EVANS The Baptism of John in a Typological Context 57
offers a textbook example of gezera sawa, a Jewish hermeneutical princi-
ple whereby two or more passages containing common vocabulary are
drawn together, with each text clarifying the meaning of the other. Nor is
it remarkable that the Malachian prefix finds itself introduced 'as it is
written in Isaiah the prophet'. The formula is hardly an error (even if the
Matthean and Lukan evangelists decide to drop the prefix); it is rather an
interpretive gloss that explains who will facilitate the preparation of the
way of the Lord by appeal to Malachi's prophecy of the coming messen-
ger (and in Hebrew Scripture prophets are sometimes called messen-
gers^14 ). The Markan evangelist (and more probably the tradition that he
inherited^15 ) links the conflated quotation to the appearance of John the
baptizer in the wilderness.
James Dunn cites numerous verbal and thematic parallels between the
words of John and Old Testament prophetic oracles. He finds Isa. 30.27-28
particularly interesting:^16
(^27) Behold, the name of the LORD comes (K3/ IpxsTai) from far,
burning ("lin/ Kaiopevos) with his anger, and in thick rising smoke;
his lips are full of indignation (J2VV bpyr]),
and his tongue is like a devouring fire ($K/mip);
(^28) his breath (m"l/ TTVEGMCC) is like an overflowing stream (bm/ (iScop)
that reaches up to the neck;
to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction,
and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray.
In this oracle alone we find the combination of'coming', 'burning', 'anger',
'fire', 'spirit' and 'water', elements that also appear in John's preaching:
'After me comes (epxsTcu) he who is mightier than I... I have baptized
you with water (liScop); but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
(TTveG|ja)' (Mk 1.7-8; Lk. 3.16 adds 'and with fire [TTUp]'); 'Who warned
you to flee the wrath (opyT)) that is to come?... the chaff he will burn
(KCCTCCKauoei) with unquenchable fire (mip)' (Mt 3.7, 12 = Lk. 3.7, 17).
Dunn also rightly notes that the image of 'unquenchable fire' (mjpi
aafJeoTco) may allude to Isa. 66.24 (TO TrOp OCUTGOV OU GpeoSTiaETCu) or
34.10.
- For example, Hag. 1.13 ('Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to
the people...'); Exod. 23.20; 1 Esdr. 1.48-49 (Eng. 1.50-51). The prophet's name
'Malachi' itself means 'my messenger'. - The Markan evangelist shows little interest in proof-texting. In all probability
the quotation of materials from Malachi and Isaiah, linked to John, is traditional. The
existence of wilderness ministries influenced by Isa. 40.3 is attested by Qumran. - Dunn, 'John the Baptist's Use of Scripture', pp. 51-53.