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Maranatha
Maranatha (either "מרנא תא"; maranâ' thâ' or "מרן אתא"; maran 'athâ') is an Aramaic phrase occurring once only in the New Testament. It is transliterated into Greek letters rather than translated, and is found at the end of Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:22) as a farewell. The NRSV translates it as: "Our Lord, come!" but notes that it could also be translated as: "Our Lord has come"; the NIV translates: "Come, O Lord"; the NAB notes: "As understood here ("O Lord, come!"), it is a prayer for the early return of Christ. If the Aramaic words are divided differently (Maran atha, "Our Lord has come"), it becomes a credal declaration. The former interpretation is supported by what appears to be a Greek equivalent of this acclamation in Rev 22:20 "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"" The phrase seems to have been used as a greeting between Early Christians, and it is probably in this way that it was used by the Apostle Paul. |