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OT Quotation in Mark 1:2-3

New Testament quotations of Old Testament passages are typically straightforward. But sometimes Old Testament quotations can be complicated, as is the case with Mark 1:2-3. Introducing John the Baptist at the beginning of this Gospel, Mark opens with a quotation of Isaiah the prophet:

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way—
a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.”
Mark 1:1-3 (NIV)

Compare this with a similar introduction of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:3 (NIV):

This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.”

Mark actually begins this quote with another sentence from Malachi:

I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way.
Mark 1:1 (NIV), quoting Malachi 3:1

So why did Mark include a selection from Malachi without distinguishing it from the rest of a quote written by Isaiah? Perhaps, according to ancient custom, Mark’s composite quote gave credit to Isaiah, the more prominent biblical author. Another reason, particular to Mark, is the way he sandwiches a line from Malachi between a reference to Isaiah and a quote from Isaiah. Isaiah will become the primary Old Testament lens through which Mark’s Gospel will be written—and the opening verses prepare the reader for this.

This Malachi verse fits the story of Jesus Mark is going to tell, but the broader context and tenor of Malachi’s original prophecy does not. Malachi 3 is a prophecy of judgment and reckoning, but Mark’s message, as he states in the opening verses, is one of “good news.” The tenor of the Isaiah passage is one of deliverance so Mark chose it, and its context, as the focal point of his quotation. He wanted people to view Jesus as the Redeemer and Savior.

Moments like this give us glimpses into the minds of the Gospel writers. They also help us appreciate some of the complexity of good Bible interpretation. Like all biblical writers, Mark was a man of his time, using literary conventions that made sense in his world.

Modified Source: David E. Garland, ed., A Theology of Mark’s Gospel, 2015, pp. 204-205.