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Mark's tools > Seek ''Drash''

Alphabet metaphor and word play

Mark begins the book with a demonstration of alphabetic metaphor and Hebrew word play.

Mr 1:1 ¶ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

Seek Drash דרש

Mark displays a knowledge of tool called 'Drash' דרש which means 'seek'. When seeking, you have a clue of what you are looking for. In practice one compares and contrasts something known, with various things found. Mark knows what John was doing, and as he searched the scriptures, found a prophecy that looked like it could be compared.

He found the passage in Isaiah and relates it this way:

Mr 1:2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Mr 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

He compares it with this:

Mr 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Mr 1:5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

Mark is summarizing what more than one prophet said: "As it is written in the prophets." Here are two prophets that say things similar to this:

Isa 40:3 ¶ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Mal 3:1 ¶ Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

And here is a related one that Mark probably didn't understand but Matthew did ^[1]:

Isa 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way [that] they knew not; I will lead them in paths [that] they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

Mark does not stop with the obvious comparisons, but uses those as the anchor to Old Testament scripture. From that anchor he will continue to interpret scripture.

References

1. ↑ Mark was comparing John to the prophecies above interpreting the revelatory voice of the king. Matthew saw John and Jesus together fulfilling the prophecy concerning Elijah, reading in the revelatory voice of the prophet. Mt 11:14 And if ye will receive [it], this (John and Jesus together) is Elias, which was for to come.