Both / ᎢᎬᎳ

We are both in there,
mates for life,
for always.

ᎢᏧᎳ ᎢᎬᎳ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎾᎿ ᎭᏫᎾ,
ᎤᎾᎵᎪᎯᏗ ᎥᎴᏂᏙᎲ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ,
ᏂᎪᎯᎸᎢ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.

If I Take My Clothes Off

If I take my clothes off,
you will tell me
that I am too bold.
If I put them back on,
you will tell me
that I lack courage,
and should stand my ground.
I have no time to listen--
I am already too old.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

Synoptica VI - Hebrew Matthew and the Formation of Canonical Matthew

I would like to briefly mention that canonical Mt. 5:47 is not present in Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew. My NA25 (the only edition of Nestlé-Aland that is currently available to me) informs me that the verse is also not present in k, which is the oldest manuscript of the Old Latin text type, or in Syr-s, which is the oldest manuscript of the Old Syriac text type. The Old Latin and the Old Syriac are the oldest NT text types that we have, and these two mss are the oldest of the old. In the fourteenth century, when Shem-Tob's book Even Bohan was written, one would have been hard pressed to find any copy of k, and Syr-s was unknown. I don't know why the verse is present in canonical Matthew (my Matthew III), but its absence in Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew and in other ancient texts seems highly significant.

I would like to move now to Mt. 10:5-6. Here is the translation in the RSV:

"These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, 'Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Here is George Howard's translation of the same verse in Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew:

"These twelve Jesus sent; he commanded them saying: To the lands of the Gentiles do not go and into the cities of the Samaritans do not enter. Go to the sheep who have strayed from the house of Israel."

These two are close enough to be considered the same. Yet the silence from Luke and Mark, whose Gospels were written for the Gentiles, is deafening.

There is a further echo of these verses in Mt. 15:24, the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman:

"He answered, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel'." (RSV)

"Jesus answered them: 'They did not send me except to the lost sheep from the house of Israel'." (Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew)

The presence of this verse in Hebrew Matthew shows that it is original, and not a later insertion. Again, there is silence from Mark, and Luke does not parallel the story at all.

These words of Rabbi Yeshua, older than canonical Matthew, were ignored by Paul and by many others, on what basis I do not know.

(to be continued)

© 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

Synoptica V - Hebrew Matthew and the Formation of Canonical Matthew

Moving on, we see that there are unnecessary and disruptive (in a continuous Sermon on the Mount) introductory phrases in the Shem Tob text at Mt. 5:25, 27, 31, and 43. George Howard found sixteen of these out-of-place introductory phrases in the Hebrew Matthew (my Mt. IIb) version of the Sermon on the Mount, and he discussed them on pp. 200-201 of his 1995 book, already cited. They were all edited out of canonical, Greek Matthew (my Mt. III). They are vestigial remains of an earlier arrangement of Matthew's Gospel (my Mt. IIa), which is reflected in Luke's arrangement of still-incomplete Sayings material.

Matthew collected the logia and wrote them down in the Hebrew language, just as the early-second-century writer Papias said he did. Thus, the Church's belief for some seventeen centuries that the Gospel of Matthew was the first Gospel is borne out. The others, as Papias said, "translated as best they could."

The First Gospel was originally written in Hebrew. Until recent years we did not know that this was so, although there was abundant discussion concerning a possible "Hebrew/Aramaic substratum." We also did not know that the rabbis had preserved a copy of it, which they used in the Middle Ages for polemical purposes in debates with Christians. Even today, not all of this is admitted by an academic orthodoxy that appears embattled and defensive. I am emboldened to write about these matters, about which I have thought for many years, because I am a poet, not an academic, and I cannot be intimidated or occupationally threatened.

My proposed solution of the Synoptic Problem, which I call the Layered-Matthew Hypothesis, is represented, as it stands today, in the graphic below.

This proposed solution of the Synoptic Problem does not require any hypothetical sources such as "Q," and in view of Luke's borrowing from Matthew, the so-called Minor Agreements of Matthew and Luke against Mark in the Triple Tradition are no problem. Having dispensed with "Q" as a separate, written document, the only question upon which I am undecided is the proper position of Mark. I'll continue to work on that, hoping to arrive at a conclusion that can be explained and defended.

Now, back to our examination of the Hebrew "Sermon on the Mount" as compared to the Greek one.

Mt. 5:27 in Hebrew contains a variant that is consistent with the oldest and best manuscripts (a frequent situation), but Mt. 5:44 appears in a fuller form in Hebrew than it does in the oldest and best Greek texts, a form that is consistent with later text types, including the Received Version. What is going on here? The following is George Howard's translation of Shem-Tob's Mt. 5:44:

"But I say to you, love your enemies and [do good to the one who hates you and vexes you and] pray for those who persecute you [and oppress you]."

I have marked the additions in the Hebrew with square brackets.

According to my theory, the fuller form of the verse would have been present in Matthew IIb (represented by Shem Tob, though we do not know how faithfully) and probably also in Matthew IIa (represented in parts of Luke). Checking the main parallel, Lk. 6:27-28, we find the following (per the RSV, which I believe is based on the best and oldest mss):

"But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you."

The NASB and NIV give much the same as the RSV, and they are also based on the best and oldest texts.

By way of comparison, I give the RSV translation of the canonical Mt. 5:44:

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Canonical, Greek Matthew gives us a sparer, more boiled-down version of this teaching. Luke gives a fuller version, taken from an intermediate, earlier edition of Matthew (my Matthew IIa).

Why, then, does the KJV, which is based on later and inferior manuscripts, give the fuller version in Mt. 5:44? The answer is that those inferior texts contain many harmonistic readings, intended to bring the Gospels into harmony with each other. Some copyist imported the Lukan version into Matthew, believing it to be more complete, and the shorter, Matthaean version to be defective. The best and oldest Greek texts show us, though, that this harmonistic reading does not belong to canonical Matthew, but to canonical Luke.

(to be continued)

Text and graphic © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

Synoptica IV - Hebrew Matthew and the Formation of Canonical Matthew

Here are the same verses that we have just shown (Mt. 5:17-20), this time from Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew:

בעת ההיא אמר יש''ו לתלמידיו אל תחשבו שבאתי להפר תורה

אלא להשלים׃

באמת אני אומר לכם כי עד שמים וארץ אות אחת ונקודה אחת לא

תבטל מהתורה או מהנביאים שהכל יתקיים׃

ואשר יעבור מאמר אֿ מהמצוות אלו אשר אלמד אחרים בן הבל

יקרא מלכות שמים והמקיים והמלמד גדול יקרא במלכות שמים׃

בעת ההיא אמר יש''ו לתלמידיו באמת אני אומר לכם אם לא תגדל

צדקתכם יותר מהפרושים והחכמים לא תבואו במלכות שמים׃

First of all, we should note that verses 17 and 20 in Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew both begin with the unnecessary and disruptive introductory phrase 

בעת ההיא אמר יש''ו לתלמידיו

(At that time Jesus said to his disciples. . . ) These introductory phrases, which do not belong in a continuous Sermon on the Mount, are from an earlier version of Matthew (Mt. IIb), here reflected in Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew. They had already been edited out of Greek, canonical Matthew (Mt. III). Shem-Tob's Hebrew text is thus older than our canonical Gospel of Matthew.

Secondly, we note that the phrase "or the words of the prophets" is new in canonical Matthew (Matthew III). So Jesus' defense of Scripture not only did not go away in the Gospel of Matthew, it was expanded to also include the prophets.

In vs. 20, Shem-Tob has "in truth I say to you," where canonical Matthew simply has "for I say to you."

Shem-Tob has "sages" where canonical Matthew has "scribes."

Other differences are just word choices.

(to be continued)

Text and graphic © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler. 

Synoptica III - Hebrew Matthew and the Formation of Canonical Matthew

Mt. 5:17-20 (The Law)

The unnecessary and inappropriate (in a continuous Sermon on the Mount) introductory phrase indicates that the comments of Jesus on the Law were already present in an earlier, differently-arranged version of the Gospel of Matthew. George Howard found sixteen of these out-of-place introductory phrases in the Shem-Tob Hebrew Matthew (see his pp. 200-201). They were edited out in canonical, Greek Matthew (my Mt. III). The comments of Jesus on the Law are not present in Mark, or in Luke (who probably would have omitted them for demographic reasons, since his Gospel was written for the Gentiles). The omission of Jesus's comments on the Law creates the impression of a greater break with Judaism than was intended. Before there was any Christianity as we know it, Rabbi Yeshua offered the world the first Reform Judaism, and the first Jewish Renewal. The religious leaders of his time didn't go for it. But these comments of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew are so important to religious history that it is worth taking a look at them in their original Hebrew.

First, to better familiarize ourselves with the unpointed words of Shem-Tob's text, we'll look at these verses in a couple of standard New Testament translations into Biblical Hebrew. These are, of course, only retro-translations of canonical, Greek Matthew (my Mt. III).

Delitzsch (10th ed.):

אַל־תַּחְשְׁבוּ כִּי בָאתִי לְהָפֵר אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה אוֹ אֶת־דִבְרֵי הַנְּבִיאִים לאׁ בָאתִי לְהָפֵר כִּי אִם־לְמַלּאׁת׃ כִּי אָמֵן אֹמֵר אֲנִי לָכֶם עַד כִּי־יַעַבְרוּ הַשָׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ לאׁ תַעֲבֹר יוֹד  אַחַת אוֹ־קוֹץ אֶחָד

מִן־הַתּוֹרָה עַד אֲשֶׁר יֵעָשֶׂה הַכֹּל׃ לָכֵן מִי אֲשֶׁר יָפֵר אַחַת מִן־הַמִצְוֹת

הַקְּטַנּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְכֵן יְלַמֵד אֶת־בּנֵי הָאָדָם קָטוֹן יִקָּרֵא בְּמַלְכוּת הַשָׁמָיִם

וַאֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה וִילַמֵד אוֹתָן הוּא גָדוֹל יִקָּרֵא בְּמַלְכוּת הַשָׁמָיִם׃

כִּי אֲנִי אֹמֵר לָכֶם אִם לאׁ־תִרְבֶּה צִדְקַתְכֶם מִצִּדְקַת הַסּוֹפְרִים

וְהַפְּרוּשִׁים לאׁ תָבֹאוּ אֶל־מַלְכוּת הַשָׁמָיִם׃

[The inconsistent line spacing is due to a data-entry problem.] 

Here are the same verses in the Salkinson-Ginsburg translation:

אַל־תְּדַמּוּ כִּי בָאתִי לְהָפֵר אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה אוֹ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַנְּבִיאִים לׂא בָאתִי לְהָפֵר כִּי אִם־לְמַלּאת׃	יז	17	Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.
כִּי אָמֵן אׂמֵר אֲנִי לָכֶם עַד כִּי־יַעַבְרוּ הַשָׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ לׂא תַּעֲבֹר יוֹד אַחַת אוֹ־קוֹץ אֶחָד מִן־הַתּוֹרָה עַד אֲשֶׁר יְקֻיַּם הַכּׂל׃	יח	18	For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.
לָכֵן הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יָפֵר אַחַת מִן־הַמִּצְוֹת הַקְּטַנּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וִילַמֵּד אֶת־בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּמוֹהוּ קָטוֹן יִקָּרֵא לוֹ בְּמַלְכוּת הַשָׁמָיִם וַאֲשֶׁר יַעָשֶׂה וִילַמֵּד אוֹתָן לָזֶה גָּדוֹל יִקָּרֵא בְּמַלְכוּת הַשָׁמָיִם׃	יט	19	Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
כִּי אֲנִי אׂמֵר לָכֶם אִם לׂא־תִהְיֶה צִדְקַתְכֶם מְרֻבָּה מִצִּדְקַת הַסּוֹפְרִים וְהַפְּרוּשִׁים לׂא תָבֹאוּ בְּמַלְכוּת הַשָׁמָיִם׃	כ	20	For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.
(to be continued)

Synoptica II - Hebrew Matthew and the Formation of Canonical Matthew

Now comes the tricky part.

Mt. 5:13  "At that time Jesus said to his disciples"

Mt. 5:17  "At that time Jesus said to his disciples"

These introductory phrases, inappropriate in a single, continuous Sermon on the Mount, were clearly edited out of the final, canonical, Greek version of the Gospel of Matthew (which I have called Matthew III). But they are still in the text at the level of Matthew IIb (reflected in the Shem Tob Hebrew Gospel of Matthew). This is extremely revealing of "Matthew's" methods in forming the First Gospel.

George Howard (see his Page 200) found sixteen of these unnecessary and disruptive introductory phrases in the Hebrew text of the Sermon on the Mount. He did an interesting analysis, presented in a table on pp. 200-201, in which he shows that every time one of these unnecessary introductory phrases occurs, Luke jumps to another place in his Gospel, or has a void.

What is going on here? Is Matthew copying from Luke to form his Sermon on the Mount? No. He is rewriting his own earlier edition (my Matthew IIa), reflected in Luke, to form a later, but also intermediate edition (my Matthew IIb), which would later be further revised and translated into Greek to form canonical Matthew (my Matthew III).

A further, interesting point is that the verses in Mt. 5:13-17 are all connected by catchwords, some of which can only be seen in the Hebrew. Catchwords are a memory aid usually associated with the oral-transmission stage. As we shall see, there are many more of them.

There is no need to posit a hypothetical "Q Document." Matthew collected the logia of Jesus from oral transmission. Then he wrote them down in Hebrew, just as Papias told us in the early second century. There is close, but not exact, agreement between Matthew and Luke in this Sayings material because Luke got it from an early, intermediate version of Matthew (my Matthew IIa).

The (mostly Sayings) material that some scholars refer to as "Q," which stands for the German "Quelle," meaning "source," was evidently unknown to Mark. This may be because Mark wrote his Gospel before Matthew began his ("Markan priority"), or it may be because Mark took most of his content from an early version of the Gospel of Matthew (my Mt. I), one that still lacked the Sayings material shared by Matthew and Luke. I still don't know which of these scenarios is correct, so I don't yet know whether Markan priority can be dispensed with.

(to be continued)

Text and graphic © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.