Mark 1:3

“John was in the wilderness baptizing, and preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, etc. Luke, again, follows up the passage in which he says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and age, and in favour with God and man,” by a section in which he…” — editor's note: Mark i. 1–4.

“Mark also and Luke agree in presenting this testimony of Isaiah as one referring to John.” — editor's note: Mark i. 3; Luke iii. 4.

“Mark, then, commences as follows: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God: as it is written in the prophet Isaiah;” and so on, down to where it is said, “And they go into Capharnaum; and straightway on the Sabbath-day He entered into the synagogue and taught them.”” — editor's note: Mark i. 1–21.

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”” — editor's note: Mark i. 1–3; see R.V.

Being about to write his Gospel, Mark rightly puts first the testimonies of the Prophets, that he might notify to all, that what he should write was to be received without scruple of doubt, in that he shewed that…

Hierom. ad Pammach, Epist 57: But this is not written in Isaiah, but in Malachi, the last of the twelve prophets.

But it may be said that it is a mistake of the writer. Otherwise it may be said that he has compressed into one, two prophecies delivered in different places by two prophets; for in the prophet Isaiah it is written…

For knowing that all things are to be referred to their author, he has brought these sayings back to Isaiah, who was the first to intimate the sense. Lastly, after the words of Malachi, he immediately subjoins, “The…

Or otherwise, we must understand, that although these words are not found in Isaiah, still the sense of them is found in many other places, and most clearly in this which he has subjoined, “The voice of one crying in…

By Malachi, therefore, the voice of the Holy Spirit resounds to the Father concerning the Son, who is the countenance of the Father by which He has been known.

But John is called an angel not by community of nature, according to the heresy of Origen [ed. note: Origen taught that all rational beings, angels, devils, and men, were of one nature, differing only in rank and…

The Forerunner of Christ, therefore, is call an angel, on account of his angelic life and lofty reverence. Again, where he says, “Before thy face,” it is as if he said, Thy messenger is near thee: whence is shewn the…

Or, “the way of the Lord,” by which He comes into men, in penitence, by which God comes down to us, and we mount up to Him. And for this reason the beginning of John’s preaching was, “Repent ye.”

But as John might be called an angel, because he went before the face of the Lord by his preaching, so he might also be rightly called a voice, because, by his sound, he preceded the Word of the Lord. Wherefore there…

But it is called “the voice of one crying,” for we are wont to use a cry to deaf persons, and to those afar off, or when we are indignant, all which things we know applied to the Jews; for “salvation is far from the…

But the prophecy, by saying, “In the wilderness,” plainly shews that the divine teaching was not in Jerusalem, but in the wilderness, which was fulfilled to the letter by John the Baptist in the wilderness of Jordan,…

Or else the voice and the cry is in the desert, because they were deserted by the Spirit of God, as a house empty, and swept out; deserted also by prophet, priest, and king.

What he cried is revealed, in that which is subjoined, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” For whosoever preaches a right faith and good works, what else does he but prepare the way for the…

Or else, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” that is, act out repentance and preach it; “make his paths straight,” that walking in the royal road, we may love our neighbours as ourselves, and ourselves as our…

Or, the “way” is the New Testament, and the “paths” are the Old, because it is a trodden path. For it was necessary to be prepared for the way, that is, for the New Testament; but it was right that the paths of the…

Mark 1:3 and Luke 3:4 share the same wording (19 words).

Mark 1:3 and John 1:23 share the same wording (13 words).

Matthew 3:3 and Mark 1:3 share the same wording (17 words).

Cross-reference given by the World English Bible's translators.

Cited together in Bede on Mark 1:2–3 (3) (Catena Aurea).

Mark 1:3 takes up the words of Isaiah 40:3 (12 words in common).