The Jewish Annotated New Testament (193 page)

29:
According to your faith
, 8.10n.; 15.28.

30:
See that no one knows,
see 8.4n.

34:
Pharisees do not deny Jesus’ power but attribute it to demons (12.24; 15.22–24). A rabbinic source attributes it to sorcery (
b. Sanh
. 43a).

9.35
–38: Anticipating the mission
(Mk 1.39; 6.34; Lk 8.1; 10.2). See 4.23–25.

35:
Good news
, see 4.23n.

36:
Num 27.17; 1 Kings 22.17; Ezek 34.5; Zech 10.2.

37:
Laborers are few
, compare
m. Avot
2.15.

10.1
–42: Missionary instructions.

1
–4: Twelve disciples
(Mk 6.7; 3.13–19; Lk 6.12–16; 9.1).

1
:
Twelve
, number of the tribes of Israel (see 19.28; Gen 35.22–26; Num 1).

2:
Apostles
, from Gk “apostolos,” “one who is sent” (cf. Heb “shalia
ḥ
,” “messenger”).
Peter
, see 16.18.

3:
Matthew
, see 9.9.

4:
Cananaean
, likely from an Aramaic term (“Canai”; see
Avot de R. Natan
6) indicating Zealot affiliation.
Judas
, 26.14–16,20–25,47–56; 27.3–10.
Iscariot
, perhaps from “Kerioth,” a town in southern Judea (see Josh 15.25).

10.5
–15: Specific instructions. 5:
Nowhere among the Gentiles
, Jesus restricts the mission to Jews; 28.19 expands it to Gentiles.
Samaritans
, Jews and Samaritans had mutual animosity (cf. Lk 9.51–56; 10.29–37; Jn 4.9; Josephus,
J.W
. 1.63;
Ant
. 11; 13.255;
T. Levi
5–7).

6:
Lost sheep of the house of Israel
, see 15.24; either all Israel depicted as lost or the people as opposed to the religious and political leaders.

7:
Kingdom of heaven has come near
, see 3.2n.

8:
Raise the dead
, see
Lev. Rab
. 10.4 on similar rabbinic abilities.

9:
Take no gold, or silver, or copper
, God provides for those who study and/or teach the Torah (
m. Avot
1.3;
b. Bek
. 29a;
Tanh. Ex
. 29).

10:
Laborers deserve their food
, missionaries should receive hospitality (1 Cor 9.14; see
b. Shabb
. 127a on the importance of hospitality).

15:
Sodom and Gomorrah,
destroyed for lack of charity and hospitality according to Ezek 16.49 (see also Gen 13.13; 18.20; 19.24–28; Deut 29.23; Isa 13.19; Jer 50.40; Zeph 2.9;
b. Sanh
. 109a).

10.16
–25: The disciples’ fate
(Mk 13.9–13,22; Lk 12.11–12; 21.12–19; Jn 16.2; 15.18–20).

16:
Wise as serpents
, see
Song Rab
. 2.30.

17:
Flog
, see
m. Makk
. 3.12.

18:
Them
, the persecutors are Jews, given “their synagogues” (see 1 Thess 1.6; 2.1–2,14–16; 3.4; 2 Cor 11.24).

20:
Spirit
…
through you
, the Spirit of God was seen as making it possible for ordinary people to speak out, as in Num 11.25.

21:
Brother will betray brother
, see
m. Sot
. 9.15 on familial breakdown prior to the messianic age.

23:
Son of Man comes
, final judgment (see 8.20n.; 10.23; 19.28; 25.30–31; cf. Dan 7.13). 25:
Slave like the master
,
b. Ber
. 58b;
Gen. Rab
. 49.2.
Beelzebul
, from Hebrew, “lord of lofty abode,” a Canaanite god, whose name was changed pejoratively to Beelzebub, “Lord of the flies” in 2 Kings 1.2–3,6,16, and later associated with the demonic in early Jewish and Christian tradition (
T. Sol
. 3.6; 6.1–2; Origen,
Cels
. 8.25).

10.26
–42: Final instructions (
Mk 8.34–35; Lk 12.1–12,49–53).

26:
So have no fear of them
, likely reflecting the dedication of Jeremiah (1.8).

28:
Fear him
, see Heb 10.31.
Hell,
lit., “Gehenna”; see 5.22n.

29
–31:
Sparrows
, if God cares for seemingly insignificant animals, how much more so will God care for human beings (a “qal vahomer” argument, 6.26n.; 10.30–32;
b. B. Metz
. 85a; cf.
y. Seb
. 9.1;
Gen. Rab
. 33.18; see also Lk 12.6).

33:
Whoever denies me
, a warning to be faithful despite persecution.

34
–36:
Mic 7.6; cf. Ezek 38.21.

37
–39:
16.24–25.

38:
Take up the cross
, risk suffering (
Gen. Rab
. 56).

41:
Righteous
, see 1.19n.

42:
Little ones
, possibly missionaries (see 25.45).

11.1
–19: John questions Jesus.

1
:
Finished instructing
, Jesus does not send the disciples on an independent mission (contrast Mk 3.13; Lk 7.18–35).

2
–3:
Prison
, Josephus locates John’s imprisonment at Macherus, five miles east of the Dead Sea (
Ant
. 18.116–119).
Messiah
, see 3.13–17.
By his disciples
, 9.14n.; 14.12.

4
–5:
What you hear and see
, Jesus fulfills some messianic expectations, although beliefs varied (Isa 35.4–6,9–10; see also Isa 26.19; 29.18–19; cf.
2 Bar
. 29.6; 4Q521; 11QMelch 18). Matthew omits “freeing the captive” (Isa 61.1). Jesus may avoid answering directly since a report to John in prison saying “I am the Messiah” would be heard by Herod’s guards, and could lead to Jesus’ arrest as well.

10
:
Mal 3.1.

11
:
Born of women
, mortals; see Job 14.1; 15.14; 25.4;
b. Shabb
. 88b.
Least in the kingdom
, those among Jesus’ followers.

13
:
Prophets and the law
, regarded as anticipating the Messiah (Acts 3.24;
b. Ber
. 34b;
b. Shabb
. 63a;
b. Sanh
. 99a). Some early Christians understood that John the Baptist’s arrival negated Torah (Tertullian,
Pud
. 8).

14
–15:
See Jn 1.21.
Elijah
, messianic forerunner (Mal 4.4–5 [Heb 3.23]; see also Sir 48.10;
b. Sukk
. 5a;
b. Meg
. 16b;
b. Sanh
. 98a).

18
:
Neither eating nor drinking
, engaging in ascetic practices.

19
:
Son of Man
, see 8.20n.
Glutton and a drunkard
, allusion to the rebellious son (Deut 21.20).
Tax collectors and sinners
, see 5.46n.; 9.10n.
Wisdom
(Gk “Sophia”; Heb “hohkmah”), the feminine manifestation of the divine (Prov. 1–9; Wis 7.21–8.1).

11.20
–24: Jesus condemns three cities
(Lk 10.13–15).

21
:
Woe to you
, a prophetic formula (Isa 5.11–17; 23.1–12; 29.15–21).
Chorazin
…
Bethsaida
, Jewish cities on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum (cf. Mk 6.45; 8.22; Lk 9.10–17; Jn 1.44).
Tyre and Sidon
, Mediterranean cities rebuked for extravagant wealth (Isa 23; Ezek 28; cf. Jer 25.22; 27.3; 47.4; Joel 3.4–7; Zech 9.1–4).

23
:
Capernaum
, 4.13n.
Hades
, the realm of the dead, synonymous with Gehenna (see 5.22n.).
Sodom
, see 10.15n.

11.25
–30: Jesus’ authority
(Lk 10.21–22).

25
:
See 10.42; 18.10.
Infants,
Jewish tradition speaks of teaching children (or the “simple”) (Ps 8.2; 19.7; Prov 1.4; Sir. 3.19; 1QH 7.21–22).

27
:
Jesus claims unique knowledge of the divine.

29
:
Yoke
, connected to the study of Torah (Sir 51.23,26;
m. Avot
3.5;
m. Ber
. 2.2), discipline, and obedience (Gen. 27.40; Jer 5.5; cf.
1 En
. 103.11;
Pss. Sol
. 7.30; 17.30;
Sib. Or
. 3.391–92; 448, 508, 537, 567).