WORD STUDY – CARPENTER (ARAMAIC)
Nagara נגרא
Mark 6:3: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”
This is an example where the translation may be technologically correct but not culturally. Today a carpenter is a highly skilled craftsman and/or artisan which fits the word used in the Greek which is tekton. I believe this one description of Jesus is evidence that the original text was in Aramaic because a carpenter was not considered a skilled craftsman as tekton suggest. Logically, there was little need for a carpenter in those days as wood was a scarce commodity. Actually the Aramaic word that is used is more historically correct for a carpenter or laborer of that day and that is the word nagara which means workingman, handyman one who does menial labor. There were no full time carpenters and most carpenters just used their skill to barter rather than make any money. Jesus was not a carpenter as we know carpenters today, he was just a lowly handyman, willing to do whatever unskilled work for a meal. He could have been anything But as the Messiah He choose a lowly vocation, that of just a simple day laborer.
נרגא Nun Gimmel Resh Aleph – Nagara
Mark 6:3: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”
This is an example where the translation may be technologically correct but not culturally. Today a carpenter is a highly skilled craftsman and/or artisan which fits the word used in the Greek which is tekton. I believe this one description of Jesus is evidence that the original text was in Aramaic because a carpenter was not considered a skilled craftsman as tekton suggest. Logically, there was little need for a carpenter in those days as wood was a scarce commodity. Actually the Aramaic word that is used is more historically correct for a carpenter or laborer of that day and that is the word nagara which means workingman, handyman one who does menial labor. There were no full time carpenters and most carpenters just used their skill to barter rather than make any money. Jesus was not a carpenter as we know carpenters today, he was just a lowly handyman, willing to do whatever unskilled work for a meal. He could have been anything But as the Messiah He choose a lowly vocation, that of just a simple day laborer.
I also drive a local bus and sometimes the disability bus if the manpower situation requires it. This word study makes sense to me because I transport many local day laborers and they are all very kind and generous with their time. They are not tied down with all the daily concerns that most of us carry around with us. This explains Jesus to me.