Matthew 1-13, Volume 33A

486 Pages·1993·23.111 MB·English

by  Donald A. Hagner

WORD
BIBLICAL
COMMENTARY
Volume 33A
Matthew 1-13
DONALD A. HAGNER
WORD BOOKS, PUBLISHER • DALLAS, TEXAS
_______G eneral &lltors ______
David A. Hubbard
Glenn W. Barker t
______O ld 'n!stament &litor'_ ____
John D. W. Watts
______N ew 1estament &lltor' _____
Ralph P. Martin
Word Biblical Commentary
Matthew 1-13
Copyright © 1993 by Word, Incorporated
All rights reselVed. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written per
mission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicatioD Data
Main entry under title:
Word biblical commentary.
Includes bibliographies.
1. Bible':""'Commentaries-Coliected works.
BS491.2.W67 220.7'7 81-71768
ISBN O-H499-0232-O (v. 33A) AACR2
Prilllc'" ill Ihc' LJllitc'n Slilles of America
Thc' alllhllr's IIWllll'OIlIslalioll ofille' Sniptuf(' WXI i1ppc'al1i in italic typ<' unner the heading Translation.
To Beverly
Contents
Editorial Preface x
Author's Preface xi
Ablmviations xiv
Commentary Bibliography xxx
General Bibliography xxxii
lNTRODUCTION xxxix
About the Present Commentary xxxix
The Papias Tradition concerning Matthew xliii
Matthew's Sources xlvi
Oral Tradition in the Gospel of Matthew xlviii
The Structure of Matthew I
Matthew's Use of the Old Testament lili
The Genre and Purpose of Matthew 1vii
Matthew's Theology Iix
The Original Readers of Matthew )xiv
The Sitz im Leben ("Life Setting") of Matthew's Community lxv
On Matthew's "Anti:Judaism" !xxi
Date and Provenance Ixxiii
Authorship lxxv
TEXT AND COMMENTARY
THE BIRTH AND INFANCY NARRATIVES (1:1-2:23) 1
The Ancestry ofJ esus (1:1-17) 2
The Birth and Naming ofJ esus (1:18-25) 13
The Magi Worship the Newborn King (2:1-12) 22
The Massacre of the Innocents and the Flight to Egypt (2:13-23) 32
THE PREPARATION FOR THE MINISTRY (3:1-4:11) 43
John the Baptist (3:1-12) 43
The Baptism ofJ esus (3:13-17) 53
The Temptation ofJ esus (4:1-11) 60
GALILEAN MINISTRY (4: 12-25) 71
Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee (4: 12-17) 71
The Calling ofthe Disciples (4:18-22) 74
The Ministry ofJ esus Encapsulated (4:23-25) 78
THE FIRST DISCOURSE: THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT (5:1-7:29) 82
The Setting of the Sermon (5:1-2) 84
Introduction (5:3-16) 87
The Foundation of Righteous Living: The Beatitudes (5:3-12) 87
The Essence of Discipleship: Salt and Light (5:13-16) 97
The Main Body of the Sermon (5:17-7:12) 102
The Relation between the Old and the New Righteousness (5:17-48) 102
Continuity with the Old (5: 17-20) 102
viii CONTENTS
The Surpassing of the Old: The Six Antitheses (5:21-48) 110
On Murder (5:21-26) 113
On Adultery (5:27-30) 118
On Divorce (5:31-32) 121
On Oaths (5:33-37) 126
On Retaliation (5:38-42) 129
On Loving One's Enemies (5:43-48) 132
Outward vs. Inward Righteousness (6:1-18) 136
Almsgiving (6:1-4) 136
Prayer and the Lord's Prayer (6:5-15) 141
The Setting of Prayer (6:5-6) 141
On the Right Way to Pray: "The Lord's Prayer" (6:7-15) 143
Fasting (6:16--18) 153
Dependence upon God (6:19-34) 155
Serving God Rather Than Wealth (6:19-24) 155
The Disciple and Anxiety (6:25-34) 160
Various Teachings and the Golden Rule (7:1-12) 167
On Not Judging Others (7:1-5) 167
Discernment in Proclaiming the Gospel (7:6) 170
The Answering Father (7:7-11) 172
The Golden Rule (7:12) 175
Conclusion (7:13-27) 177
The Two Ways (7:13-14) 177
The False and the Genuine (7:15-23) 180
Warning concerning False Prophets (7:15-20) 180
The Insufficiency of the Charismata (7:21-23) 184
The Parable of the Two Builders (7:24-27) 189
The Astonishment of the Crowds (7:28-29) 192
THE AUTHORITATIVE DEEDS OF THE MESSIAH (8:1-9:38) 195
The Healing ofa Leper (8:1-4) 196
The Curing of the Centurion's Son (8:5-13) 200
The Healing of Peter's Mother-in-Law and Others (8:14-17) 207
Two Comments on Discipleship (8:18-22) 211
Excursus: Son of Man 213
The Stilling of the Sea (8:23-27) 219
Exorcism of the Gadarene Demoniacs (8:28-34) 223
The Healing of a Paralytic (9:1-8) 229
The Call of Matthew and a Dinner Party with Tax Collectors
and Sinners (9:9-13) 235
Combining New and Old (9: 14-17) 240
The Healing of the Hemorrhaging Woman and the Raising of
the Ruler's Daughter (9:18-26) 245
The Healing of Two Blind Men (9:27-31) 251
The Healing of the Mute Demoniac (9:32-34) 255
A Summary and Ihe Call for Workers (9:3!1-3H) 258
Tm: SECOND DISCO! IRS\':: 'I'm: MISSIONARY DISCOURSE ( 10: I-II: I) 262
Tht' Elllpow('J"ill~ of I h(' Twl'lw Aposll('s (10: 1-4) 263
Mission IIlSIIIlC'liolls (10::1-1 :1) 267
Contents
IX
The Experience of Persecution (10:16-23) 274
The Maligning of Both Teacher and Disciples (10:24-25) 281
Have No Fear of Your Persecutors (10:26-31) 283
Confession and Denial (10:32-33) 287
Division and Discipleship (10:34-39) 289
A Concluding Note on Receiving the Servants of Christ (10:40-11: 1) 294
THE NEGATIVE RESPONSE TO JESUS (11:2-12:50) 298
Jesus' Answer to the Baptist's Question (11:2-6) 298
Jesus' Estimate ofJ ohn the Baptist (11:7-15) 302
The Dissatisfaction ofIsrael (11:16-19) 309
Oracles ofJ udgment (11:20-24) 311
The Mystery of Election and the Central Significance of
the Son (11 :25-27) 315
A Renewed Invitation (11:28-30) 322
Plucking Grain on the Sabbath (12:1-8) 326
Healing a Withered Hand on the Sabbath (12:9-14) 331
The Gentle, Healing Servant (12:15-21) 335
Can Beelzebul Be against Himself? (12:22-30) 339
The Question of Unforgivable Sin (12:31-32) 345
Speaking Good and Evil (12:33-37) 348
The Sign ofJ onah (12:38-42) 351
The Parable of the Returning Demons (12:43-45) 355
The True Family ofJ esus (12:46-50) 358
THE THIRD DISCOURSE: TEACHING IN PARABLES (13:1-58) 361
The Parable of the Soils (13:1-9) 365
The Purpose of Parables (13: 10-17) 369
The Explanation of the Parable of the Soils (13:18-23) 376
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (13:24-30) 381
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32) 384
The Parable of the Leavened Loaves and a Further
Comment on the Reason for the Parables (13:33-35) 387
The Explanation of the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (13:36-43) 391
The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl (13:44-46) 395
The Parable of the Dragnet (13:47-50) 398
The Scribe Trained for the Kingdom: The End of
the Discourse (13:51-52) 400
The Unbelief of the People of Nazareth (13:53-58) 403
Editorial Preface
The launching of the Word Biblical Commentary brings to fulfillmen t an enterprise
of several years' planning. The publishers and the members of the editorial board
met in 1977 to explore the possibility of a new commentary on the books of the
Bible that would incorporate several distinctive features. Prospective readers of
these volumes are entitled to knowwhatsuch features were intended to be; whether
the aims of the commentary have been fully achieved time alone will tell.
First, we have tried to cast a wide net to include as contributors a number of
scholars from around the world who not only share our aims, but are in the main
engaged in the ministry of teaching in university, college, and seminary. They
represent a rich diversity of denominational allegiance. The broad stance of our
contributors can rightly be called evangelical, and this term is to be understood in
its positive, historic sense of a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation, and
to the truth and power of the Christian gospel.
Then, the commentaries in our series are all commissioned and written for the
purpose of inclusion in the Word Biblical Commentary. Unlike several of our dis
tinguished counterparts in the field of commentary writing, there are no translated
works, originally written in a non-English language. Also, our commentators were
asked to prepare their own rendering ofthe original biblical text and to use those
languages as the basis of their own comments and exegesis. What may be claimed
as distinctive with this series is that it is based on the biblical languages, yet it seeks
to make the technical and scholarly approach to the theological understanding of
Scripture understandable by-and useful to-the fledgling student, the working
minister, and colleagues in the guild of professional scholars and teachers as well.
Finally, a word must be said about the format of the series. The layout, in clearly
defined sections, has been consciously devised to assist readers at different levels.
Those wishing to learn about the textual witnesses on which the translation is
offered are invited to consult the section headed Notes. If the readers' concern is
with the state of modern scholarship on any given portion of Scripture, they should
tum to the sections on BibliographyandFonn/Structure/Setting. For a clear exposition
of the passage's meaning and its relevance to the ongoing biblical revelation, the
Comment and concluding Explanation are designed expressly to meet that need.
There is therefore something for everyone who may pick up and use these volumes.
If these aims come anywhere near realization, the intention of the editors will
have been met, and the labor of our team of contributors rewarded.
General Editors: David A. Hubbard
Glenn W. Barkert
Old Testament: John D. W. Watts
New Testament: Ralph P. Martin
Author's Preface
Commentators are generally tempted to sing the praises of the book on which
they comment. They do so because they have the privilege of studying the book
in great detail, often over a long period of time, and hence are able to come to a
special appreciation of it. The present writer is no exception. It is no surprise to
me that the Gospel of Matthew was as popular as it was in the early Church. Each
Gospel, of course, has its own beauty, and it would be invidious to make compari-
5Ons. Furthermore, it is impossible in just a few lines to do justice to this wonderful
document. Matthew's story ofJ esus, however, is a masterpiece. The drama of the
gospel of the kingdom, as it is seen in the alternating accounts of the deeds and
the words of Jesus, is exceptionally powerful. From the wonder of the infancy
narrative to the glory of the resurrected Christ commissioning his disciples, the
sweep of Matthew's salvation-historical perspective is breathtaking. Matthew's for
mula OT quotations, with their stress on promise and fulfillment, show the
magnificent unity of God's purposes and the continuing importance of Israel's
Scriptures to the Church. Matthew's distinctive compilations of the teaching of
Jesus in the five discourses have understandably been treasured by Christians
down through the ages. The Sermon on the Mount is itself an incomparable di
gest of the ethical teaching ofJ esus. More often than not we know the teaching
ofJ esus in the striking and balanced cadences of Matthew's formulations. And if
Matthew was the most quoted Gospel in the early Church, it may well be true that
it is the most quoted today, certainly of the Synoptics at least.
Commentators who have come to appreciate a work will often feel inadequate
to the challenge of conveying its meaning to others. Again the present writer is
no exception. The problem lies not merely in attempting to explicate the diffi
cult passages-a challenge not to be minimized-but also in doing justice to the
"ordinary" passages. But in Matthew, even the "ordinary" has often an extraordi
nary character. The commentator knows that a monograph could be written on
every pericope, which he or she must treat in only a few pages. What commenta
tor, after finishing comments on any particular passage, has ever felt really satisfied?
She or he must only hope that the reader has been given a glimpse of the mean
ing and significance of the material in view and has been pointed in the right
direction for future study.
Those who buy commentaries will have noticed the trend toward ever larger
commentaries. Two-and three-volume commentaries are becoming common. One
reason for this is the constantly growing amount of secondary literature. If one is
going to take account of all (most) of it and interact with some of it, one will
need a great amount of space indeed. There are commentaries on Matthew un
derway that provide virtually encyclopedic coverage. I see no reason for every
commentary to do this, however, and I have thus made a concerted attempt to
resist the trend, keeping more to the original conception of the Word Biblical
Commentary. I have tried above all to give a fresh reading of the Gospel of Mat
thew as I see it, exegeting the text using mainly the primary tools of research,
interacting with the most important secondary literature only at selected points,