CHAPTER 1
1. The book of the history of Y'shua the Messiah, Son of David, Son of Avraham:History: The Hebrew text begins exactly like the common colophon in Genesis and also seen in Ruth: "These are the generations [genealogies] of...", emphasizing the continuity of this account with all that went before. Son of David: a common Messianic title.2. Avraham was the father of Yitzhaq;
Yitzhaq the father of Yaaqov;
Yaaqov fathered Yehudah and his brothers.
3. And Yehudah fathered Paretz and Zarah through Thamar;
Peretz fathered Hetzron, and Hetzron fathered Aram [Ram];
4. Aram fathered Amminadav, and
Amminadav, Nakhshon;
Nakhshon fathered Salmon;
5. Salmon fathered Boaz through Rahav;
Boaz fathered Oved through Ruth,
and Oved was the father of Yishai;
6. Yishai was King David's father.
King David ["beloved"] fathered Shlomo ["his peace"] through her who had been Uriyah's wife.
7. And Shlomo begot Rehav'am ["a nation has grown large"],
who fathered Aviyah ["YHWH is my father"],
and Aviyah begot Asa ["healer"].
8. And Asa fathered Yehoshafat ["YHWH has judged"],
andYehoshafat fathered Yehoram ["YHWH is exalted"],
andYehoram was ancestor of Uzziyahu ["YHWH is my strength"],
Ancestor: not his direct father. Ahazyahu, Yoash, and Amatzyah were between Yehoram and Uziyahu (also called Azaryah, 2 Kings 15). Perhaps they are left out because they were in-laws of Ahav and Izevel (Jezebel), for Athalyah of the Northern Kingdom had infiltrated Yehudah's royal line through intermarriage. YHWH has chosen to write some people out of the historybooks on several occasions, perhaps due to the choices they made. Yoash did much good, but failed to remove some evils from Yehudah. (2 Kings 12:2-3, 18).9. and Uziyahu fathered Yotham ["YHWH is perfect"],
and Yotham fathered Akhaz ["he has seized possession"], and
Akhaz became the father of Hizqiyahu ["YHWH is my support"],
10. and Hizqiyahu of Menasheh ["causing to forget"];
Menasheh was the father of Amon ["master architect"], and
Amon fathered Yoshiyahu ["YHWH is my foundation/buttress"],
11. and Yoshiyahu was the father of
Yechonyah ["YHWH will establish"] and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Bavel [Babylon].
Heb., "in the exile of Bavel". The Messiah had to inherit the throne of Yehudah through David's kingly line, but could not descend from Yechonyah because of a curse stating that no one from his bloodline would sit on the throne of David (Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 22:30). Through Miryam (whose genealogy may be the one that appears in Lukas 3:23ff, where Yoseyf is said to be the son of Heyli), Y’shua descended from David by another line (Nathan's), but Yoseyf, his adoptive father, gave Him legal right to the throne through Shlomo (cf. v. 20), but circumvented the curse because he was not Yechonyah's physical offspring—one reason a virgin birth was necessary. (Missler) Heyli may have been Miryam's father. If a man had no sons, but his daughter married within her tribe (as Miryam, daughter of Yehudah, v. 33, in this view, did), his inheritance was passed on through her. (Num. 26:33; 27:1-11; 36:2-12; Yehosh. 17:3-6; 1 Chron. 7:15) The claims of Messiah as a firstborn in Heyli's line depend on this particular exception granted to the family of Tselofechad. (Scofield) In an alternative explanation of why Yoseyf's name is in both genealogies, Julius Africanus considered both to be Yoseyf's, involving a levirate adoption (by a brother-in-law).12. [After the carrying away by Babylon],
Yechonyah fathered She'althiel,
and She'althiel fathered Zerubbavel,
The first phrase does not appear in Hebrew.13. and Zerubbavel fathered Avihud,
and Avihud fathered [Avner,
and Avner fathered] Elyakim, and
Elyakim fathered Azor;
The brackets indicate a phrase only found in the duTillet Hebrew text, as per Trimm. The Greek text only includes 13 names in this list, while the duTillet Hebrew does include 14, as verse 17 claims. Thus it appears that the Greek text may have been based on a copyist's error at the stage of translation into Syriac, where the two are collapsed into one name, Aviur. The name Avner is sometimes spelled Aviner, which in Hebrew script nearly resembles Aviur, since the "d" in Aviud (the Aramaic form of Avihud) could have easily been mistaken for an "r"in the translation, as the two differ by only a tiny stroke; the same holds true for the "n" and "u": dwyba and rnyba).14. Azor fathered Tzadok,
and Tzadok fathered Achim [Amon],
and Achim fathered Elihud,
15. and Eliyud fathered El'azar,
and El'azar fathered Mat'than;
Mat'than was the father of Ya'aqov,
16. who fathered Yoseyf, the husband of
Miryam, from whom was born
Y'shua, the one who is called the Messiah.
Husband: Aramaic Peshitta, govra, which can mean "man or husband", but when children are mentioned, as is the case here, means "father". Yoseyf, Miryam's father, may have been confused with Yoseyf, Miryam's husband, which in vv. 18, 19 is baalah, which can only mean "husband". This is another possible way to get 14 generations from Bavel till Mashiakh. This would switch the genealogies of Matithyahu and Luka, in that now Matithyahu would be Miryam's geneology, and Luka, of Yoseyf, Miryam's husband. (Stephen Silver/Andrew Gabriel Roth) Some recently-rediscovered manuscripts of the original Hebrew Matithyahu agree with this. (Nehemia Gordon)17. Thus, all of the generations from Avraham to David were fourteen generations,
and from David to the carrying away to Bavel [Babylon], fourteen generations,
and from the carrying away to Babylon until the Messiah, fourteen generations.
Trimm points out that in Hebrew, the name David has the numeric value of 14.18. Now the birth of Y'shua the Messiah happened like this: After his mother Miryam had been betrothed to Yoseyf; before they consummated the marriage, she was found to have conceived by the Spirit of Holiness.
Betrothed: similar to engagement, but considered as binding as marriage, as it was a pledge and thus the first stage of the marital covenant. A ceremony "set the woman apart" to this man; it thus required a bill of divorce to break, as well as the return of gifts and compensation for the public degradation; many men would not be willing to marry a woman who had thus been shamed. (Ben-David) Before they consummated: Heb., "before he came into her". (See note on v. 25)19. But, being a righteous man and not wanting to make her a public example, her husband Yoseyf decided to release her secretly.
Public example: Heb., "disclose or slander her". The procedure in cases of fornication (Deut. 22:23ff) was stoning. He did not wish this on her, but knew it would be the case if he exposed her. That Yoseyf was righteous yet would not follow this Torah regulation may stem from the fact that the supposed other man involved was not found, or that he trusted Miryam enough to partly believe her.20. And as he was deliberating about this, lo and behold! A messenger of YHWH appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Yoseyf, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam [as] your wife, for that which is in [and will be born from] her is begotten by the Spirit of Holiness.
Begotten...Spirit: Heb., "from the Spirit of Holiness, because from the Spirit of Holiness she has conceived."21. "And she will give birth to a son, and you shall call his name ‘Y'shua', because He shall save His people from their sins."
Y'shua: short for Y'hoshua ("YHWH is salvation").22. Now all of this took place so that what was spoken by YHWH through the prophet could be fulfilled:
23. "Behold! The virgin will conceive in her womb, and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name 'Imanu-El'" (which is translated, "Elohim [is] with us").
Virgin: Greek parthenos, best known for its use in reference to a perpetually-virginal goddess; Heb. almah. Could be translated "maiden" (young marriageable girl, sometimes meaning prepubescent), as in the original quote (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 7:14) it has a double reference to the prophet's new wife as well as this one who would be greater.24. Being then roused from his sleep, Yoseyf did as the messenger of YHWH commanded him, and took her as his wife,
Took: went through with the second stage of the marriage. It is common in Hebrew to speak of the entire process as "taking a wife and marrying her".25. but did not have sexual relations with her until she bore her son, the Firstborn. And he declared his name [to be] "Y'shua".
Normally in Hebrew culture the marriage is consummated in a separate room while the guests celebrate nearby, and the "friend of the bridegroom" listens for the groom to call out from within the chamber that the marriage has been consummated, then relays the message to the feasting guests. (Read Yochanan/John 3:29 in the context of this custom.) However,Yoseyf acted differently in this case, perhaps because he knew it was so unique, though the legend that Miryam remained a virgin all her life clearly stems not from Scripture but from a confusion with some Greco-Roman myths which resulted after Constantine muddied the truth through allowing Christian themes to merely take the place of existing pagan ones. The Firstborn: the fact that it does not say "her firstborn" signals the fact that this is a title with a wider reference than simply Miryam's progeny. Sha'ul picks up on this theme by calling Y'shua "firstborn of many brothers", i.e., sons of Elohim (Rom. 8:29; compare Heb. 12:23), and not only that, but the "firstborn of all creation" (implying both precedence in time and status, Col. 1:15). Just after this he is called "the firstborn [which in Hebrew would also be firstfruits] from the dead" (1:18); his resurrection occurred on the Feast of Firstfruits (cf. 1 Cor. 15:20-23).
CHAPTER 2
1. Now after Y'shua had been born in Beyth-Lechem, [a city] of Yehudah, in the days of Herodus the king, behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
Beyth-Lechem: "house of bread", a town five miles south of Yerushalayim in the Judean hills. This is not without significance: Y'shua called himself the "bread of life" (Yochanan 6:35). Yehudah: the tribal land of Judah; the Roman name for the province was Judea. Magi: a high caste in the Persian, then Parthian, empires, who served as both priests and as the highest magistrates, and chose kings according to signs in the stars. DuTillet has machshufim--"sorcerers" or "enchanters"; Shem Tov, "stargazers" or "astrologers". Some believe Dani'el was the founder of this order, since he is called "Rab Mag", or "chief of magi" (used also in Yirm./Jer. 39:3, 13), so it is no surprise that they had access to Hebrew prophecies. Zoroaster is thought to have been Dani'el's own student. These astrologers (whom Shem-Tov calls "seers in the stars, linked to angelology") who came (to "confirm Y’shua's calling" before their own countrymen?), would notice this star that Herodus did not seem aware of. This was Herodus the Great, son of Antipater II, who lived from c. 73 to 3 or 4 BCE and came to the throne in c. 37 BCE. He tried to endear himself to the Jews by lavish building projects, most notably the Temple reconstruction and enlargement, but he had also built temples to pagan deities outside of Judea, and was always considered a foreign ruler.2. asking, "Where is he who is born King of the Yehudim? —for we saw his star in the east and have come to pay him homage."
Julius Caesar had appointed Herodus' father procurator of Judea in 47 BCE. When the Parthians invaded and set the Hasmonean Antigonus, Antony and the Roman senate appointed Herodus "King of the Jews". He married into the Hasmonean family, but due to suspicion of those who aspired to power, he ended up killing his wife and all the remaining Hasmoneans one by one. His sons raised his suspicions against their brothers, and he executed three of them, which led to the quip that (as Herodus ate kosher to please his subjects) it was safer to be Herodus' pig than his son. His suspicion reached obsessive proportions, and this is the backdrop for his suspicion of another who was called "King of the Jews". "His star": Genesis 1:14 reveals that stars were designed as a means to convey signs of special importance, and traditionally Judaism interprets the "star" in Numbers 24:17 to be a reference to the Messiah. To pay him homage: i.e., as king. Shem Tov, "with important gifts to bow before him".3. But Herodus the king was disturbed when he heard this; all of Jerusalem with him [were], too.
The Hebrew says he was filled with rage; in Aramaic, "he shook".4. And, gathering all of the chief cohanim [priests] and Torah scribes of The People together, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
Messiah: Heb., Mashiach--"anointed one". The term applies in a broad sense to anyone selected for a special task, but in a special sense to one particular servant of YHWH. Writings from this period show that Messianic fervor was very high, largely because Daniel's prophecy indicated the precise time the Messiah was to be revealed, and it was only 33 years away. So when such a momentous entourage appeared, King Herodus feared the worst, assuming that a Jewish king would certainly take precedence over himself, as he was a "Jew" for pragmatic reasons only, and a descendant of Edom (Esau). His people, the Idumeans, had been forced to convert to Judaism during the Hasmonean (Maccabean) dynasty, and he had ascended to the throne through a deal made with the Romans. He knew that he was not a rightful king according to the conditions laid down by YHWH for David's royal line. Cohanim: priests, or "officiators" in Hebrew, usually over the sacrificial ceremonies in theTemple. Scribes: not just copyists, but in this era, the prominent students and teachers of the Torah. (Stern)5. And they told him, "In Beyth-Lechem of Yehudah, for this is how it has been written by the prophet:
Beyth-Lechem: "House of Bread". Interestingly, Y'shua later referred to himself as the "Bread of Life". (Yochanan 6:35) The town is five miles southwest of Yerushalayim. Micha 4:8 specifies even more precisely the Tower of the Flock, which the Mishnah tells us was the limit of a perimeter around Yerushalayim within which sacrificial lambs sold by the priests for Temple use had to be born.6. ‘As for you, Beyth-Lechem in the land of Judea, though [you] are least among the clans of Yehudah, for out of you shall come forth to Me one who is to rule in Israel.'" [Mikhah 5:2]
The Greek Septuagint (LXX) reads "are few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Yehudah". The Aramaic and Greek versions, as well as the DuTillet Heb., say, "you are by no means least as pertaining to the governors of Yehudah, for out of you..." The Aramaic targum (a contemporary translation in the near eastern lingua franca, which included a paraphrase of the interpretation most common in that day) adds "who will shepherd My people", which then appears in the Aramaic and Greek versions of Matthew. The targum also links this to Genesis 49:24, identifying it as a Messianic prophecy. Least: "insignificant" or "lightly esteemed". Clans: or "thousands", i.e., as in “rulers over hundreds and rulers over thousands” (Exodus 18:21), the arrangement Moshe had set up to determine whose jurisdiction one would be under should there be a dispute to settle.7. Then secretly summoning the Magi, Herodus questioned them diligently as to the exact time the star had appeared [to them].
Questioned them diligently: Gk., "ascertained from them".8. And, sending them to Beyth-Lechem, he said, "As you journey, search diligently for the little boy, and when you find[him], report back to me, so that I may come and pay him homage, too."
9. When they had heard the king's words, they departed. And, lo and behold, the star which they had seen in the east was going on ahead of them until it had come and stood still over the place where the young boy was.
The word "star" in ancient cultures referred to any heavenly body. In 3 B.C. (Possibly the year Herodus died, as the dates are not considered precisely accurate), there was a series of conjunctions of Jupiter (identified by the Hebrews with Tzedeq or righteousness) and Venus (Nogah, or dawn-star, in Hebrew). Some of them took place within the constellation of Virgo--the Virgin (called Bethulah in Hebrew long before), who, incidentally, was seen as in a position of childbirth, faced by a dragon, and "crowned" by a cluster of stars--at a time when the moon was below her feet in the sky and the sun where her clothing would be (Rev. 12 calls this a sign in heaven, which is what Magi would be looking for). The Midrash Rabbah interprets Yeshayahu/Isa. 41:2 ("Who has raised up the Righteous one from the east? He called him to His foot...") to be saying the planet Tzedeq would illuminate the Messiah's path! Another conjunction took place in the constellation Leo, the Lion, calling up memories of the prophecies of the Lion of the Tribe of Yehudah. It was right beside the star Regulus (the Ruler) in the lion's forepaw, reminiscent of the prophecy in Gen. 49:10. Stood still over: or "stopped in front of". Avi ben Mordechai goes into great detail in his book, Signs in the Heavens: A Jewish Messianic Perspective of the Last Days & Coming Millennium.10. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with exuberant joy,
Because earth revolves around the sun faster than Jupiter, it appeared to stop, reverse, then again move forward to a third conjunction, coming to a standstill right over Beyth-Lechem! No wonder the Magi rejoiced when they saw the "star" again! In Aramaic, they "cheered a great cheer."11. and, having come into the house, they saw the child with his mother Miryam, and falling down, they bowed before him in homage. And opening their treasure-boxes, they presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Homage: deep-seated fealty to a king, especially one to be installed by YHWH Himself. The three gifts symbolize his kingship, his priestly calling, and his death and burial for the sins of mankind. Gold often speaks of purity from sin as well. Frankincense is a ground white spice required to garnish the grain offerings which had nothing to do with sin, but with drawing closer to YHWH. Indeed, in Aramaic, "gifts" here is the word used for the "drawing-near" offerings in the Temple. It is also one of the spices mixed into the special Temple incense which is not to be imitated anywhere else. Myrrh is a costly antiseptic balsam resin used as a perfume and for embalming.12. And while they were fast asleep, a messenger appeared to them, saying, "Beware of going back to Herodus in Yerushalayiom." So they went back to their own country by another route.
13. And when they had departed, a messenger of YHWH appeared to Yoseyf in a dream, saying, "Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and live there. That is where you must stay until I return [and tell] you, because Herodus is about to search for the child in order to kill him."
Kill him: Greek, "get him out of the way".14. So, being roused from sleep, he did as the messenger had told him and took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt,
"Did as the messenger told him" does not appear in the Greek and Aramaic versions.15. And he stayed there until Herodus' demise, so that what YHWH had spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: "Out of Egypt I have called My Son."
The most literal reference of this quote from Hoshea 11:1 was to the whole nation of Israel, but this is in keeping with traditional Hebrew hermeneutics, in which there are four levels on which every Scripture can be validly interpreted. As in Yeshayahu/Isaiah 52-53, the Messiah is seen as a microcosm of all Israel, because, as a virgin-born second Adam he embodied the "firstfruits" of a second race of humanity, which parallels Avraham's being called out from his ancestral culture to form a completely new culture which ran counter to the direction the majority of humanity was taken. Whether by ancestry or adoption, all of his "descendants" will constitute Israel in the truest sense.16. Then Herodus became extremely furious, seeing that he had been tricked by the Magi, and he sent and had all the boys in Beyth-Lechem and all its environs who were two years of age or under put to death—according to the time which he had discerned from the Magi.
Tricked: "trifled with" or "deceived"; Aramaic, "mocked". Two years of age: A Jewish child in those days was considered a year old when born; after all, he has been alive for ten cycles of the moon. So this would translate to those under about one year to fourteen months old in modern terminology.17. Thus that which was spoken by Yirmeyahu the prophet (peace be upon him) was fulfilled, saying,
"Fulfilled" has more of the sense of "established" in Hebrew--i.e., not only brought to its fullest meaning, but also confirmed and rendered steadfast and sure--vindicating him as not having been a false prophet.18. "A voice will be heard in Ramah, wailing, bitter weeping, and great mourning—Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted, because they were no more."
Ramah: Alone it means "height", but it was commonly used with another noun to describe different "heights". There was a Ramah not far from Beyth-Lechem, but the best-known is Ramathayim Tsofim, Shmuel the prophet's birthplace and the site of his tomb, though that is on the far side of Yerushalayim and the outcry would have to be miraculously loud if it were to reach so far. However, Beyth-Lechem was in Yehudah, which is not the tribal land of either of Rachel's sons, so what is the connection? Rachel was buried at Beyth-Lechem, "while there was still some ways to go to Efrath". (Gen. 35:16) Efrath (which means "fruitfulness") links us to the name Efrayim, which means "doubly fruitful", but this fulfillment was still future as well. Ramah was in the hills of Efrayim, son of Yoseyf (1 Shmuel 1:1). And Efrayim led the straying of the "Lost Sheep of the House of Israel" (cf. 10:6; Yirmeyahu 50:6), whom Y'shua specifically had come to regather from among the nations--which is specifically the context of the verses immediately surrounding Yirmeyahu 31:15, the passage quoted here! She is told to stop weeping, because they will return--thanks to the little boy who survived this massacre. (Compare Yeshayahu/Isaiah 49:20ff; 54:1-10) There is also another intriguing theory set forth by both Nogah Hareuveni and 19th-century archaeologist Clermont-Ganneau that the true location of Efrath where Rachel was buried is very close to Ramah. It is a spring called Eyn Prat—very similar to Efrath—on the descent from Giv’ah. On the way from Beyth-El and only an hour’s donkey ride from Eyn Prat are five large stone structures that the Arabs call “the graves of the children of Israel”, though they do not recall why, and it is still within Binyamin’s borders. If there is also a Tower of the Flock (Mikha 4:8) at this Beyth-Lekhem (of which there are several in Israel), then it could be that Yahshua was born north rather than south of Yerushalayim--though it would not then be "Beyth-Lekehm of Yehudah" (Mikha 5:2).19. But when Herodus had died, a messenger of YHWH appeared to Yoseyf in Egypt through a dream,
20. saying, "Get up, and take the child and his mother, and cross into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life have died."
21. So he rose up and took the child and his mother with him, and came into the land of Israel.
Land of Israel: Stern points out that the Renewed Covenant does not call it Palestine, as the Romans did (in honor of the Filistines, to blot out the memory of Yehudah) and as so many still try to do today.22. But hearing that Arkhelaos was now the ruler over Judea in place of his father Herodus, he was afraid to go there. And, being warned through a dream, he went instead into the region of the Galil,
Arkhelaos: also known as "Herod the Ethnarch", Herodus' elder son who reigned after his father, but without the title of king. He was a repressive tyrant as well, leading the Judean and Samaritan aristocracy to warn Caesar Augustus that there would be a major revolt unless he were removed from power. So he was deposed and banished, after which Judea no longer had even half-Jewish rulers, but prefects appointed by the roman emperor. Galil: or Galilee, some sixty miles north of Judea. A Jewish mystical authority writes: "In the time of the resurrection of the dead, many camps will arise in the Land of the Galil, because that is where the Messiah is going to be first revealed". (Zohar, Vayakhel 220a). Indeed he was!23. and came and settled in a city called Natzereth, to fulfill what the prophets had spoken: "He shall be called [a] ‘Natzereth.'"
Fulfill: here the Hebrew term means "fill up", i.e., give its fullest meaning. A Natzereth: The Greek uses the term for Nazirite (a separated one) in connection with being from the city of Natzereth, but there is no evidence that Y'shua, accused of being a winebibber, unlike Yochanan (11:19), ever took such a vow until His final Passover. The Hebrew term seems a derivative of Netzer ("branch" as in Yeshayahu 11:1), a prophetic title for the Messiah. A midrash also says all Natzerenes would be called "despised" (cf. Yochanan 1:46)--an allusion to Psalm 22 and Yeshayahu 53:3. A similar Hebrew word "naatz" means "scorned". Also, Yeshayahu 49:7 speaks of His coming chiefly for the “Natzirim”—the Faithfully-guarded or Preserved ones of Israel. Y’shua said He had only come for the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” (the Northern Kingdom). Over 700 years earlier, YHWH had promised to sift the House of Israel (the “lost” tribes of the Northern Kingdom), yet said not one would fall to the ground. (Amos 9:9) YHWH would not lose track of a single one! At that time, Natzereth, situated on a cliff overlooking the Yezre'el Valley near Mt. Tavor, was the tiny suburb of a large, up-and-coming city called Tzippori (Sepphoris), and no definite archaeological remains from that period have even been found there.
CHAPTER 3
1. Now in those days, Yochanan the [ritual] immerser made his appearance in the Judean desert as a herald,Ritual immersion (tvilah) is used on many occasions to signify a change in spiritual status, most commonly when ending a period of ritual uncleanness to again be eligible to participate in the Temple services. A complete immersion, even of the hair, is required in order to correctly present a picture of death and resurrection to a new status. The one who administers it does not physically immerse the person, but acts as a witness that the person has immersed himself properly and fully.2. proclaiming, "Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near!"
Repent: Heb., accomplish a turnaround in your lives. The timing of this call was very significant, as it was at the beginning of a season that prefigures the Kingdom as a rehearsal each year. (See note on v. 11; 4:2) Has drawn near: Shem Tov Heb., is about to come; Aramaic, approaches, or, is being offered, which correlates with 11:14. When Jews of that day heard this, they would not just think of a spiritual salvation; it brought to mind the time when "YHWH will be King over all the earth" (Zech. 14:9)the Golden Age of Israel, when Yerushalayim will be the capital of the entire world, the Messiah will rule from there, and there will be peace enforced by a rod of iron. The exiled tribes will be regathered, and perfect justice done at every level. YHWH will judge the Nations, and Gentiles will come to worship Him in Yerushalayim. But in order to be its subjects, men must prepare the way through repentance, purifying ourselves with the materials He has given, in order to form a clean, holy dwelling place for the King who deserves no less:3. For this is the one who was spoken of by Yeshayahu the prophet, when he said: "The voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare YHWH's road! Make His pathways straight!'"
The quote is from Yeshayahu/Isaiah 40:3. Desert: literally, Aravah, the Rift Valley along the Yarden River, which extends southward beyond the Dead Sea. This is indeed where Yochanan was immersing. Prepare: or grade, level off.4. Now Yochanan himself had his clothing made of camel's hair, and a belt of leather around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Locusts: probably carob beans, which have the same Greek name as the insect, and were commonly the food of those taking the Nazirite vow, though the insect is one of only three that are kosher. Wild honey: from date palms, or carob syrup, which is called "forest syrup” and was even called "St. John's Bread". Heb., honey of the forest.5. Then [the people of] Yerushalayim and all of Yehudah went out to him, and all the region around the Yarden River,
Yehudah: the tribe that constitutes the Jews in the most proper sense, and Judea, their territory.
6. and were ritually immersed under his [supervision] in the Yarden, openly acknowledging their sins.
Under his supervision: immersion (Greek, baptism) then was not something done by another person; that was a practice of Mithraism, a religion common among Roman soldiers. A kosher immersion is done by the person himself, with a witness to assure him that every part of his body, including all of his hair, has gone under the water three times. The Shem Tov Hebrew text says, “were immersing because of his word”.7. But seeing many of the Perushim and Tz’duqim coming to his miqveh, he said to them, "You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Perushim: or Pharisees, the most influential religious sect of the day. They were the lay successors of the Hasidim, or "loyal ones", who rigorously applied the Torah to all of life. They accepted the Oral Torah as YHWH's Word, and so added many fences to the written Torah, but tried to keep them practicable. Their name means "separated ones", as they would not eat with someone who did not tithe. Their rival sects ceased to be viable after the Temple's destruction, so their interpretation of the Torah prevailed and developed, via the Talmud, into the Judaism of today. Tz’duqim [or Sadducees]: the arch-rivals of the Perushim, who recognized only the five books of Moshe as scripture, and did not believe in anything supernatural, such as the resurrection of the dead, unless they found a direct reference to it in the Torah. Miqveh: ritual immersion site. Offspring of vipers: perhaps the “seed of the serpent” spoken of in Gen. 3:15. Who warned you: i.e., This is a holy act; were you invited? Wrath: Heb, heat of anger. (Compare vv. 10, 12.)8. "Produce fruits worthy of repentance, then!
9. "And don't imagine you can tell yourself, 'We have Avraham as our father.' For I tell you, YHWH can raise up children to Avraham from 'these stones'!
These stones: Probably the stones Y'hoshua had set up when the Israelites first crossed the Yarden into the Promised Land (Deut. 27:4; Yehoshua 4:6-7), since this was the same locationBeythAvarah: the "place of crossing over". (Yochanan. 1:28) Children to Avraham: Shem Tov, “His son Avraham”. In Hebrew, the words for sons and stones both come from the same root, meaning to build up.10. "Rather, even now the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, any tree that does not produce worthy fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
The Shem Tov Hebrew text adds, “Many asked him, ‘What shall we do?’ And he answered them, ‘Cause no man anxiety, do not exact money from them wrongfully, and be pleased with your lot.’ And all the people were considering and likening in their circumcised heart that Yochanan was Y’shua.” (As in Luke 3:14) Worthy fruit: Aramaic, graced fruit.11. "I indeed immerse you with water into repentance, but the One coming after me is stronger than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will immerse you with the Spirit of Holiness and with fire,
Indeed: Heb, only. Into repentance: i.e., to initiate repentance, for Shem Tov’s version says “in the days of repentance” (t’shuvah), i.e., the traditional 40 days immediately preceding Yom Kippur. (This takes on great significance in 4:2.) Stronger: innately more forceful, as the fire suggests. Compare Malachi 3:1. Carry sandals: an especially lowly duty of slaves. Worthy: or simply, able. Heb., the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to unfasten. (As in Yoch. 1:27; compare the note on v. 10. It appears likely that all of the Gospels selected from this Hebrew version when the Greek version was being written. Perhaps this is the missing “Q” document, which stands for Quelle, the German word for “source”, from which textual critics have long theorized at least three of them were derived.) And with fire: Heb., the fire of the Spirit of Holiness.12. "whose winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse his [threshing] floor, and will gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with fire that cannot be put out."
Winnowing: tossing grain that has been threshed (had the hull loosened by gently beating) up into the air where the wind can separate them. It symbolizes teaching the truth in such a way that the Spirit (the same as wind in both Greek and Hebrew) can enable us to discern between the weighty (important) and the useless. The Temple was built on a threshing floor that David purchased (1 Chron. 21:22; 2 Chron. 3:1), and the Messiah would indeed cleanse the Temple. (Yochanan 2:16) His wheat: compare 1 Cor. 10:17. Fire that cannot be put out: Gk., asbestos; this word has come to mean the opposite of the original sense of “unquenchable”!13. Just then Y’shua came to Yochanan at the Yarden River from the Galil to be immersed under his [supervision].
14. But Yochanan tried to prevent him from doing so, saying, "I am the one who needs to be immersed by You! Why are You coming to me?"
Tried to prevent him: Heb., was doubtful about.15. But Y’shua answered him, "Allow it to be this way for now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way." So he let Him come.
Fitting: Heb., an obligation. YHWH had commanded that a priest had to wash before beginning his service. (Ex. 29:4) Y’shua was the right age to begin His service (Num. 4:3) as the High Priest after the order of Melkhitzedeq. (Psalm 110:4) He nowhere commanded immersion as such, but Y’shua identifies it with righteousness, possibly because it represented what YHWH had done to restore the earth’s balance during Noach’s deluge. In any case, this enhancement to the commandment is upheld by heaven as being in the right spirit of the command as YHWH gave it (merely to “wash with water”). Us: Yochanan and Y’shua together. Righteousness: put more simply, doing what is right.16. And just after He had been immersed, Y’shua came up out of the water, and, lo and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of YHWH descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Like a dove: Heb., in the likeness of a dove. This was in fulfillment of Yeshayahu 11:2, which says “the Spirit of YHWH will alight upon Him—the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of YHWH.”17. And behold, a voice came out of the heavens, saying, "This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found delight."
My Son, the Beloved: compare how YHWH described Yitzhaq to Avraham in Gen. 22:2. I have found delight: Heb., My soul is pleased. In every instance but one in the Talmud, such a “Bath Kol” (as a voice from heaven was often called) was recognized as an authoritative sign of heaven’s validation. (The one exception was a case where an influential man’s opinion was stubbornly followed despite this evidence to the contrary.)
CHAPTER 4
1. Then Y’shua was led by the Spirit up into the desert to be tempted by the Adversary.
Pictured at left: the Judean desert. Adversary: Greek, Diabolos (devil); Hebrew, Satan: accuser or slanderer. In modern Hebrew the term is used for a prosecuting attorney.2. He fasted 40 days and 40 nights, and afterwards He was starving.
Since the Hebrew version says that the day He was immersed was the beginning of the season of repentance (3:11), this period would culminate in the day the whole nation was fasting, Yom Kippur. The body can feed off stored reserves for up to 40 days only, then it begins consuming its own tissue as food. Being “in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet without sin”, Y’shua would be able to last the maximum length of time before literally becoming truly hungry. This—when at His lowest ebb physically--is the time when the Tempter came to Him, so that no one could ever say they were tempted beyond what He had experienced. (1 Cor. 10:13) Moshe and Eliyahu also fasted 40 days to prepare for momentous spiritual events. The Judean wilderness was not a forest! It is beautiful, but a desert nonetheless. The ancient pilgrims used to sing songs as they came up a deep canyon to Jerusalem from the wilderness. Y'shua actually gained strength here for the many stresses of the ministry that He would face. He had to come aside and draw into the Father to prepare for it.3. Then, approaching him, the Tempter said, "If You are the Son of Elohim, why not just tell these stones to turn into bread?"
Note the parallels between Chavvah’s temptation and Y’shua’s (Gen. 3): casting doubt on Elohim’s words, then twisting them, and the appeal to the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and prestige. (1 Yochanan 2:16) But there is another aspect to this. "Son of Elohim" is a title for the king in the royal line of David. (2 Shmu’el 7:14) David had chosen five stones to kill Golyath, then later he asks Akhimelekh the priest for five loaves of bread (1 Shmu’el 21:4). Five is symbolic of the Torah, so this is a picture of living out the Torah in community (cf. 1 Qorinthians 10:17). David thus “turned” stones into bread, so haSatan is insinuating that Yahshua should be able to do the same if he really is the rightful king in the line of David, and he is challenging him to prove it.4. But answering, He said, "It has been written, ‘Not on bread alone will mankind stay alive, but on every word that proceeds through YHWH's mouth.'" [Dvarim/Deuteronomy 8:3]
One of those words was that everyone fast on Yom Kippur, so He had to at least wait until the day was over to eat. The Shem Tov version includes only the first phrase of the quote, a common Hebrew style of allusion. (Also in v. 6.)5. Then the Adversary took Him to the Holy City, and stood him on the wing of the Temple,
Holy City: Some Hebrew mss. Simply say Yerushalayim. Wing: a pointed extremity, in this case the corner of Herodus' complex; compare Daniel 9:27. The term is used of four corners of a garment, and a place of YHWH’s special protection, which is what the Temple is, and haSatan highlights this. The Shem Tov text has, “the highest point in all the Temple”.6. and told Him, "If You are the Son of Elohim, jump off, because it is written, 'He shall give His angels charge concerning you, so that you won't stub your foot against a stone.'" [Psalm 91:11]
The southwestern corner of the Temple complex at that time was above a market area on the outside that would be bustling with commerce, and He would be noticed by huge crowds. Son of Elohim: the Shem Tov text leaves out “son of”.7. Y’shua said to him, "It has been written elsewhere, 'You shall not put YHWH your Elohim to the test.'" [Deut. 6:16]
8. Again the Adversary took Him to an extremely lofty mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world with their magnificence.
Magnificence: splendor, or the esteem that their subjects would give Him. They were haSatan’s to give, since Y’shua had not yet taken away the authority haSatan had tricked Adam into forfeiting. But instead Y’shua chose to redeem them legitimately. He was not under the sentence of death, so in allowing Himself to be executed, He made haSatan a murderer and thus deprived of all rights, one of which was to rule the earth, though haSatan’s de facto reign continues until Y’shua returns to lay claim to it.9. And he told Him, "I will give you all of these if you fall down and worship me."
They were his to give since he had tricked Adam out of his dominion over earth. Instead Y’shua chose to redeem them legitimately. Satan had the right to kill every sinner. But Y’shua did not deserve death, so in dying He made Satan legally a murderer, thus stripping him of all his rightsthough his de facto reign continues until Y’shua returns to reclaim the earth.10. Then Y’shua said to him, "Get out of here, Satan! For it has been written, 'It is YHWH your Elohim that you shall worship, and you shall serve Him only."
11. Then the Adversary left him, and behold, messengers came near and attended to Him. [I Kings 19:5]
Messengers: Gk., angels. The feast of Sukkoth is such a respite of joy that follows hard on the heels of the agonies of confession at Yom Kippur.12. But when He heard that Yochanan had been taken into custody, Y’shua withdrew into the region of the Galil.
Yochanan was imprisoned at the Makhaeros, a mountaintop fortress across the Dead Sea from the Judean Desert where Y’shua had spent these forty days. He undoubtedly waited until after the pilgrimage to Yerushalayim at Sukkoth was over.13. And leaving Natzeret, He settled in Kfar Nahum beside the Lake, in the tribal lands of Zevulun and Nafthali,
Kfar Nahum (pictured here) means “Village of Consolation”. It is on the north side of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinnereth, which means “harp”, owing to its shape). Today it is only a ruin with churches built as memorials.14. so that what Yeshayahu the prophet had said might be fulfilled:
15. “Land of Zevulun and land of Nafthali...highway of the sea, beyond the Yarden, the Galil of the Gentiles:
Zevulun’s land extends from Mt. Tavor to the Qishon River near Mt. Karmel (Yehoshua 19:11-12). It included Natzereth, in the Lower Galil. Nafthali’s land was the Upper Galil, from Mt. Tavor along the Lake and the Yarden River to Israel’s northern border. (Yehosh. 19:32ff) Its proximity to Gentile regions also made it an inroad for idolatry. Galil: or Galilee, a mountainous region west of Lake Kinnereth, separated from Yehudah/Judea by Samaria, with the Yezreel Valley as its southern boundary.16. The people who have sat in darkness have seen a great Light, and to those who have sat in the region and shadow of death, to them Light sprang up!” [Yeshayahu 9:1-2]
Who have sat: Heb., who walk.17. From then on, Y’shua began to proclaim and to say, "Repent! For the Kingdom of the Heavens has drawn near!"
Y’shua began: now that Yochanan was incarcerated, and no one would think they were in competition with each other, as so many rabbis of that day were. (Yochanan 4:1-3) "The Heavens" was often a euphemism used to avoid accidentally misusing YHWH's holy name, much as HaShem ("The Name") is used among today's Jews. The Kingdom was withdrawn from Adam, to be restored when mankind was redeemed. Ardent expectation of this restoration of both David's and Adam's thrones took a variety of forms in Y’shua's day, chiefly because the date when Daniel (9:25) prophesied the Messiah would appear was fast approaching. He did accomplish the redemption, but the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel (Acts of the Envoys 1:6) was delayed because the spiritual leaders, more interested in their own positions of power, failed to recognize the day Daniel had specified (Lk. 19:44), and the descendants of the Northern Kingdom had to be regathered first. The present, inward rule of the Holy Spirit is a "down payment" (Eph. 1:1314) of what is to come.18. And, while walking beside the Sea of Galilee, Y’shua noticed two brothers, Shim'on (who was nicknamed "the Rock"), and his brother Andreas, casting a net into the "Sea", because they were fishermen.
The Rock: Greek, Petros; its Hebrew form, Kefa, is given in Yochanan 1:42. “Sea”: it is really only a lake, seven miles by fourteen miles at its widest points.19. And He said, "Come after Me, and I will make you into people who fish for men!"
Fish for men: Y’shua was alluding to a prophecy in Yirmiyahu/Jeremiah 16:16 in which YHWH promised to retrieve the descendants of Israel after punishing them double for their sins. Yehezqel 4:5 tells us how to do the math. 390 years doubled is 780. Measuring from 734 B.C., when the Northern Kingdom began to be dispersed, 780 years comes out to only a short time after this—about 16 years later. But if we adjust for the lengthening of the year from 360 to 365.25 days in 701 B.C. due to a shift in the earth’s axis recorded worldwide, it is only about six 360-day years later than this. So Y’shua was preparing His disciples to be sent out with this very “dragnet” to draw the prodigal tribes back into the covenant they once forsook.20. And, leaving their nets behind, they immediately followed Him.
Leaving behind: This fulfills the second part of Yirmiyahu’s prophecy, that at some point the fishing will be over, and it will be time to hunt. Compare Y’shua’s parable of the dragnet in 13:47ff. In the process of finding them, other kinds of fish were pulled in too, which, in a roundabout way, fulfilled His desire that Israel be a light to all nations. But they also had to be sorted out, for unclean creatures, unfit for consumption, are also drawn in with the kosher fish.21. Going on from there, He saw another pair of brothers, Yaaqov and Yochanan, in the rowable sailboat with their father Zavdiel, repairing their nets. And He called to them.
Yaaqov: often called James. Yochanan: Anglicized as John. Their mother, Shlomey, was probably the sister of Y’shua’s mother Miryam. (27:56; Mk. 15:40; Yoch. 19:25) Zavdiel means “Elohim is my endowment”.22. And, leaving the boat and their father, they followed Him right away.
Compare Eliyahu’s call of Elisha. (1 Kings 19:19ff; Luke 14:26)23. And Y’shua went all around the Galil, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Glad News of the arrival of the Kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and illness among the people.
These miracles were signs that foreshadow the conditions that will take place on a far wider scale when the Kingdom comes in its fullness. (Yeshayahu 29:18)24. And the news about Him spread into all of Syria, and they brought Him all those who were sick, suffering from various diseases and torments; those who were demonpossessed as well, and the mentally ill, and those who were paralyzed, and He healed them.
Syria: Aram, while the du Tillet Hebrew has the similar word “Am”, which means “the people”. At that time Syria was a province that included the area immediately north of here, which is the nation of Lebanon today. Another reason there were so often sick people around the Lake may have been because people came from as far away as Egypt and Rome to the hot springs at Tiberias and Hamat Gader, but not all found this adequate to cure their ills, and so flocked to this much-heralded Healer. Mentally ill: perhaps epileptics. Some of these diseases had spiritual causes, while others had physical. (See note on 8:31.) Demons: Heb., shedim, which are wicked, oppressive, destructive spirits.25. And many who saw it followed Him—from the Galil and the Ten Cities and Jerusalem, and Judea, and beyond the Yarden.
Many who saw it: or crowds, but there is a Hebrew word with only a difference in suffix that means townspeople or bystanders. The Ten Cities:Gk., Decapolis, a Gentile trading zone southeast of the Lake, including presentday Amman, Jordan (known then as Philadelphia). All but Skythopolis (Beth Shean) were east of the Yarden River.
CHAPTER 5
1. When He saw the crowds, He went up into the mountain and sat down, and His disciples came and sat near Him.
Into the mountain: the traditional site is a natural, hollowed-out amphitheatre that could seat 10,000 people (shown at left). Disciples: Heb., talmidim, which better describes the wholehearted following many gave to their rabbis, aiming to learn to be like them. (10:24-25)2. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying,
3. "'The afflicted of spirit' are on the right track, for of them is [composed] the Realm of Heaven's rule.
On the right track: satisfied because they are “on a straight road” and “making progress”. In the context of Y’shua’s coming only for the “Lost Sheep of the House of Israel”, this means much to one who is trying to find the road back home. Aramaic, graced. The Hebrew word most often rendered “bless” means “to bend the knee”. It is thus easy to see how we can bless YHWH. But how does He bless us? By bending down to our level as a father does to his small child, like YHWH’s tender dealings with Efrayim when he was a young child, and the way He will again treat those who repent when they realize how far afield they have gone. (Hoshea 11:1; Yirmiyahu 31:20) Rabbi Moshe Koniuchowski says this whole passage, on a deeper level, is about the reversal of the curses in Hoshea 1 and the restoration of those Lost Sheep (the Northern Kingdom which had left the covenant). Afflicted of spirit: an allusion to Yeshayahu 66:2, which says, “This is the one to whom I will pay attention: the humble and afflicted of spirit, who even trembles when I speak.” Y’shua is inviting the “void of spirit”, who for over 750 years have not been a nation, to come back to the abundant life of being the people of Israel. (Yochanan 10:10)4. "Those who mourn are on the right track, for they shall be comforted.
Mourn: bewail their sins in repentance. The second curse needing reversal is “No pity” (Hoshea 1:6). Y’shua loosed His unfaithful bride from the curses by dying, so that she could remarry the “new man” who He arose to be. Those who turn from their former ways and return with weeping over their lost condition will find His arms open wide like the father of the prodigal son.5. "The meek are on the right track, for they shall inherit the Land.
Meek: those whose power is under control, throwing away their pride and submitting to the benevolent Elohim. This is actually an allusion to Psalm 37:11, and thus to that entire Psalm, which speaks of waiting patiently for YHWH’s timing, since “in just a little while, the wicked will be no more.” Land: can mean “earth”, but all the earth will come up to worship in Yerushalayim during the Messianic Kingdom (Zech. 14:16-19) Compare the juxtaposition of mourning with the Land in Zech. 12:10-14.6. "Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are on the right track, for they shall be filled.
Those who are far from home in exile are starving to be back in covenant with YHWH again. When we desire and seek Him with all of our heart, He will let Himself be found by us. (Yirmiyahu 29:13; compare Yeshayahu 55:1-2; Yochanan 6:48-51.)7. "The merciful are on the right track, for they shall obtain mercy.
The flip side is, “Judgment is without mercy to those who have shown no mercy.” (Yaaqov 2:13) Importantly, this is in a letter that, like this context (especially v. 17-19), emphasizes the importance of obeying the letter of the Torah. But mercy is one of the “weightier matters” in the spirit behind the letter. (23:23) For they shall obtain mercy: Aramaic, upon their being befriended.8. "The pure in heart are on the right track, because they will see YHWH."
Pure in heart: Shem-Tov Heb., innocent of heart. See Psalm 24:3-4, which also speaks of ascending a mountain, the Temple Mount, which is probably why Y’shua used this particular act to open his discourse. These will indeed be included in the Messianic Kingdom, when the resurrected Messiah will again embody all that can be seen of YHWH. (Yochanan 1:18) Also compare Psalms 51:10; 73:11.9. "The peacemakers are on the right track, for they shall be called 'sons of Elohim'.
Peacemakers: Shem-Tov Heb., those who pursue peace (which Psalm 34:14 links with forsaking evil).10. "Those persecuted because of their righteousness are on the right track, because it is they who make up the Kingdom of Heaven.
Compare 1 Kefa 3:14.11. "You are on the right track whenever they insult you and hunt you down and tell all kinds of malicious lies about you on account of Me.
Here it is easiest to see that “happy” has nothing to do with “happenstance”, but refers to a deep inner knowledge that all is going according to YHWH’s plan.12. "Be glad and jump for joy, because your reward is great in the Heavens! Because this is the way they mistreated the prophets who came before you.
Compare Yeshayahu 66:10.13. "You are the earth's salt. But if the salt becomes tasteless, with what will the world be salted?
The earth’s salt: For a time, you will preserve the world from becoming totally corrupt. Becomes tasteless: Shem-Tov Heb., is neutralized; Aramaic, stales. But the context of Luqa’s version of this statement (14:34) seems more of an allusion to the military aspect of salting the ground around a conquered city (see Judges 9:45) to prevent crops from being grown there again. If we cannot destroy the productivity of Yahshua’s enemies, he says we are not useful to him.14. "You are the light of the world. A city situated on a mountain can't be hidden!
You are the light of the world: He made this same claim for Himself in Yochanan 8:12 (based on Yeshayahu 49:6). We share His calling and are to complete what He began, and we, His Bride and His Body, will ultimately even share His name. (Yirm. 23:6; 33:16; 1 Yoch. 3:2) A city: Ts'fat, atop a high hill, is clearly visible from this Lake in the direction His audience would have been facing as He spoke. But he is more likely alluding to Yerushalayim, which will one day be on the highest mountain in the region. (Mikha 4:1)15. "And nobody lights a lantern and then puts it underneath a basket for measuring grain, but up on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone who is in the house.
Basket for measuring grain: Heb., se’ah, which is 1/3 of one ephah (a dry measure equal to ten omers, each omer representing a person, Ex. 16:16, thus ten of them making a full congregation). Sarah was told to make bread from three se’im of flour. (Gen. 18:6) Traditionally the People of YHWH are divided into three categories: Israel, the Levites, and the Priests. The restored Adam will include all three. The High Priest of our calling is Y'shua (Heb. 4:14, etc.), for he bore the weight of the whole congregation on his shoulders (Matt. 20:26) like Aharon's breastplate with the names of all the tribes on it. The Levites took the place of the firstborn, and they served both YHWH and the congregation. Efrayim (and by extension the northern kingdom of the House of Israel) is called YHWH's firstborn (Yirm./Jer. 31:9). Since Y'shua came for its lost sheep, Efrayim and Y'shua have been bound together, and spiritually we have had enough to survive in a way we could not on our own. (Mat. 18:20) But now the hearts of Efrayim are beginning to be bound to the rest of the people of YHWH, Yehudah. Hoshea 1:11 says that when the two houses (Yehudah and Israel) choose one head (Y'shua), the Day of Yizreel (those scattered/sown of Elohim) will be great. And this cord cannot be broken. (Koheleth 4:12) Underneath, in Hebrew, can also mean “in place of”. So, on a deeper level, we are not to let even light replace one of these three components of the threefold cord (as the church often has done to Yehudah, who have preserved the letter of the Torah, apart from which the spirit has no substance. Without the Hebraic roots of faith that they have preserved, the final battles necessary for the establishment of the Kingdom cannot be won.) Rather, we must put the light of truth in its proper context: on a lampstand (menorah in Hebrew), that is, in the house (the Temple). Then it will give light to those who come to where the light is.16. "In the same way, let your light shine in front of [other] people, so they can see your honorable works, and may glorify your Father who is in Heaven.
Our works are the light that points others to Him. (Eph. 2:10) And our works must be based on the Torah:17. "Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Torah or the prophets; I have not come to destroy them, but to fulfill them.
I have come: a Hebrew idiom for “my purpose is”. To give them their fullest meaning: as seen by the rest of this discourse, where He expands on the common interpretations of His day to get to the heart of the matter. "Fulfill" (or complete) was also a technical term used by rabbis to describe a correct interpretation, which "established" it. He reveals what YHWH really intended by the commandments by setting forth specific casesa common rabbinic method. In Mattithyahu He reiterates, alludes to, and/or amplifies on every one of the ten commandments.18. "I tell you, be confident that until the heavens and earth pass away, not one yodh nor one taga will by any means pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass.
Yodh: the smallest Hebrew letter, but it is by no means insignificant. Taga: a diacritic notation over some letters to add nuances of intonation. Du Tillet Heb., one hook. Peshitta Aramaic, stroke. Shem-Tov Heb., not one letter or dot...because all will be fulfilled. He has guaranteed that they will come to pass, but not all have yet come to fulfillment yet.19. "So whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments, and teaches other people to do the same, will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever practices and teaches them, that person will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven,
Teachers of others incur the stricter judgment. (Yaaqov/James 3:1) Compare Deuteronomy 4:2.20. "because I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the scribes and Prushim, there's no way you're going to enter the Kingdom of the Heavens.
Beyond the Prushim: A shocking statement, because to most they appeared to be the epitome of righteousness in their day. But He called them lawless at heart (23:28), though they claimed to be keeping the Torah better than anyone around them. You have to do better than they, He says. Their interpretation is on faulty footing. (7:26-27) He is setting the Torah back on its original foundation. Shem-Tov: greater than the Prushim and the sages.21. "You've heard that the ancients were told, 'Do not commit murder!' and 'Whoever murders will be liable to the court.'
"In this command I heard..." followed by "You must instead say..." was a common rabbinic way of discussing the interpretation of Scripture. Thus through this formula, He was saying, "You have literally understood Torah this way, and rightly so, but this is inadequate; it also means...” (See 23:23) Not every quote He alludes to is Scriptural; some is from human tradition. Rather than seeing the Torah as a set of outward, measurable acts, He demands obedience in motive as well:22. "But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother without good reason also deserves to go before the court. And whoever says to his brother, 'You goodfornothing!' will be liable to the religious high court; but whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to be thrown into the fiery Valley of Hinnom.
Brother: one within the flock of Israel; David guiltlessly said worse things than this about true enemies of YHWH and the nation. (e.g., Psalm 137) Good-for-nothing: Aramaic: "I spit on you!" Heb.,“You evil one”. Religious high court: Heb., council of the assembly. Fool: Aram., "brutish, abnormal"; Heb., “impious”. Valley of Hinnom: Hebrew “Gey-henna”. A site where the idol Molech had been worshipped by making infants pass through its fiery hands. It was so abhorrent that the valley was later considered unworthy to be used for anything more noble than burning garbage. Like the prophets before Him, Y’shua uses this valley to illustrate the reward of the wicked, because fires were kept burning there day and night.23. "So if you are offering your gift to YHWH at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24. "leave your gift there in front of the altar, and go, be reconciled to your brother first, and then come back and offer your gift.
On the Day of Atonement it is said that the sacrifices only absolve one's guilt before YHWH; to be fully forgiven one must satisfy the one he wronged. Be reconciled to: Shem-Tov. Heb., appease him.25. "Come to terms quickly with anyone who accuses you, while you are still on the way to the court with him, so he won't hand you over to the judge, and the judge in turn hand you over to the officer, and you won't be thrown into prison.
26. "I really mean it, you'll never get out until you pay the last quarter of a cent!
27. "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'Do not commit adultery'. [Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18]
28. "However, I tell you, everybody who looks at a woman for the purpose of lusting after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
The damage may not seem as great, but the thought proves the potential sin is waiting in us for a foothold. Chastity in thought also takes us further from the likelihood of the deed itself, writes Chilton. The main point is not the fine line of just when it begins to be lust, or what we have or have not been guilty of. He is showing through these clarifications that righteousness goes far beyond outward deeds; even our inner-most thoughts are far from what they should be; we need not just a change of habits, but a new heart which He came to bring. Lusting: Shem-Tov Heb., coveting her (the real sin is wanting what is not yours).29. "So if even your right eye is a snare to you, pull it out and throw it away from you—because it is more to your advantage if one part of your body is lost to you instead of your whole body being thrown into the Valley of Hinnom.
Right eye: go to the harshest measures in order to root sin out of your life. Right eye can be a Hebrew idiom for the one among you who is most generous. Many congregations hesitate to discipline their biggest tithers! But what a price we will pay if we do not. Causes you to sin: Heb., seduces you.30. "And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and thrown it away from you—because it is better for you if one part of your body is lost instead of your whole body being thrown into the Valley of Hinnom.
Right hand: a Hebrew idiom for one in the highest power or authority. Even such a one must be cut off (a Hebrew idiom for being put outside the camp, i.e., out from under the protection of the community, as in 1 Cor. 5:5) if he leads others to sin, for this is evidence that he is unclean (a symbol of being selfish).31. "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate stating that he is forsaking her.' [Deut. 24:1]
Forsaking: or releasing. At that time, if a bill of divorce was worded incorrectly, it was considered invalid, but a wife remained abandoned while awaiting her official papers, while a man was technically free to have several wives. One could even divorce a wife for being loudmouthed! Y’shua condemned this double standard by holding the man responsible as well.32. "But I tell you, whoever divorces his wife at all, except in the case of unfaithfulness, makes her commit adultery, and anyone who marries the divorced woman also commits adultery.
In the case of infidelity a marriage vow has already been in fact broken. (19:9) Heb., Everyone who leaves his wife is to give her a bill of divorce. But concerning adultery, he is the one who commits adultery.33. "Again you have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not lie when under oath, but you shall make good on the vows you make to YHWH.' [Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21]
Lie when under oath: Shem-Tov Heb., swear by My Name falsely.34. "But I tell you not to swear falsely at all—neither by Heaven, because it is Elohim's throne,
Not to swear falsely at all: or, in vain in any matter--Shem-Tov Heb., in contrast with the Greek, which leaves out the word “falsely”, causing a contradiction with the many passages in the Torah which tell us that it is YHWH’s Name in which we should swear. (Deut. 6:13; 10:20 et al) 23:16-22 throws much light on the point Y’shua was making. (Nehemia Gordon)
35. "nor by the earth, because it is “His footstool” [Yeshayahu 66:1], nor by Yerushalayim, because it is “the city of the Great King.” [Psalm 48:2]
36. "And don't swear by your own head either, because you can't even make one hair turn white or black.
37. "Rather, all you need to say is 'Yes' if you mean 'Yes', and 'No' if you mean 'No'. Anything beyond this originates from the evil one.
YHWH desires purity and straightforwardness in our speech. He is not forbidding creativity of language. The Torah tolerates vows as an expression of worship, but drops a hint early on (Deut. 23:22) that one does not need to make them--an idea unheard of in the ancient Near East. But Josephus writes that the Essenes, a sect under whose care Yochanan the Immerser is thought to have grown up after his elderly parents died, practiced truthfulness at all times, saying this rendered them more trustworthy than vowing only about certain things. Y’shua also wishes to demystify our relationship with the Father. The movies depict a mentality even among gangsters that they dare not murder someone in a church. But this sets up a double standard that appears to lessen its wrongness elsewhere. Y’shua is doing away with such a hypocritical dichotomy. His word is not far away where we cannot hope to understand it; to the pure in heart, it is as close as our heart or our tongue. (Deut. 30:14)38. "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth' [Ex. 21:22-27; Lev. 24:19-20; Deut. 19:21],
The allusion is to Ex. 21:22-27, Lev. 24:19-20, and Deut. 19:21. This in itself was meant to limit vengeance, and these damages were often paid for in monetary compensation rather than equal injury, for few wanted to exact this of their neighbors for injuries inflicted accidentally. He has just made it clear in verse 18 that what He is saying cannot contradict the Torah (the passages mentioned under verse 38), as after all those are His own Father’s words. What was at issue to Yahshua was that some people were “moving an ancient boundary” (Deut. 19:14) by taking this out of the context of the court system and into personal life, seeking vengeance for every little snub.39. "but I say to you, don't stand up to one who requires you to toil, but to [one] who strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.
Stand up to: Heb., withstand--to try to get even or outdo him. Shem-Tov, Do not repay evil for evil. (Do not let your life be ruled by what he does to you.) Letting one’s cheeks be struck is a symbol of a youth submitting to chastisement from his teacher (to whom he has submitted) when we have failed, in order to show we are willing to learn from it with our mouths shut. (Lam. 3:25ff; compare Yeshayahu 50:5) This is what he was alluding to. Turning the other cheek therefore refers to this learning from our hardships and difficulties. Who requires you to toil: or, “one who makes things hard for you”. We need to focus on what YHWH wants us to learn from them, rather than whining about them. He wants us to move on from where we are, not make the same mistake again, and hardship drives us to His word to find out what is wrong—and that is exactly where He wants us. He was not doing away with the ruling in Leviticus. He was no pacifist, for to refuse to fight those who come against Israel is treason and pure evil, though it may appear to be kind and understanding. Note that here he did not say, “It is written”, as in the parallel statements here, but “You have heard that it was said.” So he was referring to the attempt of some to apply Leviticius 24 to times when someone offends our pride by teaching us a lesson. In his own day intolerance not for sin but for variations in doctrine was all too common, and it led to unjust hatred for one’s brothers. He does not even mention physical wounds. What Yahshua was saying was that when we are slapped on one cheek by a teacher whose prerogative is to make things difficult for us, we must not misuse the Scripture quoted in v. 38 to say we have a right to hit him back. We need to take the hard knocks, appreciating the occasion to grow more mature, rather than seeking vengeance. Yahshua was saying “an eye for an eye” did not fit the context of rebellion against authority. This is not a time to strike back. The right response would be to humbly ask for further teaching to understand why the first blow offended your pride or why the loss of one’s possession was so important to us in the first place. I.e., say “Thank you that you care enough” rather than getting your hackles up. If we accept YHWH’s rebuke about where we are lacking, the body can come together and supply the parts that each one is lacking. If we are learning Torah, one who beats us into being his servant is making us greater in the Kingdom. (Marqos 9:35) Don’t take revenge on those YHWH has put in your life to teach you a lesson.40. "If someone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.
Shirt…coat: the modern equivalent of “inner and outer garment” here.41. "And if someone compels you to go one mile, go two [miles] with him.
Mile: mille passus (1,000 steps) for which Roman soldiers often pressed bystanders into carrying their baggage.42. "Do not turn away one who begs from you, or from one who wants to borrow something from you.
This is a Hebrew parallelism, where the two lines reflect the same thought to clarify the meaning; it is not a call to throw discernment to the wind, for elsewhere Y’shua commends wise stewardship of limited resources. Here, “ask” means the same as “borrow” (Bivin), probably alluding to Proverbs 3:27. Beg: here, to call in a debt that is due.43. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor' and 'hate your enemy'';
The former is from Lev. 19:18. The latter is not a biblical quote (though suggested in Psalm 139:21-22), but the kind of inaccurate addition Y’shua condemned in 15:9, echoing Yeshayahu/Isaiah 29:13. This interpretation (that love was only binding toward one's "companions", Ben-David) is reflected in the Essene commentary on the "Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness" (Dead Sea Scrolls). Love: Aramaic, befriend, a less intense term than love, which means to act for another’s best interest regardless of feelings.44. "I tell you instead, love your enemies, bless the ones who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray on behalf of those who abuse and persecute you,
Compare Exodus 23:4-5.45. "so that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven, because He causes the sun to rise on [both] bad people and decent [ones], and sends rain for [both] the righteous and the unrighteous,
Sons of your Father: i.e., like Him, thus worthy to be called His offspring. Contrary to popular belief, He does not consider all of humanity to be His children (Yoch. 8:44).46. "because if you love the ones who love you, why do you deserve a medal? Don’t even tax collectors do that?
Tax collectors: Aramaic, customs agents, those considered the most odious then, since they collaborated with the Roman oppressors, often charging more than people really owed, and pocketing the difference with impunity. They were likened by some to cutthroats and thieves. (Nedarim 3:4) Their testimony was not considered valid in court. (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 25:2) Matithyahu knew this well; had been a tax collector himself! Perhaps this is why the Hebrew version says “Even the Gentiles do this”! But this lifestyle was now in the past for him, for YHWH makes all things new when we allow Him to.47. "And if you only give a warm welcome to your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Don't even tax collectors do that?
48. "On the contrary, you [have to] be perfect, just as your father in Heaven is perfect.”
Perfect: Heb., whole-hearted, impartial, treating everyone according to their need, no matter how they have treated you. But taking the whole “sermon” as context, it means fully mature, lacking nothing, and of the utmost integrity-- the “fullest meaning” of the Torah (v. 17) Compare Yaaqov (James) 2:10. This perfection can only be achieved by YHWH’s empowering. (1 Yochanan 3:9)
CHAPTER 6
1. "Be careful not to do your acts of charity in front of men, [that is], in order to be seen by them; otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in Heaven.Charity: Heb., tz'daqah, lit. "righteousness": kindnesses to the poor that YHWH does indeed desire. He was not criticizing the deeds themselves, but the way in which they were being paraded by those who thought such deeds could earn them standing with both YHWH and men. No reward: "Rabbi Yannai saw [some]one giving money openly to a poor man, to whom he said, 'It is better you had not given at all than to have given this way.'" (Babylonian Talmud, Chagig., 5:1f)2. "So when you do acts of charity, don't [send] a trumpeter ahead of you, as the hypocrites in the synagogue and in the streets do, so that they may be honored by men. I tell you for sure, they [already] have their reward.
When: not if. Despite these warnings, Y’shua assumes that we will do such almsgiving, as He does with prayer (v. 7) and fasting (v. 16ff). As with the Sabbath (ch. 12), He removes all elements of legalism and spiritual pride, but leaves the righteous acts themselves absolutely intact. Trumpeter: interestingly, the Temple's contribution-boxes were also trumpet-shaped. Streets: Aram. and Heb., marketplaces. (Compare v. 24.) Have their reward: repeated in vv. 5, 16. YHWH will not reward what was not truly done for Him. If we want praise from men, from men we will get it, but that is all. In the synagogue: a reminder to the returning Northern Kingdom that we do not need to do everything the way it has been done by Yehudah.3. "Rather, when you do your acts of charity, don’t [even] let your left [hand] know what your right [hand] does!
How much less your neighbor?4. "This way your merciful deeds will be [done] in secret, and your Father Himself, who sees [what goes on] in secret will repay you out in the open.
Thus everything is channeled first through Him and then He connects us to whatever He wishes to connect us with. He is the mediator of all we do, so that we expect no direct supply from anything else. (See v. 33)5. "And when you pray, don't be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and on the corners of the wide open streets, in order that they can be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they [already] have their reward [in full].
Don’t be like…: Shem-Tov Heb. adds “Do not raise your voice” before this phrase, and “with haughty speech” after “pray”. Be seen: Aram., manifest; i.e., show off. For example, Rabbi Yannai was known for having been observed saying his prayers in the public streets of Sepphoris (Tsippori, of which Natzereth was a suburb at this time), then advancing four cubits (six feet/two meters) to make the "supplementary prayer". (Jer. Ber. 8c, cited by Edersheim)6. "But you, when you pray, go into your innermost storeroom and shut your door! Pray to your Father in secret, and your Father, who sees [what is] in secret will repay you openly.
Innermost storeroom: or closet: "a chamber on the ground floor or interior of an Oriental house, generally used for storage of privacy; a spot for retirement." (Strong) Shem-Tov Heb., your couch, i.e., bedroom. Y’shua, in His characteristic hyperbole, etches an unforgettable image on our minds. Aram., hold your door, a you would if doing anything else not intended to be seen; Old Syriac: shut the door on your face; i.e., be out of sight so as not to use one's religion for personal ostentation. The other side of it is that the partition formed by placing one's prayer shawl (talith) over one’s head shuts out the rest of the world from one's thoughts while praying. (Moshe Kopinsky) In secret: another exaggeration (since public prayers are often permitted in Scripture) to make the point that it is YHWH, not men, to Whom we are speaking. (See Luk. 18:10ff for a similar teaching.) Aramaic, privately.7. "Moreover, when you pray, don't 'stutter' out [the same words over and over uselessly] the way the Gentiles do, because they assume they will be heard if they say enough words!
Enough words: compare Qoheleth/Eccles. 5:2. Gentiles: Shem-Tov Heb., heretics (minim), a term oddly enough used most frequently to refer to Y’shua’s followers!8. Don't do like they do, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.
YHWH answers before we call. (Yesh. 65:24) Heb. makes it a question: Don’t you see that your Father knows…?9. "So you should pray like this:
'Our Father, [You] who are in Heaven,
Let Your Name be kept separate [from being used for mundane purposes].
10. ‘May Your Kingdom come;
May Your will be done on earth just as it is [done] in Heaven.
11. ‘Give us today
the bread we [need] daily,
12. ‘And forgive us our debts
in the same way we, too, forgive those who owe us debts.
13. ‘Neither lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil [one],
because the Kingdom, the power, and the authority are Yours into the ages. Amen.'
Like this: Not necessarily in these exact words (though there is no harm in that, if they are not themselves "useless repetition", v. 7, but the true cry of one's heart), but in a similar manner. This prayer seems to be culled from different parts of the Amidah ("standing prayers") used in the synagogue: e.g., “Sanctify Your Name through those who sanctify Your Name”; "May Your will be done in Heaven above" in Tosefta Berachot 3:7; "Do not lead me into sin, nor into iniquity, nor into temptation, nor into dishonor" and "let me this day and every day find grace, mercy, and favor in Your eyes", in Berachot 60. As was a common practice, He uses a key line as shorthand for the rest, to remind them of the rest. These seem more elaborate than necessary; Y’shua says YHWH does not need explanations for our heartcries; He knows them all. (6:8) What He is referring to might (ironically) be better understood in our day as something like "saying the ‘Our Father’ prayer 50 times". Your Kingdom: This should be the perspective we maintain not only in all of our prayers (to keep them "on track") but in ordering all of our priorities; Aram., may Your Kingdom be blessed. Just as… in Heaven: As every aspect of the Tabernacle and Temple were patterned after precise revelations of the things in Heaven (2 Kings 16:10; Env. 7:44; Heb. 8:5; 9:23f), we too must order our actions according to what YHWH is actually doing, as Y’shua did (16:19; 18:18; Yoch. 5:19, 30). But He also wants us to pray that the day may be hastened when the Kingdom is no longer just in the spiritual realm, but is a concrete, physical reality and no distinction is made between earthly life and heavenly. Bread we need: our regular portion (Prov. 30:8), not too much (Ex. 16:20), lest we feel secure and fail to continue looking only to Him for our supply. Though we are responsible to work hard for our food (Gen. 3:19), ultimately we have no control over whether our crops will grow or whether what we have already gained will remain in our hands. This places us permanently in dependence on YHWH every day. But v. 32 reminds us that we need only to humbly ask our loving Father for sustenance, not use elaborate self-injury as the pagan nations did to placate bloodthirsty "gods" before making requests. (1 Kings 18:28) "Rabbi Shimon said, '...When you pray, do not make your prayer fixed [repetitive, mechanical], but [appeal for] mercy and supplication before the Omnipresent, blessed be He." (Avoth, 2:13; note the similarities to vv. 7 and 9 above; see also Qoh. 5:2.) Into temptation: Trimm points out that it is a common Hebrew idiom that means "Do not let us be tempted (beyond our ability)". (compare 1 Cor. 10:13) Part of the Shakharit (dawn) liturgy prays that we will have holy thoughts “without even an inkling of sin”, and “that the evil inclination may not seduce us”. YHWH never tempts anyone to sin (Yaaqov 1:13). …Are Yours: He echoes His ancestor David’s prayer in 1 Chron. 29:11-13.14. "(Because if you forgive men their slip-ups, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15. "But if you don't forgive men their slip-ups, your Father won't forgive your slip-ups either.)
We must operate on the same "wavelength" He is on, or we cannot expect to "receive" anything from Him (cf. 7:2; 8:13; parable in 18:21ff). Gamaliel (Rav Sha'ul's mentor) is recorded as saying YHWH grants mercy to the merciful, but not to those who show no mercy. (Pal. Talmud) Slip-ups: or steppings off track, offenses.16. "Now, when you fast, don't be like those who put on an act of having sullen faces, because they disfigure their faces so that people can tell that they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward [already].
Those who put on an act: Gk., hypocrites, which meant actors in a drama; Aram., they begrime. Disfigure: or "becloud"; blacken (Ben Ananiah).17. "Rather, when you fast, use your head ointments and wash your face [as usual],
Ornamental anointing is forbidden only on communal fast days like Yom Kippur.18. "so it is not obvious to people that you are fasting, but [do it] in secret for your Father, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you in the open.
19. "Do not hoard up your treasures on earth, where moth and rust make [things] vanish, or where thieves [can] dig through and steal [them].
20. "But store up your treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust [can] make [them] vanish, and where thieves [can] not dig through and steal,
Moth nor rust: the Aramaic adds “caterpillar” before “moth”; “rust” appears in only one Aramaic version; Shem-Tov Heb., decay and the grub. The Divine "treasuries" (Bullinger) are the only ultimate security (Yesh. 33:6; Luk. 10:21). But how do we make investments in that “bank”? One way, YHWH says, is to lend to Him by having pity on the poor (Prov. 19:17), who cannot repay us. (Luke 14:13) Then we will be sure that we are placing our confidence in the only One who ever really can guarantee anything anyway.21. "because wherever you have treasure, [that is] indeed where your heart will be.
Treasure: Aramaic, store, i.e., your “nest egg”. If we first develop a recognition that our ultimate security comes only from YHWH, and act on this in faith (by using what would be our personal security for needs we may have “someday” to meet needs that others have already), we will look forward more to the time and place where we can enjoy our investments (the true retirement—YHWH's Kingdom of Sabbatical Rest). Y’shua made the connection between almsgiving and treasure in heaven clearer in Luke 12:21.22. "The lamp of the body is the eye, so if your eye is sound, your whole body is illumined.
Sound: single-purposed, i.e., all working together. The way one "views" things will affect his overall well-being (cf. Titus 1:15; Heb. 10:2-23). The root meaning is “woven together”, having one’s focus on the community of Israel, not on self; Aramaic, simple, literal, basic. Shem-Tov Heb., looking straight ahead.23. "But if your eye is evil, all of your body is dark. If, then, [even] the light that is in you is darkness, how great that darkness is!
Is evil: Shem-Tov Heb., grows dim. "Sound eye" and "evil eye" are Hebrew idioms for generosity and stinginess. (Prov. 23:6; 28:22) "Evil" was used as "grudging" in the Apocrypha. (Bullinger) Thus, how generous one is gives others a “window” on what kind of person he really is at the core of his being. In a similar context (Luk. 12:21), generosity is contrasted with hoarding, and is equated with being "rich toward YHWH". Note the opposite promise of the darkest time being like noonday for those who are generous to the poor. (Yeshayahu 58:10) Rabbi Hirsch paralleled this: "Through the narrow eye the entire universe is brought into focus." Rabbi Munk called one's "eye" a "barometer of his character". But notice that there is a kind of light that can still be darkness. Even if one appears generous to everyone around him, if he is doing it for selfish reasons, he has no reward. This certainly extends to the sobering statement in v. 15. Psalm 19:10 holds the key to overcoming the seeming impossibility of self-improvement in this area. Telling our sons how YHWH brought us out of Egypt “shall be as …a reminder between your eyes.” (Ex. 13:9) Why between your eyes? The Hebrew word for “between” (beyn) comes from the word for “discerning”, i.e., “distinguishing between”. We may not always know which eye is which, since generally we look through both at once and they are hard to separate. Remembering that we left Egypt is the thing He gives us to remind us not to be selfish. Egypt was preoccupied with having everything ready for tomorrow, not with the things of today, which Yahshua said were enough to occupy our minds. If we hold back from those who need our help today for what may or may not really be a need tomorrow, our eye becomes “double”. But remembering YHWH freed us from Egypt is meant to free us from self. YHWH’s words are also to be bound on between our eyes. (Deut. 6:8; 11:18) So it is the Torah that enables us to discern between them by standing between the single eye and the evil eye, making the parameters of each eye distinct from the other. It helps us recognize these “other elohim” that feed on our inclination to want security and riches so our “self can take its ease”. (Luqa 12:19)24. "No one is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and give sacrificial preference to the other, or he will cling firmly to the one and despise the other: You cannot serve [both] YHWH and Mammon.
Mammon: a Hebrew term for great wealth or treasure, as contrasted with merely what is necessary for survival—or, as in v. 22, a little extra to be able to give away; but since a different Gk. word for "treasure" is used in v. 19, we use the transliteration as the Gk. and Aram. do. Ben-David: "materialism"; Shem-Tov Heb., the world (olam), i.e., the “system” that wants to own our labor for itself. It is a spirit that gets its ugly tentacles into every crack and crevice it can, and is most insidious in the context of worship, which is meant to separate us from our greed. If we are fearing a lack of visible security, we are worshipping something other than YHWH, and this is the simplest definition of idolatry. He is the only one to fear. (10:28) One way to express our independence of its ultimate demands is to observe the Sabbath, when others feel they need to keep the machine running for the sake of preserving the “economy”.25. "Because of this, I tell you, Don't be worried about your life (what you will eat and drink) nor about your body (what to put on). Isn't life more than the food [that preserves it], and the body more than the clothing [that protects it]?
Don’t be worried: Lit., "Don't take thought for", i.e., don't bother to be anxious about this; concentrate your mental energies elsewhere (as seen below). Is living only about staying alive? Isn't there a higher purpose to it? And if so, doesn't YHWH want you to concentrate on that and leave the incidentals to Him? If a man will ensure the daily necessities of one in his special employ, won't YHWH do so for His servants?26. "Look to the [birds] that fly in the sky: they neither sow nor reap [a harvest], nor [do they] even gather [anything] into storehouses, yet your Heavenly Father [still] nourishes them. Don't you far surpass them in value?
Look to: literally, "look carefully into", observe, study. (Strong) Nourishes: lit., "fattens", demonstrating His generosity. Thus Y’shua is relating this to the above verses; if we are as generous with our money as we are with forgiving (v. 14, 19-24), YHWH will outdo us in return. If we sacrifice our security for the welfare of our fellow sheep, our Shepherd will not let us starve!27. "In addition, who among you can, by worrying, annex [even] one cubit to his height?
Cubit: lit., "forearm’s length". (Thayer) The standard measure was from the fingertip to the elbow (about 18 inches on average). Height: or maturity, age; i.e., can you make yourself live longer just by thinking about it?28. "And why are you worried about clothing? [Stoop] down and carefully study how the wildflowers grow! They neither tire [themselves] out nor [do they] spin [threads],
Wildflowers: Heb., crocuses of the Sharon, considered the paragon of beauty. (Song of Shlomo 2:1).29. "Yet I tell you, not even Shlomo in all his glory was outfitted like one of these!
Outfitted: lit., have clothing thrown all about him, enwrapped.30. "And if YHWH so enrobes the grass of the field, which is [here] today and is thrown into a cooking pot tomorrow, won't He [clothe] you much more [adequately], O you "little-faiths"?
Grass which is here today: Heb., straw which is left in the standing grain. Cooking pot: Gk., klibanos, an earthenware vessel broad at its base and narrower above, at the opening. The fuel (in this case, dried straw of the plentiful wildflowers) was placed inside and heated, and dough spread around the outside to bake (Thayer); Aramaic, "fireplace". Won’t He…: Aramaic, Is He not much more mindful of you? If YHWH provides for the lesser, will He not provide for the greater? (This type of reasoning is called “light and heavy” argument in Hebrew.) Little-faiths: A parallel rabbinic saying goes, "Who[ever] has a loaf in his basket and says 'What shall I eat tomorrow?' is one of little faith." (Sot. 48b)31. "So then don't worry, saying, 'What will we [have to] eat? What will we drink? With what will we be clothed?'
Heb., If YHWH so thinks of you, do not be anxious…32. "All of these are what the Gentiles [spend their energy] striving for, but your Heavenly Father is mindful [of the fact that] that you need every one of them.
No one in His audience wished to be associated with what Gentiles did, so He adds this as one more motivation. This echoes Yirmeyahu’s “Do not learn the ways of the nations”. (10:2) Aram. has "worldly people". ("Those who throw off the yoke of Torah inherit the yoke of "worldly affairs", said Nehunyah ben HaKanah; compare Rom. 6:18) The point is that they are the ones subjected to futility (cf. note on Rom. 8:20); they are going in vicious circles and getting nowhere, while YHWH has created a counter-history, Israel, which has a goal and a direction, and those occupied with it can be free from mundane cares. The thought (also in v. 34) is the same as "You follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead!" (8:22; more fully in Luk. 9:60)33. "So [instead], enquire after YHWH's Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as added benefits.
Kingdom: or dominion. Righteousness: in this context, it probably refers to meeting others' needs (see note on 6:1), though it may apply more generally.34. "So don't worry [ahead] into the next day, because the next day will occupy your thoughts by itself; today has enough trouble of its own."
A Rabbinic proverb says, "Care not for the morrow, for ye know not what a day may bring forth...[The man who worries] may not be [here in the world] tomorrow, and thus have cared for a world that does not exist for him." (Sanh. 100b) Today: literally, "the day", but this is also the standard Hebrew way to say "today". Some translate it “each day”.
CHAPTER 7
1. "Do not condemn [others], so that you will not be condemned,2. "because with whatever verdict you pass judgment, you [too] will be judged, and by whatever standard you measure, it will be measured to you in return.
Condemn: or, judge, if the thought is not taken out of the context of the rest of Scripture. Both terms are used in the duTillet Hebrew text. We do need to take wise precautions and there are times that we are called to discriminate and especially to make legal rulings. We only must recognize that whatever rules we use to judge others, YHWH will turn back on us. (cf. 26:52) This is the reality some choose to live by, so how can they fail to experience its logical conclusion? "He who digs a pit will fall into it himself." (Prov. 26:27; cf. 21:13; Yesh. 24:18) They treat YHWH's mercy as if it did not exist for others, so how can it exist for themselves? (See note on 6:15.) "He who has a crooked mind finds nothing beneficial." (Prov. 17:20) No one can help him until he has that "sound eye" (6:22; cf. Yirm. 6:29). To condemn is only His prerogative (5:39, 42). But if we live by the higher truth (Rom. 8:2), when accused, nothing will be found on which the "curse without cause" can alight. (Prov. 26:2; Yoch. 14:30)3. "Now why do you pay attention to the splinter that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam that is in your own eye?
Splinter: or, speck of sawdust (NASB) or chaff (Rienecker); "a very small particle which may irritate" (Robertson). The emphasis is on its comparative insignificance. Beam: or, timber, from a word for "holding up" or "notable" (Strong), hence a building's main beam; "a log on which planks in a house rest " (Robertson). The Babylonian Talmud reports that some who refused to accept even the mildest criticism retorted "Take the log out of yours!" to "Take the chip out of your eye". (Arakh 16b)4. "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me pull the splinter out of your eye', when, lo and behold, the beam is in your [own] eye?
5. "[You] hypocrite! First take the beam out of your [own] eye, and then you will [be able to] see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother's eye.
See clearly: lit., "look through", i.e., recover full vision. (Strong) Note that He never says the splinter in the brother's eye is not there; it is not to be ignored, but dealt with by those who are truly ready. (Gal. 6:1).6. "Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor throw your pearls in front of pigs, lest they should trample them under their feet, then turn back around and tear you apart.
Dogs...pigs: the most detestable animals in Scripture. Dogs represent people who cannot be redeemed, as donkeys (also an unclean animal, but teachable) can. (Ex. 34:20) We are not responsible to share the most precious truths with those whom we know will abuse them, for they are unworthy. On Song of Shlomo 1:2, Cant. Rabbah warns not to entrust the secrets of Torah to the young. Tear you: one of the specific categories of non-kosher foods in Scripture is treyf, of torn, i.e., that which is torn apart by wild beasts. Here He turns it around and says that rather than making them holy when offered holy things, it will render the giver unclean. (Compare Haggai 2:11-14.) Their feet: Exodus 23:14 uses the term “feet” to mean the mandatory pilgrimage festivals; thus the feet of the wild beasts would be their festivals, and indeed through pagan festivals which were mixed into new Christian ones in place of the ones YHWH commanded, the pure truth was corrupted and only the barest basics of the message was passed down the generations. This also perpetuated the tearing apart of the two Houses of Israel (1 Kings 11:30) rather than healing it. Shem-Tov substitutes “chew them” for “trample them underfoot”.7. Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened [up] to you—
"Ask" is a technical term for prayer in Hebrew. (Lachs; M. Ta'an 1:2) Seek…find: or "enquire, and you will perceive." Opened up: The Temple's gates were opened at Rosh HaShanah, and closed 9 days later on Yom Kippur (cf. note on v. 13; Rev. 4:1), indicating an occasion to repent and be atoned for. (See v. 13)8. "because whoever asks receives, and the one seeking finds, and to the one who knocks, [the door] will be opened.
9. "Or which man is there from [among] you who, if his son should ask him for a piece of bread, will give him a stone [instead]?
Piece of bread: A small loaf, much like a dinner roll. There is a word play between the Aramaic for "loaf" (reyfta) and "stone" (keyfta). But a single piece of bread represents a whole community bound together in unity (1 Cor. 10:17), while a stone represents only a single component of the building. For two thousand years Y’shua has been asking for a people, but receiving only individual persons, for only Hoshea’s first sentence of “no mercy” had run its course. Now is the time when the second curse of “not being a people” is finally up, and the Father is beginning to bring the stones together to form a whole house.10. "And if he asked for a fish, he wouldn't give him a snake, [would he]?
Loaves and fish are real food (cf. Yoch. 6:15ff; 6:55), as opposed to substitutes which are not even kosher (acceptable), let alone edible. (This sets the stage for v. 15) Give: Heb., put in his hand. Yaaqov said Efrayim and Menashe would multiply like fish. (Gen. 48:16) YHWH would not substitute a serpent (the adversary) for the fullness of the Gentiles (48:19), but the enemy himself has tried to do so by turning the “called-out congregation” into another entity called the Church. But YHWH is reversing that in our day.11. "If you, who are evil, know [enough] to give your children beneficial gifts, how much more will your Father who is in the Heavens give beneficial things to those who ask Him?"
Evil: From a word meaning "hurtful", i.e., who sometimes may also, whether accidentally or not, do things that are not totally beneficial to your children. The emphasis is not on one's essential character or on having degenerated from an original state of virtue; these are expressed by other words (Strong), but on the incompleteness of our integrity in comparison to YHWH's. (cf. 5:48; 6:23)12. "So anything that you wish people would do to you, do the same to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets."
This “golden rule” is what they are all about; this aptly summarizes the whole point of YHWH’s instruction to Israel as a people who need to live together in harmony. The influential rabbi Hillel (Y’shua’s contemporary) stated the same in negative terms when asked to teach a prospective proselyte the entire Torah while standing on one foot. “The rest is commentary”, he quipped; “Go and learn it!” (Talmud, Shabbat 31a) Tobit 4:15 is similar: “What you hate, do to no one.”13. "Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide—and [its] lane spacious—that leads away into ruin, and the ones who enter through it are many;
Narrow: based on a word for the obstacles that "stand" close around it; Aramaic, constricted. This may refer to entering the way to life while there is a narrow window of time to repent, before the gate is closed —the imagery found in the "Days of Awe" between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. (cf. Yoch. 9:4)14. "whereas the gate that leads into life is narrow, and [its] lane constricted; those who find it are few."
Constricted: Aramaic, difficult. Few: contrary to many popular teachings today that the majority can hardly be wrong.15. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are rapacious wolves."
The Greek words give the sense of "keep in mind that you should stay clear of counterfeit prophets" (pseudoprofetoi). Sheep’s clothing: Shem-Tov Heb., wool clothing like sheep. The Hebrew term for wool is also a metaphor for whiteness (Yeshayahu 1:18), i.e., a claim to be righteous and pure. Interestingly, Gid’on used a fleece of wool as a test of the genuineness of a vision. This is probably also an allusion to Yehezqel 34:3, in which the evil shepherds (see Yochanan 10) clothe themselves with the wool of the sheep they have killed instead of cared for. Yehezqel 44:17 stipulates that none of the priests who minister in the Temple to come will wear wool, but only linen. Rapacious: or, plundering (Green); those who use the sheep to their own advantage. The root can also be translated "extortion". (Strong) DuTilet Heb: as full of deceit as ravening wolves.16. "From their fruits you will recognize them. [People] don't gather grape [cluster]s from thornbushes or figs from thistlebrush, do they?
17. "Likewise, every healthy tree produces appropriate fruit, whereas the rotten tree produces unhealthy fruit.
18. "A healthy tree cannot produce unhealthy fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce decent fruit.
Healthy…rotten tree: Or "green...dried-up tree" (Ben-David), an allusion to the Green tree of Yehezqel 20:47 (21:3 in Heb., as per Bivin; see notes on v. 24).19. "Every tree that does not produce appropriate fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire.
Cut down: Or, possibly, will have only its unfruitful branches "cut out" or "cut off" (as in Rom. 11:22, 24) and burned. (cf. 3:10; 15:19; 1 Kor. 3:15; Heb. 6:6-8; 10:27)20. "So by their fruits you shall indeed recognize them."
Many can say the right words and be very knowledgable, yet be very selfish. On the other hand, one may be very abrasive or unrefined outwardly, like most of the prophets, yet bear rich fruit.21. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Master! Master!' will enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens, but [rather] the ones who are doing the will of my Father who is in the Heavens.
22. "In That Day, many will say to me, 'Master! Master! Didn't we prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and perform many powerful works?'
In That Day: A common Hebraic way of alluding to "the Day of YHWH", the seventh Millennium of Sabbath Rest, which begins with the Judgment. (Rev. 20:11-15) Demons: the Hebrew specifies shedim, one of several categories of demons, a particular type that spoils and devastates and to which people sacrifice.23. "But at that time I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'"
Never knew you: Perhaps they called Him “Lord” (as “Master”, Gk, kurios, is often rendered), which stems back to the name of a pagan deity associated with pig farmers! Lawlessness: anomia, being without or contrary to Torah, i.e., who act as if they had not been given YHWH's instruction. (Stern) The last sentence is a direct quote from Psalm 6:8, which uses the Heb. term for perversity or crookedness. Psalm 119:115 is identical except for the final word, which means evildoers. Trimm notes that some Gk. Manuscripts contain a marginal note that reads, “The Judaikon [Jewish version] has here, ‘If you are in My bosom and do not do the will of My Father who is in Heaven, out of My bosom I will cast you away.” The second-century “Church Father” Clement supports this reading when he quotes this passage. (2 Clement 4:5)24. "So [then], everyone who hears these words of Mine and carries them out, I will compare him to a sensible man who built his house upon the [solid] rock;
These words of Mine: We prove we love Him by keeping His commandments (Yoch. 14:15), which are the same as His Father’s commandments, given through Moshe. (Yoch. 5:19, 30; 10:30) Carries them out: the same word as that rendered "produce" in vv. 17-19. The allusion (cf. note on v.18) is to the Messiah Himself being the only healthy tree, to whom we must be connected if we are to bear any such “decent fruit” (Yoch. 15:1-8; see note on Luk. 23:31). Sensible: One shrewd in practical wisdom, as opposed to one who is simply naturally intelligent, which is a different word. (Strong) Rock: Often used as a description of YHWH, but the Rock of Israel is both distinguished from the Elohim of Israel, yet ruling in fear of Him. (2 Shmuel 23:3) Thus it must refer to the Messiah Himself.25. "And the rain fell, and the rivers swelled and the winds blew, and rushed violently against that house. Yet it did not collapse, because it had been based [solidly] upon the rock.
Based solidly: Founded, grounded, made firm, with the sense of being set or consolidated directly into the rock itself. (Strong) Shem-Tov Heb., “its foundation was a rock”. Rock is a Hebrew idiom for a secure, immovable shelter.26. "But whoever hears these words of Mine but does not carry them out will be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand;
Sand: YHWH promised Avraham that his descendants would be like the sand, but Yochanan the Immerser said that this heritage alone would not be enough to turn away YHWH’s wrath if they did not live up to this ideal. (Luke 3:8; cf. Yoch. 8:39)27. "And the rain fell, and the rivers swelled and the winds blew, and rushed violently against that house, and it collapsed with a tremendous crash!"
Collapsed: Lit., "...fell, and great was its downfall." Great: emphasizes the ultimate, momentous significance of its collapse. “House” is a term often used in a special sense to mean the Temple, as representative of YHWH’s dwelling place, and indeed that was built upon bedrock. Thus there is a counterfeit dwelling place being built which cannot stand the furious tests that will try it in the coming days. It is the same imagery as the true image of Elohim as seen in Adam and then in Y’shua, and the image of the King of Babylon (Dan. 2, 3) and the image of the Beast (Rev. 13:15), which are destroyed, interestingly enough, by a huge stone. (Compare the destructyion of the tent of Midyan—a counterfeit of the Tabernacle—by a barley loaf, another image of Y’shua’s body, in Judges 7:13.) The fourth incarnation of this counterfeit “house” (Rome) changes the seasons and decrees (Dan. 7:25), which is exactly what the Roman Church did, claiming that changing the Sabbath to Sunday was evidence of their authority on earth. Many of YHWH’s true Israelites are still involved in constructing this house, thinking they can improve on it, though its foundation is inadequate. It is inherently a mixture of truth and error (13:25ff), and thus it is not holy, and thus not a place YHWH can inhabit. He overlooks our ignorance, but once we know better, it is time to escape the impostor and leave the mixture behind. (Acts 17:30) Soon our only choice will be to side with Rome/Babylon or Yerushalayim; our motives may be impeccable, but if we are still associated with the condemned structure at that time will be found to be building the wrong house, and will go down with it. Daniel recognized when the time of his exile was due to be up, and took steps to in fact bring it to an end. YHWH had reasons for our exile, and the Church kept many of us safe through that time, but it is now time to “come out of her” (Rev. 18:4) and be truly separate, as our sentence is up and He is calling us back to being the Dwelling Place we were always meant to be.
28. Now as soon as Y’shua had finished [saying] these things, the crowds were struck with astonishment at His teaching,
29. because He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes did.
"Moshe alone had authority. The scribes teach the message and meaning of what Moshe had set down as the Torah on the authority of YHWH." (Neusner) Y’shua, in His role as the "Prophet like Moshe" (Deut. 18:15), YHWH's spokesman who understood the precise intent of each component of Torah, had the authority to reaffirm and clarify, unlike the scribes, who could only reiterate what was actually written. Some of the leaders recognized this (Yoch. 7:46). The Hebrew term for authority here means “ability of His own”, and it adds “and Prushim” after scribes. The author (the one with authority) knows what He is talking about. Aramaic, one who was authorized. I.e., Y’shua, who is the living Torah, knows what the intent of the Torah is, unlike others, who were making educated guesses and sometimes getting it wrong.
CHAPTER 8
1. Now when He had come down off the hill, many throngs [of people] accompanied him.2. And, lo and behold, a leper [who] had approached prostrated himself before Him [and] said, "Master, if you want to, you are able to make me 'clean'!"
Leper: Someone with one of a number of scaly skin diseases that rendered him ritually unclean and thus not permitted to associate with others in the community lest his unworthiness to approach the Temple spread to them as well. (Lev. 13-14) Those in Scripture who were struck with leprosy received this plague because they had desired other people’s positions. (Num. 12:10; 2 Kings 5:27; 2 Chron. 26:19) Ritual impurity is thus a picture of selfishness. Clean: I.e., ritually pure, a condition much more desirable than mere health. This theme continues throughout the whole chapter.3. Then, stretching out His hand, Y’shua took hold of him [and] said, "I [do] want to; be purified!" And instantly his leprosy was purged.
Took hold of: To touch him would render Y’shua also "unclean", but the main way in which "uncleanness" affected people was to make the Temple courts off limits to them for one day; at this point Y’shua was more than a day's journey from Yerushalayim, so this was somewhat inconsequential. (cf. Luk. 8:46) Purged: "By the first century Judaism had developed a list of major signs the true Messiah could be expected to give as proof of His identity (see 16:1-4). Healing a leper was one...Another was casting out a deaf, dumb, and blind demon", because other exorcists could not talk with such a one. (Stern; cf. 11:5; 12: 22-23; Yoch. 6:25-33; 9:1-41; 11:1-52) The context of descending from a hill (a picture of heaven, as in Isa. 13:2; Luk. 9:28ff) symbolizes Y’shua’s coming from Heaven and sending His disciples “down” from the Holy Land to cleanse the defiled Lost Sheep of the House of Israel, His primary task (15:24; Yeshayahu 49:6). Though there are procedures to follow afterward (v. 4; cf. Acts 15:20-21), the restoration to covenant status is immediate, which was part of what was at issue in the book of Galatians.4. Then Y’shua said to him, "Don't tell anyone; [is that] clear? Except, go show yourself to the priest and present the [drawing-near] offering that Moshe specified as a testimony to them."
I.e., “Don't tell just any man..." (Ben-David); Aram., "Go, first..." Testimony: Possibly as proof of His loyalty to Torah (Lachs), which would often be called into question in the centuries to come. Here He practices what He had preached in 5:19. (The requirements are delineated in Lev. 13:49; 14:1-32. Following a set order like this is a theme that continues below.) His "time" to be revealed had "not yet come" (cf. Yoch. 2:4; Luk. 19:44). Drawing-near: the meaning in Hebrew, for he had been distanced from YHWH by his ritual uncleanness, which is a picture not of sin per se, but of selfishness, which leads to sin if not curbed.
5. Now [when] Y’shua had arrived in Kfar Nachum, a centurion approached Him and begged Him to turn aside,
Centurion: the captain of a hundred (Roman) soldiers, and thus a Gentile.6. saying, "Master, my boy has been laid up in the house [as] a paralytic, [and he is] terribly tormented!
Boy: Possibly, as a colloquialism, his servant. (Strong, Green) But the Hebrew version says “my son”. Paralytic: or, having weakened limbs; thrown by paralysis (Ben-David). Heb., the sickness of contraction.7. So Y’shua told him, "I will come heal him."
8. But the centurion responded, "Master, I am not fit to have You come in under my roof, but just say [the] word, and my boy will be cured;
Not fit: He was familiar with the customary Jewish prohibition against even entering a Gentile's house (cf. Envoys 10:28) and knew that he did not "qualify" for such a visit; his humility and deference may have also been a factor in Y’shua’s willingness to help him. Heb., I am not ready. Say the word: Heb., make the decision.9. for I too am a man under authority, [and] have soldiers [of my own] under me; so I say to this one, "Go!" and he goes, and to a different one, "Come!" and he comes, and [I tell] my servant, "Do this!" and he does it."
He recognized that Y’shua was acting as the Father's representative; the Hebrew word for "under" also means "in place of". Shem-Tov Heb., I am a sinful man and I have authority under the Prushim and I have horses and riders…; Aramaic, a man under a sultan, having strategists under my hand.10. When Y’shua heard [this], He was amazed, and told those who were accompanying Him, "I tell you, I've certainly never seen such faith, even in Israel!
11. "But I tell you, many will come from east and west and will recline [at the table] with Avraham, Yitzhaq, and Yaaqov in the Kingdom of the Heavens,
East and west: I.e., people from among the other nations. Reclining at table, rather than sitting on chairs, is the way kings ate; it is still done at Passover to express the fact that Israel is a "kingdom of priests" and a nation of freemen. In ancient times it was apparently done at all the Festivals. In the Kingdom: A reference to the Messianic banquet during the Festival of Sukkoth just after Y’shua's return in power and glory, when the menu would include Levyathan and Behemoth. (Lachs) Enoch 42:4 says, "At the last coming they will lead forth Adam with our forefathers and lead them there, that they may rejoice as a man calls those whom he loves to feast with him." Tradition says on each of the eight nights of Sukkoth a different patriarch (as mentioned here) would be a guest in the sukkah. (Joseph Good)12. "while [some of] the sons of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness further outside, where there will be the lamentation and the grating of teeth."
Sons of the Kingdom: or, those born for the Kingdom (Stern), a Semitic idiom for those who should rightfully inherit it (Allen). The throne belonged to Yehudah, but the Kingdom to Israel, after their split. Some (former) Gentiles, like the centurion who had greater faith, would displace those Jews who did not believe in Him. (Lachs; cf. Rom. 11:17) Darkness further outside: or, outer darkness, the comparative form of "out", that is, outsiders to the intimacy with the Master that will be possible in the Kingdom. Those further away will have "less light"; pagans were called "those outside" (Lightfoot). Heb., the darkness of Gehinnom. Lamentation and grating of teeth are often associated with punishment (Enoch 108:3, 5; 40:12) in fire that burns without giving light: "YHWH calls Gey-Hinnom [the burning garbage dump just outside Yerushalayim] darkness" (Lev. Rabbah 27; note on Mark. 9:44); "Into darkness will your spirits enter" (1 Chanoch 103:8; i.e., it may be metaphorical); "He will send back the ungodly into darkness" (Sybilline Oracle 4:43; Lachs). At the very least it means those who are not permitted to remain at His banquet. (22:13; 25:30)13. Then Y’shua told the centurion, "Go your way; as you have believed, may it be done for you!" And his boy was cured within the very same hour.
As you have believed: Our experience of YHWH's power depends in some cases on our mindset: "He who has a crooked mind finds no good"(Prov. 17:20; cf. Ps. 1:6; Mat. 6:15; 7:2; Mark. 9:23; Yaaqov 1:7, 8). Of course, the object of our faith must first be trustworthy. (Yirm. 7:8; Prov. 24:20; Ps. 62:9)
14. Upon