Mar 12:38 Beware of the scribes...
Mar 12:38 Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and [love] salutations in the marketplaces,
Alternative: Look out for scholars who want to walk about in their outfits and want embraces in public...
Hidden meaning: Christ discusses reality in terms of three worldly dimensions of the physical, mental, and emotional relationships (Three Plus One: The Pattern of Christ’s Words). In this system, clothing is one of the most important symbols (The Loaf, the Cup, and the Cloak), quoting from that article:
Clothing is symbolic of social status and pretense (Mat 23:5). Clothing, that is, social position, can also disguise something that is dangerous as something good (Mat 7:15). Kingship is the highest social position, but not necessarily the most important position (Mat 11:8). ...The choice of clothing is important because it expresses our opinion about relation ships. At the wedding feast, the guest without a wedding garment is thrown out Mat 22:12. To humble himself during the last supper, Christ removed his garments before washing the feet of his apostles (Jhn 13:4).
The public greetings are also part of this same pattern of wearing fancy clothes to get public attention.
Thematically and Linguistically Related Verse(s): Mat 23:7 is the parallel verse in Matthew, but in a simpler form without the repeated "sames" and second phrase about multitudes.
Vocabulary:
"Beware" is from blepô (blepo), which means "to look" and "to see." It is the more tangible sense of seeing, such as seeing what is right in front of you rather than understanding.
"Scribes" is from grammateus (grammateus), which is generally a "secretary," "recorder," and "scholar," but specifically means someone who uses gramma which is Greek for "drawings," "a letter," (as in an alphabet)"diagrams," and "letters" (as in correspondence).
"Which" is from hos (hos), which is the demonstrative pronoun in its various forms (hê, ho, gen. hou, hês, hou, etc. ; dat. pl. hois, hais, hois, etc. gen. hoou). It means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
"Love" is from thelô (thelo), which means "to be willing," "to wish," "to ordain," "to decree," "to be resolved to a purpose" and "to desire."
"Go" is from peripateô (peripateo), which means "to walk up and down," "to walk about," and "to walk about while teaching."
"Long clothing" is from stolê (stole), which means "equipment," "fitting out," "armament," "equipment in dress," "raiment," "garment," "robe," and "the act of dressing."
"Salutations" is from aspasmos (aspasmos), which means "greeting," "embrace," and "affection."
"Marketplaces" is from agora, which means "an assembly," "place of assembly," and "marketplace." "Public speaking" meant speaking in the marketplace.
