03-05-2014, 09:52 PM
In John 1:29, we read that John the Baptist saw Yahshua walking toward him the day after the baptism. Yet in Mark 1:12 it is commonly translated that Yahshua departed to the wilderness ?immediately? after the baptism. Relying on translations, some people have claimed there is conflict here. But in the Aramaic Peshitta there is no conflict ? in Aramaic I took time to read every occurrence of the operative word here mKhda in the gospel of John and gospel of Mark, and also the gospel of Matthew for good measure ? there is no conflict in Aramaic between Mark 1:12 and John 1:29.
To read Mark 1:12 and John 1:29 without conflict, one reads this Aramaic word mKhda from its root Khda meaning ?one? or ?new?. Indeed, to say ?immediately? or ?the next moment? or "in that moment" in Aramaic, there is a better phrase - br ShEaThh (see e.g., Matthew 21:20, John 13:30). To prove this point that mKhda is a more complex word than the English ?immediately?, read especially the natural flow in John 13:32 emphasizing the oneness of Yahshua with his Father. The term (mKhda) really emphasizes the idea of one new moment of spacetime ? depending on the context in which mKhda appears. Look at every example of this word in the gospel of Matthew to see how fluidity in spacetime or a new something is represented:
Also in Mark, the mKhda need not translate as ?immediately? where the context paints a broader picture, as in these passages: Mark 1:21, Mark 1:28, Mark 4:15, Mark 4:16 (a seed does not sprout seminal roots instantaneously), Mark 4:29, Mark 15:1 (mKhda in relation to bTspra (?in the morning?) emphasizes the new day/rotation).
And in yet another way to resolve the apparent translation conflict, the mKhda in Mark 1:12 emphasizes Yahshua?s oneness with the spirit he just received. Just as when Yahshua comes out of the baptism water mKhda, the idea of mKhda is a new rotation, a new beginning of something.
Still other resolutions to the apparent conflict are: (1) John the Baptist was already in the wilderness baptizing, so it would be natural for him to see Yahshua in that same wilderness coming toward him, and (2) the wilderness is described spiritually in Mark 1:12.
In each of these resolutions above, the apparent conflict resolves itself through perspective on the word mKhda ? the primary idea is that after the baptism Yahshua was transformed in such a way that it made sense to describe his state of being as ?in the wilderness? in both a spiritual sense and a physical sense.
Before finishing this post, I?d also like to point out the similarity of the phrase br ShEaThh (?immediately?) with braShyTh (?in the beginning?), the first letters of the bible. In the study of mKhda u br ShEaThh, expect multiple meanings and layered symbolism.
To read Mark 1:12 and John 1:29 without conflict, one reads this Aramaic word mKhda from its root Khda meaning ?one? or ?new?. Indeed, to say ?immediately? or ?the next moment? or "in that moment" in Aramaic, there is a better phrase - br ShEaThh (see e.g., Matthew 21:20, John 13:30). To prove this point that mKhda is a more complex word than the English ?immediately?, read especially the natural flow in John 13:32 emphasizing the oneness of Yahshua with his Father. The term (mKhda) really emphasizes the idea of one new moment of spacetime ? depending on the context in which mKhda appears. Look at every example of this word in the gospel of Matthew to see how fluidity in spacetime or a new something is represented:
- one day (i.e., one rotation) --- Matthew 24:29 (mKhda in relation to yumTha (?days?)), Matthew 24:32 (mKhda in relation to mta (?summer?)).
one second/minute/hour (i.e., immediately or soon) --- Matthew 3:16, Matthew 4:20, Matthew 4:22, Matthew 5:28, Matthew 8:32, Matthew 14:22, Matthew 21:2-3, Matthew 21:19, Matthew 25:15, Matthew 26:49, Matthew 27:51.
Also in Mark, the mKhda need not translate as ?immediately? where the context paints a broader picture, as in these passages: Mark 1:21, Mark 1:28, Mark 4:15, Mark 4:16 (a seed does not sprout seminal roots instantaneously), Mark 4:29, Mark 15:1 (mKhda in relation to bTspra (?in the morning?) emphasizes the new day/rotation).
And in yet another way to resolve the apparent translation conflict, the mKhda in Mark 1:12 emphasizes Yahshua?s oneness with the spirit he just received. Just as when Yahshua comes out of the baptism water mKhda, the idea of mKhda is a new rotation, a new beginning of something.
Still other resolutions to the apparent conflict are: (1) John the Baptist was already in the wilderness baptizing, so it would be natural for him to see Yahshua in that same wilderness coming toward him, and (2) the wilderness is described spiritually in Mark 1:12.
In each of these resolutions above, the apparent conflict resolves itself through perspective on the word mKhda ? the primary idea is that after the baptism Yahshua was transformed in such a way that it made sense to describe his state of being as ?in the wilderness? in both a spiritual sense and a physical sense.
Before finishing this post, I?d also like to point out the similarity of the phrase br ShEaThh (?immediately?) with braShyTh (?in the beginning?), the first letters of the bible. In the study of mKhda u br ShEaThh, expect multiple meanings and layered symbolism.