Matthew: Believers Church Bible Commentary

By Richard B. Gardner

Richard B. Gardner invites readers to explore the dramatic story of Jesus which Matthew tells. He connects that story to the first-century world of its author and early readers. The commentary then shows how Matthew has shaped the church and still speaks to the life of the Christian community.

Gardner probes each section for its meaning in the wider biblical context and in the life of the church. Thus readers are prepared to wrestle with Jesus’ gospel and mission, starting small, but for all nations. Ends with essays, an extensive bibliography, and a list of select resources.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Herald Press
• Release date: Jun 14, 1991
• ISBN: 9780836198218

Richard B. Gardner

Richard B. Gardner is a teacher and writer who effectively bridges the worlds of scholarly study of Scripture and Bible study in the local church. An ordained minister of the Church of the Brethren, he has prepared Bible study curriculum and led seminars and workshops both for his own denomination and for the larger church. Gardner did his doctoral work at the University of Wurzburg in Germany, where he received the D. Theol. degree  summa cum laude in 1973.

Book preview

EDITORIAL COUNCIL

Richard E. Allison

Brethren Church

Estella B. Horning

Church of the Brethren

Robert B. Ives

Brethren in Christ Church

Walter Klaassen

General Conference Mennonite Church

Gordon H. Matties

Mennonite Brethren Church

Paul M. Zehr

Mennnonite Church

OLD TESTAMENT EDITOR

Elmer A. Martens

Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary

Fresno, California

NEW TESTAMENT EDITORS

Howard H. Charles

Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries

Elkhart, Indiana

Willard M. Swartley (for later volumes)

Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries

Elkhart, Indiana

Richard B. Gardner

HERALD PRESS

Scottdale, Pennsylvania

Waterloo, Ontario

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gardner, Richard B., 1940-

Matthew / Richard B. Gardner.

p. cm. — (Believers church Bible commentary)

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 0-8361-3555-5 (alk. paper)

1. Bible. N.T. Matthew—Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series.

BS2575.3.G375 1991

226.2’07—dc20

91-12048

CIP   

The paper used in this publication is recycled and meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is ordinarily from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. It is used by permission, as are the following marked: GNB, from the Good News Bible—New Testament, copyright © American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976; NEB, from The New English Bible, © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970; and RSV, from the Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. For other abbreviations, see Glossary and Essays. The author has made some translations and paraphrases.

BELIEVERS CHURCH BIBLE COMMENTARY: MATTHEW

Copyright © 1991 by Herald Press, Scottdale, Pa. 15683

Published simultaneously in Canada by Herald Press,

Waterloo, Ont. N2L 6H7. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 91-12048

International Standard Book Number: 0-8361-3555-5

Printed in the United States of America

Cover by Merrill R. Miller

99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my family

Carol, Eric, and Mark

Contents

Series Foreword

Author’s Preface

Entering the World of Matthew

Jesus’ Origins and Calling, 1:1—4:16

Jesus’Family History, 1:1-17

Jesus’ Birth and Infancy, 1:18—2:23

A Child Conceived by the Spirit, 1:18-25

A Child Acclaimed as King, 2:1-12

A Child Delivered from Destruction, 2:13-23

Jesus’Preparation for Ministry, 3:1—4:16

John’s Work as the Forerunner, 3:1-12

Jesus’Baptism by John, 3:13-17

Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness, 4:1-11

Jesus’Return to Galilee, 4:12-16

Jesus’ Messianic Mission, 4:17—10:42

Jesus Launches His Ministry, 4:17-25

Jesus Teaches with Authority, 5:1—7:29

Heirs of the Kingdom, 5:1-16

A Greater Righteousness, 5:17-48

True Piety and False, 6:1-18

A Focused Life, 6:19—7:12

A Critical Choice, 7:13-29

Jesus Acts with Authority, 8:1—9:34

Mighty Works, Cycle 1, 8:1-17

Following Jesus, Interlude 1, 8:18-22

Mighty Works, Cycle 2, 8:23—9:8

Following Jesus, Interlude 2, 9:9-17

Mighty Works, Cycle 3, 9:18-34

Jesus Commissions His Disciples, 9:35—10:42

Laborers for the Harvest, 9:35—10:4

The Mission of the Twelve, 10:5-15

The Cost of Discipleship, 10:16-42

Israel Responds to Jesus, 11:1—16:20

Faith and Unfaith, Part 1, 11:1—12:50

John the Baptist and Jesus, 11:1-19

Who Receives Wisdom? 11:20-30

Jesus and the Sabbath, 12:1-21

By What Power? 12:22-37

Show Us a Sign, 12:38-50

Many Things in Parables, 13:1-52

Secrets of the Kingdom, 13:1-35

Disciples and the Kingdom, 13:36-52

Faith and Unfaith, Part 2, 13:53—16:20

Unwelcome Prophets, 13:53—14:12

Mercy and Majesty, 14:13-36

Who Really Is Defiled? 15:1-20

Compassion with No Boundaries, 15:21-39

The True Israel, 16:1-20

Jesus’ Final Journey, 16:21—20:34

Suffering and Glory, 16:21—17:21

The Way of the Cross, 16:21-28

A Glimpse of Glory, 17:1-13

A Crisis of Faith, 17:14-21

Life in Jesus’Community, 17:22—18:35

Freedom and Submission, 17:22-27

A Community of Caring, 18:1-14

Dealing with Brokenness, 18:15-35

Demands of Discipleship, 19:1—20:34

Marriage and Children, 19:1-15

Giving and Getting, 19:16—20:16

Status or Servanthood, 20:17-34

Jesus in Jerusalem, 21:1—25:46

Conflict and Confrontation, 21:1—23:39

David’s Son in David’s City, 21:1-17

Stories of Rejection, 21:18—22:14

Disputes with Jewish Leaders, 22:15-46

A Bitter Public Farewell, 23:1-39

Instruction on the Endtime, 24:1—25:46

How Will the End Come? 24:l-35

Living in Readiness, 24:36—25:30

Jesus Judges the Nations, 25:31-46

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, 26:1—28:20

Prelude to Passion, 26:1-16

A Farewell Gathering, 26:17-46

In the Hour of Trial, 26:47—27:10

A Crucified King, 27:11-56

From Death to Life, 27:57—28:20

Outline of Matthew

Glossary and Essays

Map of Palestine in New Testament Times

Map of the New Testament World

Bibliography

Recommended Resources for Personal and Group Study

The Author

Series Foreword

The Believers Church Bible Commentary Series makes available a new tool for basic Bible study. It is published for all who seek to understand more fully the original message of Scripture and its meaning for today—Sunday school teachers, members of Bible study groups, students, pastors, or other seekers. The series is based on the conviction that God is still speaking to all who will hear him, and that the Holy Spirit makes the Word a living and authoritative guide for all who want to know and do God’s will.

The desire to be of help to as wide a range of readers as possible has determined the approach of the writers. Since no blocks of biblical text are provided, readers may continue to use the translation with which they are most familiar. The writers of the series use the New Revised Standard Version, the Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, and the New American Standard Bible on a comparative basis. They indicate which of these texts they follow most closely, as well as where they make their own translations. The writers have not worked alone, but in consultation with select counselors, the series’ editors, and with the Editorial Council.

To further encourage use of the series by a wide range of readers, the focus is on illumination of the Scriptures, providing historical and cultural background, sharing necessary theological, sociological, and ethical meanings and, in general, making the rough places plain. Critical issues are not avoided, but neither are they moved into the foreground as debates among scholars. The series will aid in the interpretive process, but not attempt to provide the final meaning as authority above Word and Spirit discerned in the gathered church.

The term believers church has often been used in the history of the church. Since the sixteenth century, it has frequently been applied to the Anabaptists and later the Mennonites, as well as to the Church of the Brethren and similar groups. As a descriptive term it includes more than Mennonites and Brethren. Believers church now represents specific theological understandings, such as believers baptism, commitment to the Rule of Christ in Matthew 18:15-18 as part of the meaning of church membership, belief in the power of love in all relationships, and a willingness to follow the way of the cross of Christ. The writers chosen for the series stand in this tradition.

Believers church people have always been known for their emphasis on obedience to the simple meaning of Scripture. Because of this, they do not have a long history of deep historical-critical biblical scholarship. This series attempts to be faithful to the Scriptures while also taking archaeology and current biblical studies seriously. Doing this means that at many points the writers will not differ greatly from interpretations which can be found in many other good commentaries. Yet basic presuppositions about Christ, the church and its mission, God and history, human nature, the Christian life, and other doctrines do shape a writer’s interpretation of Scripture. Thus this series, like all other commentaries, stands within a specific historical church tradition.

Many in this stream of the church have expressed a need for help in Bible study. This is justification enough to produce the Believers Church Bible Commentary. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is not bound to any tradition. May this series be an instrument in breaking down walls between Christians in North America and around the world, bringing new joy in obedience through a fuller understanding of the Word.

The Editorial Council

Author’s Preface

The Gospel of Matthew is a resource both written for the church and highly prized by the church. It established itself early as the first book in the church’s canon, and it has played a pivotal role in shaping the church’s life and practice. Nowhere is this more true than in the believers church tradition. When we speak of making disciples, when we call for church discipline, when we advocate nonresistance, when we talk of serving the least of these, in each instance we have been shaped by the Gospel of Matthew.

To write a commentary on Matthew is thus to undertake a venture that is both inviting and intimidating. It is intimidating in the sense that it is treading on holy ground, holy ground that we may not wish to have disturbed. And yet because the First Gospel has so much to offer to the church, it keeps luring interpreters to reflect afresh on its contents. As I have responded to that lure, allowing myself to be drawn into Matthew’s story, I have grown increasingly appreciative of its structure and power. My hope in writing the commentary is that it will assist other readers to feel the lure of this Gospel, to be drawn into its story, and to respond to its summons.

Many persons have fed this undertaking in one fashion or another. Among the teachers of Scripture from whom I have learned, I am especially grateful to my doctoral adviser, Rudolf Schnackenburg. With probing questions, friendly encouragement, and obvious enthusiasm for the text, he modeled an approach to biblical study which could not help but be contagious. In more recent years, as teaching and writing assignments have tended to focus on the First Gospel, I have been nourished by the work of others for whom Matthew is a special interest. Among those whose studies have proven especially helpful are Jack Dean Kingsbury, Ulrich Luz, John Meier, Eduard Schweizer, and Donald Senior.

No less important, however, have been opportunities to explore Matthew with inquisitive groups of students. In addition to regular classes at Bethany Theological Seminary, several special events took place while the commentary was underway which provided stimulating occasions to test material in process. These included a summer extension school for Church of the Brethren leaders at Juniata College (Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, July 1986); a professional growth event for Mennonite pastors held at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries (Elkhart, Indiana, January 1987); and the Sebring Bible Conference at the Sebring (Florida) Church of the Brethren (January 1988). It is in gatherings such as these, where communities of learners grapple together with the text, that we discover most fully what Scripture has to offer.

The translation I have used as the basis for discussion in this commentary is the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Except where otherwise noted, biblical and apocryphal texts are quoted from this version. Quotations from the Qumran texts come from Geza Vermes, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English. James H. Charlesworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, is the source for quotations from that body of Jewish literature. Sources for other texts cited are noted in the Bibliography. To help decode some of the references to literature outside the Bible, readers may want to consult the first entry in the Glossary and Essays, Abbreviations/Citations. A further entry, Jewish Writings, supplies additional information on this material.

The most important work to use alongside this commentary is obviously the Bible. In addition, many readers will find it useful to have a synopsis of the Gospels close by, so that they can look up parallels to Matthew’s material in other Gospels. Two excellent editions of this type of resource are Robert W. Funk, New Gospel Parallels (Polebridge Press), and Kurt Aland, Synopsis of the Four Gospels (United Bible Societies).

As the manuscript for the commentary was taking shape, a number of persons read the material at one stage or another and offered helpful counsel and critique. Heading the list of such persons is the New Testament Editor of the series, Howard H. Charles, who oversaw the project from the beginning and was supportive in many ways. Others who reviewed all or parts of the manuscript, and whose contributions are likewise valued, included René Calderón, Estella Horning, Sharon Hutchison, Robert Ives, Walter Klaassen, Elmer Martens, Gordon Matties, Henry Poettcker, Donald Senior, Willard Swartley, Hugh Whitten, and Paul Zehr.

On the technical side, I am indebted to my secretary, Marilyn Nelson. It was she who helped initiate me to the brave new world of computers and word processing, and it was she who assisted in preparing the material in its final form.

Last of all, I want to thank the two bodies with whom I currently serve—Bethany Theological Seminary and the Church of the Brethren General Board. Both institutions made it possible for me to use professional as well as personal time to pursue this project. In addition, knowingly or unknowingly, faculty and staff colleagues became partners in the venture, both through nudging words of encouragement and through countless conversations about the church’s vision and mission. It is that vision and mission, which belongs to all the people of God, that keeps calling us to study the Bible—and to write commentaries on the Bible!

Rick Gardner                          

Bethany Theological Seminary

Oak Brook, Illinois

August 1990

Matthew

Entering the World of Matthew

Getting Our Bearings

The purpose of a commentary on a text is to help the reader enter into and explore the world of that text. But how do we do that? In the case of Matthew, there are at least three worlds to explore. And for each of these worlds, there are certain questions to raise or procedures to follow to discover what is going on.

The world of Matthew is, first of all, the world we find within the story Matthew tells. Like contemporary books, dramas, and film-scripts, the First Gospel plunges us into a miniature universe of speech and action. Certain characters play prominent roles in this literary world, characters such as Jesus, the disciples, Jewish leaders, and the crowds. Together with other characters, these persons take part in a developing plot, a plot marked by a growing conflict that eventually leads to Jesus’ death.

Along the way, many lines are spoken, some of them important because of the way they contribute to the plot, others simply because they come from the mouth of Jesus—who speaks for God in this story. To appreciate this narrative world of Matthew, we need to be attentive to questions of plot, structure, form, and rhetoric. We need to subject each piece of the story to close literary scrutiny—and ask how the pieces fit together into a larger whole.

The second world of Matthew is the historical setting in which this Gospel was composed. The story Matthew tells is not simply a piece of art for art’s sake, but a text with vital connections to the real-life story of Christian groups in the first century. To begin with, the sources on which Matthew draws to construct his story came from the developing church. In a similar manner, Matthew writes for a community in time and space, readers shaped by a particular cultural heritage and facing critical issues in their social and religious context.

A second task of a commentary, therefore, is to clarify the connections between the literary world within the Gospel and the historical world of the author and the first readers. To do this, we pay close attention to phenomena such as the way Matthew uses his sources, points of contact with Jewish tradition, recurring issues and emphases, and episodes that seem to reflect or speak to a later time.

A still broader world which the First Gospel inhabits is the story of the people of God from the days of Abraham and Sarah right down to our own time. Although Matthew wrote to Christians in a particular time and place, his text is part of an ongoing conversation between God and the faith community. Earlier moments in this dialogue helped to shape Matthew’s own script, and Matthew’s script has played a key role in the conversation ever since.

Yet another piece of our exploration, therefore, is to ask how Matthew does in fact relate to this broader world of speech and story. How does Matthew draw from the earlier story of God and Israel? How does Matthew’s agenda relate to that of other New Testament writers? How has Matthew been heard and used in the life of the church? And how does Matthew contribute to the conversation between God and the community of faith today? Such questions receive attention in the sections of the commentary entitled The Text in Biblical Context and The Text in the Life of the Church.

Author and Setting

Unlike the letters of Paul, the Gospels do not name their authors. The titles currently affixed to the Gospels, such as The Gospel According to Matthew, were likely added to manuscript copies early in the second century. The question of who wrote the First Gospel is thus an open question. One approach to answering the question is simply to take church tradition from the second century and later at face value. In the case of Matthew, that tradition is supported by a statement attributed to an early bishop named Papias, cited by the church historian Eusebius. According to Papias, Matthew assembled a Hebrew or Aramaic version of the oracles of Jesus, and other Gospel writers translated or interpreted them as each was able. Papias’ words are usually taken to mean that the apostle Matthew wrote the First Gospel.

Another approach to the question of authorship is to ask what clues the Gospel itself provides to the identity of the writer. If we go this more inductive route, we discover data that suggest a different answer. First, the existing Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew shows no signs of being a translation. On the contrary, there is evidence that it was composed from the outset for a Greek-speaking readership. Second, the author appears to draw most if not all of his knowledge of Jesus from other sources and traditions. There is nothing to suggest that the author brings the fresh eyewitness testimony of an apostle. His vocation is rather that of interpreting the earlier witness of others (cf. 13:52). Finally, the plot and language of the First Gospel suggest that its author wrote in the aftermath of a final break between church and synagogue. This likely did not occur until A.D. 80 or later, by which time the apostle Matthew may well have been dead.

The most plausible way to bridge the tension between these two approaches to authorship is to posit an indirect link between the apostle Matthew and the Gospel. It is conceivable that this apostle had a hand in an Aramaic collection of Jesus’ sayings which circulated at an earlier time in the church from which the Gospel came. Or it is possible that the apostle played a role in founding this church, likely in Syria, and that the Gospel is ascribed to Matthew as a patron saint of the community (cf. commentary notes on 9:9).

Whatever the circumstances, the apostle Matthew was likely a contributor to the gospel tradition rather than the author of the First Gospel. The latter was an unknown Jewish-Christian, a second-or third-generation leader who built on the work of his predecessors. For convenience’ sake, and in deference to long-standing tradition, we will continue to designate this unknown figure as Matthew in the pages that follow.

As hinted above, the church for whom this Matthew wrote was clearly a community in transition. In the early decades of the Christian era, Jewish-Christians maintained active ties to the larger Jewish community. The controversies that occurred were intramural disputes, between siblings who belonged to a common family. All that changed, however, after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The structure of Judaism was altered forever. As the larger Jewish community rebuilt itself under Pharisaic leadership, it defined boundaries between itself and groups it viewed as heretical. Consequently, Jewish-Christians found themselves no longer welcome in the synagogue.

The implications of this division for the church were at least twofold: (1) The church had to redefine its own identity as a community with a Jewish heritage but cut off from Jewish institutions. (2) The church’s mission from this point on would be almost exclusively a mission to the Gentiles. Realities such as these helped to shape the agenda Matthew pursues in his Gospel. Unfortunately, these realities also contributed to the bitter tone Matthew reflects and the caustic language he sometimes uses when he describes Jewish leaders. [Anti-Semitism, in Glossary and Essays, p. 417.]

How Is It Put Together?

It is clear that Matthew organizes material systematically at the level of literary units and the sections to which they belong. But what about the Gospel as a whole? Does it also exhibit a well-ordered design or structure? There is no lack of proposals concerning such a structure.

According to some scholars, the five major discourses of Jesus in the Gospel (found in chapters 5—7, 10, 13, 18, and 24—25) supply the backbone of the structure, with the surrounding stories setting the stage for Jesus’ authoritative teaching. Other interpreters believe they can discern a chiastic arrangement of materials, where the last section of the Gospel corresponds to the first, the next to the last corresponds to the second, etc. (a b c c’ b’ a’; cf. the discussion of chiasmus under Matthew, Literary Characteristics in Glossary and Essays). Still others argue that the structure lies in the plot of the story, and that Matthew uses the phrase from that time to introduce new major sections of the story at 4:17 and 16:21. According to this proposal, Matthew develops his narrative in three stages, one focusing on who Jesus is, a second on Jesus’ word and deeds, and a third on Jesus’ death and resurrection.

While each of these proposals has a certain attraction, no one of them commands consensus. It may be, therefore, that Matthew did not launch his work with a single, overarching design in mind. More likely, the situation can be compared to a homeowner who takes a fairly simple house and decides to expand it. In Matthew’s case, the simple structure with which he begins is the narrative of Mark’s Gospel. The story line of Mark becomes the foundation of Matthew’s story line as well.

Within that plot, however, Matthew decides to construct a number of topical collections of material, including the discourses of Jesus noted above. These collections incorporate material from sources other than Mark, among them a written source that Matthew and Luke both used. In addition, Matthew develops a lengthier prologue to the story with the material on Jesus’ origins in the opening chapters of the Gospel.

Out of such a process a mixed or composite structure evolves, not unlike that in a present-day musical. A story with a plot determines the basic contours of this structure. Like the songs in a musical, however, Matthew’s topical exhibits also occupy a prominent place in the structure. In addition to furthering the plot, they expand on themes that have significance beyond the story, and that engage the audience in terms of its own life experience. How to outline the composite structure of this Gospel is still debated. The outline developed in this commentary identifies six larger blocks of material, within which Matthew combines story and teaching in a variety of ways:

Further discussion of the origin and shape of the First Gospel can be found in several entries in the Glossary and Essays. Readers interested in Matthew’s editorial style may want to consult the entry Matthew, Literary Characteristics [p. 425]. Another entry, Matthew’s Sources [p. 426], reflects on the question of where Matthew obtained some of the material he incorporates in his story. Finally, there is an essay that explores the theological dimension of Matthew’s story, entitled Matthew, Distinctive Themes [p. 423].

So much, then, by way of introduction. It is time to move on, time to enter the world of Matthew.

Part 1

Jesus’ Origins and Calling

Matthew 1:1—4:16

PREVIEW

Each of the four Gospels begins with an account of the roots or antecedents of Jesus’ ministry. Mark relates Jesus’ work to the earlier activity of John the Baptist in the wilderness. The other Gospels also refer to John but push the question of Jesus’ roots even further back. In both Matthew and Luke, we find records of Jesus’ ancestry and stories related to his birth. In the Fourth Gospel, the author traces Jesus’ origins all the way back to the Word of God which was active in the world from creation on. Common to these introductory accounts is an attempt to link the story of Jesus with the story of God’s prior activity in the life of the people of Israel.

The account of Jesus’ roots in the Gospel of Matthew runs from 1:1 to 4:16. In this section we find a number of different types of material: a genealogy, stories about Jesus’ infancy (modeled in part after popular stories about Moses’ infancy), quotations of OT (Old Testament) texts which are fulfilled in the story of Jesus, sayings attributed to John the Baptist, and narratives of Jesus’ baptism and temptation. Some of this content Matthew found in earlier written sources (see Matthew’s Sources in Glossary and Essays). Other material is peculiar to Matthew and may come either from Matthew’s community or from his own Spirit-guided reflection on Jesus’ origins.

Whatever his sources, Matthew has taken this diverse material and developed a coherent narrative which sets the stage for Jesus’ public ministry. Throughout this section Matthew focuses on Jesus’ identity and calling, making certain that readers know who Jesus is. Along the way he emphasizes some of the places where Jesus appears: Bethlehem, Egypt, Galilee, the wilderness, the river Jordan. The association of these places with earlier biblical events and promises confirms, for Matthew, the messianic character of Jesus’ coming and calling.

OUTLINE

Jesus’ Family History, 1:1-17

Jesus’ Birth and Infancy, 1:18—2:23

Jesus’ Preparation for Ministry, 3:1 —4:16

Matthew 1:1-17

Jesus’ Family History

PREVIEW

The Gospel of Matthew opens with a genealogy, a long list of names tracing Jesus’ ancestry through David back to Abraham. This strikes many modem readers as a rather tedious and uninspiring way to begin a narrative. For ancient peoples such as Israel, however, genealogies held great interest and functioned in a variety of ways. Some simply show the extent of kinship. Others support an individual’s claim to a hereditary political or religious office. Still others serve as the framework for relating the history of a particular group. Rarely, if ever, were genealogies compiled with the concern for biological precision and completeness that we look for in a family tree today.

Since Jesus was born into a world in which genealogies were important, it is not surprising that Matthew begins his work in the way he does. He wants the reader to know how Jesus belongs to the story of Israel—and how that story belongs to him! For the names in his genealogy, Matthew is indebted both to biblical genealogies (cf. 1 Chron. 1—3; Ruth 4:13-22) and to lists of descendants of David born after the time when the biblical records end. The genealogy which he constructs is intended to show how Jesus’ family is connected to the important forebears named in earlier lists. More specifically, Matthew attempts to make the following points:

(1) Jesus is a descendant of both David and Abraham, and so a legitimate heir to the promises of God associated with both.

(2) The number and pattern of the generations leading up to Jesus confirm that he is the Messiah, the one through whom God will fulfill the promises.

(3) There are certain irregularities in the origins of Jesus’ ancestors which anticipate an even greater irregularity in his own origins.

OUTLINE

Heading, 1:1

From Abraham to David, l:2-6a

From David to the Exile, 1:6b-11

From the Exile to Jesus, 1:12-16

Summary, 1:17

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Heading 1:1

The first verse of Matthew describes the contents to follow as an account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah. Some scholars interpret the underlying Greek phrase more freely as a history of Jesus the Messiah and regard the phrase as a title for the Gospel of Matthew as a whole. However, in two passages from the Septuagint (LXX) where we find similar phrases (Gen. 2:4a; 5:1), the words in question clearly refer to an account of origins. One of those passages includes a long genealogy, not unlike Matthew’s. The more likely meaning of the phrase in Matthew 1:1, therefore, is that of a record of Jesus’ ancestry or origins. The phrase serves as a heading for the genealogy—and perhaps for the entire opening section of the Gospel.

Verse 1 goes on to speak of Jesus as the son of David and the son of Abraham. Both phrases are significant. As an heir of Israel’s great king, David, Jesus is a candidate to fulfill all the royal promises associated with David. As an heir of Israel’s great patriarch, Abraham, Jesus is a candidate to fulfill the even wider promises made to Abraham. The latter speak of blessings which will extend beyond Israel and bring life to Gentile nations as well (Gen. 12:1-3). At the outset, then, Matthew introduces themes important to the larger story, the motifs of Jesus’ messianic rule and of a gospel for all nations (cf. 28:19).

From Abraham to David 1:2-6a

In verses 2-6a Matthew enumerates the generations from Abraham to David. The list of names follows closely the list we find in 1 Chronicles 1:34 and 2:1-15. Here and throughout the genealogy, Matthew uses the formula: "A was the father of B, B the father of C, etc." A more literal translation would read: "A fathered (or begat) B, B fathered C, etc."

One surprise in the list of names is the inclusion of several women, not the usual practice in Jewish genealogies. Nor are the women named some of the illustrious matriarchs of Israel’s history, such as Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. Instead, Matthew names such women as Tamar (who seduced her father-in-law), Rahab (the famed harlot of Jericho), and Ruth (who took unusual steps to pursue Boaz). In the next group of names, Matthew introduces yet another woman, Bathsheba, referring to her in a way that underscores her role as an adulteress (the wife of Uriah, v. 6b). How shall we explain the presence of these names in the genealogy of the Messiah?

Raymond Brown expresses the consensus of many interpreters in his analysis of the matter. With each of the four women mentioned, Brown observes, there is something extraordinary or irregular in their union with their partners. In spite of this, these women played an important role in God’s plan and so came to be considered the instrument of God’s providence or of His Holy Spirit (Brown, 1977:73). The role of the four women in the origins of some of Jesus’ ancestors, therefore, foreshadows the role of Mary in Jesus’ own extraordinary origins (cf. 1:18-25).

Further, the four women named by Matthew were either Gentiles or associated with Gentiles: Tamar and Rahab were Canaanites, Ruth a Moabite, and Bathsheba the wife of a Hittite. The inclusion of these women in Jesus’ genealogy, therefore, may foreshadow the inclusion of Gentiles in Jesus’ community later on. In several ways, then, the women named in the genealogy signify something important in the story of Jesus about to unfold.

From David to the Exile l:6b-l1

Verses 6b-11 enumerate the generations from the reign of David to the Babylonian exile. The names we find were likely drawn from the list in 1 Chronicles 3:1-16. Comparison of Matthew’s list with that of the Chronicler, however, discloses that Matthew’s account omits the names of several kings. In verse 11 Josiah is named as the father of Jechoniah, while in fact he was the father of Jehoiakim, and the latter the father of Jechoniah. A more major omission occurs in verse 8, where three generations are missing. Between the reigns of Joram and Uzziah (whom the Chronicler calls Azariah) were the reigns of Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. All this confirms our earlier observation that ancient genealogists were guided by concerns other than precision and completeness (see Preview for 1:1-17, above).

The most important thing to note in the list of names in this section is that it is a list of kings. Unlike Luke (cf. Luke 3:23-38), Matthew traces Jesus’ descent from David through a line of royalty. The list begins with the greatest of Israel’s rulers and concludes with the last free king before the exile. Such a lineage serves to underscore the messianic role which Matthew ascribes to Jesus and invites the reader to think of Jesus as one destined for kingship.

From the Exile to Jesus 1:12-16

In verses 12-16 Matthew lists the generations from the exile in Babylon to the birth of Jesus. The first three names are found in the genealogies in 1 Chronicles (3:17-19), and the names of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were part of the tradition of the early church. For the names from Abiud to Jacob, however, we have no record apart from Matthew’s. They may derive from one or more popular lists of royal descendants of David which were circulating in the NT (New Testament) era.

The genealogy reaches its climax in verse 16 when it states that Jesus who is called the Messiah is the end product of all the preceding generations. Note how the language used to describe Jesus’ origins breaks with the formula used to describe the begetting of earlier generations: No longer does Matthew speak of a father begetting a son, but of a husband of a wife from whom a son is born. The very structure of the sentence hints at the irregular or extraordinary manner of Jesus’ origins. Since Joseph is Mary’s husband, Mary’s child is legally Joseph’s son, and thus heir to the long lineage recorded in the genealogy. Jesus’ ultimate identity, however, will not be determined by Joseph, but by a source which Matthew will reveal in an episode to follow.

Summary 1:17

In verse 17 Matthew summarizes the material in his genealogy, stressing the number and pattern of the generations leading up to Jesus. He indicates that there were three distinct periods between Abraham and Jesus, with fourteen generations in each era. Two questions arise in this connection.

First, do the three groups of names in the genealogy each contain the required number of fourteen generations? For the first and second groups of names, there are no major problems. The third group, however, appears to represent only thirteen generations. Among the solutions proposed is that somewhere along the way a name was accidentally dropped from the list, or that the names of Jesus and Christ are to be counted separately (Christ signifying the new generation of the exalted Messiah). A more likely suggestion is that Matthew intends us to count Joseph and Mary as separate generations. The structure of verse 16 points in this direction, emphasizing that Jesus is begotten from Mary (apart from Joseph), even though Joseph is reckoned as Jesus’ legal father. If this analysis is correct, then the group of names in verses 12-16 does represent fourteen generations.

A more major question is why Matthew attaches importance to the pattern of three periods of history with fourteen generations in each. Perhaps we find a clue in several Jewish writings which reflect on history in a similar fashion. So, for example, Daniel 9:24-27 refers to seventy weeks of years between the exile and the coming of God’s kingdom. And the pseudepigraphical work known as Second Baruch divides world history from Adam to the Messiah into twelve distinct periods (cf. 2 Bar. 53—74). Both works reflect the apocalyptic conviction that God is moving history toward a clearly defined goal according to a carefully structured plan. In the framework which he uses for his genealogy, Matthew shows that he shares that conviction.

We find a further clue to Matthew’s thinking in the symbolical meaning of the numbers he uses: Fourteen is a multiple of seven, and in Hebrew thought the numbers seven and three both signify completeness or perfection. Moreover, fourteen is the numerical value of the Hebrew letters for David, and Jesus is the son of David! Through his genealogy, therefore, Matthew is communicating his belief that when Jesus was born the time was right for God to fulfill the promises. Considered in the light of the Gospel as a whole, the number and pattern of the generations which lead up to Jesus confirm that he is the son of David who will rule history as the Messiah.

THE TEXT IN BIBLICAL CONTEXT

The genealogy which we find in Matthew 1:1-17 is one of a number of genealogies in the Bible. We have already alluded to the lists in the early chapters of 1 Chronicles and to the account of human origins in Genesis 5. Other OT lists include the record of the line from Shem to Abraham in Genesis 11:10-26, a list of Jacob’s offspring in Genesis 46:8-27, and an account of Ezra’s ancestry in Ezra 7:1-6. When we compare these and other genealogies, we see that they are addressing a variety of questions: Where did it all begin? Who is connected to whom? Who has the right credentials? Through whom does God fulfill the promise? The genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17 reflects an interest in all these questions.

The genealogy most directly related to Matthew 1:1-17 is the record of Jesus’ forebears in Luke 3:23-38. For some persons, the differences between the two lists are both puzzling and troubling. And in spite of some noble attempts to harmonize the two accounts, we probably never will know who was Jesus’ paternal grandfather. We need to remind ourselves again that compilers of genealogies in the ancient world were less concerned than we are about an exact and complete record of ancestry. Rather, they sought to make a particular statement about the roots and destiny of their subjects and used the data at their disposal to achieve that end.

Therefore, we study Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies not to determine who is correct, but to discover what each is saying about Jesus. The latter is quite clear: Matthew wishes to make the point that Jesus is heir to all the promises of God which shaped the story of Israel. Luke wishes to make the point that Jesus catches up the entire human story, beginning with God’s creation of the first ancestor. Both affirmations are important to NT faith—end to faith today.

One particular issue that Matthew’s genealogy raises which is important for the larger story is the issue of how God works in history. Are God’s ways orderly and predictable, or are they full of surprises? The genealogy in 1:1-17 suggests that both answers are partly right. On one hand, the scheme of three eras with fourteen generations in each, suggests that God pursues an orderly plan. Moreover, the underlying premise of the genealogy is that God will remain faithful to earlier promises to Abraham and David.

On the other hand, the genealogy speaks of irregularities in the family history, revealing that at times God worked through unlikely and unexpected relationships. In addition, Matthew identifies the exile in Babylon—a major disruption in Israel’s story—as the dividing line between two eras in the genealogy. All of this prepares the way for the story Matthew has yet to tell about Jesus and the church. That too will be an account marked by both expected and unexpected developments. Through Jesus and his community, Matthew will argue, God is acting on the basis of long-standing purposes and promises, but fulfilling them in a way which results in another major disruption in the story of Israel.

THE TEXT IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

At first glance, ancient genealogies such as Matthew 1:1-17 seem to have little to say to us. But is this the case? It is clear that some cultures continue to prize the sense of connectedness reflected in a genealogy. It is equally clear that many persons in Western culture are seeking to recover that sense of belonging to a larger context. When author Alex Haley shared his research into the history of his black ancestry in the classic work, Roots, it encouraged countless others to reclaim their own family history. Not to have some sense of corporate belonging such as this is to experience life as orphans in the midst of history.

At this point the text in Matthew offers us something of the highest importance. As it unfolds the story of Jesus’ ancestry, it provides us with the possibility of finding roots for ourselves that we never knew about. Those who belong to Jesus’ community become heirs with him to all the promises of God to Abraham and David. And the family history which shaped his identity becomes our family history as well.

Another point at which the genealogy has something important to say is the issue of the way God moves in the life of the church. No less than the community of Israel, the community of Jesus wrestles with the question of how orderly or how disruptively God works in history. In the believers church tradition, we have good reason to affirm God’s freedom to move in new ways. We know that our own origins in church history involved a radical break with existing structures. What is not so clear is whether we remain open to God’s irregular and extraordinary activity in our story, and whether we can affirm those who (like the women in the genealogy) become God’s unconventional channels for fulfilling the promises. Matthew 1:1-17 challenges us to recognize a God who guides history in both orderly and disruptive ways.

Matthew 1:18—2:23

Jesus’ Birth and Infancy

PREVIEW

Matthew continues his account of Jesus’ origins with several stories related to Jesus’ birth and infancy. As we read the materials in 1:18—2:23, we find all kinds of connections with the story of Israel. Most obvious are the quotations from the OT which Matthew introduces with a special literary formula: This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet (cf. 1:22; 2:15). These fulfillment quotations attempt to show how a particular event in Jesus’ life embodies or reflects a specific text in Israel’s Scripture.

For Matthew’s Jewish-Christian readers, however, the stories of Jesus’birth and infancy would have had a biblical flavor even without these quotations. The story of the angel announcing the impending birth of Jesus recalls similar stories announcing the births of Ishmael, Isaac, and Samson. The role of Joseph as a righteous man guided through dreams to protect the life of the helpless and so further God’s purposes is not unlike the role of the patriarch Joseph in Genesis. The description of Herod’s frustrated attempt to destroy the infant Jesus contains several parallels to the biblical account of Pharaoh’s attempt to destroy the Hebrew children and later Moses himself. Finally, the episode of the magi from the east who were guided by a star catches up features in the story of Balaam, a soothsayer from the east who predicted that a star would come forth out of Jacob. Like the magi he foiled the plans of a wicked king.

Later we will look at some of these OT parallels in greater detail. For now it is enough to get an overall sense of the way Matthew’s story of the infant Jesus gathers up numerous strands of the story of Israel.

Much of the material in 1:18—2:23 was likely familiar to the churches in Matthew’s world prior to the writing of his Gospel, though we can only guess at the form in which it circulated. One of the traditions on which Matthew drew was clearly a story of the angel’s announcement of Jesus’ conception through the Holy Spirit, a tradition reflected in Luke’s Gospel as well. In Matthew’s community this story may have been linked with the materials we find in 2:13-23, which also focus on Joseph and his dreams. The story of the magi was perhaps a separate account at one time, which Matthew then incorporated into his narrative. Matthew himself was probably responsible for inserting OT quotations into the narrative, though he likely built on earlier Christian efforts to find texts that related to the story of Jesus.

The narrative which Matthew constructed from the material at his disposal consists of three parts. In 1:18-25, Matthew spells out the holy irregularity in Jesus’ origins: He is conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, an event which signifies his future role as a divine deliverer. In the story of the magi in 2:1-12, Matthew tells of differing reactions to Jesus’ birth which give a preview of things yet to come: Gentiles acclaim Jesus as king with joy and adoration, while Jewish officialdom fears and rejects him. In the account of Jesus’ flight from Herod’s wrath in 2:13-23, Matthew highlights God’s protection of the infant Jesus.

Here again the episodes prefigure the future, depicting Jesus as a wandering, unwanted ruler who is destined finally to suffer. In 1:18—2:23, therefore, is a narrative which looks forward as well as backward. The stories of Jesus’ birth and infancy both catch up the past story of Israel and point ahead to the story of Jesus’ messianic mission.

A final question to consider in relation to the birth and infancy stories is the literary genre or form of this material. As others have noted, Matthew’s narrative contains features similar to those found in Jewish Midrash. Midrash is the name for interpretation of Scripture or commentary on Scripture. Among the techniques used in Jewish Midrash were comparing related texts, applying texts to contemporary events, and composing stories (Haggadah) which enhance or illustrate the text.

Of special interest as we look at Matthew 1—2 are some first-century stories dealing with Moses’ birth and infancy (cf. Josephus, Antiquities 2.205-237). One such story speaks of Pharaoh’s alarm when one of his sacred scribes told him that a Hebrew deliverer was about to be born. The story goes on to say that God appeared in a dream to Moses’ father, telling him that the child to be born to him would deliver the Hebrew people from bondage.

Just as the Jewish community developed Haggadah to enhance the biblical account of Moses’ birth, so Jewish-Christians may have developed similar stories to interpret Jesus’ birth. (An example of Christian haggadah on Jesus’ nativity in our own time is The Story of the Other Wise Man, by Henry van Dyke.) If Matthew’s stories of Jesus’ birth and infancy do in fact reflect Jewish-Christian midrash, then we should read them not so much to discover historical information about Jesus’ early years, but rather to discover the meaning of Jesus’ advent for our faith.

A Child Conceived by the Spirit

Matthew 1:18-25

PREVIEW

As indicated above, the story in 1:18-25 contains an announcement of Jesus’ conception and birth. Similar annunciation stories are found in Genesis 16:7-14; 17:15—18:15; Judges 13:2-25; Luke 1:18-23; and Luke 1:26-38 (cf. Isa. 7:10-17). If we compare these narratives, we find a number of common elements: (1) An appearance of the Lord or the angel of the Lord. (2) A greeting by the one who appears, sometimes addressing the