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| JUDEAN WILDERNESS |
MARK 1:13 --- Wrestling The Scripture to their Own Destruction
2 Peter 3:16
As also in all his [ the Apostle Paul’s] epistles, speaking in
them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest ,
as they do also the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction.
Yes, it is a fantasy which Mr. Rood prints in his text of
Mark 1:13 in his "Corrected KJV" , called the Chronological
Gospels.
On page 71 of the Chronological Gospels, the last half of Mark 1:13
states, verbatim:
"There he was tempted by hasatan,
standing against
that savage beast,
and afterward angels attended him."
Mr. Rood italicized "standing" and "afterward" because
he inserted those words and he wants them to be "understood" when
this verse is read. In other words, those italicized words were not literally
in the Greek or Aramaic text.
Unfortunately, neither were the words: against that savage beast ... words which only were
understood by Mr. Rood himself. He,
again unfortunately, did not italicize his added words of his own
interpretation... not a translation.
Neither were they foot-noted.
There are
- NO Greek manuscripts,
- NO Greek Papyri,
- NO Aramaic manuscripts ( Peshitta, Syriac Sinaitic),
- NO Hebrew version (Delitzsch),
- NO Latin manuscripts and versions
Here is the standard text. See individual languages at the end of the post, courtesy of DUKHRANA. com.
Mark 1:13
And HE+ was there in the wilderness forty days,
tempted of Satan;
and was with the wild beasts;
and the angels ministered unto HIM+.
There are NO variants recorded in Nestle-Aland's 26th edition which
deal with that standard text found in all manuscripts and versions:
. . . " and (HE+) was with the wild beasts"
If Mr. Rood would have followed simple grammar rules, he would have
discovered that "wild beasts"
is in the plural form in the Greek ( TheriOn ) and Aramaic ( ܚܰܝܘܳܬ݂ܳܐ ) and Latin ( bestiis ) .
There is no "Shem Tov" to utilize for the book of Mark,
so where does Mr. Rood find the words to "correct" Scripture ?
TheriOn, it is true, can be used to mean wild beasts
versus domestic ones, as in Hebrews 12:20, quoting Exodus 19:12,13. It can be used to mean vipers, as the one
which the Apostle Paul shook off his hand into the fire , Acts 28:4.
TheriOn can be used in reference to the unclean
animals the Apostle Peter saw in a vision, Acts 10:12 and in a list of animals
which can be tamed easier than our tongues, as in James 3:7.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus about evil men, calling them
"evil beasts" in Titus 1:12, after having fought "in the manner
of men" with the beasts at Ephesus himself, I Corinthians 15:32.
In addition to man and animal, TheriOn can also
refer to supernatural evil beings, as those horrible, destructive beasts coming
out the abyss and out of the sea, in the Revelation, starting at Revelation
11:7.
In other words, the Apostles Paul and John, the Evangelists Mark
and Luke, plus the writer of the book of Hebrews, ALL used theriOn in their
writings to mean wicked men or undomesticated animals or supernatural evil
beings , depending on the context.
The Scripture in focus, Mark 1:13, does NOT indicate a struggle
that The LORD had with any wild beasts which were in the wilderness with
HIM+. It simply states that wild,
undomesticated beasts were present with HIM+ during His+ days in the wilderness
being tested.
For Mr. Rood
- to make "beasts" SINGULAR,
- to insert "savage"
- to turn the plural wild beasts into a singular satan
- to insert words indicating a STRUGGLE with the wild beasts, and
. . . takes some imagination because it simply cannot be found in
Scripture manuscripts.
It is a mystery as to WHERE Mr. Rood obtained this; we only know he
did NOT find it in any authorized manuscripts.
The LORD'S struggles are revealed in the Matthew and Luke accounts,
chapters 4 in each Gospel, as HE+ withstood His+ severe testing by standing on
the Word of GOD.
We notice that HE+ did not pervert The Word, as satan tempted HIM+
to do. Nor did HE+ use it to His+ own fleshly advantage. Even when in dire need,
The LORD JESUS CHRIST stood with integrity. HE+ did not abuse The Word.
How, then , do we measure up ?
Do we abuse The Word of GOD to make a name for ourselves ?
There will be a fearful accounting if we over-lay The holy Word of
GOD with unholy purposes.
Psalm 30:5 tells us, " Every Word of GOD is pure ..." and
our proper response should be like the Psalmist's in 119:140 ...
Thy Word is very pure:
therefore thy servant loveth it.
The Word of GOD is not a toy nor to be abused as a
money-maker. It is not to be handled
deceitfully nor is it to be the carrier of our own commentary, the surmisings
of our own rational thinking or irrational fantasies.
Do we bring The LORD the glory due unto His+ Name when we
manipulate His+ Word ? Or rather, would
HE+ have us operate in integrity and keep His+ well-attested Word simply as HE+
inspired it to be written ?
Undoubtedly, The LORD had wrestlings with satan that we know not of
nor can even imagine. We all know that satan walks about as a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour.
Yet… the integrity of the well-attested Word stands well above our
“logical” deductions. No matter how well meaning, we CANNOT put words into
GOD’S mouth, so to speak.
If we try, they will be in error.
King Saul did the same thing.
He “improved” upon the Word of The LORD that was given to him.
However, the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen of 1
Samuel 15 are ringing in our ears.
King Saul proclaimed loud and long how obedient he was to the
LORD’S command. He even convinced himself of his own obedience.
Samuel, a Prophet of GOD --- i.e., a TRUE prophet, not a
self-proclaimed one --- told King Saul to obey is better than sacrifice.
GOD does not need us to “improve” well-attested Scripture; it is already
GOD-breathed.
All scripture is given by
inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Timothy 3:16
+ + +
It is a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living GOD. Let us take heed to ourselves… how we hear ,
Luke 8:18, and what we hear, Mark 4:24, as The LORD JESUS CHRIST warned us.
For, we
are accountable.
+ + +
"Wild Beasts"
in other manuscripts and versions.
Syriac Sinaitic = fem plural emphatic ܚܝ̈ܘܬܐ
( Syriac Curetonian = verse is missing )
Peshitta = fem plural emphatic ܚܰܝܘܳܬ݂ܳܐ
Hebrew NT ( Delitzsch 11th ed.) = with living beasts
עִם־הַחַיּוֹת
eratque cum bestiis, et Angeli ministrabant illi.
Bestiis = noun, fem, plural, dative or ablative Clementine Vulgate
μετα των θηριων GREEK N T ( no variants )
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