Jesus on the mountain : a study in Matthean theology 9780905774749, 0905774744, 9780905774756, 0905774752

Table of contents :
Cover
Editorial Board
Title
Copyright
CONTENTS
Preface
List of Abbreviations
PART I SETTING DIRECTIONS
1. THE PROBLEM AND THE TASK
PART II SACRED MOUNTAINS AND MOUNTAIN SYMBOLISM IN ISRAEL'S EXPERIENCE
3. IN HISTORY-OF-RELIGIONS PERSPECTIVE
4. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
5. IN SECOND-TEMPLE JUDAISM
PART III MOUNTAIN SETTINGS IN MATTHEAN REDACTION
6. THE MOUNTAIN OF TEMPTATION
7. THE MOUNTAIN OF TEACHING
8. THE MOUNTAIN OF FEEDING
9. THE MOUNTAIN OF TRANSFIGURATION
10. THE MOUNT OF OLIVES AND THE OLIVET DISCOURSE
11. THE MOUNTAIN OF COMMISSIONING
PART IV CONCLUSIONS
12. THE MOUNTAIN MOTIF IN MATTHEWS GOSPEL
13. THE MOUNTAIN MOTIF AND THE MATTHEAN REDACTION
Notes
Bibliography
Index of Biblical References
Index of Authors

Citation preview

JESUS ON THE

MOUNTAIN A Study in Matthean Theology

Terence L. Donaldson

JOURNAL FOR THE STUDY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SUPPLEMENT SERIES

8 Consulting Editors Ernst Bammel, James Dunn, Birger Gerhardsson, Anthony Hanson David Hill, Barnabas Lindars, Howard Marshall Robert Tannehill, Anthony Thiselton, Max Wilcox Executive Editor Bruce D. Chilton Publishing Editor David J.A. Clines

Department of Biblical Studies The University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN England

JESUS ON THE

MOUNTAIN A Study in Matthean Theology

Terence L. Donaldson

Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series 8

Copyright © 1985 JSOT Press Published by JSOT Press Department of Biblical Studies The University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN England British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Donaldson. Terence L. Jesus on the mountain: a study in Matthean theology. —(Journal for the study ofthe New Testament supplement series, ISSN 0143-5108; 8) 1. Mountains in the Bible 2.Bible. N.T. I. Title II. Series 261.5'5 BS257.5 EISBN 9780905774756

CONTENTS Preface List of Abbreviations

ix xi

PARTI SETTING DIRECTIONS 1. THE PROBLEM AND THE TASK Jesus on the Mountain: A Deliberate Matthean Motif Matthew's Mountain Motif in Current Discussion The Meaning of to opoq in the Gospels The Proposed Study

3 3 5 9 11

2. METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS Investigation of Background Redaction Criticism

13 13 18

PART II SACRED MOUNTAINS AND MOUNTAIN SYMBOLISM IN ISRAEL'S EXPERIENCE 3. IN HISTORY-OF-RELIGIONS PERSPECTIVE

25

4. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Mountains of Secondary Importance Sinai/Horeb: The Mountain of the Law Mount Zion i. As a Present Reality ii. In Eschatological Perspective Summary

30 30 31 35 36 41 50

5. IN SECOND-TEMPLE JUDAISM Mount Zion i. As a Present Reality

51 51 51

Jesus on the Mountain ii. In Eschatological Perspective Other Mountains i. In Biblical Narratives ii. Cosmic Mountains iii. Mount Sinai iv. Miscellaneous Eschatological Mountains v. The Mountain of the King vi. Mount Gerizim Mountain Concepts in Hellenism Summary and Conclusions

62 70 70 71 72 73 76 77 79 81

PART III MOUNTAIN SETTINGS IN MATTHEAN REDACTION 6. THE MOUNTAIN OF TEMPTATION In Pre-Matthean Tradition In Matthew's Redaction

87 87 98

7. THE MOUNTAIN OF TEACHING The Mountain Pericope In Pre-Matthean Tradition In Matthew's Redaction

105 105 106 111

8. THE MOUNTAIN OF FEEDING The Mountain Pericope In Pre-Matthean Tradition In Matthew's Redaction

122 122 123 126

9. THE MOUNTAIN OF TRANSFIGURATION In Pre-Matthean Tradition In Matthew's Redaction

136 136 149

10. THE MOUNT OF OLIVES AND THE OLIVET DISCOURSE The Mount of Olives and Matthew's Mountain Motif In Pre-Matthean Tradition In Matthew's Redaction

157 158 161

11. THE MOUNTAIN OF COMMISSIONING The Mountain Pericope

170 170

vi

157

Jesus on the Mountain In Pre-Matthean Tradition In Matthew's Redaction

171 174

PART IV CONCLUSIONS 12. THE MOUNTAIN MOTIF IN MATTHEWS GOSPEL 193 13. THE MOUNTAIN MOTIF AND THE MATTHEAN REDACTION Christology, Ecclesiology and Salvation History Life Setting

203

Notes Bibliography Index of Biblical References Index of Authors

214 288 311 321

vu

203 211

PREFACE This monograph is a slightly revised version of a doctoral dissertation presented to the Toronto School of Theology in December 1981. It represents the fruition of an idea that began to germinate in earlier stages of my theological training. While doing research for a Master's thesis on Heilsgeschichte in the Gospel of Matthew, I realized the salvation-historical significance of the mountain-top pericope with which the Gospel concludes (28.16-20) at about the same time as I became aware of the prominence within Jewish eschatological expectation of sacred mountain phenomena—particularly with respect to Zion, the 'holy mountain of Yahweh'. Preliminary investigation convinced me that the apparent similarities between these two patterns of thought were substantial enough to warrant further study. The results of such a study, set out in the pages to follow, will, I hope, demonstrate that the idea of an eschatological mountain motif in the Gospel of Matthew is not a case of a 'mountain hanging by a hair'—as the Rabbis described arguments with slender scriptural support—but that sacred mountain conceptions in Second-Temple Judaism provide a vantage point from which Matthew's oft-observed fondness for mountain settings can be seen in new and clearer perspective. One does not bring a program of doctoral studies to a successful conclusion without assistance of various kinds and from people too numerous to mention here. I would be ungrateful, however, if I did not acknowledge with thanks my indebtedness to several people in particular. First of all, to my family, for encouragement and practical support, and particularly to my parents, who taught me early to read the Bible and to respond to its message. To Professors Larry W. Hurtado, George T. Montague, John C. Hurd and Heinz O. Guenther, in whose classes my interest in Synoptic studies was aroused and my critical perceptiveness sharpened. To the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, for a Doctoral Fellowship that allowed me to pursue my studies relatively undistracted by financial anxieties. To Dr R.T. France, until recently Warden of Tyndale House, Cambridge, who helped to facilitate a three-month period of research at Cambridge University. To Professors Schuyler IX

Jesus on the Mountain Brown, Ben F. Meyer and E.G. Clark, for valuable aid at several points during my research. To Lorna Hassell, librarian at Wycliffe College, and her assistants Katie Woelfle and (more recently) Gayle Ford, not only for efficient and cheerful library service but also for many small kindnesses that made the library a congenial place in which to work. To Dr Richard N. Longenecker, my thesis supervisor, for his enthusiastic support of this project from its earliest stages, for perceptive and thorough editorial advice that made possible a clearer and more concise presentation that would otherwise have been the case, and, above all, for the model that he supplies for all his students of rigorous scholarship combined with warm personal concern. And especially to my wife, Lois, whose enthusiasm, creativity and support have made this period of study not a time of sacrifice but a shared venture.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS (1) Primary Sources Acts Pil. Adam and Eve Apoc Abr Apoc. Pet. Ass Mos 1-2 Bar Clement Prot. Paed. Str.

Cyprian Ep.

Test. Demosthenes Or. Desc. Chr. Ep. Arist. Epiphanius Pan Eusebius HE. Irenaeus Ag. Her.

JB Josephus Ant. War

Jub

Justin Martyr 1 Apol. Dial. Lactantius Inst. Life Dan.

Life Jer.

Acts of Pilate Life of Adam and Eve Apocalypse of Abraham Apocalypse of Peter Assumption of Moses 1-2 Baruch Address to the Greeks The Tutor Miscellanies Epistles Testimonies Orations Descent of Christ into Hell Epistle of Aristeas Panarion Ecclesiastical History Against Heresies Jerusalem Bible Jewish Antiquities The Jewish War

Jubilees First Apology Dialogue with Trypho Divine Institutes Life of the Prophets: Daniel

Life of the Prophets: Jeremiah XI

Jesus on the Mountain LXX 1-2-4 Mace MT Nag Hammadi Apocryjn GEgypt

SJC

ApocPaul lApocJas PetPhil PS NEB NIV Origen Cels. Princ. Comm. Jn Oxy. Pap. Philo Dec. Ebr. Leg. Mig. Mos. Q. Ex. Q. Gen. PsSol Quest. Barth. Qumran CDC lQapGen 1QM lQpHab 1QS lQSa lQSb 4Q163pIsac 4Q164pIsab 4QDibHam 4QFlor 4QShirShab

llQJNar

HQPsZion HQTemple

Septuagint 1-2-4 Maccabees Masoretic Text 11,1 Apocryphon of John 111,2 Gospel of the Egyptians 111,4 Sophia of Jesus Christ V,2 Apocalypse of Paul V,3 First Apocalypse of James VIII,2 Letter of Peter to Philip Pistis Sophia New English Bible New International Version Against Celsus On First Principles Commentary on John Oxyrhynchus Papyri On the Decalogue On Drunkenness Allegorical Interpretation On the Migration of Abraham On the Life of Moses Questions on Exodus Questions on Genesis Psalms of Solomon Questions of Bartholomew Damascus Rule Genesis Apocryphon War Scroll Pesher on Habakkuk Community Rule Rule of the Congregation Blessings Pesher on Isaiah Pesher on Isaiah Words of the Heavenly Lights Florilegium Song of the Sabbath Sacrifice Aramaic text on the New Jerusalem Apostrophe to Zion Temple Scroll Xll

Jesus on the Mountain Rabbinic texts Ber. Dem. Shab. Pesah. Sukk. Ros. Has. Ta'an. Hag. Git. Sot. Kid. B. Bat. Sanh. Zebah. Men. Hul. Aboth R. Nat. Kuth. Gen R. (etc.) Mek. Midr. Ps Pesik. R. Pesik. R. Kah. Pirke R. El. Sifre Dt RSV Sib Or Sir T. 12 Patr. T. Levi T. Zeb. T. Naph. T. Ash. T. Ben. Tertullian Marc.

Jud.

Tg. Frag. Tg. Tg. Neoph.

Tg. Ps.-J.

Tob

Berakoth Demai Shabbath Pesahim Sukkoth Rosh ha-Shana Ta'anith Hagiga Gittin Sota Kiddushin Baba Bathra Sanhedrin Zebahim Menahoth Hullin Aboth de Rabbi Nathan Kuthim Genesis Rabbah Mekilta Midrash on the Psalms Pesikta Rabbati Pesikta de Rab Kahana Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer Sifre Deuteronomy Revised Standard Version Sibylline Oracles Sirach Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs Testament of Levi Testament of Zebulun Testament of Naphtali Testament of Asher Testament of Benjamin Against Marcion Against the Jews Targum Fragment Targum Targum Neophyti Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Tobit Xlll

Jesus on the Mountain Wisd Xenophon Anab.

Wisdom of Solomon Anabasis

(ii) Secondary Literature AnBib ANQ APOT AssSeign ASTI ATR ATRSup BA Bauer-ArndtGingrich

Bib BibLeb BibTod BJRL BLE BR Brown-DriverBriggs BTB BZ BZA W Cahjos CBQ CBQMS CQR CTM DJD, V Erjb EstBib EThL

Analecta Biblica Andover Newton Quarterly Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament. 2 vols. Edited by R.H. Charles. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. Assemblies du Seigneur Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute Anglican Theological Review Supplement to the Anglican Theological Review Biblical Archaeologist A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Translated and adapted from W. Bauer's GriechischDeutsches Worterbuch by W.F. Arndt and F.W. Gingrich. 2nd edn. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979. Biblica Bibel und Leben Bible Today Bulletin of the John Rylands Library Bulletin de litterature ecclesiastique Biblical Research A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Edited by F. Brown, S.R. Driver and C.A. Briggs. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907. Biblical Theology Bulletin Biblische Zeitschrift Beihefte zur ZA W Cahiers de Josephologie Catholic Biblical Quarterly CBQ Monograph Series Church Quarterly Review Concordia Theological Monthly Discoveries in the Judean Desert. V: Qumrdn Cave 4. Edited by J.M. Allegro. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1968. Eranos Jahrbuch Estudios biblicos Ephemerides theologicae lovanienses XIV

Jesus on the Mountain EvQ EvTh Exp ExpT FRLANT HNT HSM HTKNT HUCA ICC IDB IDBSup IEJ Int ITQ JAAR JBL JES JETS JQR JR JSNT JTS Liddell-Scott LumVie LuthQ MeyerK NIGTC NovT NTApoc NTD NTS OJRS PRS

Evangelical Quarterly Evangelische Theologie Expositor Expository Times Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments Handbuch zum Neuen Testament Harvard Semitic Monographs Herders theologischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament Hebrew Union College Annual International Critical Commentary Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. Edited by G.A. Buttrick et al. 4 vols. New York / Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962. Supplement to IDB. Edited by K. Crim et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1976. Israel Exploration Journal Interpretation Irish Theological Quarterly Journal of the Americal Academy of Religion Journal of Biblical Literature Journal of Ecumenical Studies Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Jewish Quarterly Review Journal of Religion Journal for the Study of the New Testament Journal of Theological Studies A Greek-English Lexicon. Compiled by H.G. Liddell and R. Scott. 9th edn. Revised by H.S. Jones. 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1940. Lumiere et Vie Lutheran Quarterly H.A.W. Meyer, Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar iiber das Neue Testament New International Greek Testament Commentary Novum Testamentum E. Hennecke, New Testament Apocrypha. 2 vols. Edited by W. Schneemelcher. Translated by R. McL. Wilson. London: Lutterworth Press, 1963, 1965. Das Neue Testament Deutsch New Testament Studies Ohio Journal of Religious Studies Perspectives in Religious Studies

xv

Jesus on the Mountain QLP RB RechBib RevQ RSR RHPR RThPh RThR SBLDS SBLMS SBS SBT SJT SNTSMS StEv StTh StudNeot TDNT TDOT

Theol THKNT TLZ TPQ TZ UF VT VTSup ZAW ZKT ZNW ZTK

Questions liturgiques et paroissiales Revue biblique Recherches bibliques Revue de Qumran Revue des sciences religieuses Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses Revue de theologie et de philosophie Reformed Theological Review Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series Stuttgarter Bibelstudien Studies in Biblical Theology Scottish Journal of Theology Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series Studia Evangelica Studia Theologica Studia neotestamentica Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. 10 vols. Edited by G. Kittel and G. Friedrich. Translated by G.W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964-76. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Edited by GJ. Botterweck and H. Ringgren. Translated by J.T. Willis and D.E. Green. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974-. Theology Theologischer Handkommentar zum Neuen Testament Theologische Literaturzeitung Theologisch-Praktische Quartalschrift Theologische Zeitschrift Ugaritische Forschungen Vetus Testamentum Supplement to VT Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Zeitschrift fur katholische Theologie Zeitschrift fiir die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft Zeitschrift fiir Theologie und Kirche

XVI

PARTI SETTING DIRECTIONS

Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND THE TASK 1. Jesus on the Mountain: A Deliberate Matthean Motif It has often been noted that mountains frequently appear in the First Gospel as sites for events in the life and ministry of Jesus.1 A preliminary analysis of the 6po