1 Corinthians 16:22

22. If This awful woe, given by Paul’s own hand, closing with the solemn Aramaic watchword, formed an impressive and memorable sentence for the Corinthian Church.

Anathema Devoted to destruction; “sacred to perdition.” Note on Romans 9:3, and on Joshua 6:17; Joshua 6:21. This word describes the awful side of human guilt and destiny. It is the anticipation of, and solemn assent to, the dread “Depart, ye cursed,” of the final Judge, at which it becomes us to tremble rather than to cavil.

Maran-atha That is, the Lord is come. It is the Christian’s reminder as he waits the advent of the judge to execute that anathema. It is a brief motto, in the language spoken by the Incarnate when on earth, (like Abba, in Romans 8:15), a watchword by which Christians could avow themselves and recognise each other.

Stanley says: “The word Maran is the longer form of Mar, the Chaldee (or later Hebrew) word for Lord, and used as such in Daniel 2:47; Daniel 4:19; Daniel 4:24; Daniel 5:23; familiar also as the title of ecclesiastical dignitaries in the Syrian Church. Atha is frequently used in the poetical books of the Old Testament for comes, and so also in the Chaldee.” He adds that the Maronite Jews of Spain were so called because, in expectation of a future Messiah, they were ever uttering the word Maran, Lord, to which the Christians retorted Maran-atha, The Lord is come. This, Paul’s anathema, has a dread sound: not much unlike a discord, in the flowing music of salutations and benedictions. Alas! it is a true representation of the tragic and mournful semi-tone that runs through the anthem of human history and human destiny, commenced by sin and closing in woe.