Targum Psalm 118:22

Targum

22 The child the builders abandoned was among the sons of Jesse; and he was worthy to be appointed king and ruler. 23 “This has come from the presence of the Lord,” said the builders; “it is wonderful before us,” said the sons of Jesse. 24 “This day the Lord has made,” said the builders; “let us rejoice and be glad in it,” said the sons of Jesse. 25 “If it please you, O Lord, redeem us now,” said the builders; “if it please you, O Lord, prosper us now,” said Jesse and his wife. 26 “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the word of the Lord,” said the builders; “they will bless you from the sanctuary of the Lord,” said David. 27 “God, the Lord, has given us light,” said the tribes of the house of Judah; “bind the child for a festal sacrifice with chains until you sacrifice him, and sprinkle his blood on the horns of the altar,” said Samuel the prophet. 28 “You are my God, and I will give thanks in your presence; my God, I will praise you,” said David.

Mark 11:9

New Testament

5 Some people standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve since it was already late.

 Notes and References

"... The appeal of the crowd to Psalm 118:25-26 during Jesus' entrance into the city of Jerusalem, on his way to the temple precincts (Mark 11:9-10), and Jesus' appeal to Psalm 118:22-23 at the conclusion of his parable of the Wicked Vineyard Tenants (Mark 12:10-11) almost certainly reflect Psalm 118:19-27 in the Aramaic. In the Targum this part of the psalm recounts the story of David's initial rejection and later acceptance by Samuel the priest and his colleagues (compare verses 22, 28: 'the boy that the builders abandoned was among the sons of Jesse; and he was worthy to be appointed king and ruler ... I will praise you,' said David'). The Davidic orientation of this psalm not only explains why Psalm 118:22-23 was chosen as the scriptural conclusion to a parable about a rejected son; it also clarifies the language of the crowd, which shouted, 'Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!' (Mark 11:10). There is no reference to David in the Hebrew or in the Greek; it is only in the Aramaic ..."

Evans, Craig A. Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies: A Guide to the Background Literature (p. 213) Hendrickson Publishers, 2005

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