Matthew 17:20 Jesus made a Poem about Faith and Belief

[clontzjm]

[SIZE=medium]In Matthew 17:20 Jesus made a poem in Hebrew using the words “faith,” “truly,” “believe,” and “boast.” The poem keys on two wordplays that both involve the word “believe.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]“Faith” [/SIZE]אמונתכם
[SIZE=medium]“Truly” [/SIZE]אמן
[SIZE=medium]“Believe” [/SIZE]תאמינו

[SIZE=medium]“Believe” [/SIZE]תאמינו
[SIZE=medium]“Boast” [/SIZE]תאםרו

[SIZE=medium]Matthew 17:20 So he said to them, “Because of your little faith {“Faith” ([/SIZE]אמונתכם)}. For truly {“Truly” (אמן)}, I say to you, if you have faith {“Believe” (תאמינו)} as a grain of mustard seed, you will say {“Boast” (תאםרו)} to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” [Matthew 17:20 The Passion: The Poetry of God]

[SIZE=medium]J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament[/SIZE]

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

The common folk of Jesus' day did not speak Hebrew.

 

[clontzjm]

The common folk of Jesus' day did not speak Hebrew.

Jesus spoke both aramaic and hebrew. The two languages are very similar and normally could be understood when heard by each other. Jesus taught in the temple and synagogues where hebrew was often spoken. He had dialogues with the pharisees, saduccees, and scribes all of which may have occurred in hebrew. His mother was from Judea and was related to the priests who normally spoke Hebrew. Also Jesus was the Son of God and could easily have spoken any language he wished. The apostles at pentecost spoke numerous languages.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

Jesus spoke both aramaic and hebrew. The two languages are very similar and normally could be understood when heard by each other. Jesus taught in the temple and synagogues where hebrew was often spoken. He had dialogues with the pharisees, saduccees, and scribes all of which may have occurred in hebrew. His mother was from Judea and was related to the priests who normally spoke Hebrew. Also Jesus was the Son of God and could easily have spoken any language he wished. The apostles at pentecost spoke numerous languages.

Hebrew was spoken in the synagogues, but the common folk didn't understand it. That's why a targumist (interpreter) was needed. Someone read scripture in Hebrew, and a targumist interpreted in Aramaic for the people. If Hebrew and Aramaic were so similar, there wouldn't have been need for a targumist.

Also, I disagree that Mary was related to any priests. She was of the tribe of Judah, not Levi. The word translated kin, in whatever verse that is, just as readily means fellow countryman as it does relative (in fact I think it is more often used to refer to the former).

I agree that Jesus spoke Hebrew, but I seriously doubt that the disciples did at that time.

 

[clontzjm]

Hebrew was spoken in the synagogues, but the common folk didn't understand it. That's why a targumist (interpreter) was needed. Someone read scripture in Hebrew, and a targumist interpreted in Aramaic for the people. If Hebrew and Aramaic were so similar, there wouldn't have been need for a targumist.

Also, I disagree that Mary was related to any priests. She was of the tribe of Judah, not Levi. The word translated kin, in whatever verse that is, just as readily means fellow countryman as it does relative (in fact I think it is more often used to refer to the former).

I agree that Jesus spoke Hebrew, but I seriously doubt that the disciples did at that time.

Matthew was called Levi. This could indicate that he was a Levite. In any case, several of the early church fathers indicate that at some point Matthew wrote a text concerning Jesus in Hebrew letters. If Matthew was a Levite he may have been trained in writing using Hebrew letters.

Several apocryphal sources indicate Mary's mother was from the tribe of Levi and her father from the tribe of Judah. Elizabeth was supposedly one of Mary's maternal cousins. Nonetheless the greeting of Elizabeth and Mary's Magnificat are Hebrew poems which indicates that both of them spoke Hebrew. There are numerous apocryphal sources that indicate that Mary worked in the temple - if so, she would've known Hebrew.

The Qumran community is ample proof that whole communities outside of Jerusalem used Hebrew and Aramaic extensively. John and Jesus both had baptismal ministries in close proximity to Qumran.