Does the Gospel of Mark Reveal Jesus’ Anger or His Compassion?
What the Codex Bezae reveals about Jesus’ temperament
In the fifth-century C.E. Codex Bezae, an early edition of the New Testament written in Greek, the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus’ anger before healing a leper (Mark 1:41). While later scribes changed Jesus’ anger to compassion, it is likely that Codex Bezae preserves the original reading. Image: Cambridge University Library/ff.288v & 289r from Nn.2.41.
Textual variants among ancient manuscripts aren’t usually as controversial as chapter 1, verse 41 of the Gospel of Mark. Sometimes one scribe spelled a word differently on his manuscript, while another might have accidentally skipped or repeated some of the text he was copying. These cases are minor variants and don’t really change the meaning of the text. Other times, however, scribes added to or even changed text to clarify a passage or suit the theological preferences of their communities. That’s when things get interesting, and this passage in the Gospel of Mark offers an especially intriguing example.
In Mark 1:41, a leper has approached Jesus seeking to be healed. Most Greek manuscripts (the New Testament was originally written in Greek), as well as later translations, say that Jesus was moved with compassion and healed the man. A few manuscripts, however, say that Jesus’ anger was kindled before he healed him. So did the verse mean to convey Jesus’ anger or his compassion? If this were a popularity contest, the “compassion” reading would surely win. In 1998, the authoritative book Text und Textwert recorded only two Greek manuscripts (and a few early Latin ones) that contained the reading expressing Jesus’ anger. But, as Dr. Jeff Cate announced in The Folio,* the bulletin of the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center at the Claremont School of Theology, close examination of one of those two Greek manuscripts has shown that it does not contain the word for either anger or compassion. Just as Matthew and Luke did when retelling Mark’s story in their gospels (cf. Matthew 8:2–4; Luke 5:12–16), the scribe of this Markan manuscript simply left it out.
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Mark composes his account of the life of Jesus in this scene from a 12th-century manuscript from Constantinople.
This now leaves the other Greek manuscript, the fifth-century C.E. Codex Bezae, as the sole Greek witness to the reading expressing Jesus’ “anger.” Much like the cheese in “The Farmer in the Dell,” Codex Bezae stands alone.
But most interesting of all, the Codex Bezae may in fact have the better (i.e., original) reading. As New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman pointed out in a 2005 article in Bible Review, “one factor in favor of the ‘angry’ reading is that it sounds wrong.”** It is much easier to believe that early scribes were troubled by Jesus’ anger and changed it to his feeling compassion, rather than the other way around. Later scribes also would have preferred the easier “compassion” reading and copied it until it became the more popular reading. (As Ehrman explains, there are other passages in the Gospel of Mark that seem to support the reading conveying Jesus’ anger.) Thus does Codex Bezae now stand as a lonely witness to what is very likely the original Greek text of Mark 1:41.
Based on Strata, “Jesus’ Anger Rewritten as Compassion,” Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2012.
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Notes
* Jeff Cate, “The Unemotional Jesus in Manuscript 1358,” The Folio 28, no 2 (2011), p.1.
** Bart D. Ehrman, “Did Jesus Get Angry or Agonize?” Bible Review, Winter 2005.
Related reading in Bible History Daily
The “Strange” Ending of the Gospel of Mark and Why It Makes All the Difference
This Bible History Daily feature was originally published on May 24, 2012.
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I seem to remember reading that the expression “moved with compassion” or “pity” is our best effort at translation. The original meaning would convey an intense physical feeling. Almost like being “sick to your stomach.”.His “anger” would be more of a rightous indignation that mankind, because of it’s fall into a sinful state, had to endure such pitiful conditions. This was not what God had originally intended. Satan is the cause and the one behind this. Jesus anger was not uncontrolled rage, but rather an intense feeling of compassion for the individual and rightous indignation toward Satan and his effect on humanity. In this he would not be sinning but would be loving, compassionate, and justified.
Maybe what we should what we take from, it is that even in anger as long as it is Righteous, Healing an Good work can be done. Just a thought God Bless.
Since you are Not showing us the Actual writing. I can”t judge for myself. I can”t take your word for it..This is the internet. Thanks anyway. I”ll have to find it on some other site.
“But most interesting of all, the Codex Bezae may in fact have the better (i.e., original) reading. As New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman pointed out in a 2005 article in Bible Review, “one factor in favor of the ‘angry’ reading is that it sounds wrong.”** It is much easier to believe that early scribes were troubled by Jesus’ anger and changed it to his feeling compassion, rather than the other way around. Later scribes also would have preferred the easier “compassion” reading and copied it until it became the more popular reading.”
Tremendously sketchy. We are to accept a singular text unsupported by others on the basis that all other scribes through the years would have wished to tamper with the text. Group psychoanalysis of people living hundreds of years ago is poor poor scholarship and vacant hermeneutics.
I do no have any problem with seeing Jesus angry in this verse. We have seen him angry in other texts as well. Sometimes we consider ourselves hollier than Jesus and that is why we can not acept that Jesus got angry.
I do not see the case of reading hebrew and dismiss the greek text. Where is the hebrew or aramaic text of the new testament to read it?
Why does it have to be one or the other? Is this a false dichotomy? I would submit that Jesus is both angry and compassionate, in that part of compassion, biblically speaking, is anger – anger at religious, economic, and political systems that discriminate and ostracize lepers. And compassionate toward the victims of such injustice. This was typical of the Prophets, as well.
the new testament was never penned in greek! that is a lie! anyone that says it was did not do any viable research! https://independent.academia.edu/SouthDavidAllen more proof than you need!
Regarding the concern that Jesus was committing a sin by being angry (whether during the incident referred to in this article or, any other involving Christ and/for Yahweh Himself)…Yeshua, as part of The Perfect Trinity us unable to sin. His anger (as with God) is a righteous anger, one justified by Their position as Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Creators of the universe).
Regarding the text noted in the article about whether Jesus became angry prior to acting upon His Compassion for the one He healed…It makes perfect sense that Christ could have become angry for a number of reasons: #1) The leper is noted as qualifying his request with “if you are willing” – an indication by the leper as to possible doubts about Christ’s intentions for, or capabilities to perform the healing (and/or this qualifying statement could be an indication of the lepers own doubts about Jesus’ capabilities and intentions, but the leper transfers the responsibility for those doubts upon the Lord); #2) The NIV states that Yeshua was “indignant” which carries the connotation of displeasure or offense – again, possibly due to what I noted in #1. #3) Christ had been very concerned about when His miracles were to be made public (inclusive of Jew and Gentile, alike) – refer to His response to His mother Mary when she asked Him to turn water into wine noting that His hour “had not yet come” (John 2:4 NIV) which substantiates His request of the leper to go and show himself to the Priests (the representatives of the God’s Chosen people, at the time, to whom Messiah was initially sent to share His Gospel Message). #4) Perhaps, Jesus in His Divine Foreknowledge already knew that the leper was not going to comply with His directive to tell the priest, which in turn could have annoyed Christ (caused Him to be indignant, irritated or angry). #5) In keeping with His concern for the Jewish social and religious climate of the day, Jesus was instructing the leper to follow such protocols when He said “Bring gifts for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded for their testimony.” (Mark 1:44 Aramaic Bible/Plain English); however, His anger could have been due to His anticipation of the lepers failure to fulfill Moses command and thereby add to the list of things that the Sanhedrin would soon compile against Yeshua.
There seems to be Hebrew concept that defies proper english translation. It is the concept of saltiness. As I read the Gospels, Jesus was quite salty. Zest, vigor, again, there does not seem to be the right word in English. That is what I believe the text is trying to convey to us. Jesus was filled with courage, … passion. Anger or Angst might also be a word to describe this.
I don’t see a problem reconciling Jesus’ anger in this situation. The anger doesn’t have to directed at the leper. However, I do think it’s quite a stretch to make the “lonely witness” claim given the scant evidence and questionable source of the quote. Also, Jesus doesn’t seem like an angry guy, all things considered. I’m not sure this topic deserves much attention.