Gospel of Mark 1.3 · 1.3

<p>The Hebrew of Isaiah 40:3 can be divided two ways: <em>a voice cries: in the wilderness prepare</em>, or <em>a voice cries in the wilderness: prepare</em>. The Greek translators of the Septuagint took the second, and Mark follows the Greek. The wilderness moves from the road to the crier — and John is then found standing in it in the next verse.</p><p><span class="gk">εὐθείας</span> here is the adjective "straight." Its adverb <span class="gk">εὐθύς</span>, "immediately," is the word that will drive the pace of this gospel. Counted in our own frozen text it occurs <strong>42 times</strong> — twice within the next nine verses. The straight road and the headlong speed are one word.</p>

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