Texts in Conversation
In Mark, Jesus opens his preaching with an announcement that the kingdom of God is drawing near. This may reference an Aramaic tradition also found in the Targum of Isaiah, where an announcement of God's nearness is interpreted as his kingdom.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Isaiah 40:9
Hebrew Bible
8 The grass dries up, the flowers wither, but the decree of our God is forever reliable.” 9 Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion. Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! Shout, don’t be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 Look, the Sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior; his military power establishes his rule. Look, his reward is with him; his prize goes before him.
Mark 1:15
New Testament
14 Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. 15 He said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!” 16 As he went along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen).
Jonathan Isaiah 40:9
Targum
8 The wicked die, and their thoughts perish; but the word of our God will stand forever.” 9 Get up on a high mountain, O you prophets who bring good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem; lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the cities of the house of Judah, “The kingdom of your God is revealed.” 10 The Lord GOD will be revealed, and the strength of the arm of His might will rule before Him; the reward of those who perform His word is with Him, because their works are manifest to Him.
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Notes and References
“... A significant clue to the meaning of η βασιλεια του θεου in Mark may be deduced from the fact that the above verses (1:14, 15) contain an allusion to Isaiah 52:7: [...] We infer a deliberate allusion for the following reasons: 1. Both passages describe the proclamation of the 'reign' or 'kingdom' of God as 'good tidings' or 'the gospel'. Isaiah 52:7 is the only passage in the Hebrew Old Testament (MT) where these concepts occur together. As we have seen, the Targum adds a further passage, Isaiah 40:9 (probably under the influence of the targumic interpretation of Isaiah 52:7), where 'the kingdom of your God is revealed' stands for MT, 'Your God reigns'. Like Isaiah 52:7, Isaiah 40:9 also refers to 'good tidings', and the Targum has 'the kingdom of your God is revealed' for MT, 'Behold your God!' ...”
Rowe, Robert D.
God's Kingdom and God's Son: The Background in Mark's Christology from Concepts of Kingship in the Psalms
(pp. 116-117) Brill, 2002
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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