Texts in Conversation
Matthew uses the language of Psalm 22 when shaping its narrative of Jesus' crucifixion, echoing the psalm’s language of mockery and disbelief. The taunts of the crowd in Matthew match those in the psalm, where a suffering figure is ridiculed for trusting in God.
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Psalm 22:7
Hebrew Bible
4 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted in you and you rescued them. 5 To you they cried out, and they were saved; in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 6 But I am a worm, not a man; people insult me and despise me. 7 All who see me taunt me; they mock me and shake their heads. 8 They say, “Commit yourself to the Lord! Let the Lord rescue him! Let the Lord deliver him, for he delights in him.”
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Matthew 27:41
New Testament
39 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross!” 41 In the same way even the chief priests—together with the experts in the law and elders—were mocking him: 42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down now from the cross, we will believe in him! 43 He trusts in God—let God, if he wants to, deliver him now because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’!” 44 The robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.
Date: 70-90 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The study of the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament continues to be a work in progress. The book of Psalms is quoted many times in the New Testament, and a few special verses from the Psalms come in for repeated use in both the New Testament in general and Hebrews in particular ... Psalm 22:8 - Matthew 27:43, chief priest questions Jesus, who said 'I am Son' ..."
Witherington, Ben
Letters and Homilies for Jewish Christians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Hebrews, James and Jude
(p. 110) InterVarsity Press, 2010
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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