the “greater” [μειζων]
-Mark 9:34 = disciples argue over who is “greater” [μειζον]
-Jesus commands his followers to “receive such children [τοιουτων παιδιων] in my name [επι τω ονοματι μου].” (although a later line in Gen 48 has the exact phrase επι τω ονοματι , much closer to Mark’s language)
-Gen 48:10= the children of Joseph “approached [ηγγισεν] (Jacob) and he kissed them and hugged/embraced [περιελαβεν] them.”
-Gen 48:16= “Bless these boys!” [τα παιδια ταυτα]
-Mark 10:16= “having embraced them [εναγκαλισμενος] he put his hands on them to bless.” (=same word for “hug” as in Mark 9:36)
-Gen 48:13-14= Ephraim and Manasseh stand on “the right and the left” of Israel, but he crosses his hands to give a better/stronger blessing to the younger one= like the two brothers/disciples who presumptuously ask for elevation to the status of Messianic satraps.
=there are some more possible affinities to Gen 48 at Mark chapter 10=
-Isaac asks the shocked and cheated Esau: “What then may I do for you, son?” [σοι δε τι ποιησω τεκνον]
-Mark 10:36= Jesus poses the question “What may I do for you (plural)” [τι … ποιησαι με υμιν]
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