Ben C. Smith wrote: ↑Mon May 27, 2019 1:05 pm
Good to see you again, Kunigunde.
Thanks Ben. Nice to see you still here.
One of the
internal reasons to trust, that Mark 1:1-3 is imho probably original, should be the first part of Mark 1:2 and for the sake of the argument it plays no great role which textual variant is to prefer, even if I follow here (and in general) the Alexandrian text-type.
Alexandrian Mark 1:2 |
just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet |
καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ Ἠσαίᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ |
Byzantine Mark 1:2 |
As it is written in the prophets |
Ὡς γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς προφήταις |
My point of interest is the uncommon sense of the phrase
„written <-> in <-> Isaiah“ (or in the Byzantine variant „written <-> in <-> the prophets“)
It is not something that was long ago
spoken by the historical prophet Isaiah and it is not „written
by Isaiah“ or „written
in the book of Isaiah“. The sense is that it is something laid down in scripture und the wording „Isaiah the prophet“ turns out as the title of this scripture. It's the same kind of title as someone would ask: „Have you ever read Harry Potter?“
In comparison, Matthew and John focused on what the (assumed) historical prophet Isaiah said long ago and Luke treated it as a writing of the historical saying of Isaiah.
Matthew 3:3 |
John 1:23 |
Luke 3:4 |
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” |
He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” |
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. |
Matthew and John focused on what the historical prophet Isaiah said long ago. They were mainly not interested in the fulfillment of a holy scripture (although Matthew sometimes did so), but of the fulfillment of the sayings of the historical prophet, on which God’s spirit rested.
Matthew 3:3 | For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” |
Matthew 4:14 | so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: |
Matthew 8:17 | This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” |
Matthew 12:17 | This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: |
Matthew 13:14 | Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” |
Matthew 15:7 | You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: |
John 1:23 | He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” |
John 12:38 | so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” |
John 12:39 | Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, |
John 12:41 | Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. |
Luke too remained true to himself and treated his second (and last) mention of Isaiah also as a writing of a historical saying of Isaiah. It seems that Luke sought a "middle" position to appreciate both, the prophetical saying from a long time ago as well as the scripture in which it can be read.
Luke 3:4 | As it is written in the book (βίβλῳ) of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. |
Luke 4:17-18 | And the book (βιβλίον) of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. |
The only other time GMark mentioned Isaiah is Mark 7:6 and Mark stressed there again the authority of scripture (in contrast to Matthew 15:7).
Mark 1:2 | As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, |
Mark 7:6 | And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ |
This appreciation of the scriptures (and not of the sayings of historical prophets) can be found everywhere in GMark. There is no instance in GMark which stressed what was „spoken“ by a prophet long ago.
Mark 2:25 |
And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: |
Mark 9:12 |
And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? |
Mark 9:13 |
But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” |
Mark 11:17 |
And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” |
Mark 12:10 |
Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; |
Mark 12:24 |
Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? |
Mark 12:26 |
And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? |
Mark 13:14 |
“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), |
Mark 14:21 |
For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” |
Mark 14:27 |
And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ |
Mark 14:49 |
Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” |
Therefore imho the vast majority of the early Christian authors would never have used the uncommon phrase
„written <-> in <-> Isaiah" (or „in the prophets“)
but it was perfectly normal for Mark.