Maranatha

From Textus Receptus

Revision as of 09:16, 22 August 2023

Maranatha (Aramaic: מרנאתא) is an Aramaic phrase which occurs once in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 16:22). It also appears in Didache 10:14.^[1] It is transliterated into Greek letters rather than translated and, given the nature of early manuscripts, the lexical difficulty rests in determining just which two Aramaic words constitute the single Greek expression.

Translations and use

The NRSV of 1 Corinthians 16:22 translates the expression as: "Our Lord, come!" but notes that it could also be translated as: "Our Lord has come"; the NIV translates: "Come, O Lord"; the Message version paraphrases it as: "Make room for the Master!"

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "Maranatha" was translated as "Come, Lord!".

In the Latin Church, the word "Maranatha" has been used as a solemn formula of excommunication (alongside "anathema").^[2]

Analysis

The NAB notes:

As understood here ("O Lord, come!"), it is a prayer for the early return of Christ. If the Aramaic words are divided differently (Maran atha, "Our Lord has come"), it becomes a credal declaration. The former interpretation is supported by what appears to be a Greek equivalent of this acclamation in Book of Revelation 22:20 "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"

See also

References

• 1. Didache. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (translation J. B. Lightfoot).

• 2. New Advent

Further reading

• Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871),