RCL reading for Sunday, February 15, 2009:
Excerpt from The New Revised Standard Version
via Oremus (http://bible.oremus.org/)
Mark 1:40-45
40 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean.’
41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’
42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
43 After sternly warning him he sent him away at once,
44 saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’
45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.
QUESTIONS:
In verse 41, the word "pity" is also translated at times as "anger." What is the original Greek word?
In verse 45, when the healed leper proceeds to "spread the word," is this the first instance of Christian preaching? If not, what is an earlier example?
Excerpt from The New Revised Standard Version
via Oremus (http://bible.oremus.org/)
Mark 1:40-45
40 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean.’
41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’
42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
43 After sternly warning him he sent him away at once,
44 saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’
45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.
QUESTIONS:
In verse 41, the word "pity" is also translated at times as "anger." What is the original Greek word?
In verse 45, when the healed leper proceeds to "spread the word," is this the first instance of Christian preaching? If not, what is an earlier example?
Perhaps the word "spleen" meaning anger or peevishness is used as a translation of splanchnistheis rather than compassion
ReplyDeleteIn Mark, we see Jesus trying to spread his gospel and do healing as well. One of the first healings is a leper who thanks our Lord by making his gospel preaching harder. This story is mentioned almost verbatim in each of the synoptic gospels, and can be profitably viewed as a synopsis of Christ's ministry on earth. Jesus touched the leper. The leper was healed but Jesus was ritually defiled by touching the leper. He took the leper's leprosy as he has taken our sin.
ReplyDeleteThe word Mark uses for pity is splanchnistheis, a root used in anatomy for bowels, as for instance the splanchnic artery which supplies the small intestine. It is akin to the poetic term, "bowels of compassion." This sort of reference is awkward in today's speech to our loss. I can't find any reference to any connection to "angry."
Paul Johnson
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Leavenworth, Kansas
Splgchnistheis (Anglicized since I don't type Greek) is the word translated "pity" and/or "anger". It means to be deeply moved emotionally at your "gut" level which refers to "noble" viscera (as in heart, lungs etc.) and is often translated as "compassion". In the
ReplyDeleteGospels it is only used of our Lord except for Luke 10:33.
Verse 45 --- Jesus has already been preaching according to Mark 1: 14-15.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Uncle Ken. It's great to have your voice in this conversation!
ReplyDelete