Mark 1 : 5

The Peshitta employs a periphrastic construction (ܘܢܦܩܐ ܗܘܬ, 'was going out') using the participle with the auxiliary verb ܗܘܬ, whereas Greek uses the simple imperfect ἐξεπορεύετο and Latin the imperfect egrediebatur. All three convey continuous past action but through different grammatical strategies.

Greek places the adjective πᾶσα before the article and noun phrase (πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία χώρα), while Vulgate follows with omnis Judææ regio. Syriac uses the construct state ܟܠܗ ܟܘܪ ܕܝܗܘܕ ('all the region of Judea'), employing a genitive construction typical of Semitic syntax rather than an adjectival modifier.

Greek uses the substantival adjective οἱ Ἱεροσολυμῖται πάντες ('all the Jerusalemites'), Latin employs the adjective Jerosolymitæ universi, while Syriac uses a construct phrase ܘܟܠܗܘܢ ܒܢܝ ܐܘܪܫܠܡ ('and all the sons of Jerusalem'). The Syriac idiom ܒܢܝ ('sons of') is a standard Semitic construction for denoting inhabitants or members of a group.

Greek uses the passive imperfect ἐβαπτίζοντο ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ('were being baptized by him'), Latin mirrors this with baptizabantur ab illo. Syriac employs an active construction ܘܡܥܡܕ ܗܘܐ ܠܗܘܢ ('and he was baptizing them'), using the active participle with auxiliary verb and dative pronominal suffix, a typical Syriac preference for active voice where Greek and Latin use passive.

Greek specifies ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ('in the Jordan river'), with ποταμῷ as an appositional clarification. Latin similarly has in Jordanis flumine. Syriac uses only ܒܝܘܪܕܢܢ ('in the Jordan') without an additional word for 'river,' treating the proper name as sufficient identification of the geographical feature.