Curtis Mitch - The Gospel of Matthew

2010 Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri

Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakeracademic.com

Ebook edition created 2011

Ebook corrections 01.02.2014, 10.01.2018

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4412-1386-0

Nihil obstat :
William C. Beckman
Censor Librorum

Imprimatur :
Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap
Archdiocese of Denver

September 28, 2010

The nihil obstat and imprimatur are declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. There is no implication that those who have granted the nihil obstat or imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed therein.

Excerpts from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC, and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

In preparing for the international Synod of Bishops on The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church, Pope Benedict XVI reminded the Church that a prayerful study of the Scriptures is at the heart of the Churchs renewal. The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture promises to directly serve that purpose. Drawing on sound biblical scholarship, the commentaries present the reader with the rich harvest of that study, reflecting on the message of the biblical text and engaging the life of faith from a Catholic perspective.

Donald Senior, CP , president, Catholic Theological Union

I welcome with great joy the launch of this new collection of commentaries on the Bible because the project corresponds perfectly to a pressing need in the Church. I am speaking about exegetical studies that are well grounded from a scholarly point of view but not overburdened with technical details, and at the same time related to the riches of ancient interpretation, nourishing for spiritual life, and useful for catechesis, preaching, evangelization, and other forms of pastoral ministry.

Albert Cardinal Vanhoye, SJ , Pontifical Biblical Institute, former secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission

By bringing together historical background, exegetical interpretation, church tradition, theological reflection, and pastoral application, this series promises to enkindle thoughtful discussion about the implications of the New Testament for lived Christian faith in the Church today.

Katherine Hayes , Seminary of the Immaculate Conception

This series promises to be spiritually and doctrinally informative, based on careful, solid biblical exegesis. The method and content of this work will be helpful to teachers of the faith at different levels and will provide a reliable guide to people seeking to deepen their knowledge and thereby nourish their faith. I strongly recommend the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture.

Cormac Cardinal Murphy-OConnor , Archbishop of Westminster

When the Scripture is read in the liturgy, it is heard as a living voice. But when expounded in a commentary, it is too often read as a document from the past. This fine series unites the ancient and the contemporary by offering insight into the biblical textverse by verseas well as spiritual application to the lives of Christians today. I particularly like the sidebars inserted into the text called Living Tradition that feature memorable sayings from great Christian teachers or brief explanations of puzzling terms and ideas.

Robert Louis Wilken , University of Virginia

Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture

S ERIES E DITORS

Peter S. Williamson

Mary Healy

A SSOCIATE E DITOR

Kevin Perrotta

C ONSULTING E DITORS

Scott Hahn , Franciscan University of Steubenville

Daniel J. Harrington, SJ , Weston Jesuit School of Theology

William S. Kurz, SJ , Marquette University

Francis Martin , Dominican House of Studies

Frank J. Matera , Catholic University of America

George Montague, SM , St. Marys University

Terrence Prendergast, SJ , Archbishop of Ottawa

To Matthew Thomas Mitch, our fourth son.
-C. M.

To my daughter, Teresa.
-E. S.

Contents

Illustrations

Editors Preface

The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord.... All the preaching of the Church should be nourished and governed by Sacred Scripture. For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the power and goodness in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons and daughters, the food of the soul, a pure and perennial fountain of spiritual life.

Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum 21

Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?

Luke 24:32

The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture aims to serve the ministry of the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church. Since Vatican Council II, there has been an increasing hunger among Catholics to study Scripture in depth and in a way that reveals its relationship to liturgy, evangelization, catechesis, theology, and personal and communal life. This series responds to that desire by providing accessible yet substantive commentary on each book of the New Testament, drawn from the best of contemporary biblical scholarship as well as the rich treasury of the Churchs tradition. These volumes seek to offer scholarship illumined by faith, in the conviction that the ultimate aim of biblical interpretation is to discover what God has revealed and is still speaking through the sacred text. Central to our approach are the principles taught by Vatican II: first, the use of historical and literary methods to discern what the biblical authors intended to express; second, prayerful theological reflection to understand the sacred text in accord with the same Spirit by whom it was writtenthat is, in light of the content and unity of the whole Scripture, the living tradition of the Church, and the analogy of faith ( Dei Verbum 12).

The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture is written for those engaged in or training for pastoral ministry and others interested in studying Scripture to understand their faith more deeply, to nourish their spiritual life, or to share the good news with others. With this in mind, the authors focus on the meaning of the text for faith and life rather than on the technical questions that occupy scholars, and they explain the Bible in ordinary language that does not require translation for preaching and catechesis. Although this series is written from the perspective of Catholic faith, its authors draw on the interpretation of Protestant and Orthodox scholars and hope these volumes will serve Christians of other traditions as well.

A variety of features are designed to make the commentary as useful as possible. Each volume includes the biblical text of the New American Bible (NAB), the translation approved for liturgical use in the United States. In order to serve readers who use other translations, the most important differences between the NAB and other widely used translations (RSV, NRSV, JB, NJB, and NIV) are noted and explained. Each unit of the biblical text is followed by a list of references to relevant Scripture passages, Catechism sections, and uses in the Roman Lectionary. The exegesis that follows aims to explain in a clear and engaging way the meaning of the text in its original historical context as well as its perennial meaning for Christians. Reflection and Application sections help readers apply Scripture to Christian life today by responding to questions that the text raises, offering spiritual interpretations drawn from Christian tradition or providing suggestions for the use of the biblical text in catechesis, preaching, or other forms of pastoral ministry.