Matthew 7:29

Matthew 7:29 is the twenty-ninth (and the last) verse in the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It ends a two verse conclusion following the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 7:29
← 7:28
8:1 →
"Christ preaching to the Multitude" by Heinrich Hofmann.
BookGospel of Matthew
Christian Bible partNew Testament

Content

In the Westcott-Hort edition of the original Greek, this verse reads:

ην γαρ διδασκων αυτους ως εξουσιαν
εχων και ουχ ως οι γραμματεις αυτων

In the King James Version of the Bible, the text reads:

For he taught them as one having
authority, and not as the scribes.

The English Standard Version translates the passage as:

for he was teaching them as one who
had authority, and not as their scribes.

For a collection of other versions see BibleHub Matthew 7:29.

Analysis

In the previous verse, the crowd of onlookers were described as astonished at Jesus' sayings (Greek: τους λογους τουτους, tous logous toutous) which complete Matthew's narrative known as the "Sermon on the Mount", and this verse explains why. The final phrase is a verbatim copy of Mark 1:22, set in a very different context. Mark's Gospel simply asserts Jesus' authority; Matthew uses it as a concluding argument after presenting the Sermon on the Mount as evidence.[1]

In some translations this verse refers to their scribes.[2] Ulrich Luz suggests that this is a clear indicator that Jesus' followers saw themselves as separate from the mainstream Jewish community at the time this gospel was written.[3] Scribes refers to the trained rabbis who would quote scribal authorities, and makes clear that Jesus is greater than the most important rabbi.[4] A sermon by the rabbis would have been replete with references to scripture to validate each teaching. The contrast presented by Matthew is that Jesus speaks based on his own authority, not that of past figures.[5]

A few authorities add "... and the Pharisees" (e.g. Wycliffe's Bible, the Vulgate Latin, the Syriac, the Persic versions, and the Hebrew edition of Matthew by Munster).[6] The Pulpit Commentary suggests that this "may either be derived from Luke 5:30 or be an independent gloss due to the fact that the Pharisees were looked upon as the typical Jewish teachers".[7]

References
  1. Schweizer, Eduard, The Good News According to Matthew. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975 pg. 192
  2. αὐτῶν (autōn), meaning "their", is missing in the Textus Receptus
  3. Luz, Ulrich. Matthew 1-7: A Continental Commentary, 1992. pg. 455
  4. Gundry, Robert H. Matthew: a Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982. pg 182
  5. William David Davies; Dale C. Allison (Jr.) (1988). Matthew. Clark. p. 723.
  6. Gill's Exposition on Matthew 7, accessed 20 December 2016
  7. Pulpit Commentary on Matthew 7, accessed 20 December 2016
Preceded by
Matthew 7:28		 Gospel of Matthew
Chapter 7		 Succeeded by
Matthew 8:1
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