The Jewish Annotated New Testament (292 page)

36
:
Promised
, see 11.13,39–40. Cf. Maimonides, who said it was a Jew’s obligation to wait for the messiah (
Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings
11).

37
–38
: A paraphrase of Hab 2.3–4 (see also Rom 1.17; Gal 3.11).
My
is not in Heb or LXX.

39
:
Are saved
, from the coming judgment.

11.1
–40: Heroes of faith.
The list of biblical heroes functions to encourage hope in salvation, even though present circumstances appear to justify despair. Similar lists appear in an array of postbiblical literature (see “Heroes of the Faith,” p.
421
).

1
:
Faith
carries overtones of endurance, trust, and insight into spiritual reality.
Assurance
, Gk “hypostasis,” “substance, steadiness, firmness”; in 1.3 the same word is translated “very being.”
Conviction
, Gk “elengchos,” “proof, test.”

3
: Creation by
the word of God
is a common theme; see Gen 1.3; Ps 33.6; Jn 1.1–3; Wis 9.1;
2 Bar
. 14.17; Philo,
Sacr
. 65. The idea of creation by divine speech both supports the claim that the visible is made from what is
not visible
and connects to the idea of divine promise of future reward, a major theme in what follows.

4
: Gen 4.1–16.
Abel
, viewed as the first martyr and judge of souls; see Mt 23.35;
1 En
. 22.7;
T. Abr
. 13.
Still speaks
, see Gen 4.10; Heb 12.24.

5
: Gen 5.24.
Enoch
became a figure of great legend in extra-canonical literature because the words “God had taken him” were interpreted as a heavenly exaltation; see
1
and
2 En
.;
Jub
. 4.23; 19.24–27; Philo,
Names
38;
Ant
. 1.3.4 and 85;
Tg. Onq
. Gen 5.24;
Gen. Rab
. 25.1. Because Enoch
pleased God
(Gen 5.22 LXX), he was seen as exemplary for his repentance (see Sir 44.16; Philo,
Migr
. 17–26).

7
: Gen 6.9–9.28.
Condemned the world
, legend has it that
Noah
preached repentance to his generation;
Mekhilta Shirah
5;
Sifre Num
. 43;
b. Sanh
. 108a–b;
Pirqe R. El
. 22.
Righteousness
, Noah is the first person scripture calls righteous (Gen 6.9).

8
–19
:
Abraham
is the premier example of faith in Jewish tradition; see Sir 44.19–21; 1 Macc 2.52;
Jub
. 11.14–17; 12.1–5; 17.15–18;
Ant
. 1.7; Philo,
Migr
. 16–17;
Gen. Rab
. 43;
Mekhilta Mishpatim
18.

8
:
Abraham obeyed
, Gen 12.1–9. Jewish interpreters highlight Abraham’s immediate response as a sign of great faith; see Philo,
Migr
. 66. Jesus’ exemplary status is also predicated on obedience; see 5.7.
Place
, Canaan, the land of Israel.
Not knowing where
, God’s command to Abraham is to go to a “land that I will show you” (Gen 12.1).

9
–10
:
Land he had been promised, as in a foreign land
, Hebrews emphasizes Abraham’s faith as future-oriented, since Abraham does not live to see his descendants inherit the land (see v. 13). Interpreters frequently highlight Abraham’s patient faith in wandering (
Jub
. 19.8–9), but here the focus is on Abraham’s displacement.

10
:
City
, the heavenly Jerusalem.

11
: Gen 18.9–15; 21.1–8.

12
: Gen 22.17.
As good as dead
, see Rom 4.19.

13
:
Died in faith
, therefore their reward still awaits them (see 11.39–40).
Strangers and foreigners
, Gen 23.4.

14
–16
:
Homeland … better country
, a heavenly dwelling; see 12.22–28.
City
, heavenly Jerusalem.

17
–19
: Rabbinic lore sees Abraham undergoing ten tests of faith, culminating with the “Akedah” (“binding” of Isaac) (Gen 22.1–19), which explicitly uses the word “test” or “try” (Gen 22.1); see
m. Avot
4.3;
Avot de R. Natan
33;
Pirqe R. El
. 26.

18
: Gen 21.12.

19
:
Raise someone from the dead
,
Pirqe R. El
. 31 draws a connection between resurrection and the “Akedah”; this is also found in the high holy day liturgy.
Figuratively speaking
, Gk “en parabolē,” the same word used in 9.9 (there translated “symbol”); the event is symbolic of resurrection.

20
: Gen 27.1–40.

21
:
Sons of Joseph
, Ephraim and Manasseh; Gen 48.8–22.
Bowing in worship
, Gen 47.31 LXX.
Top of his staff
(LXX), “head of his bed” (Heb): Heb “ma eh” “staff” and “mi ah” “bed, couch” have the same consonants; LXX reads the former, MT reads the latter.

22
: Gen 50.24–25. The reburial of Joseph’s bones in the promised land featured prominently in retellings of Joseph’s story; see Sir 49.15;
Jub
. 46.5;
T. Sim
. 8.3–4;
Mekhilta Beshallah
1.86–98.

23
: Ex 2.1–10. In the MT, only Moses’ mother hides him; in the LXX both parents do; see also Philo,
Life of Moses
1.8–11.

24
–25
: Like the patriarchs (vv. 13–16), Moses is portrayed as alienated from his native land. Elaborations of Moses’ switch of allegiance to the Israelites appear in Philo,
Life of Moses
1.32–39;
Ant
. 2.10.1–2 §238–53.

25
:
Pleasures of sin
, characterizations of Egypt as a locus of sin are commonplace; see Lev 18.3; Wis 12.23–27; 17.1–21; Philo,
Decalogue
16.76–81.

26
:
Abuse suffered for the Christ
, it is unlikely the author means that Moses envisioned Christ; rather he projects the current situation onto the past.

27
: Ex 2.11–15.
He saw him who was invisible
, Ex 33.11; Num 12.8.

28
: Ex 12.1–28; 12.43–13.10.
Destroyer
, parts of the Exodus narrative attribute the killing of the firstborn to the “destroyer” (Ex 12.23), other parts to God (12.12,29).

29
: See Ex 14.30; Josh 5.

31
: Josh 2.1–21; 6.17. Jewish and Christian traditions remember
Rahab
, in spite of the fact that she was a prostitute, as a heroine and the ancestor of other great biblical figures; see
Sifre Num
. 78;
Num. Rab
. 8;
b. Meg
. 14b; Mt 1.5; Jas 2.25.

32
:
Gideon
, Judg 6–8;
Barak
, Judg 4–5;
Samson
, Judg 13–16;
Jephthah
, Judg 11–12. This incomplete list of judges leaves out Ehud and Deborah, among others (see 1 Sam 12.11).
David
and
Samuel
, 1, 2 Samuel passim.

33
:
Shut the mouths of lions
, stories of heroes defeating lions occur in Judg 14.6; Dan 6.19–23.

34
:
Quenched raging fire
, see Dan 3;
Pr. Azar
. 26–27.
Escaped the edge of the sword
…
foreign armies to flight
, these descriptions could refer to several different figures, including Elijah.

35
:
Women received their dead by resurrection
, i.e., the dead persons were restored to life and presented to the
women
(mothers); 1 Kings 17.17–24; 2 Kings 4.18–37.
Others were tortured
likely refers to 2 Macc 6.18–7.42. In contrast to resuscitation,
a better resurrection
refers to eternal life.

36
–38
: Sufferings of various prophets:
Stoned to death
refers either to Zechariah (2 Chr 24.21) or to legends about Jeremiah (Tertullian,
Scorp
. 8); 2 Kings 21.16, concerning the murderous King Manasseh, who was often accused of killing prophets; see
Seder Olam Rab
. 20.
Sawn in two
, the fate of Isaiah according to Jewish, Christian, and Islamic legend; see
Mart. Isa
. 5.11–14; Justin,
Dial
. 120;
b. Yebam
. 49b;
y. Sanh
. 10.
Skins of sheep and goats
evokes the garb of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 19.13,19 LXX).
Wandered … holes in the ground
evokes the trials of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17.1–7; 19.3–9; 2 Kings 2.25).

39
:
Did not receive what was promised
, see 11.13.