Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Matthew 27:9 - 27:9
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
9. τὸ ῥηθὲν κ.τ.λ. The citation is from Zec 11:12, but neither the Hebrew nor the LXX. version is followed exactly. The Hebrew literally translated is: “And Jehovah said to me, ‘Cast it into the treasury;’ a goodly price that I was prised at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the treasury in the house of Jehovah.” Zechariah, under the image of a shepherd, refuses any longer to lead the disobedient and divided flock, and asks for the price of his hire, which he then casts into the treasury. The discrepancy is probably due to the citation being made from memory. The ascription of the words to Jeremiah instead of to Zechariah may be assigned (1) to the same cause, or (2) explained, with Lightfoot (Hor. Hebr. ad loc.), by supposing that Jeremiah, who begins the Book of the Prophets according to one tradition, is intended to indicate the whole of that division of the Scriptures (see note ch. Mat 16:14). Two other conjectures have been made: (3) That chs. 9, 10 and 11 of Zechariah in the present Canon are the work of Jeremiah. (4) That in the original text the words διὰ τοῦ προφήτου stood alone and the name was added by an early copyist. The fact that St Matthew not unfrequently quotes in this manner without naming the book from which the citation is made is in favour of the conjecture. See chs. Mat 1:22, Mat 2:5, Mat 13:35, and Mat 21:4 (Horne’s Introd., P. I. ch. 9, § 1.)