Day 6 - Friday - Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament - Logos

 Matthew 11:1–30

Here begins Matthew’s second major block of narrative material in the body of his Gospel (chaps. 11–12). Matthew 11:1–19 deals with Jesus and John the Baptist. On the question about Jesus as the “coming one” (11:3), see above (p. 2). Verse 4 refers again to specific healing miracles as having messianic significance, as already in the LXX of Isa. 29:18–19; 35:5–6; and 61:1. Verse 5 may allude to Isa. 42:18, with its call to the deaf to hear and to the blind to see. Verse 13 refers to the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures with the expression “the prophets and the law.” A clear allusion to Elijah preceding the day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5) appears in 11:14. The little parable of the children in the marketplace (11:16–19) may echo Deut. 29:6 in describing the Baptist’s asceticism (“neither eating nor drinking”) and Isa. 22:13 in describing Jesus’ indulgence (“eating and drinking”). In striking contrast to the OT and Second-Temple Judaism, Jesus stresses how holiness can be more contagious in mixing with notorious sinners than impurity (Blomberg 2005).

The comparisons of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin in Jesus’ day to Tyre and Sidon in OT times (11:20–24) reflect the latter cities’ role as paradigmatic enemies of Israel (see Isa. 23; Ezek. 26–28; Amos 1:9–10; Joel 3:4–8; Zech. 9:2–4). Sodom, like Gomorrah, typified the wickedness of Canaan before Israel conquered it (see esp. Gen. 18:16–19:29; see also above, p. 35). “Sackcloth and ashes” (11:21) were common public symbols of repentance in the ancient Near East (e.g., Esther 4:3; Jon. 3:6–9). Capernaum’s attitude is even more specifically likened to the arrogance of the king of Babylon (Isa. 14:12–15), with Jesus promising it a similar fate (11:23). Here the text literally refers to Hades, the Greek rendering of Sheol, the shadowy underworld of OT times. In fact, the phrasing “Up to heaven will you be exalted? You will go down to Hades,” could be viewed as an actual quotation of Isa. 14:13, 15 (thus the second edition [but not the third or fourth editions] of the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament puts this text in boldface as an OT quotation). The MT reads here, respectively, “And you said in your heart ‘to the heavens I will go up,’ ” and “But to Sheol, you will go down.” The LXX wording is somewhat different from Matthew’s, with only “go down to Hades” preserved verbatim. Given that Jesus employs no introductory formula and that he uses the language as a rhetorical question followed by its answer rather than as a pair of predictions as in Isaiah, it is perhaps better to see Jesus using deliberately allusive language in his condemnation of the three cities of his day that would make the astute listener think of Isaiah’s similar judgment of notorious OT towns.

In 11:25–30, three final allusions to the OT in this chapter appear. In 11:25a Jesus praises God in wording reminiscent of Dan. 2:19–23. Verse 25b seems to allude to God hiding his wisdom from the wise in Isa. 29:14. And in 11:29, “you will find rest for your souls” alludes to Jer. 6:16. Charette (1992) surveys other texts as possible backgrounds for the themes of 11:28–30, esp. of “yoke” and “rest” (on the latter, see Laansma 1997). More generally, Jesus’ appeal to the weary to find their rest in him resembles the appeals of Lady Wisdom in Proverbs and Sirach (see Deutsch 1987). Compare also Exod. 33:14. Davies and Allison (1988–1997: 2:283–86) also argue strongly for an influence of 33:12–13 on Matt. 11:25–30.

Chaps. chapters

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MT Masoretic Text

LXX Septuagint

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 Blomberg, Craig L. “Matthew.” Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI;  Nottingham, UK: Baker Academic;  Apollos, 2007. 38. Print.