The Jewish Annotated New Testament (200 page)

35
:
Blood of righteous Abel
, Gen 4.8.
Zechariah son of Barachiah
, Zech 1.1 is conflated with 2 Chr 24.20–22. Jewish sources link shedding of blood to judgment (
Sib. Or
. 3.12;
T. Zeb
. 3.2;
b. Shabb
. 33a;
b. Yoma
9b).

36
:
Upon this generation
, Matthew condemns those who rejected Jesus (11.16; 12.41–42,45; 17.17; 24.24).

23.37
–39: Jesus laments over Jerusalem
(Lk 13.34–35).

37
:
Hen gathers her brood
, see Ps 17.8; 91.4.

38
:
Your house is let to you, desolate,
the divine presence would leave the Temple upon its destruction (Jer 12.7; cf. Tob 14.4;
Pss. Sol
. 7.1; Josephus,
Ag. Ap
. 1.132,154).

39
:
Blessed is the one
…, Ps 118.26 (again, from Hallel; see 21.9n.); Rom 11.25–27.

24.1
–14: The Temple’s destruction (
Mk 13.1–13; Lk 21.5–19).

1
–2:
All will be thrown down
, evoking earlier prophetic threats against the Temple (e.g., Jer 26.4–6; Mic 3.12; see also Mt 26.67; 27.40; Acts 6.14; 2 Macc 2.22; Josephus,
J.W
. 6.267; 1QpHab 9.6–7;
b. Sukk
. 51b). Temple renovations begun by Herod the Great ca. 19 BCE were not completed in Jesus’ time.

3
:
Mount of Olives
, see 21.1n.; the Temple could be seen from there.
Sign
, like the Pharisees, the disciples seek a sign; Jesus offers a prediction.
Your coming
, Gk “parousia,” a term associated with military and imperial parades. Later, as here, it came to mean the return of the messiah to begin the new age (e.g., 1 Thess 2.19).

5
:
I am the Messiah
, see 7.15n. on false prophets. Josephus lists several first-century messianic claimants (Josephus,
J.W
. 6.259–63; 288). See “Messianic Movements,” p.
530
.

6
:
Rumors of wars
, Isa 19.1–4; Jer 51.46; Zech 14.1–37; Dan 7.21; 9.26; 11; cf.
Pss. Sol
. 15.7–15;
2 Bar
. 27.3–5;
4 Ezra
13.31–32;
Sib. Or
. 3.635–51; Rev 6.4,12–17.

8
:
Birth pangs
, Isa 26.17; Dan 2.28;
4 Ezra
13.31–32; see also Joel 2.10–11; Am 4.6–13; Zech 14.5;
2 Bar
. 27.6; 70.8; Rev 6.8; 18.8;
m. Ber
. 9.2;
b. Ber
. 55a.

9
:
Hand you over
, 10.16–25n.; 16.24n.; Jn 15.18–21.

10
–12:
Will betray one another
, see 18.6n.

14
:
All the nations
, both Jews and Gentiles (see 8.10n.; 9.17; 15.28; 18.6; 21.21; 28.19). Matthew defers the eschaton until the world is evangelized (see 28.19–20nn.). See also Dan 12.12.

24.15
–35: The coming of the Son of Man
(Mk 13.14–32; Lk 21.20–33).

15
:
Desolating sacrilege
, Dan 9.27; 11.31; 12.11. This refers to the action of Antiochus IV (called “Epiphanes”) in setting up a statue of Zeus in the Temple at Jerusalem in 168 or 167 BCE (1 Macc 1.54).

16
:
Flee
, Matthew may be referring to the revolt of 66–70 CE when Jews fled Jerusalem (Eusebius,
Hist. eccl
. 3.5.3); see also Zech 14.5.

20
:
On a sabbath
, breaking Sabbath laws is permissible to preserve life (see 12.1n.; 1 Macc 2.41;
b. Shabb
. 128b;
b. Yoma
85a–b).

21
–22:
Joel 2.2; Dan 12.1.
Elect
, for Matthew, faithful church members (Ex 19.16; Deut 30.3–4; Isa 11.11,16; 18.3; 27.13; Ezek 39.27).
Days will be cut short
, Sir 36.8;
2 Bar
. 20.1–2; 54.1; 83.1;
4 Ezra
4.26.

23
–24:
See 24.5n.

28
:
Vultures
, Gk “aetoi,” lit., “eagles”; perhaps referring to Roman troops.

29
:
Isa 19.10; Ezek 32.7; Joel 2.10–11; Am 8.9; Zeph 1.15.

30
:
Sign
, i.e., the coming of the Son of Man, who is his own sign.
Son of Man coming on the clouds
, see 8.20n.; 10.23n.; 26.64; Dan 7.13–14; 1 Thess 4.16.

31
:
Trumpet
, see Isa 27.13; Zech 9.14.

34
:
10.23; 16.28n.; 23.36n.
His elect
, 24.22n.

24.36
–44: Watchfulness
(Mk 13.33–37; Lk 21.34–36; 17.26–35).

36
:
11.27. The Son appears subordinate to the Father (cf. Jn 14.28; 1 Cor 15.28). Only God knows when the time will arrive (Zech 14.7;
2 Bar
. 21.8).

37
:
Days of Noah
, time of sinfulness (Gen 6.11–12).
Coming of the Son of Man
, suddenly and without warning (Gen 7.6–24; Dan 7.13–14;
Mek
. 16.32).

40
–41:
In the field … grinding meal
, a gendered pair.

42
:
Keep awake
, 25.13 (see Mk 13.35,37; 14.34; 1 Thess 5.6).

43
:
Thief,
see 1 Thess 5.2; Rev 3.3; 16.15.

24.45
–51: Parable of the faithful servant
(Lk 12.42–46).

45
:
Faithful and wise slave,
Matthean community leaders, responsible for keeping other followers faithful until Jesus’ (the “master’s”) return.
Food
, spiritual nourishment (2 Tim 2.15).

51
:
8.12n.; 13.42,50; 21.41; 22.13; 25.30,41,46.

25.1
–13: Parable of the bridesmaids
(Lk 12.35–36). Cf. 22.1–14; Rev 19.7–10;
b. Shabb
. 152b–153a.

1
:
Bridesmaids
, Gk “parthenoi,” “virgins.” They accompany the bridegroom to the house of the bride and then escort both to the house where the wedding and the feast will take place.
Bridegroom
, 9.15n.

3
–4:
Oil,
metaphor for righteousness or good deeds (Ps 119.105; Prov 6.23; 13.9; Job 18.5;
2 Bar
. 59.2;
4 Ezra
14.20–21).

13
:
Keep awake
, 24.42.

25.14
–30: Parable of the talents
(Lk 19.11–27). Cf. 18.23–35; 25.1–13.

15
:
Talents
, equal to several years’ wages.

19
:
The master … came
, Jesus’ second coming.
Settled accounts
, final judgment in which all are held accountable for their actions (18.23).

25
:
Hid your talent
, people buried money to keep it safe from thieves (cf. Horace,
Sat
. 1.1.41–42). Here the phrase refers to those who fail to act righteously.

29
–30:
Lk 8.18; 13.28.
For to all those who have, more will be given
, see
Gos. Thom
. 41; cf.
b. Ber
. 40a; 55a.
Outer darkness
, 8.12; 22.13.

25.31
–46: The final judgment.

31
:
Son of Man
, see Dan 7.13–14; see 8.20n.

32
:
All the nations,
see 24.13n. The judgment of both Jews and Gentiles (see 5.21–22; 7.2; 12.36,41–42; 16.27; cf. Isa 66.18; Ezek 34.17; Mic 4.3; Rom 2.13–16).
Separate people
, Jewish writings attested to an exalted human being who will judge the nations (
2 Bar
. 72.2–6; 11QMelch 2.13), although in rabbinic sources God is the judge (
b. Rosh Ha-Shanah
. 8a; 16a–b).
Sheep from the goats
, representing righteous and wicked, respectively (see Ezek 34.12).

33
:
Right hand
, the side of righteousness and justice (20.21–23; 1 Kings 22.19; Ps 110.1; cf. 1 Kings 2.19; Ps 45.9; Rom 8.34).

34
:
5.3; Lk 12.32; Rev 13.8; 17.8.

35
–36:
Isa 58.7; Jas 2.15–16; Heb 13.2; 2 Tim 1.16.