“You are witnesses
Of these things.”
ὑμεῖς μάρτυρες τούτων.
Only Luke uniquely indicated that Jesus said that they were to be witnesses of these things (ὑμεῖς μάρτυρες τούτων). They were to testify and lay down their lives as a witness or martyr for the teachings of Jesus Christ. This was a big demand with a lot of responsibility. Are you willing to be a witness for Jesus?
“They said.
‘We heard him say.
‘I will destroy
This Temple
That is made
With human hands.
Then in three days,
I will build another,
Not made
With human hands.’”
ὅτι Ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ὅτι Ἐγὼ καταλύσω τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον τὸν χειροποίητον καὶ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἄλλον ἀχειροποίητον οἰκοδομήσω.
This is similar to Matthew, chapter 26:60-61, who said that at last 2 witnesses came forward to speak out. There was nothing like this in Luke, chapter 22, and John, chapter 18. Mark indicated that someone said that they had heard this man saying (ὅτι Ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος) that he was going to destroy this Temple made by human hands (ὅτι Ἐγὼ καταλύσω τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον τὸν χειροποίητον). Matthew had called it the Temple of God (τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ). Then Jesus said that he would build another Temple in three days (καὶ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἄλλον οἰκοδομήσω) without human hands (ἀχειροποίητον). There was no indication of when these witnesses said that Jesus had uttered these words.
“Many gave
False testimony
Against Jesus.
Their testimony
Did not agree.
Some stood up.
They gave
False testimony
Against Jesus.”
πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐψευδομαρτύρουν κατ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἴσαι αἱ μαρτυρίαι οὐκ ἦσαν.
καί τινες ἀναστάντες ἐψευδομαρτύρουν κατ’ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες
This is almost word for word in Matthew, chapter 14:60. However, this emphasis on witnesses and testimony was not in Luke, chapter 22, and John, chapter 18. Mark said that many people gave false testimony against Jesus (πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐψευδομαρτύρουν κατ’ αὐτοῦ). Their testimonies did not agree (καὶ ἴσαι αἱ μαρτυρίαι οὐκ ἦσαν). Some people stood up (καί τινες ἀναστάντες) and gave these false testimonies against Jesus (ἐψευδομαρτύρουν κατ’ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες). There is almost a redundancy in these remarks. According to Jewish law in Deuteronomy, chapters 17:6 and 19:15, it took 2 witnesses to convict anyone. This gathering sounds more like a trial than an informal meeting. Not only were they seeking pseudo or false witnesses, the whole council meeting may have been illegal, since they were not allowed to meet during the festivals, including Passover. This council included the elders or presbyters and the Scribes of Jerusalem, along with the priests and the high priests. However, the dreaded Pharisees and Sadducees were not part of this council meeting.
“Now the chief priests
And the whole council
Were looking
For testimony
Against Jesus
To put him
To death.
However,
They found none.”
Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ὅλον τὸ συνέδριον ἐζήτουν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαρτυρίαν εἰς τὸ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν, καὶ οὐχ ηὕρισκον·
This is almost word for word in Matthew, chapter 26:59-60. However, this looking for testimony was not in Luke, chapter 22, and John, chapter 18. Mark said that the chief priests (Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς) with the whole council (καὶ ὅλον τὸ συνέδριον) sought false testimony against Jesus (ἐζήτουν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ). They did this, so that they might put him to death (εἰς τὸ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν). However, they could not find any witnesses (καὶ οὐχ ηὕρισκον).
“Then the high priest
Tore his clothes.
He said.
‘He has blasphemed!
Why do we still
Need witnesses?
You have now heard
His blasphemy.’”
τότε ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ λέγων Ἐβλασφήμησεν· τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων; ἴδε νῦν ἠκούσατε τὴν βλασφημίαν·
This is almost word for word in Mark, chapter 14:63. In Luke, chapter 22:71, there is something similar, but there is nothing like this in John, chapter 18. Matthew said that the high priest tore his clothes
(τότε ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ), a sign of mourning. Caiaphas said that Jesus had blasphemed (λέγων Ἐβλασφήμησεν) by calling himself the Messiah Christ. The high priest asked why did they still need any witnesses (τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων)? The had all heard his blasphemy (ἴδε νῦν ἠκούσατε τὴν βλασφημίαν). Technically, it might not have been a blasphemy, since someone had to utter the divine name or profane sacred things, but it was close enough.
“But if you are not listened to,
Take one
Or two others
Along with you.
Thus,
Every word may be confirmed
By the evidence
Of two
Or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen
To them,
Tell it to the church.
If he refuses
To listen even to the church,
Let him be to you
As a gentile
And a tax collector.”
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃ, παράλαβε μετὰ σοῦ ἔτι ἕνα ἢ δύο, ἵνα ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων ἢ τριῶν σταθῇ πᾶν ῥῆμα·
ἐὰν δὲ παρακούσῃ αὐτῶν, εἰπὸν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας παρακούσῃ, ἔστω σοι ὥσπερ ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης.
This saying about the brother who would not listen to reprimands is unique to Matthew. This exchange seems to imply a solid structure with specific rules and regulations, not a band of itinerant healing preachers. If you were not successful with reprimanding your brother, because he would not listen to you (ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃ), you were to take one or two others with you (παράλαβε μετὰ σοῦ ἔτι ἕνα ἢ δύο). This is almost like a Jewish religious court case based on Deuteronomy, chapter 19:15, where a single witness would not be enough to convict a person of any crime or wrong-doing. They needed the evidence of two or three witnesses, since one person was not sufficient enough to convict anyone of any crime. There had to be at least 2 or 3 witnesses to sustain a charge. Thus, the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses might strengthen or confirm every word (ἵνα ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων ἢ τριῶν σταθῇ πᾶν ῥῆμα). If your brother still refused to listen to them (ἐὰν δὲ παρακούσῃ αὐτῶν), then you should bring him to the church or the congregation (εἰπὸν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ). Along with chapter 16:18, where Peter was the rock of the new church, this indicates a church structure at the time that Matthew was writing this gospel. If your brother still refused to listen to the church congregation (ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας παρακούσῃ), he should become like a gentile or a tax collector (ἔστω σοι ὥσπερ ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης), an outcast from the community. This indicates that the disciples of Jesus still thought like Jewish people with no room for gentiles and foreign Roman tax collectors.
“See!
The siege ramps
Have been cast up
Against the city
To take it.
The city is faced
With sword,
With famine,
With pestilence.
The city has been
Given into the hands
Of the Chaldeans
Who are fighting against it.
What you spoke
Has happened.
As you yourself can see.
Yet you!
O Lord God!
You have said to me.
‘Buy the field
For money!
Get witnesses!’
Even though the city has been
Given into the hands
Of the Chaldeans.’”
The prayer of Jeremiah continued as he came to the present day situation of the attack by the Chaldeans, a Semitic people from the southeastern section of Babylon on the Euphrates River. The siege ramps were already in place against Jerusalem. The Chaldeans had come to take this city by sword, famine, or pestilence. What Yahweh had predicted, has happened. The Chaldeans have already taken over this city, as anyone can see with their own eyes. Yahweh had told Jeremiah to buy a field with money and witnesses, even though the city was in the hands of the Chaldeans. This purchase was a sign of hope for the future.
“I gave the deed of purchase
To Baruch,
The son of Neriah,
The son of Mahseiah.
This was done
In the presence
Of my cousin Hanamel,
As well as in the presence
Of the witnesses who signed
The deed of purchase.
This was also done
In the presence
Of all the Judeans
Who were sitting
In the court of the guard.”
Jeremiah gave the deed to Baruch, a disciple and friend of Jeremiah. Baruch also was his secretary or scribe who may have written down most of the oracles of Jeremiah. He has been considered the writer of the Book of Baruch, one of the lesser prophets. Baruch was the son of Neriah, whose father was Mahseiah. Somehow he had some relationship with the reigning King Zedekiah of Judah. Watching Jeremiah hand over the deed was his cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed, and all those other people of Judah who were sitting near the royal prison, where Jeremiah was being held.
“I bought the field
At Anathoth
From my cousin Hanamel.
I weighed out
The money to him,
Seventeen shekels of silver.
I signed the deed.
I sealed it.
I got witnesses.
I weighed the money on scales.
Then I took
The sealed deed of purchase,
That contained the terms
With the conditions,
As well as the open copy.”
This is a very unusual section that contains explicit first person details of this property field sale. However, there is no indication of the exact size of this field. Nowhere else in the biblical works is there such a specific indication of how financial transactions took place. First, Jeremiah bought the land. Most times, there would be no more details other than that. However, here Jeremiah next weighs out the money, 17 silver shekels, which was not a lot of money, about a couple of hundred USA dollars. Where he got the money is not indicated here. Then he signed the deed, probably on papyrus, sealed it, and had witnesses also sign it. There must have been some kind of official seal used here, but we do not know what kind. Finally there seems to be 2 copies of this transaction. The sealed deed contained all the terms and conditions of the sale, while the open copy or city file copy might just have the statement that the sale was made, much like current open records in USA, which generally adds the dollar amount of the sale. Thus these transactions were stored or kept in jars of some kind.
“Bring forth the people
Who are blind,
Yet have eyes!
Bring forth the people
Who are deaf,
Yet have ears!
Let all the nations gather together!
Let the people assemble!
Who among them can declare this?
Who has foretold to us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses
To justify them!
Let them hear!
Let them say!
‘It is true.’”
Yahweh wanted them to bring out the blind and the deaf who had eyes and ears. He wanted all the nations and people of the earth together in his universal outreach. Was there anyone who had foretold what was to happen in the past? Were there any witnesses to justify that it was true? Let them come forward!
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 