Maranatha is an Aramaicphrase. It occurs once in the New Testament. It also appears in Didache 10:14, which is part of the Apostolic Fathers' collection. It is transliterated into Greek letters rather than translated and, given the nature of early manuscripts, the lexical difficulty rests in determining just which two Aramaic words constitute the single Greek expression, found at the end of Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians.
Analysis
If one chooses to split the two words as , a vocative concept with an imperative verb, then it can be translated as a command to the Lord to come. On the other hand, if one decides that the two words , a possessive "Our Lord" and a perfect/preterite verb "has come," are actually more warranted, then it would be seen as a credal expression. This interpretation, "Our Lord has come," is supported by what appears to be an equivalent of this in the early credal acclamation found in the biblical books of and, "Jesus is Lord." In general, the recent interpretation has been to select the command option, changing older decisions to follow the preterite option as found in the ancient Aramaic Peshitta, in the Latin Clementine Vulgate, in the Greek Byzantine texts, maranatha, which was part of the eucharistic dialogue of the early Church. Textus Receptus, critical Greek texts like Westcott and Hort, Tischendorf, Cambridge, etc., and in the English translations like the King James Version, the Finnish Raamattu, etc. The NRSV of 1 Corinthians 16:22 translates the expression as: "Our Lord, come!" but notes that it could also be translated as: "Our Lord has come"; the NIV translates: "Come, O Lord"; the Message version puts it differently as: "Make room for the Master!" ; the NAB notes: The 1985New Jerusalem Bible translates 1 Corinthians 16:22, "If there is anyone who does not love the Lord, a curse on such a one. Maran atha." In the context of 1 Corinthians, understanding the Greek "maranatha" as Aramaic "Maran atha" in the preterite sense would provide substantiation for the preceding anathema. That is, one who does not love the Lord is accursed because our Lord has ascended and come unto his throne. It would also substantiate the following prayer for grace from the ascended Lord Jesus, who has come to his throne and then sends the Holy Spirit. The last chapter of the Book of Revelation makes use of the same concept as "marana tha" by the Greek "erchou kurie Iesou", "Come, Lord Jesus". In the Catholic Church, the word "Maranatha" has also been used as a solemn formula of excommunication.
Based on the teachings of John Cassian, John Main recommended the recitation of Maranatha as "the ideal Christian mantra", meaning "Come Lord", repeated silently interiorly as four equally stressed syllables Ma-ra-na-tha: "Not only is this one of the most ancient Christian prayers, in the language Jesus spoke, but it also has a harmonic quality that helps to bring the mind to silence. Other words or short phrases could be used but he saw it as important that during the meditation one doesn't think about the meaning or use the imagination." Other Christian authors and communities cultivate similar practices centred on this recitation.
