Last Sunday I watched Brother Past, our unobtrusive head usher, welcome Mr. Present, the current chairman of the board, and Future, a new prospective member. Present and Future demanded Past seat them on the front row; it was tense.
Back in school, Ms. Uno told me that in the future; I, Trey, would be parsing words. Everyone actively laughed at me. Well, this present post will get to the root of the words of two important people in Luke 1 – Zachariah and Mary.
The tension, for me, comes the fact that both ask “how” and use an “indicative 1 singular” verb. Well, that is the way most modern translations read. Zechariah (1:18) and Mary (1:34) receive two different responses from Gabriel. Elizabeth got nine months of blissful silence, and Mary received charitoo. In Mark’s translation it would read, “How can I know?” In the Greek both verses share the word – ginōskō. At this point I will encourage factchecking, so use MOUNCE, Strong’s G1097, Luke 1:18 Greek Text Analysis (biblehub.com), and Luke 1:34 Greek Text Analysis (biblehub.com).
I view this as adding to my other Christmas post on Zechariah, and Mary. See Christmas Light | Mark’s Bible Study (ificouldteachthebible.com) for the star.
Zechariah or Zachariah (Not the Old Testament prophet)
This old cohen, who had faithfully served many years had been chosen for a special honor. He was to go into the empty Holy of Holies and burn incense, this was done in the seventh month on the Day of Atonement. (See Leviticus 16 and 23.) Paradigms and definitions, compare the meaning of cohen to priest.
Oh, the hallowed copy of the Ark that Moses had constructed has not been found; the real one was/is in Heaven. Metaphorically, we might say the Chest was about to be placed in Mary, (See The Poles and The Mercy Seat)
I looked but could not find an age requirement for serving as a cohen. Levities had to stop serving at the age of fifty (Numbers 8:25). In 1 Samuel 4:18 Eli was 98 and he had started at 58. How do you think his sons were doing as cohen?
Mary or Mariam
This teenage granddaughter of King David, through Nathan not Solomon, has a special place in history. Tradition and legend have been added to her story. She is found in the Gospels doing things at key points in Jesus’ story. I want to focus on two; her willingness to submit to the Father and her comment to the servant at the wedding, “Do whatever He tells you.” (NIV)
Two Forms of Ginōskō
Zechariah uses gnosomai and Mary uses ginōskō. Zechariah’s word is a future, middle voice form that shows he was concerned about himself and how it would affect him. Mary’s is a present, active voice that wonders how God is making this happen.
Compare and Contrast
Old vs. New. Law vs. Charitoo. Known vs. That Can’t Happen. Elijah vs. Elisha. Father God talked many times about Gentiles being part of His Family, and how the heart played into being a “branch on that vine”. Both were given a task: Zechariah would father a child that would announce that salvation was being provided; Mary would carry the Child that would provide the final offering, so we could be accepted again. Zechariah “knew” the Torah and may have been a Sadducee. Mary had some training, but she “knew” that a virgin of Judah would have a Child, and probably held to the teachings of the Pharisees. A light translation of that is no angels or miracles vs. angels exist and God can do anything He wants.
My parsing may not have been great, after all it is Grammer to me. My BIG takeaway is the new levels that Zechariah and Mary represent in the story of the Father sending His Son to bring His Family together.
Have a Merry Christmas and think about the Little Lamb who was born in Bethlehem.
Mark's Bible Study 