The Jewish Annotated New Testament (196 page)

23
:
He did not answer
, his silence is explained in v. 24.
Send her away
, Gk “apoluson” can alternatively mean “loose her,” i.e., perform the exorcism.

24
:
Lost sheep
, see 10.6n.

26
:
Dogs
, see 7.6n.

27
:
The dogs eat the crumbs
, the woman acknowledges her marginal position but still insists on her rights.

28
:
Faith
, see 8.10; 9.2,20–22,27; 11.6,25; 12.46–50; 15.28; 18.6; 21.21.

15.29
–31: Jesus heals (
Mk 7.31–37).

31
:
God of Israel
, see 1 Kings 1.48; Ps 41.13; 68.35; 69.6; 1 Chr 16.36; 1QM 13.2; 14.4;
t. Hag
. 2.1. Here the phrase might indicate a Gentile crowd.

15.32
–39: Feeding more than four thousand
(Lk 9.12–17; Jn 6.1–17). See 14.15–21; 8.1–10. Given the previous two accounts, the story may suggest a feeding of Gentiles.

39
:
Magadan
, an unknown city.

16.1
–4: Demand for a sign
(Mk 8.11–13; Lk 11.29–32; 12.54–56).

1
:
Sadducees
, aristocrats and priestly officials linked to the Temple. Political rivals of Pharisees (Josephus,
J.W
. 2.164–66;
Ant
. 13.171–73,297–98; 18.11,16–17), their being paired with them here suggests rejection by all Jewish leaders.
Sign from heaven
, divine validation of Jesus’ claims (Lk 15.18; Rom 1.18; cf. Jer 10.2; Dan 4.26;
1 En
. 6.2; 13.8;
m. Avot
1.3;
t. B. Kamma
. 7.5).

4
:
Evil and adulterous generation
, see 12.39n.
Sign of Jonah
, see 12.40n.

16.5
–12: Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
(Mk 8.14–21; Lk 12.1).

5
:
Forgotten to bring any bread
, ironic, given two miraculous multiplications of loaves.

6
:
Yeast
, see 13.33n.; here a negative reference to Pharisaic teaching (16.11–12).

8
:
Little faith,
see 6.30n.

9
:
Five loaves
, see 14.30–31.

10
:
Seven loaves
, see 15.32–38.

16.13
–23: The keys of the kingdom
(Mk 8.27–33; Lk 9.18–22). Cf.
Gos. Thom
. 13.

13
:
Caesarea Philippi
, a predominantly Gentile city about twenty-five miles north of the Sea of Galilee.
Son of Man
, see 8.20n.

14
:
John the Baptist
, see 14.2.
Elijah
, see 11.14–15n.; Mal 4.5–6 (Heb 3.23–24); Sir 48.10.

16
:
Messiah
, see 1.1n.
Living God
, see 15.33n. On the Messiah in Judaism, see 3.14n.; 8.20n.; 11.14–15n.; 17.12–13n.; 26.53–54.

17
:
Flesh and blood,
faith in Jesus is based in revelation, not argument.

18
:
Peter
, a play on Gk “petra,” “rock”; the underlying Aram, “Kepha,” relates to the name Cephas (Jn 1.42; 1 Cor 1.12, and elsewhere).
This rock
, Christian traditions disagree on whether the “rock” is Peter (leading to claims for the papacy), or his faith.
Church
, Gk “ekklēsia” (cf. 18.18), comparable to Heb “qahal,” “congregation” (Deut 4.10; 9.10; 18.16; 31.30; 2 Sam 7; 1 Chr 17; 1QM 4.10). Matthew is the only canonical Gospel to use this term.
Gates of Hades
, see 11.21n.

19
:
Keys
, linked to knowledge and authority (Isa 22.22; Lk 11.52; Rev. 3.7;
2 Bar
. 10.18;
3 Bar
. 11.2;
3 En
. 18.18;
Sifre Deut
. 32.25;
b. Shabb
. 31a–b).
Bound
…
loose
, indicating “forbid and permit” (in a legal sense), according to rabbinic teachings (
m. Pesah
. 4.5;
b. Ter
. 5.4; cf. 18.18); see 9.17n.

20
:
Not to tell anyone
, messianic secret; see 8.4n.

21
:
Great suffering
, precedes the time of redemption (Isa 52–53; Hos 6.2; Zech 13.7–9; Dan 7).
Elders
…
chief priests
…
scribes
, Matthew attributes Jesus’ suffering to Jewish, not Roman, authorities.
On the third day
(Hos 6.2; Jon 1.17; 2.10;
b. Sanh
. 97a). The rabbis indicated that God would resurrect humanity on the third day following the desolation of the world.

22
:
God forbid
, Peter does not expect the messiah to die (see 1.1n.; 3.14n.;
Pss. Sol
. 17.21–25,32; 1QM; cf. Dan 9.24–27; Zech 9.9).

23
:
Satan
, Peter is cast in the role of tempting Jesus (4.10).
Stumbling block
, Gk “skandalon.”

16.24
–28: Jesus calls the disciples again
(Mk 8.34–9.1; Lk 9.23–27; Jn 12.25). See 4.18–22; 10.38.

24
:
Lk 14.27.
Take up their cross
, see 10.38n.

25
:
Will find it
, eternal life. The statement is in the form of a paradox (Gk “paradoxa,” “against common opinion”): holding tightly to something in fact risks losing it; letting it go in the right cause preserves it.

27
:
Son of Man
, see 8.20n. Ps 62.13; Prov 24.12; Rom 2.6; 1 Jn 2.28; Rev 2.23; 22.12.

28
:
Will not taste death
, the messianic era is imminent (Mk 9.1; Lk 9.27 see also Jn 8.51–52; 1 Thess 4.15; see 28.20n.).

17.1
–8: The Transfiguration
(Mk 9.2–8; Lk 9.28–34).

1
:
Peter
…
James
…
John
, like Moses, Jesus takes three named disciples for a revelatory experience (cf. Ex 24.1).
High mountain
, associated with Moses and Elijah (see 5.1–2n.; Ex 19.20; 24.9–18; 1 Kings 19.8–18).

2
:
Transfigured
, Gk “metamorphooō,” “change in form or appearance” (cf. Rom 12.2; 2 Cor 3.18).
His face shone
, allusion to Moses (Ex 34.35);
like the sun
, (
L.A.B
. 12.1; 19.16;
b. B. Bat
. 75a; cf. Dan 10.6; 2 Cor 3.18; Rev 10.1;
2 En
. 19.1;
3 En
. 18.25; 22.4–9; 26.2–7; 35.2;
4 Ezra
9.7).

3
:
Moses and Elijah
, suggesting that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (cf. 5.17; 7.12; 17.12; Deut 18.15,18;
Apoc. Zeph
. 9.5).

5
:
Ps 2.7.
Bright cloud
, indicating God’s presence (Ex 40.35–38; cf. Rev 14.14;
Ant
. 4.326).
Listen to him
, see 3.17; cf. Deut 18.15 of the prophet like Moses; 2 Pet 1.17–18.

17.9
–13: Elijah the prophet
(Mk 9.9–13).

9
:
Tell no one
, messianic secret; see 8.4n. Cf. 9.30; 16.20.

10
:
Scribes
, see 8.28–29n.; 13.52n.
Elijah must come first
, as messianic forerunner (Mal 4.4–6 [Heb 3.22–24]; see 11.4–5n.).

12
–13:
Elijah has already come
, referencing John the Baptist (3.3; Lk 1.17; cf. Jn 1.21; Isa 40.3). Rabbinic literature varies regarding Elijah’s precise messianic role (
m. Ed
. 8.7;
b. Sanh
. 98a;
b. B. Metz
. 85b;
b. Eruv
. 43b;
Mek
. 16.33;
Ex. Rab
. 18.12;
Deut. Rab
. 6.7;
Pesiq. Rab
. 35.4).

17.14
–21: Jesus heals an epileptic boy
(Mk 9.14–29; 11.22–23; Lk 9.37–43; 17.6).

16
:
Could not cure him
, the disciples’ faith has not sufficiently matured (16.20).

17
–19:
Faithless and perverse
, see 12.39n.; 16.4. Epilepsy, like many other diseases leading to uncontrolled behavior, was understood to be caused by demonic possession (see 8.16,28–34).