Read The Jewish Annotated New Testament Online
Authors: Amy-Jill Levine
30
:
Jerusalem to Jericho
, 17–18 miles, with a steep drop-off.
Robbers
, thieves, not freedom fighters (see 19.46; 22.52; Jn 10.8; 18.40; 2 Cor 11.26).
31
:
Priest
(Heb “kohen”), such as Zechariah (see 1.5).
Going down
, not up to Jerusalem, where purity may have been an issue.
32
:
Levite
, Temple functionary.
33
:
Samaritan
, 9.52n.
Pity
, translated “compassion” in 7.33; 15.20.
34
:
Oil
, see Isa 1.6.
Wine
, an antiseptic.
35
:
Two denarii
, providing the cost of lodging. The full imagery evokes 2 Chr 28.8–15.
36
:
Was a neighbor
, Jesus changes the original question.
37
:
The one
, the lawyer cannot voice “Samaritan.”
10.38
–42: Martha and Mary
(see Jn 11–12).
38
:
Her home
, Martha is a householder; Jesus criticizes her as he does other householders (see 5.29n.).
39
:
Sat at the Lord’s feet
, 1.17n.; women received instruction in synagogues (see 13.11), homes, patronage capacities (8.3n.), and personal conversations.
40
:
Many tasks:
Gk “pollēn diakonian,” lit., “much serving” (see 4.39).
42
:
Better part
, listening to Jesus precedes service.
11.1
–4: The Lord’s Prayer
(Mt 6.9–13).
1
:
Praying
, 3.21n.
2
:
Father
, Jewish address for God, especially in postbiblical prayers (Sir 23.1; 51.10; Tob 13.4).
Hallowed be your name
, the sanctity of God’s name is a biblical theme: Lev 20.3; 22.2; Ezek 36.20; Ps 30.4; 1 Chr 16.10,35; see also the “Kiddush” (an early Aramaic prayer): “Magnified and sanctified be your great name.”
Your kingdom come
, expressing hope for the messianic age.
3
:
Daily bread
, the obscure Greek term “epiousion,” although translated “daily,” may express an underlying future aspect, suggesting “bread for tomorrow,” i.e., the messianic banquet (13.29; 14.15; see Isa 25.6–8; 1QSa 2.11–22;
1 En
. 25.4–6;
m. Avot
3.17;
Num. Rab
. 13.2) and perhaps a reference to manna (Ex 16.15; Neh 9.15; Ps 78.24; Wis 16.20), which came to symbolize the world-to-come (“olam ha-ba”).
4
:
Sins
…
indebted
, Aram “ḥov” can be translated “sin” or “debt”; in rabbinic, but not biblical literature, sins were considered debts against God.
We ourselves forgive
, see
m. Yoma
8.9;
b. Shabb
. 151b;
b. Rosh Ha-Shanah
17a;
b. Meg
. 28a;
Midr. Tanh., Hukkat
19.1–22.1.
Time of trial
, test or temptation, see Gen 22.1, Abraham, Job, and for Israel, Ex 16.4; Deut 8.2.
11.5
–8: Importuning friend. 8:
Persistence
, in prayer (see also 18.1–8).
11.9
–13: Assurance of God’s attention
(Mt 7.7–11).
11
:
Anyone
(Gk “pater”), “father”; see 8.42n.
13
:
Holy Spirit
, see 1.15n.
11.14
–23: Beelzebul controversy
(Mt 12.22–30; Mk 3.22–27).
15
:
Beelzebul
, Satan (see v. 18); Beelzebul, “exalted Baal,” originally a title of the Canaanite Baal (2 Kings 1.2; Baal-zebub is a parody of the name, meaning “lord of the flies”).
B. Sanh
. 43a, 107b attributes Jesus’ wonder-workings to demonic powers.
16
:
Sign
, see Mt 16.1 and Mk 8.11. Jewish tradition recognized mighty works; the question was whether they were miracle or magic, facilitated by God or Satan.
18
:
Satan
, 4.2n.
19
:
Your exorcists
, Jewish miracle workers (see
Ant
. 8.45 on Solomon’s power to exorcise).
20
:
Finger of God
, Ex 8.19; Deut 9.10.
21
–22:
One stronger
, here Jesus’ self-reference.
23
:
Cf. 9.50; one either follows Jesus or is his enemy.
11.24
–26:
(Mt 12.43–45), accounting for the relapse of the exorcised individuals.
11.27
–28: True family. 27:
Woman in the crowd
, there is nothing unusual about her presence or her voice; see “Jewish Family Life,” p.
537
.
Blessed
, blessings of both individuals (e.g., Judg 5.24 for Jael) and groups are common in the Tanakh.
28
:
Blessed rather
, see 8.21.
11.29
–32: Sign of Jonah
(Mt 12.38–42; Mk 8.11–12).
29
:
Sign
, see 11.16.
Sign of Jonah
, Jonah’s successful preaching to the (Gentile) Ninevites but also his rescue from the fish (analogous to resurrection).
30
:
Son of Man
, see 5.24n.
31
:
Queen of the South
, of Sheba (1 Kings 10.1–10; 2 Chr 9.1–9), a Gentile.
Will rise
, at the resurrection; see Dan 12.2–3.
11.33
–36: Internal light. 33:
Lamp
, see 8.16; Mt 5.15; Mk 4.21.
34
–36:
Eye
, see Mt 6.22–23.
11.37
–48: Invectives against Pharisees and lawyers. 37:
Pharisee invited him to dine
, see 7.36n.
38
:
Did not first wash
(see Mk 7.1–5; Mt 15.1–9), “Nitilat yadayim,” washing hands before eating, a ritual of sanctification (see
m
.
Yad
. 2.4).
39
:
Lord
, 1.17n.
41
:
Alms
(Heb “tzedaqah”), 6.30n.
42
:
Woe to you Pharisees
, see Mt 23.13–33.
Tithe
, Deut 14.22.
44
:
Unmarked graves
, graves were whitewashed (Mt 23.27) to prevent corpse impurity (see “The Law,” p.
515
), not to conceal.
46
:
Burdens hard to bear
, see Mt 23.4.
47
:
You build the tombs
, logically, this should indicate repudiation of rather than complicity in the murders.
Your ancestors killed
, Jesus casts the lawyers and Pharisees as killers of prophets and distinguishes himself from them (7.30n.).
11.49
–52: Murderous people. 49:
Wisdom of God
, see 7.35n. The quotation cannot be located, but see Jer 7.25–26.
50
:
Charged with the blood
, see Mt 27.25.
51
:
Abel
, Gen 4.8; Jewish tradition does not regard Abel as a “prophet.”
Zechariah
, probably referring to 2 Chr 24.20–22 (and so naming murder victims from Genesis through Chronicles, which according to
b. B. Bat
. 14b concludes the canon) although Josephus (
J.W
. 4.335–44) mentions a Zechariah killed in the Temple during the first revolt against Rome.
52
:
Did not enter
, see Mt 23.13.
11.53
–54: Growing opposition.
See 6.11; 19.47–48; 20.19–20; 22.2.
12.1
–12: Instructions to disciples
(Mt 16.5–6; Mk 8.14–15).
1
:
Yeast
could symbolize corruption (1 Cor 5.6–8), but see 13.21.
Derekh Eretz Zuta
on Lev 26.6 (citing R. Yehoshua ben Levi) states, “Great is peace, for it is as the leaven to dough. If the Holy One had not given peace to the world, sword and beast would devour up the whole world.”