This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. The Obedient Son: Deuteronomy and Christology in the Gospel of Matthew Brandon D. Crowe Ph.D. University of Edinburgh 2010 I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis; that the following thesis is entirely my own work; and that no part of this thesis has been submitted for another degree or qualification. Brandon D. Crowe ii The Obedient Son: Deuteronomy and Christology in the Gospel of Matthew Abstract This study argues that sonship and obedience are prominent and related themes in the Gospel of Matthew, and the Evangelist’s christological articulation of obedient sonship is drawn from the calling of Israel to be Yahweh’s obedient son in Deuteronomy. Thus, it is argued that a consideration of Israel’s scriptural traditions is necessary to understand most fully Matthew’s teaching of the sonship of Jesus. Chapter 1 explores Matthew’s use of the OT and, building on the work of Richard Hays, outlines a method for identifying subtle intertextual allusions, and suggests a composition criticism approach to Matthew that focuses on the gospel as a literary and redactional whole. Chapter 2 seeks to establish the historical plausibility for the claim that Matthew was heavily indebted to Deuteronomy by tracing the circulation and use of Deuteronomy in general in ancient Jewish and Christian literature. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a foundation for the claim that Deuteronomy would likely have been an important text for Matthew. Chapter 3 then focuses on Deuteronomy, tracing the covenantal context for the themes of sonship and obedience. It is argued that the sonship of Israel is a key motif in Deuteronomy, and this sonship was predicated on obedience. Key texts include Deut 1; 8; 14; 21; 32, and the themes of love, election, and inheritance are also considered. Chapter 4 traces the influence of Deuteronomy under the specific rubric of obedient sonship through ancient Jewish and Christian literature, including texts which Matthew may have known. Here it is argued that obedient sonship, in association with Deuteronomic themes, is prominent in a wide range of texts. Chapters 5–7 focus specifically on Matthew. It is argued in chapter 5 that the Temptation Narrative (Matt 4.1–11), the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5–7), and the accusation that Jesus was a glutton and a drunkard (Matt 11.16–19) all demonstrate rather strong resonances with Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic call to obedient sonship. Chapter 6 proposes two significant possibilities: that the baptism of Jesus (Matt 3.13–17) and the Transfiguration (Matt 17.1–21) may also be influenced by the Deuteronomic perspective on sonship. Finally, chapter 7 suggests three additional clusters of texts that may also indicate Deuteronomy’s filial influence on Matthew: Matt 1.20; 12.46–50; 21.28–22.14. Chapter 8 offers a conclusion and synthesis, arguing that chapters 1–4 provide the foundation for the claims in chapters 5–7. It is concluded that the Deuteronomic teaching of obedient sonship was quite pervasive in the ancient world, and there is an historically plausible case to be made that Matthew was influenced by this tradition. However, it is also argued that Matthew has appropriated the Deuteronomic concept of obedient sonship in unique ways, applying it messianically to the person of Jesus as the New Israel, and consequently also to the disciples of Jesus, who are able to be a part of God’s family through Jesus, the preeminently obedient son. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements....................................................................................................xi Abbreviations............................................................................................................xii Introduction ................................................................................................................1 Chapter One: Methodology and Approach .............................................................6 1.1 Matthew and the OT............................................................................................6 1.1.1 Explicit OT Citations ....................................................................................11 1.1.2 Implicit OT Citations ....................................................................................12 1.1.3 OT Allusions .................................................................................................13 1.1.4 Richard Hays on Echoes ...............................................................................15 1.1.5 Developments of Hays’s Criteria..................................................................19 1.1.5.1 General NT Literature ............................................................................19 1.1.5.2 Synoptic Gospels....................................................................................20 1.2 Approach.............................................................................................................25 1.2.1 On Citations and Allusions ...........................................................................25 1.2.2 Applying Hays’s Method to Matthew...........................................................26 1.2.3 Literary and Theological Relationships ........................................................27 1.2.4 Deuteronomy as an “Iceberg” .......................................................................29 1.2.5 Applying Hays’s Criteria ..............................................................................30 1.2.6 Attention to Contexts ....................................................................................31 1.2.7 Christological Focus......................................................................................34 1.2.8 On Subjectivity..............................................................................................34 1.3 Limitations and Focus........................................................................................35 1.3.1 Scope.............................................................................................................35 1.3.2 Matthew’s “Bible” ........................................................................................35 1.3.3 Synoptic Relationships..................................................................................38 iv 1.4 Summary.............................................................................................................41 Chapter Two: The Circulation and Use of Deuteronomy in Ancient Judaism and Christianity........................................................................................................42 2.1 Text of Deuteronomy .........................................................................................43 2.1.1 Greek Deuteronomy......................................................................................43 2.1.2 Qumran Biblical Manuscripts .......................................................................48 2.1.3 Miscellaneous Manuscripts...........................................................................51 2.1.4 Summary of Circulation................................................................................52 2.2 Use of Deuteronomy: Jewish Literature .........................................................53 2.2.1 Qumran Sectarian Scrolls..............................................................................53 2.2.1.1 Temple Scroll .........................................................................................55 2.2.1.2 Damascus Document..............................................................................56 2.2.1.3 Community Rule ....................................................................................59 2.2.1.4 Additional Texts.....................................................................................59 2.2.1.5 Summary: Qumran ................................................................................62 2.2.2 OT Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha..............................................................62 2.2.2.1 Tobit .......................................................................................................63 2.2.2.2 Sirach......................................................................................................65 2.2.2.3 Baruch ....................................................................................................68 2.2.2.4 2 Maccabees ...........................................................................................69 2.2.2.5 Testament of Moses ................................................................................71 2.2.2.6 Jubilees...................................................................................................72