An Exegetical Analysis of Mark 3:1-3: Grammatical Nuances, Idiomatic Expressions, and Thematic Implications
This exegetical study of Mark 3:1-3 is based on a b-greek discussion from Tue May 11 09:16:30 1999. The initial query concerned the most accurate translation of Mark 3:1, specifically the phrase ἐξηραμμένην ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα. Common English translations render this as “There was a man who had a withered hand.” The inquirer questioned whether the participle ἐξηραμμένην should be understood as attributive (modifying “hand” directly) and if the article τὴν necessarily implies a definite object or could denote a type of hand (“the withered hand” as a category). An alternative literal rendering, “Was there a man having the (i.e., his) hand withered,” was also proposed, leading to a discussion of whether ἔχω could carry a causative meaning similar to the English “I had my hair cut.” The inquirer also raised concerns about the awkwardness of certain literal translations.
The primary exegetical issue centers on the grammatical function of the perfect passive participle ἐξηραμμένην (withered) in conjunction with the verb ἔχων (having) and the definite article τὴν modifying χεῖρα (hand) in Mark 3:1. This construction invites debate over whether the participle should be interpreted attributively (modifying the noun directly) or predicatively (describing a state of the noun, often with an implicit “being” or “which was”). Furthermore, the discussion extends to the idiomatic force of ἔχω with a participle and an object, and the implications of Greek word order for emphasis and the narrative flow. Secondary concerns include the function of the future indicative in an indirect question (Mark 3:2) and whether the command Ἔγειρε (Rise!) in Mark 3:3 carries any subtle theological foreshadowing of resurrection.
Mark 3:1-3 (Nestle 1904)
1 Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πάλιν εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν. καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπος ἐξηραμμένην ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα:
2 καὶ παρετήρουν αὐτὸν εἰ τοῖς σάββασιν θεραπεύσει αὐτόν, ἵνα κατηγορήσωσιν αὐτοῦ.
3 καὶ λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τὴν ξηρὰν χεῖρα ἔχοντι, Ἔγειρε εἰς τὸ μέσον.
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
- Mark 3:1: SBLGNT reads εἰς συναγωγήν (into a synagogue), omitting the definite article τὴν found in Nestle 1904’s εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν (into the synagogue). This variant has minor implications for the definiteness of the synagogue, but does not affect the central grammatical question of verse 1.
Textual Criticism (NA28), Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG)
The textual base for Mark 3:1-3 is largely stable across major critical editions such as NA28. The primary variant of note, as mentioned above, is the presence or absence of the article τὴν before συναγωγήν in verse 1. The NA28, like SBLGNT, favors the reading without the article, rendering εἰς συναγωγήν, reflecting strong manuscript support (e.g., א B D W). However, this variant does not impact the core grammatical discussion surrounding ἐξηραμμένην ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα in Mark 3:1, which remains consistent across traditions.
Lexically, the following terms are pertinent to the exegesis:
- ἔχω (echō): According to BDAG, this verb has a broad semantic range, including “to have, hold, possess” (2a). More relevant to this passage is its use in periphrastic constructions (2b), “to be in a certain condition, especially with an accusative of the object affected or with an adjective of condition.” In this context, ἔχων with a direct object and a predicative participle forms an idiomatic expression indicating the state of the object. Kittel (TDNT) expands on ἔχω as a fundamental verb of possession and its role in conveying states, conditions, and relationships, often in a way that suggests a periphrastic or causative nuance without directly expressing causation.
- ξηραίνω (xērainō): BDAG defines this as “to make dry, dry up, wither” (transitive) and, in the passive, “to become dry, wither” (e.g., Mark 3:1, 4:6). The perfect passive participle ἐξηραμμένην (exērammenēn) thus describes a state of having been withered and remaining so. This highlights the completed and lasting nature of the hand’s condition. Kittel notes its use in various contexts from parables (withered plants) to physical ailments (withered limbs), always denoting a loss of vitality or moisture.
- ἐγείρω (egeirō): BDAG provides “to move to a standing position, rise, get up” as a primary meaning (4). This is the most straightforward interpretation in the context of Mark 3:3, where Jesus commands the man to stand. While ἐγείρω is famously used for “raising the dead,” its usage for a simple command to “get up” from a sitting or prone position is very common in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 2:13, 9:19; Mark 10:49, 14:42; Luke 13:25). Kittel explores the theological depth of ἐγείρω, particularly in eschatological and christological contexts concerning resurrection, but its basic usage as “rise” for physical movement is undeniable.
Translation Variants and Grammatical & Rhetorical Analysis
The core of the grammatical debate in Mark 3:1 revolves around the phrase ἐξηραμμένην ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα. The structure consists of the present active participle ἔχων (having), whose subject is ἄνθρωπος (man), and its direct object is τὴν χεῖρα (the hand). The perfect passive participle ἐξηραμμένην (withered) modifies τὴν χεῖρα.
A central tenet of Greek grammar asserts that when a noun has an article (as τὴν χεῖρα does), an attributive participle modifying it must also have an article (e.g., τὴν ἐξηραμμένην χεῖρα, the withered hand). Since ἐξηραμμένην here lacks an article, it functions predicatively. This means it describes a state or condition of the direct object, rather than acting as a simple adjective directly modifying it. Thus, a more accurate literal rendering would be “having his hand withered,” implying “having his hand which was withered” or “having his hand in a withered state.” This contrasts with an attributive reading that might be translated as “having the withered hand,” which could imply that the *kind* of hand is “withered” or that the man possesses a specific withered hand, rather than his own hand being in that condition.
The verb ἔχω in this construction (ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα ἐξηραμμένην) is an idiomatic Greek expression that signifies an accompaniment or an association of a state with the subject or object. It often conveys the sense of “with” or “having something in a certain condition,” rather than a direct causative meaning. For instance, examples from Pseudo-Demosthenes illustrate ἔχω + participle constructions meaning “to go with her” (ἔχων αὐτήν) or “having these things with her” (ἔχουσα ταῦτα πάντα). Therefore, the suggestion of a causative meaning for ἔχω in Mark 3:1, as in “I had my hair cut,” is generally not supported by this particular idiom.
Regarding the word order, an analysis of the sentence ἦν ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπος ἐξηραμμένην ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα suggests that Greek prose often builds meaning through a “question-answer” sequence, actively engaging the listener. For instance, ἦν (was) prompts “what was?”, ἐκεῖ (there) clarifies “what was there?”, and ἄνθρωπος (a man) provides the initial answer. The subsequent words, particularly ἐξηραμμένην (being withered), re-establish a tension by posing new questions (“what is being withered?”), which are resolved by ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα (having the hand). While this approach highlights the dynamic reception of meaning in Greek, claims of “centrality of emphasis” for middle words in prose are debated, with some arguing that emphasis more consistently falls on the beginning and end of a clause or sentence. The order of words is certainly reflective of stylistic choices and potential emphasis, but the specific notion of “center” emphasis remains contentious for narrative prose.
In Mark 3:2, the use of the future indicative θεραπεύσει (he will heal) within the conditional clause εἰ τοῖς σάββασιν θεραπεύσει αὐτόν is best understood as part of an indirect question. The original direct question would have been “Will he heal on the Sabbath?” (future indicative). Greek grammar permits the retention of the original tense and mood in indirect questions, especially after verbs of watching or observing (παρετήρουν, a past tense verb). Thus, the future tense accurately reflects the anticipated action being observed, without implying any specific grammatical anomaly.
Finally, the command Ἔγειρε εἰς τὸ μέσον (Rise into the middle / Get up in front) in Mark 3:3 is a straightforward imperative for the man to stand up. While the verb ἐγείρω can refer to rising from the dead and has profound theological implications in other contexts, its use here, supported by extensive lexical evidence (BDAG), is a common instruction for someone to physically rise from a sitting or lying position. To interpret it as a deliberate literary foreshadowing of resurrection in this specific instance requires significant external argumentation and is not intrinsically supported by the common idiomatic use of the word in such a context.
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
The grammatical analysis of Mark 3:1 indicates that the participle ἐξηραμμένην functions predicatively, describing the state of the man’s hand rather than directly modifying it as an adjective. This is strongly supported by the absence of the definite article preceding the participle, while the noun χεῖρα is articular. The phrase ἔχων τὴν χεῖρα ἐξηραμμένην is an idiomatic construction in Greek, conveying the sense of “having his hand in a withered condition” or simply “with a withered hand.” This construction underscores the man’s possession of a hand that was already in a state of witheredness.
The word order, while contributing to the dynamic engagement of the listener, does not necessarily assign emphatic “centrality” to certain words in a way that overrides basic grammatical functions. The future indicative in Mark 3:2 is a natural reflection of an indirect question. The command to “rise” in Mark 3:3 is a common injunction for physical movement, without inherent theological foreshadowing in this narrative context.
Based on this exegetical study, the following translation suggestions are offered:
- “And he entered again into the synagogue. And there was a man there with a withered hand.”
This translation effectively captures the idiomatic sense of the Greek phrase, emphasizing the man’s condition in a natural English idiom. - “And he entered again into the synagogue. And a man was there whose hand was withered.”
This rendering clearly articulates the predicative nature of the participle, explicitly stating the condition of the hand. - “And he entered again into the synagogue. And a man was there, having his hand withered.”
This more literal translation preserves the Greek grammatical structure of ἔχω + object + predicative participle, highlighting the man’s possession of the hand in its particular state.