Aramaic Word Study

Maranatha (מָרָנָא תָא)

Our Lord, come!

An early Christian Aramaic prayer expressing longing for Christ's return, preserved in Paul's closing words to the Corinthians.

Overview

Maranatha is an Aramaic prayer meaning 'Our Lord, come!' — preserved untranslated at the close of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, expressing the earliest church's longing for Christ's return.

Pronunciation

Pronounced mah-rah-nah-THAH. Likely two Aramaic words: marana ('our Lord') and tha ('come').

Historical and Literary Context

That Paul, writing in Greek to a Greek-speaking church, preserved this Aramaic phrase untranslated suggests it was already a fixed liturgical prayer among the earliest Christians, likely originating in the Aramaic-speaking Jerusalem church and carried into wider use.

What Scripture Explicitly Says

Explicitly Stated

1 Corinthians 16:22 closes with 'If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.' The final chapter of the Bible echoes the same longing in Greek: 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus' (Revelation 22:20).

If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

1 Corinthians 16:22

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Revelation 22:20

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:13

Questions Christians Discuss

Common Interpretation

Scholars debate whether maranatha should be divided as 'marana tha' (a prayer: 'our Lord, come') or 'maran atha' (a statement: 'our Lord has come' or 'is coming'); the traditional and most common reading treats it as an urgent prayer for Christ's return.

Hope in Christ

Maranatha captures the heartbeat of Christian hope — not passive waiting, but active longing for the return of the same Jesus who died, rose, and ascended, who will come again to make all things new (Revelation 21:5).

Prayer

Maranatha — our Lord, come!

Jesus, I long for your return and the day when every wrong will be made right.

Until then, keep me faithful, watchful, and full of hope. Amen.

Cross References

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
2 Peter 3:9-13
Matthew 24:42-44
Revelation 22:12-21

Reflection Questions

1
What does it mean for your daily life to genuinely long for Christ's return, as this ancient prayer expresses?
2
How does the church's earliest use of this untranslated Aramaic prayer show its importance to them?
3
How should the hope of Christ's return shape how you live today?

Continue Your Study

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Gospel Connection

This ancient Aramaic prayer expresses the church's earliest longing for Christ's return, echoed in the final verse of the whole Bible: 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus' (Revelation 22:20).

The Whole Bible Connection Engine is built on the conviction that every part of Scripture speaks to every other part. Read widely. The connections are in the text.

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