SPECIAL TOPIC: MATTHEW 27:9

"spoken through Jeremiah the prophet" This is a direct quote from Zech. 11:12-13. Jeremiah 18:1ff; 19:1ff and 32:7-9 also speak of a potter and Jer. 32:7-9 of buying a field. This has caused commentators great problems:

1. Augustine, Beza, Luther, and Keil said Matthew quoted the name Jeremiah in error.

2. The Peshitta, a 5th century a.d. Syriac translation and the Diatessaron simply removed the prophet's name from the text.

3. Origen and Eusebius said a copyist caused the problem.

4. Jerome and Ewald said it is a quote from an apocryphal writing ascribed to Jeremiah.

5. Mede said Jeremiah wrote Zechariah 9-11.

6. Lightfoot and Scofield said Jeremiah was listed first in the Hebrew division of the canon known as "the prophets" and, therefore, his name stands for that section of the canon.

7. Hengstenberg said that Zechariah quoted Jeremiah.

8. Calvin said an error has crept into the text.

9. F. F. Bruce and a JB footnote said it was a composite quote from Zechariah and Jeremiah.

10. I like #6 the best.