Every document today has documents preceding it which is most often referred to as authority or the standard to clarify, buttress, support and emphasis points or issues. The New Testament is no exception to this. The Old Testament and its events preceded the New Testament, so the writers of the New Testament often quoted from and alluded to the Old Testament documents to support and clarify their claims and points. They also quoted and alluded to the Old Testament to explain the circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ and show the fulfillment of the prophecies about Christ.
This paper seeks to examine Matthew’s understanding and typological appropriation of Jeremiah 31:15 as he referred to the passage in his writing in Matthew 2:18. The Old Testament text which Matthew quoted from is presented through a comparative analysis of the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Septuagint (LXX). The principle which Matthew used in quoting Jeremiah 31:15 and appropriated it to Matthew 2:18 are also presented and how this principle can influence contemporary interpreters in the area of interpretation and explaining the relationship between the two testaments.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE CONTEXT OF MATTHEW 2:18
3. THE CONTEXT OF JEREMIAH 31:15
4. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF JEREMIAH 31:15 AND MATTHEW 2:18
5. MATTHEW’S TYPOLOGICAL APPROPRIATION
6. Contemporary relevance
7. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper aims to investigate the theological understanding and typological appropriation of Jeremiah 31:15 as cited in Matthew 2:18. By performing a rigorous comparative analysis of the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint, the research seeks to uncover how the author of the Gospel of Matthew links Old Testament prophecy to the life of Christ, thereby providing a hermeneutical framework for interpreting the relationship between the two testaments.
- Comparative textual analysis of Jeremiah 31:15 in MT and LXX.
- Examination of Matthew's typological method and intent.
- The historical and theological contexts of both the original prophecy and the birth of Jesus.
- Application of typological appropriation to contemporary biblical hermeneutics.
Excerpt from the Book
MATTHEW’S TYPOLOGICAL APPROPRIATION
Raymond Brown sees the notion of Sensus Plenoir as closely related to typology, but did not see typology as an exegetical method of scripture where the grammatical-historical method can be used to ascertain the meaning of scripture. To him, he believes “typology amounts to a perspective on history.”20 Typology is a concept derived from the Greek word typos meaning “prefiguration, model, impression, copy, foreshadowing.”21 Basing from the meaning of typos out of which the concept of typology is derived, typology then refers to “events, institutions, or people that foreshadow future things. The earlier thing is called the ‘type’ and the correspondingly later thing, the ‘antitype.’”22
The events surrounding Matthew’s quotation can be said to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah. The events are parallel to each other. Keil and Delitzsch are of the view that “typology rather assumes a casual connection between the two events. The destruction of the people of Israel by the Assyrians and the Chaldeans is a type of the massacre of the infants at Bethlehem…”23 in the context of Jeremiah, the children of Israel suffered at the hands of non-Jews while in the context of Matthew, again the children of Israel suffered at the hands of non-Jews. Harrison observed that Matthew quoted the words of Jeremiah “not as a prophecy but as a type, in connection with the killing of the infants by King Herod.”24 It is possible that Matthew’s choice of Jer. 31:15 was influence by the “later tradition of Rachel’s burial near Bethlehem… but as the text explicitly locates Rachel’s weeping at Ramah; this is certainly not the point.”25 The relevance of Matthew’s quotation of Jer. 31:15 as the type of the result of Herod’s action is not in Rachel or in Ramah, but “lies in the perception of God’s working through disaster to blessing, through death to life … (i.e.) bereavement as a prelude to blessing.”26
Chapter Summaries
INTRODUCTION: Outlines the reliance of New Testament writers on Old Testament precedents and sets the objective to examine Matthew’s use of Jeremiah 31:15.
THE CONTEXT OF MATTHEW 2:18: Details the historical setting of Jesus’ birth under King Herod and the subsequent massacre of infants that prompted Matthew to recall the prophecy.
THE CONTEXT OF JEREMIAH 31:15: Explores the original lamentation regarding the exile of Israel and the figurative representation of Rachel weeping for her children.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF JEREMIAH 31:15 AND MATTHEW 2:18: Provides a technical examination of the linguistic differences and similarities between the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the New Testament quotation.
MATTHEW’S TYPOLOGICAL APPROPRIATION: Discusses the theological definition of typology and how Matthew frames the events in Bethlehem as an antitype of the sorrow experienced in Ramah.
Contemporary relevance: Argues for the continued importance of Matthew’s interpretive principles for modern biblical scholars.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings and reinforces the view that the events in Matthew 2:18 serve as a typological fulfillment of the ancient prophetic sorrow.
Keywords
Typology, Matthew 2:18, Jeremiah 31:15, Rachel, Ramah, Antitype, Old Testament, New Testament, Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Biblical Hermeneutics, Exegesis, Fulfillment, Herod, Prophecy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The paper examines how the author of the Gospel of Matthew utilizes the Old Testament prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15 within the narrative of the massacre of infants in Matthew 2:18.
What are the core thematic areas?
Key themes include typological appropriation, the historical context of the Babylonian exile vs. the reign of Herod, and comparative linguistic analysis of ancient texts.
What is the research goal?
The objective is to demonstrate that Matthew utilized a specific typological method to connect the sorrows of ancient Israel with the circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ.
Which methodologies are employed?
The author uses a comparative linguistic analysis between the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Septuagint (LXX), combined with a theological investigation of typological hermeneutics.
What does the main body address?
It covers the textual backgrounds of both the prophecy and its fulfillment, and provides a detailed breakdown of word usage, tenses, and verb voices in the original languages.
Which keywords define the study?
The study is characterized by terms such as typology, antitype, hermeneutics, exegesis, and specific textual critical terms relating to the MT and LXX.
How does the author interpret the term 'typology' in this context?
The author defines it based on the Greek word 'typos', viewing it as a prefiguration where events, institutions, or people from the past foreshadow future realities.
Why is the linguistic comparison between the NT, MT, and LXX significant?
It allows the author to determine that Matthew likely drew closer to the Masoretic Text in his quotation than to the Septuagint, despite certain nuances in translation.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the contemporary relevance of this study?
The author concludes that modern interpreters should replicate Matthew’s approach, as it helps in understanding biblical events as having a unified theological goal across different historical contexts.
What is the symbolic connection made regarding Rachel?
Rachel is portrayed as a representative figure of maternal love whose sorrow in Ramah finds a new, full potential in the suffering of the mothers in Bethlehem.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Longji Ayuba Dachal (Autor:in), 2011, References to the Old Testament. Matthew's typological appropriation of Jeremiah, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/385086
