[B-Greek] KAQWS GEGRAPTAI

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Sat Jun 11 12:43:30 EDT 2005


Forwarded for: Richard Richmond <rickr2889 at yahoo.com>
Date: June 11, 2005 12:28:12 PM EDT

George Gfsomsel wrote:
There is one problem with your thesis.  This is not simply KAQWS but  
KAQWS GEGRAPTAI.  This combination does seem to introduce a quotation  
or a reference to a passage.   While the passage you cited is  
introduced as coming from Isaiah, the first part actually comes from  
the LXX of Ex 23.20

KAQWS GEGRAPTAI
In this instance the perfect tense refers to the fact that what has  
happened and recorded in Mark’s  text is complete and has happened  
before and been recorded completely in Isaiah’s text “The good news”  
is complete and to be found in both places.  What Mark has written  
(the Gospel of Jesus Christ Son of God) is the first part of the  
comparison the second part is what stands written in Isaiah. In play  
format the audience would have seen the text of Isaiah 40:9 on a  
Tableau, a giant page on wheels. Likewise and more importantly for  
this discussion; if you go through the scroll of Isaiah from front to  
back you will find the first occurrence of EUAGGELIZOMENOS at Isaiah  
40:9. Which is as I contend,  exactly what is indicated in the text  
of  Mark and therefore what the writer wants you to find. His issue  
at hand is the destruction of Jerusalem. If you follow his prologue  
you will arrive at Isaiah 40. This passage is key to what Mark has to  
say, as it was to the Qumran community.

Isaiah 40:9
EP OROS hUYHLON ANABHQI hO EUAGGELIZOMENOS SIWN hUYWSON THi ISCUI THN  
FWNHN SOU hO EUAGGELIZOMENOS IEROUSALHM hUYWSATE MH FOBEISQE EIPON  
TAIS POLESIN IOUDA IDOU hO QEOS hUMWN
===============================================================
Point 2
IDOU EGW APOSTELLO TON AGGELON MOU PRO PROSWPOU SOU  . . .

It is the second part which comes from the LXX of Is 40.3
I am not sure what you mean here George the above text is not in  
Isaiah 40:3

The second part of Mark’s statement (if that is what you mean) in  
direct address (my understanding of the text) is:

FWNH BOWNTOS EN THi ERHMWi hETOIMASATE THN hODON KURIOU EUQEIAS  
POIEITE TAS
a voice of one crying/shouting in the desert prepare you the way of  
the lord and straight
TRIBOUS AUTOU
make the paths of him.

In the original post I explained this matter. I do not regard “Behold  
I send my messenger etc.as a quotation or an attempt a quoting but as  
direct address to the reader. Likewise the lines above this paragraph  
continuing the direct address and following the pattern of Isaiah  
represented by Mark’s use of the perfect tense in the opening line,  
he like Isaiah, cries out for the preparation for the way of the Lord.

The  FWNH BOWNTOS EN THi ERHMWi etc.   is a quoted passage with no  
citation,  it  serves the writer as a current statement following the  
pattern set forth in Isaiah chapter 40. What Mark has to say is to  
the writer  just as the message of Isaiah in chapter 40. His message  
relates to the destruction of Jerusalem the subject of Isaiah 40.  
This is the very heart of the matter pointed to in the opening  
statement of the Gospel. He seeks to answer the question where was  
God in this terrible event. Mark's response from his reference to  
Isaiah and the verse that contains the "Gospel" is IDOU hO QEOS hUMWN

====================================================================
IDOU EGW APOSTELLO TON AGGELON MOU PRO PROSWPOU SOU
Mark's use of the imperative here, direct address (as I argue) is due  
to the fact that the document - except for the part designations  
(Chorus, Leader, first,and second actors etc.) has the exact form of  
a trilogy of plays like those entered in competition at Greek  
Theaters during the period. This is not the forum to discuss this so  
I will address the issue from the point of the Greek text.

Mark is aware of the passages associated with his direct address in  
the Exodus text, in Malachi and in Isaiah (all are presented here).   
I am sure he has them in mind but his structure indicates that he  
intends to use the statement about sending his messenger as though he  
were announcing the beginning of a play or advance of his document to  
a intended recipient. Performed or in written form, his document will  
be sent to the angel of each of the other churches. Angel being the  
one who can read and write.The same use of AGGELON can be found in  
the opening chapter of Revelation.

He refers to his written message as his angel (messenger) which he is  
sending or (being performed in play format) PROSWPOU before the face  
of his reader or audience.  PROSWPOU  is a clue to the nature of the  
document. It is the exact word for the mask the actors would wear in  
the play.  We can verify Mark’s understanding of this word by the  
fact that he makes use of the antonym in a powerful way in his text;  
that being OPISW. This word was used in Greek Theater to indicate the  
face behind the mask. The text in question when seen as direct  
address functions effectively either in text or play form, On the one  
hand it would be before the face of the reader in the community on  
the other hand it will be before the face of his audience.
========================================================================
Exodus:
KAI IDOU EGW APOSTELLW TON AGGELON MOU PRO PROSWPOU SOU hINA FULAXHi  
SE EN
And behold I send my messenger before your face in ord er that he may  
keep you in
THi  hODWi
The way

Mark does not duplicate Exodus or Malachi in his text, he is thinking  
like the Essenes and the Gospel of Luke about preparing a people not  
keeping them in the way. This is not what Mark has said in his text  
nor do I accept the theory that it is a misquote.
He wrote what  he intended to say. We first have to let the text say  
what it says to learn what it means. Mark does not quote Exodus and I  
maintain that the writer is not so confused as to mistake the Book of  
Law for the prophesy of Isaiah.  Nor does he have such problems with  
grammar that he cannot quote Malachi and get the person of the  
pronoun correct.
IDOU EGW EX  APOSTELLW TON AGGELON MOU KAI EPIBLEYETAI hODON
Behold I send out the messenger of me and he shall survey the way  
before me
PRO PROSWPOU MOU
Before the face of me
FWNH BOWNTOW EN THi ERHMWi hETOIMASATE THN hODON KURIOU, EUQEIAS  
POIEITE TAS TRIBOUS TOU QEOU hHMWN
paths of our God
======================================================================== 
=====
George wrote:
In Mk 9.13 we have the same formula (KAQWS GEGRAPTAI) and might  
therefore expect a quotation or a reference to a passage.  If you  
check your apparatus in NA-27 you will note that there is no  
reference given to which this refers. In the  
_Anchor_Bible_Dictionary_ it indicates s.v. "Elijah (person)"

Lets look at that text:
ALLA LEGW hUMIN hOTI KAI HLIAS ELHLUQEN KAI EPOIHSAN AUTWi hOSA  
HQELON KAQWS
But I tell you that indeed Elijah has come and they did to him what  
they wished just as
GEGRAPTAI EP AUTON
Stands written of him
The disciples are referring to a prophesy about the return of Elijah  
to put it in context.
This would be the second coming of Elijah not the first and in Mark  
1:6 We have the identifying attire of Elijah on John the Baptist:
KAI HN hO IWANNHS ENDEDUMENOS TRICAS KAMHLOU KAI ZWNHN DERMATINHN  
PERI THN OSFUN
IN 9:13 what comes before the conjunction KAQWS is what they did to  
him what comes after is what was written about it.  You are correct,  
he does not cite the reference just like in 1:1. Mark indicates that  
something has been written regarding John rather than the Elijah we  
know from the old testament who was “translated to heaven.”
Perhaps Mark is referring to the source for the story behind his  
narrative of John’s death which has already been presented.
Note the narrator’s account of the statement that was made by the  
disciples who buried John’s body when they returned to Jesus.
KAI SUNAGONTAI hOI APOSTOLOI PROS TON IHSOUN KAI APHGGEILAN AUTWi  
PANTA hOSA EPOIHSAN KAI hOSA EDIDAXAN (another reference to what they  
did to John as I read the text) The disciples who buried John are the  
same diciples who report to Jesus) an interesting point on many  
levels but another subject.

In summary, while KAQWS by itself does indicate simply a comparison,  
KAQWS GEGRAPTAI indicates a comparison to a written source (even if  
we no longer have that source).

I agree with you except that it is not Elijah but his messianic  
counterpart that is in question. And in the case of John's death, we  
only have Mark’s account.
Thank you George


Richard Richmond



Discover Yahoo!
Find restaurants, movies, travel & more fun for the weekend. Check it  
out!






More information about the B-Greek mailing list