“John would turn
Many of the people
Of Israel
To the Lord,
Their God.”
καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπιστρέψει ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν·
This angel, as presented by Luke, said that John would have a profound influence on the Israelites. He would turn many of sons of Israel (καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπιστρέψει) to the Lord, their God (ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν). This foreshadowed the call of John for repentance to the Israelites.
“Then was fulfilled
What had been spoken
Through the prophet Jeremiah.
‘They took
The thirty pieces of silver,
The price of the one
On whom
A price had been set,
On whom
Some of the people of Israel
Had set a price.
They gave it
For the potter’s field,
As the Lord
Commanded me.”
τότε ἐπληρώθη τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος Καὶ ἔλαβον τὰ τριάκοντα ἀργύρια, τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ τετιμημένου ὃν ἐτιμήσαντο ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ
καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτὰ εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν τοῦ κεραμέως, καθὰ συνέταξέν μοι Κύριος.
This is unique to Matthew, who said that this happened to fulfill (τότε ἐπληρώθη) what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah (τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος). Unfortunately, this is from the prophet Zechariah, chapter 11:12-13, not Jeremiah. He had said that they took 30 pieces of silver (Καὶ ἔλαβον τὰ τριάκοντα ἀργύρια). This was the specific set price (τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ τετιμημένου) that the people or sons of Israel had established (ὃν ἐτιμήσαντο ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ). They gave it for a potter’s field (καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτὰ εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν τοῦ κεραμέως) because the Lord had commanded it (καθὰ συνέταξέν μοι Κύριος). In the original text from Zechariah, he was told to throw 30 shekels of silver into the Temple treasury. Like all good prophets, Zechariah did what Yahweh asked him to do. He threw the 30 silver shekels into the treasury in the house of Yahweh. There was no mention of a potter’s field. That might be allusion to Jeremiah who visited a potter’s house in chapter 18:1-6. However, here that second verse is an addition by Matthew, not in the original Old Testament verse of Zechariah.
“‘Come to Bethel!
Transgress!
Go to Gilgal!
Multiply transgressions!
Bring your sacrifices
Every morning!
Bring your tithes
Every three days!
Bring a thank offering
Of leavened bread!
Proclaim freewill offerings!
Publish them!
You love to do this!
O people of Israel!’
Says Yahweh God.”
Amos has another oracle of Yahweh that was an ironic description of the sacrifices at Bethel and Gilgal. Yahweh wanted them to come to either Bethel or Gilgal, so that they could transgress the law of Yahweh many times. Ironically, he wanted them to bring the daily morning sacrifices and pay their tithes every 3 days. They were to bring thanksgiving offerings and proclaim freewill offerings. The people of Israel loved to do this.
“Then Yahweh
Became jealous
For his land.
He had pity
On his people.”
Yahweh then responded to the people. He was jealous for his land. He had pity on the people of Israel.
“Do not rejoice!
O Israel!
Do not exult
As other nations do!
You have played
The prostitute!
You departed from
Your God!
You have loved
A prostitute’s pay
On all the threshing floors.
Threshing floor
With wine vat
Shall not feed them.
The new wine
Shall fail them.
They shall not remain
In the land of Yahweh.
But Ephraim shall return
To Egypt.
They shall eat
Unclean food
In Assyria.”
Hosea told the people of Israel, perhaps at a harvest festival, that they would no longer rejoice and exalt like other countries. They had prostituted themselves. They had departed from their God. They had accepted the prostitute’s pay on the threshing floor. No longer would grain and wine feed them, as the new wine would fail. They were not going to remain in the land of Yahweh. They would be sent to Egypt and Assyria, where they would eat unclean food.
“Hear this!
O priests!
Give heed!
O house of Israel!
Listen!
O house of the king!
The judgment
Pertains to you.
You have been a snare
at Mizpah.
You have spread
A net
Upon Tabor.
You have dug
A deep pit
In Shittim.
But I will punish
All of them.”
Yahweh, via Hosea, spoke to all the people of Israel. He told the priests to listen. He wanted the people of Israel and the royal household to listen also. This judgement pertained to all of them. They had been a snare at Mizpah, the Transjordan city, north of Jerusalem. They had also spread their net over Tabor, Mount Tabor, where there was an idol sanctuary also. They had dug a deep pit at Shittim, where there was religious intermarriage. Yahweh was going to punish them for these anti-Yahweh activities.
“Hear the word of Yahweh!
O people of Israel!
Yahweh
Has an indictment
Against the inhabitants
Of the land.
There is no faithfulness.
There is no loyalty.
There is no knowledge
Of God
In the land.”
Hosea announced the word of Yahweh to the people of Israel. Yahweh was going to bring an indictment against all the people living in Israel. They were unfaithful and not loyal. They had no knowledge about God or their land. They were in big trouble.
“They shall eat
The grain offering,
The sin offering,
The guilt offering.
Every devoted thing
In Israel
Shall be theirs.
The first of all
The first fruits
Of all kinds
Shall belong
To the priests.
Every offering
Of all kinds,
From all your offerings,
Shall belong
To the priests.
You shall also give
To the priests
The first of your dough.
Thus,
A blessing may rest
On your house.
The priests shall not eat
Of anything,
Whether bird
Or animal,
That died of itself
Or was torn by animals.”
The Zadok Levitical priests had strict dietary habits that were very favorable to them. They were to eat all the various offerings that the people of Israel presented, the grain offerings, the sin offerings, the guilt offerings, or any devoted thing in Israel. They would also get the first fruits of all kinds, including the cooked dough. All these food items belonged to the priests. Giving them to the priests meant that your house would have a blessing. However, these priests were not allowed to eat any bird or animal that had died by itself or was mangled by another animal.
“‘I will make known
My holy name
Among my people Israel.
I will not let
My holy name
Be profaned anymore.
The nations
Shall know
That I am Yahweh,
The Holy One
In Israel.’”
There is no doubt that Yahweh, via Ezekiel, wanted to protect and make known this holy name, especially among the people of Israel, but also among the various nations. He did not want his holy name profaned anymore. In case there was any doubt, he was Yahweh, the holy one of Israel.
“‘They shall know
That I,
Yahweh,
Their God,
Am with them.
They,
The house of Israel,
Are my people.’
Says Yahweh God!”
Yahweh is very clear, via Ezekiel. The people of Israel will know that Yahweh is their God. They are his people. There is no equivocation here.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 