Logos Book Suggestions

Kevin Gayed

I am currently writing a paper for a class and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on some resources that I can buy for my Logos software. The paper is on the Old Testament use in the New Testament. Specifically on Matthew 5:21-26. This is where Jesus quotes Exodus 20:13 "You shall not murder". I have to examine both scriptures and compare the usages. Any insight on a/some references that might be helpful would be greatly appreciated.

Jerry M

The Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament has the following.

A. NT Context. The first antithesis (5:21–26) deals with the commandment from the Decalogue prohibiting murder. Here Jesus radically internalizes the command by stressing that the person who is inappropriately angry with another, or who speaks spitefully or slanderously of another, is likewise guilty of sin (5:22). “Raca” was a quasi-expletive in Aramaic, while “fool” (Gk. mōros) could connote an immoral or godless person as well as an “idiot” (see Sorg 1975–1985). A strong manuscript tradition adds the phrase “without cause” following the word “brother”; this may reflect a later textual variant, but the interpretation is almost certainly implied in the original, since Jesus himself demonstrates righteous anger in “cleansing” the temple later in this same Gospel (Matt. 21:12–13). Therefore, people should take decisive action, however drastic, to initiate reconciliation with their adversaries, lest God inflict on them severe judgment (5:23–26). Ruzer (1996) thinks that the second part of 5:21, on whoever murders being subject to judgment, reflects traditional interpretation, as in Tg. Ps.-J. Gen. 9:6.

B. OT Context. The Ten Commandments are given to the Israelites twice in the OT: in Exod. 20:1–17, after Moses descends from Mount Sinai, and in Deut. 5:1–21, as he repeats the law in preparation for their entry into the promised land. The first four commandments reflect a right relationship with God, while the last six deal with interpersonal relationships. The proscription against murder, the sixth commandment, obviously falls into the latter category. Cassuto (1967) observes that the sixth through eighth commandments are found in every civilized society yet are unusual here because of their absolute, unqualified form as abstract, eternal principles. “Murder” is a better translation in this context than “kill” for the verb rāṣaḥ, because the law does allow for killing people in prescribed cases of capital punishment, self-defense, and war (Kaiser 1983: 90; Sarna 1991: 113). The underlying principle, however (which also allows these exceptions), is the general sanctity of life (cf. Gen. 9:6; see Childs 1974: 419). “Whoever murders will be liable to judgment” (Matt. 5:21) “is a fair summary of the legislation set forth in Exod. 21:12” and elsewhere (Davies and Allison 1988–1997: 1:511).

C. Use in Jewish Sources. The Fragmentary Targum on Exod. 20:13 begins to generalize some by declaring that the Israelites should not be murderers, or friends or partners of murderers, or seen in the assembly of murderers, lest they teach their children to imitate such violence. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan and Targum Neofiti on both the Exodus and Deuteronomy passages have very comparable additions. But the generalization is more guilt by association than internalization of the basic command. Philo and Pseudo-Philo have numerous references to the prohibition of murder, discussing its meaning and purpose, while the rabbinic literature contains a large number of discussions of the situations in which the prohibition applies and the nature of punishment for violating the command, but virtually nothing appears to parallel Jesus’ internalization (despite over twenty pages of small-print references in Str-B 1:254–75!). Pseudo-Phocylides warns against devising treachery (3:21), a command that begins to focus on mental attitudes. Perhaps the most significant parallel is Philo’s observation that this second of the brief commandments “is that under which are implied all of those necessary and most advantageous laws, relating to acts of violence, to insults, to assaults, to wounds, to mutilation” (Decalogue 170). (All quotations from Philo are from Yonge 1993.) At least “insults” suggests something along the lines of Jesus’ commentary. But this is not conventional Jewish elaboration. On the other hand, one can find separate commandments prohibiting profanity, blasphemy, cursing, defiling and abusive language, and swearing falsely (see Childs 1974: 412).

D. Textual Background. The Exodus and Deuteronomy texts are identical in the Hebrew, and the LXX translates them literally. Matthew, in turn, matches the wording of the LXX.

E. Hermeneutic Employed. As noted above (p. 21), Jesus takes a commandment about external behavior and internalizes it. He also applies it to additional interpersonal contexts, thus strengthening the original command or making it stricter.

F. Theological Use. Although we should not interpret the Sermon on the Mount in light of later Pauline thought, there is a parallel of sorts here to Paul’s logic that the law demonstrates the sinfulness of humanity (e.g., Gal. 3:19–25). Those who may think that they have not violated the sixth commandment, since they have not literally murdered anyone, have almost certainly harbored wrongful anger and done violence to others with their speech. Jesus is not abolishing the law, but rather is fulfilling it (Matt. 5:17), which in this instance means applying the spirit of the Decalogue to a wide variety of hateful thoughts and actions. The Sermon on the Mount is a kingdom manifesto with high ideals.