In Matthew 27:9-10, Who Was Matthew Quoting?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesA querist asks, “In Matthew 27:9-10, we read a quote supposedly from Jeremiah, but the quote isn’t from Jeremiah, but from Zechariah 11:12-13. Why is this quote taken from Jeremiah, when he didn’t say these words? Didn’t Matthew know the right source?”
In Matthew 27:9-10-NKJV, the text reads:
“Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, “and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.“
In Zechariah 11:12-13-NKJV, the text reads:
“Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter” – that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter.”
The following are plausible explanations in resolving this difficulty:
1) In his commentary, “The Gospel According To Matthew” published by the Gospel Advocate Company, 1936, pg. 528, Brother H. Leo Boles gives us one explanation:
“The names may have been mistaken in transcribing as they are sometimes written in a contracted form “” “Iriou” for Jeremiah, and “Zriou” for Zechariah; in this form it would be only the mistake of one letter and could easily be made by one in transcribing.”
2) Brother Burton Coffman in his commentary on Matthew 27:9-10, gives us another explanation:
“Jeremiah was the name of a larger grouping of the Hebrew Scriptures which contained both Jeremiah and Zechariah, along with other books including all the minor prophets. Thus, Matthew is guilty of no error in the use of the term “Jeremiah.” An equivalent case today would be a quotation credited to “Romans” or to the “New Testament.” Some commentators believe that Matthew quoted from some of the traditional sayings of Jeremiah, since it is not said that Jeremiah wrote the saying but that he spoke it. The quotation, exhibiting several variations from the words in Zechariah, may then be understood either as an exact quotation from Jeremiah, now lost, or a paraphrase of Zechariah.”
3) Brother Dave Miller and Brother Eric Lyons of Apologetics Press, give other plausible explanations in their article entitled: