The Jewish Annotated New Testament (189 page)

6:
River Jordan
, for water purification rites see Isa 4.4; 44.3; Jer 4.14; Ezek 36.25–27; Zech 13.1;
m. Yoma
8.9; Josephus,
J.W
. 4.205.
Confessing their sins
, see
t. Yoma
2.1;
y. Yoma
8.9;
Lev. Rab
. 3.3. On the power of the Jordan, see 2 Kings 5.1–19, concerning Elijah’s disciple Elisha.

7:
Pharisees and Sadducees
, Jewish movements (Josephus
J.W
. 2.164–65;
Ant
. 13.278–79; 17.42; 18.16–17). See “Jewish Movements of the NT Period,” p.
526
. Lk 3.7 has John address his invective to the crowds.
Brood of vipers
, newborn vipers were believed to eat through their mother’s stomach, killing her.
Wrath to come
, eschatological judgment.

8:
Fruit
, good deeds; baptism itself is not sufficient.

9:
Abraham
, see Gen. 17.7; Prov 17.2;
b
.
Yebam
. 64a;
Gen. Rab
. 60.2.
As our ancestor
, perhaps referring to the “merits of the fathers” (Heb “zekut avot”), see
Gen. Rab
. 60.2.
Stones
…
children
, a pun in Hebrew (“avanim … banim,” “stones … sons”).

11:
Fire
was used for purification (Num 31.23;
b. Sanh
. 39a).

3.13
–17: Jesus’ baptism
(Mk 1.9–11; Lk 3.21–22; Jn 1.29–34).

14:
John recognizes Jesus’ superiority.

15:
Fulfill all righteousness
, a messianic accomplishment (Jer 23.5–6; 33.15–16;
T. Jud
. 24.1), see 3.19n.

16:
Heavens were opened,
Isa 63.19; Ezek 1.1.
Spirit of God,
Isa 11.2; 42.1; 61.1;
b. Hag
. 15a.

17:
Voice from heaven
, Jewish tradition speaks of the “bat qol,” Heb. lit. “daughter of [the] voice,” a heavenly voice (Dan 4.28;
b. Ber
. 3a;
b. Sot
. 48.2;
Tg. Cant
. on 2.12).
This is my Son
, cf. Deut 14.1; 2 Sam 7.14; Isa 42.1; Jer 31.9; Ps 2.7; on son and beloved together, see the binding of Isaac (Gen 22.2) and Hos 11.1.

4.1
–11: Jesus’ temptation
(Mk 1.12–13; Lk 4.1–13).

1:
Led up by the Spirit
, suggests God destined the temptation (see e.g., Isa 63.14; Ps 107.7; also 1 Sam 16.13; 1 Kings 18.12; 2 Kings 2.16; Ezek 3.14).
Tempted
,
m. Avot
5.5 and its parallels state that Abraham endured ten trials.
Devil
, Gk “diabolos,” equivalent to Heb “satan,” “accuser” (see Num 22.2; Zech 3.1; Job 6.1; Ps 109.6; 1 Chr 21.1;
b. Shabb
. 89b).

2:
He fasted
, Moses fasted while on Sinai (Deut 9.9; see also Ex 24.18).
Forty days and forty nights
, evoking Noah, Moses, the wilderness period, Elijah, etc. (Gen 7.12; Ex 24.18; 34.28; Num 13.25; Deut 8.2; 1 Kings 19.8; Ezek 4.6; Jon 3.4).

3:
Command these stones
, see Num 20.8.

4:
Deut 8.3 (Jesus’ responses are all from Deuteronomy, which is the most-quoted book of the Torah in the NT, the DSS, and rabbinic literature).

6:
Ps 91.11–12.

7:
Deut 6.16; see also Isa 7.12; Sir 3.26;
b. Shabb
. 32a.

8:
All the kingdoms
, the offer presumes that the world is in Satanic control; see 20.28.

10:
Deut 6.13.

11:
Angels came
, God, directly or by means of divine servants, attends the faithful (4.6–7,11n.; 13.41–42; 16.27; 18.10n.; 24.30–31; cf. 1 Kings 19.5–8; Ps 78.25; Heb 1.14; 12–17;
Apoc. Sedr
. 5;
Gk. Apoc
.
Ezra
2).

4.12
–17: Jesus’ ministry begins
(Mk 1.14–15; Lk 4.14–15; Jn 1.35–51).

12:
Arrested
, by Herod Antipas (see 14.3).
Withdrew to Galilee
, far north of the Dead Sea, Jesus’ home and a future center of rabbinic Judaism (
t. Maks
. 1.3;
b. Eruv
. 29a;
b. Sot
. 45a;
b. Qidd
. 20a;
b. Arak
. 30b).

13:
Capernaum,
town on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

15
–16:
Isa 9.1.
Galilee of the Gentiles
, “Gentiles” refers to non-Jews. Galilee was mostly Jewish at the time of Jesus (Josephus,
Ant
. 13.337; 18.37;
Life
12.14; 65; 112–14; 128; 134; 190–192; 418;
m. Shabb
. 16.7; 22.3;
b. Shabb
. 146a).

17:
Repent
, Jesus’ message echoes that of John the Baptist (see 3.2).

4.18
–25: The first disciples
(Mk 1.16–20; Lk 5.1–11).

18:
Simon
, Gk derivative of Heb “Shim‘on,” “[God] has heard.”
Peter
, Gk for “rock” (see 16.18). It was common at the time to have both a Hebrew and a Greek (or Latin) name (see Acts 12.25).
Andrew
, a Greek form of “man.” John 1.44 indicates that Peter and Andrew are from Bethsaida.

23:
Synagogues
, Jewish assemblies, not necessarily buildings (9.35; 10.17; 12.9; 13.54) See “The Synagogue,” p.
519
.
Good news
, Gk “euangelion,” the term translated “gospel.”

24:
Syria
had large Jewish population (Josephus,
J.W
. 2.461–68).
Demoniacs
, people possessed by demons (
Ant
. 8.42–49).

25:
Decapolis
, ten cities, nine of which were located east of the Jordan: Philadelphia, Gerasa, Gadara, Pella, Dion, Raphana, Damascus, Canatha, Hippos, and Scythopolis (Pliny,
Nat
. 5.74;
b. Git
. 7b calls this area “land of the Gentiles”).

5.1
–7.29: The Sermon on the Mount
(Lk 6.17–7.1). Cf. Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain.”

5.1
–12: The Beatitudes.
“Beatitude” from Lat “beatus,” translation of Gk “makarios,” “blessed, fortunate” (see “The Beatitudes,” p.
10
). Similar blessings appear in Jewish literature (Gen 30.3; Job 5.17; Dan 12.12; Sir 14.1–2; 4Q525 2.2.1–6).

1
–2:
Like Moses, Jesus escapes death, enters Egypt, enters the water, goes into the wilderness, and ascends a mountain (Ex 19.3).

3:
Blessed
, Gk “makarioi,” compare Heb “‘ashrei” (e.g., Ps 1.1).
Poor in spirit
, humble (see Isa 61.1; 66.2; Zeph 2.3; 1QM 14.7;
b. Eruv
. 13b).

4:
Those who mourn
, the suffering righteous, a Matthean (5.10–12; 7.15–22; 10.23; 13.53–58; 16.24–25; 19.28; 21.12–13; 24.9–10) and generally Jewish theme (Isa 61.1–3; 66.10; Tob 13.14).

5:
Ps 37.7.
Meek
…
inherit the earth
, based on Ps 37.11.
Meek
, people who do not take advantage of their position (Isa 49.13; Ps 22.27; Prov 16.19;
b. Shabb
. 30b;
b. Ned
. 38a;
Pesiq. Rab
. 36;
Ant
. 19.330; Philo,
Life of Moses
2.279).

6:
See 1.19n. (cf. Isa 51.1–5;
1 En
. 58.2–3).

7:
Merciful
, a highly regarded human attribute and one of the two primary aspects of God (along with justice; see Ps 145.9;
b. Shabb
. 151b;
Gen. Rab
. 33).

8:
See Ps 24.3–4;
Lev. Rab
. 23.13.
Heart
represents the center of thought and conviction (Deut 28.47; Prov 27.11; Isa 35.4).

9:
Peacemakers
, see
b. Ber
. 64a;
Pesiq. Rav Kah
. 18:6–9.

10
–11:
Persecuted for righteousness
’
sake
, Jesus’ followers faced hostility from both Jews and pagans (cf. 1 Thess 2.2,14–15; 1 Pet 3.14; 4.14; 5.8; see also Ps 37.11).

12:
See 23.30–37; Acts 7.52.

5.13
–16: Salt and light
(Mk 9.49–50; Lk 14.34–35).

13:
Salt
, following ancient Mesopotamian notions, symbolizing purity and wisdom (Ex 30.35; 2 Kings 2.19–22; Ezek 16.4;
m. Sot
. 9.15).

14:
Light of the world
, Phil 2.15; Jn 8.12 applies the epithet to Jesus. See also Isa 42.6; 49.6; 51.4–5; Dan 12.3; Prov 6.23; Jn 1.4–5; Sir 31.17;
Midr. Tanh
. 2; 1QS 2.3; 3.3,19–21; 1QM 13.5–6,14–15).