Mark 1 : 22

The Peshitta omits the initial conjunction καὶ / Et, beginning directly with the verb ܘܬܡܝܗܝܢ (which incorporates the conjunction within the verbal form). This represents a stylistic difference in how Syriac handles clause connection through verbal morphology rather than separate conjunctions.

Greek uses the imperfect middle-passive ἐξεπλήσσοντο (third-person plural); Syriac employs a periphrastic construction ܘܬܡܝܗܝܢ ܗܘܘ (participle + auxiliary 'were'); Vulgate uses the simple imperfect stupebant. All three express ongoing astonishment in the past, but through different verbal strategies.

Greek employs the preposition ἐπὶ with dative article and noun (ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ); Vulgate mirrors this with super + ablative (super doctrina ejus); Syriac uses a single bound form ܒܝܘܠܦܢܗ ('at-his-teaching') with the pronominal suffix, a typical Semitic compression of the prepositional phrase.

The Vulgate inserts a colon to mark the clause boundary before the explanatory γὰρ clause, a punctuation convention absent in the Greek and Peshitta manuscript traditions.

Greek places the causal particle γὰρ in second position (ἦν γὰρ διδάσκων αὐτοὺς); Syriac fronts the participle before the auxiliary and particle (ܡܠܦ ܗܘܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܓܝܪ); Vulgate follows Greek word order (erat enim docens eos). The semantic content is identical, but Syriac exhibits typical VSO preference.

Greek and Vulgate use the simple plural noun with article (οἱ γραμματεῖς / scribæ, 'the scribes'); Peshitta reads ܣܦܪܝܗܘܢ ('their scribes') with a third-person plural possessive suffix, specifying the scribes as belonging to the audience's community. This addition clarifies the referent and may reflect a Syriac interpretive tradition emphasizing the scribes' relationship to the Jewish listeners.