“God
Has helped
His servant!
Israel!
In remembrance
Of his mercy.”
ἀντελάβετο Ἰσραὴλ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ, μνησθῆναι ἐλέους,
This canticle takes on a different tone as there was now an emphasis on Israel, the country. Luke indicated that Mary said that God had helped Israel (ἀντελάβετο Ἰσραὴλ), his servant or male slave (παιδὸς αὐτοῦ), by remembering his mercy (μνησθῆναι ἐλέους). Mary was a true daughter of Israel. She wanted God’s mercy for her country.
“Wherever he enters,
Say to the owner
Of the house.
‘The Teacher asks.
‘Where is my guest room?
Where may I eat
The Passover
With my disciples?’”
καὶ ὅπου ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃ εἴπατε τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ ὅτι Ὁ Διδάσκαλος λέγει Ποῦ ἐστιν τὸ κατάλυμά μου, ὅπου τὸ πάσχα μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν μου φάγω;
This is similar to Matthew, chapter 26:18, and Luke, chapter 22:11. Mark indicated that Jesus told his 2 unnamed disciples what to say to the proprietor or the owner of the house, as he entered it (καὶ ὅπου ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃ εἴπατε τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ). They were to say that the teacher asked him where his guest room was (ὅτι Ὁ Διδάσκαλος λέγει Ποῦ ἐστιν τὸ κατάλυμά μου). Jesus wanted to eat the Passover at this house with his disciples (ὅπου τὸ πάσχα μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν μου φάγω). This Passover was the remembrance of the Israelites fleeing Egypt by eating special foods. There is no indication of whose house this was or who the owner of the house was. Certainly, it was someone who knew Jesus.
“Truly!
I say to you!
Wherever the gospel
Good news
Is proclaimed
In the whole world,
What she has done
Will be told
In remembrance of her.”
ἀμὴν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅπου ἐὰν κηρυχθῇ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον εἰς ὅλον τὸν κόσμον, καὶ ὃ ἐποίησεν αὕτη λαληθήσεται εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς.
This is practically word for word in Matthew, chapter 26:13, but not in John or Luke. Mark indicated that Jesus had this solemn proclamation (ἀμὴν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν) that wherever this good news or gospel would be talked about, proclaimed, or preached in the whole world (ὅπου ἐὰν κηρυχθῇ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον εἰς ὅλον τὸν κόσμον), what she had done would be told in remembrance of her (καὶ ὃ ἐποίησεν αὕτη λαληθήσεται εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς). This anointing would be forever remembered and tied to the gospel message of Jesus. However, in a bit of irony, her specific name was not mentioned.
“Jesus said.
‘Go into the city
To a certain man!
Say to him!
‘The Teacher says.
My time is near.
I will keep
The Passover
At your house
With my disciples.’”
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν πόλιν πρὸς τὸν δεῖνα καὶ εἴπατε αὐτῷ Ὁ Διδάσκαλος λέγει Ὁ καιρός μου ἐγγύς ἐστιν· πρὸς σὲ ποιῶ τὸ πάσχα μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν μου.
This is similar to Mark, chapter 14:13-14, and Luke, chapter 22:10-12, who both mention that the man has a jar of water, something not mentioned here. Jesus said that they were to go into the city of Jerusalem (ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν πόλιν) to a certain unnamed man (πρὸς τὸν δεῖνα). The other 2 gospel writers said that this man was going to be carrying a jar of water. They were to say to him (καὶ εἴπατε αὐτῷ) that the teacher said that his time was near (Ὁ Διδάσκαλος λέγει Ὁ καιρός μου ἐγγύς ἐστιν). Jesus wanted to keep the Passover (πρὸς σὲ ποιῶ τὸ πάσχα) at his house with his disciples (μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν μου). There was no explicit mention of a guest room in this house as in the other 2 synoptic gospels. This Passover was the remembrance of the Israelites fleeing Egypt by eating special foods.
“Truly!
I say to you!
Wherever this good news
Is proclaimed
In the whole world,
What she has done
Will be told
In remembrance of her.”
ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅπου ἐὰν κηρυχθῇ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦτο ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ, λαληθήσεται καὶ ὃ ἐποίησεν αὕτη εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς.
This is almost word for word in Mark, chapter 14:9, but not in John. Jesus had this solemn proclamation (ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν) that wherever this good news or gospel would be talked about, proclaimed, or preached in the whole world (ὅπου ἐὰν κηρυχθῇ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦτο ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ, λαληθήσεται), what she had done would be told in remembrance of her (καὶ ὃ ἐποίησεν αὕτη εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς). This anointing would be forever remembered and tied to the gospel message of Jesus. However, her specific name was not mentioned.
“The king of Babylon
Stands
At the parting of the way,
At the fork
In the two roads.
He uses divination.
He shakes the arrows.
He consults the teraphim.
He inspects the liver.
Into his right hand
Comes the lot
For Jerusalem,
To set battering rams,
To call out
For slaughter,
For raising
The battle cry,
To set battering rams
Against the gates,
To cast up ramps,
To build siege towers.
But to them
It will seem
Like a false divination.
They have sworn
Solemn oaths.
But he brings
Their guilt
To remembrance,
Bringing about
Their captive.”
The king of Babylon stood at the fork in the road. He decided to use his forecasting skills of divination by shaking arrows, consulting the ancient household teraphim gods, and looking at sheep livers. Finally the lot of Jerusalem came into his right hand as he chose the road to Jerusalem. There he would call out for slaughter, raise the battle cry, set the battering rams against the gates, cast up ramps, and build siege towers. It might have seemed like a false divination for the people of Jerusalem. They had sworn solemn oaths. They had brought their guilt remembrance. They were about to be captured.
“O Israel!
How great is
The house of God!
How vast the territory
That he possesses!
It is great.
It has no bounds.
It is high.
It is immeasurable.”
Baruch expounded the greatness of Israel with its vast territory as the house of God. This seems so out of place for the exiles in Babylon who had no land. However, it was both remembrance and aspirational. Baruch talked about the greatness of Israel with no bounds and immeasurable heights.
“When Israel went forth from Egypt,
The house of Jacob,
From a people of strange language,
Judah became God’s sanctuary.
Israel became his dominion.”
Psalm 114 begins with a long sentence of remembrance since there is no title to this short psalm. Israel left Egypt. The house of Jacob left the land that had a strange language. We must remember that any language not your own is always strange. Judah was God’s sanctuary for them. Israel was his dominion. Once again the favorite spot is where the tribe of Judah settled.
“When the waters saw you!
O God!
When the waters saw you,
They were afraid.
The very deep trembled.
The clouds poured out water.
The skies thundered.
Your arrows flashed on every side.
The crash of your thunder
Was in the whirlwind.
Your lightnings lit up the world.
The earth trembled.
The earth shook.
Your way was through the sea.
Your path was through the mighty waters.
Your footprints were unseen.
You led your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
This psalm ends with a remembrance of the power and presence of Yahweh when he was with Moses and Aaron. He recalled the power of God in the storms. He remembered how Yahweh had helped his people get out of Egypt. These themes were captured in this ancient hymn to God. The waters were afraid of God, as if the waters had feelings of trembling before God. The lightnings in the sky were the arrows of Yahweh. The thunder was his voice. The earth trembled, much like the waters. The earth shook. However, he led his people by way of the great sea so that they were no footprints left behind. He led his people like a flock of sheep through the hands of Moses and Aaron. Notice that Aaron is considered the equivalent to Moses here.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 