Maranatha

With the end of the world set to occur (again) tomorrow, it seems like a good time to consider the ancient Christian phrase "Maranatha." This Aramaic/ Syrian word appears only once in the New Testament, at the end of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians and can be interpreted as "Our Lord cometh."

The phrase has an interesting history, and it may have been used as a greeting amongst early Christians. As a simple prayer, a slightly different form appears in Revelations ("Come, Lord Jesus!") and it also appears with a slightly different slant in the Lord's prayer ("Thy kingdom come!")

For awhile, "maranatha" was sometimes used as part of a curse.   With the phrase "Anathema maranatha," a person was not only cursed (made "anathema"), but he was aso reminded that God would come to judge or punish his behavior ("maranatha"). 

As a greeting amongst Christians, "maranatha" was far from being a curse! The exact meaning is still being debated. It is possible that the interpretation may have varied slightly depending on how the phrase was divided.  Maran'atah meant "Our Lord comes," but treating the -a(h) ending as if for energy or speed (maranat'ah) meant "Lord, come quickly!" 

Others say that slightly different pronunciations can mean either "Our Lord, come!" or "Our Lord has come."  In this interpretation, the statement can do double-duty as an encouraging reminder that justice will prevail and as a statement of faith.