NOTES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Matthew 1:1-17 Women in genealogy–“(1) find themselves outside patriarchal family structures, (2) 

are wronged or thwarted by the male world, (3) risk, in their sexual activity, damage to the social order 

and their own condemnations, and (4) are righted in their situations by the actions of men who 

acknowledge guilt and/or accept responsibility for them, drawing them under patriarchal protection.” 

(Bible Review)

Matt. 1:12 Zerubbabel--the only ancestor also found in Luke's genealogy. See prophecy in Haggai 

2:23.

Matt. 1:18 Joseph's words are never recorded in the NT. His actions are more important.

Matt. 2:1-8 Eric Bargerhuff: “Herod is hostile, the chief priests and scribes are indifferent, and the 

wise men are interested in worship. I think it's fair to say that those three different reactions sum up 

most people's reactions to Jesus even today...” (The Most Misused Stories in the Bible)

Matthew 2:7 see 12:38

Matt. 2:23 Nazarite may be a play on words referring to Isaiah 11:1—root = netzer.

Matthew 4 There are parallels and contrasts to Adam's temptation. Second of Christ's temptations 

based on his answer to the first one.

Matt. 4:1-11 Three temptations are possible directions of Christ's future ministry: (1) providing people 

with physical needs, (2) lure of the spectacular, or (3) lure of compromise. Modern examples: (1) 

health and wealth or liberal, (2) charismatic--sign gifts, and (3) the political church.

Matt. 4:1-11 Andrew Wilson, CT, Oct 2019: In 3:17 God declared that He loved Jesus. Now in 4:3, 

Satan asks, “If He loves you, why hasn't He fed you?” This temptation addressed Jesus' weakness 

(hunger); the second temptation addresses his strength (faith). The third temptation is to see if Jesus 

will elevate his mission over God.

Matt. 4:6 Satan quotes Psalm 91:11-12. However, (1) he ignores the context, which refers to those 

who find themselves in danger, not those who purposely put themselves in danger, and (2) he leaves 

out “in all your ways,” i.e. righteous ways. The dangers listed in Ps. 91 (terror of night, snare of the 

fowler, lion, snake) may be spiritual.

Matt. 5-7 W. D. Davies feels that the Sermon on the Mount uses as an outline the rabbinical teaching 

recorded in the Mishnah: the world stands on three bases--the Law (Matt. 5:17-48), Worship (Matt. 

6:1-7:6) and Deeds of Kindness (Matt. 7:7-27).

Wesley understood the Beatitudes to reflect the order of salvation with a humble spirit = repentance, 

followed by the Holy Spirit leading the believer to deeper repentance, filling the heart with love amid 

the evils of the world.

Matthew 5 Dietrich Bonhoeffer--Christians renounce wealth, the world's shallow happiness, self-

protection, self-righteousness, one's own dignity and honor, own consciences, and violence. The result 

will be rejection and persecution by the world.

5:3 "Poor in spirit" is found in the War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness (Dead Sea 

scrolls) but in no other ancient text.

5:17 "Fulfill" may mean establish, confirm, cause to stand.. In this case, it may also mean "bring to full

 intent and purpose." (George Eldon Ladd)

5:22-23 "Such sayings do not embody a new legalism. They are radical illustrations of the kind of 

conduct which will characterize the life perfectly submitted to the reign of God." (Ladd)

5:38-39 Duty to turn the other cheek found in the Manual of Discipline at Qumran and in no other 

ancient text.

Matt. 5:41 Roman officials could force non-Roman subjects to carry any Roman's baggage for one 

mile along a highway.

Matthew 6:2,5  “Hypocrite” means ones acting on the stage. There is an old theater excavated at 

Sapphoris that may date to Jesus’ time. It is located only 4 miles from Nazareth where Jesus grew up.

Matt. 6:5-6. You of 6:5 is plural while you of 6:6 is singular. Jesus personalizes the lesson.

Matt. 6:7 primary reference is to glossalia used by pagans. “Empty phrases” in the Greek is 

onamatopoeia.

Matt. 6:9-13 Jeremias points out that this form of the prayer contains seven stanzas, perhaps in 

allusion to Psalm 119:164.Two parallel statements of time when man's wills are aligned with God's.

Matt. 6:12 Discuss implications of use of “our” rather than "my" or "their".

Matt. 6:19-24 Robert Stein: Three "thou" petitions followed by three "we" petitions. Each set of three 

takes the form of synonymous parallelism:

vv. 19-21 effect on heart, vv. 22-23 effect on mind, 24 effect on will

Matt. 6:25-35 Worry is:

    unnecessary (vv. 26, 28-30)

    foolish (v. 27)

    bad reflection on our relation to God (v. 32)

    destructive (v. 34), i.e. it leaves no strength to deal with today's problems.

Matthew 7:6 implies some sort of "judgment" as to who is a dog or swine. Contrast Matthew 7:1.

Matt. 7:12 goes beyond earlier golden rules expressed in the negative. Mere "live and let live" is not 

enough. Also justifies evangelism.

Matthew 8 Brant Pitre in The Case for Jesus  gives parallels with Psalm 107: sailors (disciples) in 

ships, stormy wind and waves, they are afraid, they cry out to God (Jesus), God (Jesus) stills the storm, 

the sea is calm. Jesus says, “I am.” See Mark 6:48 notes for additional indications that Jesus is divine.

Matt. 8:14-16 The very Capernaum house may have been uncovered by archeologists.

Matthew 9:37 Praying for God to answer a request does not rule out the possibility that we may be the 

answer--see 10:1.

Matthew 10:4 Canaanite = the name that Phoenicians called themselves by.

Matt. 10:16 see I Corinthians 14:20. Wise = shrewd in the parable of the dishonest steward. 

Leadership is shrewdness carried out with the right motives. Otherwise it is manipulation.

Matt. 10:34-36 see Genesis 11:1-4

Matt. 10:38 paraphrase: “Whoever loves himself more than me is not worthy of me.”

Matthew 11:23 is a taunt song. Compare to OT examples such as Isaiah 14:12-15

Matt. 11:24 In Luke 7 the next event is the repentance of the immoral woman.

Matt. 11:27-30 Sirach 51:23-26: "Draw near to me, you who are untaught, and lodge in my school. 

Why do you say you are lacking in these things, and why are your souls very thirsty? I opened my 

mouth and said, 'Get these things for yourselves without money. Put your neck under the yoke, and let 

your souls receive instruction; it is to be found close by.'"

v. 27 Jesus' style is that portrayed in the Gospel.

Matt. 11:28-30 Picture is one of an animal going from single yoke to a dual yoke with Jesus. Those 

spiritually burdened by religious requirements and guilt can rest because they have found what they 

were looking for.

Matthew 12:30 Contradiction with Mark 9:40 doesn't exist if there is no sitting on the fence regarding 

Jesus.

Matt. 12:38 see 2:7.

Matt. 12:38-41 The Book of Jonah does not say that Jonah lived in the fish for 3 days. In fact, it 

implies that he died (look at Jonah's prayer) and was then brought back to life.

Matthew 13 contains 7 parables. Compare the 3 soils to the 3 enemies of man--the world, flesh and the 

devil.

Matt. 13:44-45 Two ways of finding the kingdom: by accident and on purpose (like shepherds and 

wise men, respectively, seeing the infant Jesus,.)

Matt. 13:47-48 Net is a seine net hauled in by two groups of men at each end standing on the shore.

 The bad fish would be catfish, which were unclean.

Matthew 15:27 Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2019 article demonstrates conclusively that 

dogs in ancient Egypt, Rome and Israel were not all looked on as pests and scavengers. Many were 

kept as beloved pets or working animals (see Job 30:1; Isaiah 56:10-11; Tobit 6:2; 11.4).

Matt. 16:23 Compare verse 17. Can the Holy Spirit and Satan both speak through the same person?

Matt. 17:1-13 “When we see Jesus' face burst with light on the mountain, we are invited not only to 

recognize how utterly different from us he is as the divine Son of God, but also how like him we may 

be, if we follow him down the mountain to the cross.” Michael Kibbe, CT July/August 2017.

Reason that Elijah and Moses are there on the mountain is that both of them had received theophanies

on Mt. Sinai where they experienced God but were not allowed to see His face. Now they see His 

face. Brant Pitre, The Case for Jesus, pp. 132-3.

Matt. 17:2 Parallel to Revelation 1:16

Matt. 17:20 May mean (in conjunction with parable of the mustard seed) that if you start with a small 

amount of faith, it will eventually grow to the point where you can move mountains.

Matt. 17:24-27 A fish called the muslit, or St. Peter's fish, in the Sea of Galilee is especially known for 

swallowing foreign objects. This is the popularly identified fish. However, it only feeds on plankton 

and would not be attracted to bait on a hook. Another, more attractive possibility is the barbel, a bottom 

feeder.

Matt. 18:15-18 extremely hard to put into practice sometimes. Example of Bill Gothard who in 1976 

identified this as the most important message he would like to convince Christians of. In 1980 he ran 

into problems with his own brother on this issue.

Matt. 19:18-21 Commandments left out include coveting and having idols: both could relate back to 

the ruler's love of money.

Matt. 20:29 presents a caution to being solely task-driven. Jesus let himself be “diverted” even on the 

way to the cross.

Matt. 21:9 Hosanna means "help." On Sukkot, palm fronds were waved while crying hosanna (help 

for rain). This doesn't mean that these events occurred at that time of year, however. Years earlier in

63 BC,  the people celebrated Sukkot out of season to celebrate cleaning of profaned Temple. Thus an 

agricultural celebration was politicized to celebrate a military victory and the re-establishment of 

Jewish independence (2 Maccabees 10:5-8). (Marvin Pope) The political expectations of the crowd 

were dashed with Jesus' arrest and may help to explain a turning of their attitude against him.

Matt. 21:33 Field towers were rare but have been found by archeologists. Their use is not entirely 

known but may have provided defense against predators during harvest season, shade for workers, and 

a temporary storage place for the juice. See Mark 12:1 and Is. 5:2.

Matt. 23:13 demonstrates the difference between evangelism and proselytism.

Matt. 23:27 The reference may to the elaborate tombs constructed for the first time during the

Maccabean period.

Matt. 23:35 First and last martyrs in the Hebrew Bible since II Chronicles is the last book listed.

Matt. 24:3 lit. "when will these be."

Matt. 25:25-26 v. 25-servant's excuse, v. 26-servant's real reason (wicked because of disobedience)

Matt. 25:40 Aan inner group (my brethren) is clearly distinguished from the "blessed" of v. 34?

Matt. 26:15 lit. "weighed out"--same Greek word used in the Greek Septuagint of Zechariah 11:12. In 

the parallel passage in Mark 14:11, he uses "paid."

Matt. 26:24 An example of God's sovereign will as opposed to His moral will. An overlap between the 

two exists.(Gary Friesen)

Matt. 26:37 Recently the burial chamber of the priestly Caiaphas was found.

Matt. 26:41-2 Jesus asks them to pray for themselves, not for him. Elements of the Lord's Prayer are

found here.

Matt. 26:46 The only time in Matthew that Jesus doesn't refer to God as Father.

Matt. 26:57 Caiaphas and Pilate both served long terms in office at about the same time, and Caiaphas 

was removed at the time Pilate was deposed. It indicates close cooperation between the two.

Matt. 26:74 curses (on himself) = “may I die if...”

Matt. 27:6-7 Word yoser in Zechariah 11:13 = potter usually or a a worker in precious metals for 

the temple. In some variant manuscripts, the word is osar = treasury.

Matt. 28:1 Plural (sabbaths) in Greek may refer to normal Saturday sabbath and the 15th day of Nisan, a 

ceremonial day of rest. See Exodus 12 and John 19:31.

Matt. 28:18-20 See Philippians 2:9-11