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The Enigma of the Antitheses

Publication ,  Journal Article
Marcus, J
Published in: New Testament Studies
April 1, 2023

While it is easy to interpret the first and second of the Matthean Antitheses (5.21-30) as intensifications of the Mosaic law, it is difficult to interpret the remaining Antitheses (5.31-48) in this manner. In the history of interpretation, two main strategies have been adopted for dealing with these later Antitheses, the 'rejected interpretation' hypothesis and the revocation hypothesis. The 'rejected interpretation' hypothesis, however, is only plausible for the last Antithesis (5.43-8), which appends 'and hate your enemy' to the Levitical exhortation to love one's neighbour; in all other instances, the 'thesis' statement is either a biblical citation or a close paraphrase of one or more biblical passages. Although the revocation hypothesis has often been deployed in an anti-Jewish way, there is nothing intrinsically anti-Jewish about it; indeed, both biblical authors, such as the Deuteronomist and Ezekiel, on the one hand, and some rabbis, on the other, explicitly revise prior biblical laws while at the same time claiming to be changing nothing. Matthew does something similar when he introduces the revisionist Antitheses with a programmatic statement about the unchangeableness of the Law (5.17-20). The Matthean Jesus, then, is not 'seconding Sinai' but correcting it.

Duke Scholars

Published In

New Testament Studies

DOI

ISSN

0028-6885

Publication Date

April 1, 2023

Volume

69

Issue

2

Start / End Page

121 / 137

Related Subject Headings

  • Religions & Theology
  • 5005 Theology
  • 5004 Religious studies
  • 4303 Historical studies
  • 2204 Religion and Religious Studies
  • 2103 Historical Studies
 

Citation

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MLA
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Marcus, J. (2023). The Enigma of the Antitheses. New Testament Studies, 69(2), 121–137. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0028688522000352
Marcus, J. “The Enigma of the Antitheses.” New Testament Studies 69, no. 2 (April 1, 2023): 121–37. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0028688522000352.
Marcus J. The Enigma of the Antitheses. New Testament Studies. 2023 Apr 1;69(2):121–37.
Marcus, J. “The Enigma of the Antitheses.” New Testament Studies, vol. 69, no. 2, Apr. 2023, pp. 121–37. Scopus, doi:10.1017/S0028688522000352.
Marcus J. The Enigma of the Antitheses. New Testament Studies. 2023 Apr 1;69(2):121–137.
Journal cover image

Published In

New Testament Studies

DOI

ISSN

0028-6885

Publication Date

April 1, 2023

Volume

69

Issue

2

Start / End Page

121 / 137

Related Subject Headings

  • Religions & Theology
  • 5005 Theology
  • 5004 Religious studies
  • 4303 Historical studies
  • 2204 Religion and Religious Studies
  • 2103 Historical Studies