The Jewish Annotated New Testament (191 page)

7:
Empty phrases
,
b. Ber
. 55a condemns verbosity in prayer.

8:
Your Father knows
, Philo,
Life of Moses
2.217.

6.9
–15: The “Lord’s Prayer
” (Lk 11.2–4).

9:
Father in heaven
, see 5.45n.
Hallowed be your name
, see Ps 105.3, “Exult in His holy name,” and the Aramaic “Kaddish” prayer (from Heb “qadosh,” “holy,” e.g., Isa 6.3, source of the prayer), which became popular during the Talmudic era (
b. Yebam
. 79a;
b. Sot
. 49a;
Sifre Deut
. 32.3;
Midr. Ps
. 25.13), begins “May his great name grow exalted and glorified” (see Lev 22.32; Isa 23.23; Ezek 36.23; Ps 113.2; cf. Deut 32.3; Jn 17;
Did
. 8.2; 9.2–4; 1QM 11.15).

10:
Your will be done
, the rabbis emphasize obedience to divine will (
m. Avot
1.11;
t. Ber
. 3.7;
b. Ber
. 29b;
b. Meg
. 29b;
b. Yoma
53b; 86b).
As it is in heaven
, angels have no independent power according to biblical texts (see e.g., Job 1–2).

11:
Daily bread
, likely reflecting an Aramaic original meaning “bread for tomorrow” or the eschatological banquet.

12:
Debts,
sins were considered “debts” (Deut 15.1–2; see also
m. Avot
3.17;
Gen. Rab
. 85.2; 92.9;
Ex. Rab
. 25.6; 31.1;
Pesiq. Rab
. 11.23; 51.8). Cf. Lk 11.4, which uses “sin.” See 18.23–35n.

13:
Time of trial
, or testing, cf. 2 Thess 3.3; Jas 1.13.
Evil one
, Satan.
B. Ber
. 60b offers examples of similar prayers.

14:
Father will also forgive you
, God forgives those who forgive others (5.21–48; 18.35; see also Sir 28.1–8;
Midr. Tanh
. to Deut 13.18).

6.16
–18: Fasting.
A method of Jewish religious devotion associated with mourning, repentance, and self discipline; Jesus fasted (4.1; see also Lev 16.34; Num 29.7–11; 2 Sam 12.22–23; 1 Kings 21.27–29; Isa 58.3–7; Jer 14.11–12; Joel 1.14; 2.15; Jon 3.5; Zech 8.19; Dan 9.3; Jdt 8.5; 1 Macc 3.47;
t. Ta’an
. 2.4; Josephus,
J.W
. 3.47).

6.19
–34: Wealth and the kingdom of heaven
(Mk 4.21–23; Lk 12.33–34; 11.33–34; 16.13; 12.22–31).

19–20:
Treasures on earth
, Jewish law does not prohibit possessions (Deut 28.1–14; Prov 3.9–10; 13.18; Tob 4.8–9;
Sib. Or
. 3.783;
m. Avot
4.9;
m. Qidd
. 4.14), but decries obsession with material wealth (Prov 11.4; Sir 31.8–11;
1 En
. 63.10; 94.8; 96.4; 97.8; 1QS 10.18–19; 11.2; CD 4.17; 8.7; Josephus,
J.W
. 2.50;
y. Peah
1.1).
Treasures in heaven
(see Lk 12.19–21), spiritual wealth and eschatological reward accumulated through right practice (cf.
2 Bar
. 24.1;
T. Job
33;
b. B. Bat. 11a
).

21:
See 5.8n.

22:
Full of light,
see 5.6; Lk 16.8. Jewish sources connect light and spiritual goodness (Isa 25.; 60.20; Hab 3.3–4; Ps 56.13; 104.2; Prov 15.30; Dan 2.22; Tob 10.5; 11.14).

24:
Wealth
, lit., “mammon,” Gk “mamonas,” transliteration of Aram “mamona,” a word which had come to mean “riches” but which originally was derived from “‘aman,” “trust, reliance,” meaning “that in which [other than God] one places one’s trust”; see Lk 16.9,11,13.

25:
Lk 10.41; 12.11; Phil 4.6. The promise recalls Deut 28.1–14.

26:
Birds
…
are you not of more value? B. Qidd
. 82b makes a similar argument. For the “qal vahomer” (“light and heavy”) rabbinic form of argument in general, see
m. Qidd
. 4.14;
b. Pesah
. 66a;
b. Sanh
. 17a;
y. Seb
. 9.1.38d;
Gen. Rab
. 92.7). See also 10.24; 12.10–12; 20.26–28.

29:
Solomon
, David’s son (1.6–7).

30:
Little faith
, a frequent charge against the disciples (8.26; 14.31; 16.8; 17.20).

33:
See 1.19n.; Mk 10.29–30; Lk 18.29–30.

34:
Today’s trouble is enough,
see
b. Ber
. 9b; Ex. Rab. 3.7.

7.1
–6: Judging others
(Mk 4.24–25; Lk 6.37–42; cf. Rom 14.10).

1
–2
: See Ps 18.25–26. Do not judge, rabbinic sources discuss the importance of fair judgment (m. Avot 2.4–5; 4.8; m. Sot. 1.7; b. Ta’an. 8a; b. Shabb. 127b).

3:
Speck, see b. B. Bat. 15b; b. Arak. 16b.

6:
Dogs, a generic, not ethnic, insult.

7.7
–15: Ethical guides.

7:
Knock, and the door will be opened
, see 21.22; Jn 15.7; 16.23–24. Vigilant prayer is the pathway to God’s rewards (2 Kings 1.10,12–15; Ps 37.4; Prov 8.17; Isa 55.6;
b. Bek
. 44b; cf.
b. Meg
. 6b).

9:
Lk 11.11 (cf.
Lev. Rab
. 34.14).

11:
How much more
, see 6.26n.
Father in heaven
, see 5.45n.

12:
Do to others
, see “The Concept of Neighbor,” p.
540
; Lev 19.18; cf. Tob 4.15;
b. Shabb
. 31a, the story of Hillel.
Law and the prophets
, see 5.17n.; 22.34–40. Matthew sees the “golden rule” as the guide for interpreting all other laws; the rule does not substitute for the rest of Torah.

13
–14:
(Lk 13.23–24). The imagery of two paths appears in Jewish sources (cf. Deut 30.15; Ps 1.1;
2 Bar
. 85.13;
m. Avot
2.9;
T. Ash
. 1.3, 5).

15:
(Mk 13.22).
Beware of false prophets
, imposters claiming to be the true messengers (Deut 13.1–5 [Heb 2–6]; 18.15–22; Jer 5.6,31; 6.13–14; 8.11; 23.2; Ezek 22.27–28; Zech 13.2; Mic 3.5–8; Jn 10.12; Acts 20.29;
Did
. 16.3–4; Josephus,
J.W
. 6.285–288).

7.16
–29: Ethical Warnings
(Lk 6.43–45).

16:
Fruits
, their actions (see Prov 11.30; 1 Sam 24.13). The phrase is repeated (vv. 16,20) for emphasis (see also 3.10; 7.22; 12.33–37; 24.5,24).

19:
Every tree
, see Deut 20.20; Lk 13.6–9; Jas 3.12;
Gos. Thom
. 45.
Thrown into the fire
, eschatological warning.

21:
See Ps 6.8.
The will of my Father
, 6.10n. Jesus demands proper action more than religious confession.

22:
On that day
, see 19.22,29,36,38; 26.29; the day of judgment (Isa 2.11,17,20; Hos 1.5; Joel 1.15; 3.18). See
b. Sanh
. 108a;
y. Rosh Ha-Shanah
1.3.
Many will say to me
, Jesus as eschatological judge (cf. 10.32–33; 11.17; 13.24–30,36–40,47–50; 16.27; 19.28; 24.29–31; 25.31–46; 26.64; 28.18; Jn 3.35; Acts 10.42; 17.31; Rom 2.16; 2 Cor. 5.10; Phil 2.9–11; 1 Pet 5.4; Rev 19.11).
Did we not do
…
many deeds of power
, righteous action rather the deeds of power grants salvation (Jer 14.14; Lk 10.20; 1 Cor 12–14).

23:
Cf. Ps 6.8.

24
–27:
(Lk 6.47–49). Cf.
m. Avot
1.17.

28
–29:
When Jesus had finished
, a common ending to Jesus’ discourses (11.1; 13.53; 19.1; 26.1; cf. Ex 34.33; Deut 31.1;
2 Bar
. 87.1).
Their scribes
, see 13.52n. Scribes were religious experts (8.18; 9.3; 13.52; 15.1; 20.18; 21.15; 23.2) who typically appealed to precedent whereas Jesus teaches on his own authority.

8.1
–17: Jesus’ authority as healer. 1–4: Healing of the man with leprosy
(Mk 1.40–45; Lk 5.12–16).

1:
Down from the mountain
, Jesus, like Moses, descends (Ex 34.29; see also 5.1–2n.). Moses received divine commandments; Jesus interprets them.

2
:
A leper
, biblical leprosy, a type of scaly skin disease (not Hansen’s disease, what we now call leprosy), created serious ritual impurity (Lev 5.2–6; 13–14; Num 12;
b. Sanh. 47a; b. Hor
. 10a;
b. Ned
. 64b;
Ant
. 2.264;
Gen. Rab
. 71.6). Curing leprosy indicates a prophetic role (2 Kings 5.8), missionary work (10.8) and eschatological sign (11.5).

3
:
Touched him,
rabbinic sources mention healing by touch (e.g.,
b. Ber
. 5b). No law forbids touching people with leprosy.

4
:
Say nothing
, messianic secret; see Introduction to the Gospel of Mark, pp. 55–57.
Show yourself to the priest
, to be pronounced clean.
Gift that Moses commanded
, Lev 14.2–9.
Testimony to them
, the priests.