1* Cf. Holtzmann, Hand-Commentar, p. 55: "Instead of gutoD at the end there stands too deou rj/iuiv in the Lxx. The change shows that the evangelist, by the xupto^; of the first member, wished not God but the Messiah to be understood." See also Sven Herner, Die Aniven- dung des Wortes xupio<s im N. T., p. 7: "Nor can there be any doubt that the citation, already known from Mt. 3^ — ' Prepare ye the way of the Lord ' — refers to Christ." Mark has, he tells us, quoted, imme- diately before, the words found also in Mt ii^" with alterations from the O. T. text such as show they are intended by him to refer to Christ: and the connection necessarily demands that these now before us should also be referred to Christ (cf., p. 4).
1^ Cf. Dalman, Words, 328, and cf. 326. It must not be supposed, however, that ' Rabbi ' might not be charged with a high significance (cf. Dalman, p. 334).
12 The Designations of Our Lord
^ J 236,37^^ extending over the divinely ordained reli- gious enactments of the chosen people (7-^, cf. 7^^'^^), and entitling Him to dispose of the possessions (11^) and the very destinies of men (13^^). There is here asserted not only Messianic dignity and authority, but dignity and authority which transcend those ordinarily attributed even to the Messiah (12^^"'^), and are com- parable only to those of God Himself (i^).
The transition from such a designation of Jesus as
* Lord ' to the designation of Him as ' Messiah,' is
only a passage from the general to the
essiamc particular. What is noteworthy is. Designations ^ -r ^■l k/t
therefore, not that specifically Mes- sianic titles are freely assigned to Jesus in the narrative, but that no other titles than Messianic ones seem to be employed of Him. There is indication indeed that our Lord was recognized as a prophet (6^^ 8~^) ; in point of fact, that He recognized Himself as a prophet (6^). It is clear indeed that He was widely spoken of as a prophet and that He Himself accepted the designation as appropriate.^" But this is little empha- sized in this Gospel, and would form no exception to the rule that no designations are suggested for Jesus except Messianic titles. Neither can we consider the designations 'Bridegroom' (2^^'^^'-") and 'Shepherd' (14^^), which Jesus seems to have applied incidentally to Himself, exceptions. In the former of these Jesus, discoursing of John the Baptist (2^^) doubtless with intentional reference to a saying of his which is re-
20 See Swete's note on 6* : " The Lord here assumes the role of the Prophet, which was generally conceded to Him (6^^ 8^^ Mt 2i^^'*®, Lk 24^9^ Jno 4^9 6^* 7*° 9^^^, Acts 3-2 7^7)." And compare Hastings' Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, i, art. " Foresight," where the matter is examined.
The Designations in Mark 13
corded for us only In John (3"^), identified Himself on the one hand with the ' Bridegroom ' of Old Testa- ment prophecy (cf. Hos 2^^), and set Himself forth on the other as the Head of the people of God now to be gathered Into the promised kingdom : In other words, the designation is Messianic to the core.^^ And certainly not less is to be said of His Identification of Himself with the mysterious 'Shepherd' of Zech 13^^, who Is the fellow of the Lord of Hosts (14^^ II Mt 26^^; and cf. 6^* H Mt 9^^ and see Mt 25^^ eschato- loglcally; and Jno 10^). By the side of these It may also be necessary to recognize as a Messianic designa- tion, the epithet ' Beloved,' which Is applied to Him in the divine commendations of the Son — " Thou art my Son, the Beloved, In whom I am well pleased," "This is my Son, the Beloved" (i" oi^) .^^ But apart from these more unusual designations none are applied to Jesus in the whole course of the narrative by any of the characters introduced, Including Jesus In His own person, but familiar Messianic titles. These occur in considerable variety, and include not only the simple ' Christ ' with Its equivalents, ' the King of Israel ' or ' of the Jews,' and ' the Son of David,' but also the
21 Cf. Swete, in loc: " So the Lord identifies Himself with the Bride- groom of O. T. prophecy (Hos. 2-°, etc.), i.e. God in His covenant relation to Israel, a metaphor in the N. T. applied to the Christ (Mt 25I, Jno 3^^'-^, Eph 5^8 sg, Apoc ig'', etc.)." Christ is set forth Mes- sianically under the name of the Bridegroom in N. T. only in Mk 219,19,20^ Mt 915, Lk 534, Jno 329; and in the Parable of the Ten Vir- gins, Mt zs^'^'^'i". The thing occurs oftener.
22 Cf. J. Armitage Robinson, in Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible, II, 501 (art. " Isaiah, Ascension of," cf. Charles, The Ascension of Isaiah, I. 4), and St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, 229-247 (Note on "'The Beloved' as a Messianic title"). Dr. Robinson, hovyever, does not assert that the title occurs in Mark, though he finds it in the par- allel passages in the other Synoptics.
14 The Designations of Our Lord