Matthew 24:01-15 Jesus Makes a Poem about False Prophets

In Matthew 24:1-15 Jesus makes a poem using two main wordplays that connect in the words “false prophets.” Two other wordplays also appear as part of the poem.

“Buildings” בניני
“Stone” אבנ
“Prophets” נביאי
“Prophet” נביא
“Understand” יבין

“Will Rise Up” ויקום
“Earthquake” במקומות
“Suffering” המכאובות
“False” ויקומו
“Place” במקום

“The Many” הרבים את
“Multiplies” תרבה
“Love of Many” רבים אהבת

“Wickedness” הרשעות
“Saved” יושע

24:1 Jesus left the temple, and was going away when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings {“Buildings” (בניני)} of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these things, do you not? Truly, I say to you, not one stone {“Stone” (אבנ)} here can be left upon another, that will not be thrown down.” 3 Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed; for these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise {“Will Rise Up” (ויקום)} against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes {“Earthquake” (במקומות)} in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains {“Suffering” (המכאובות)}. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away, and will betray one another, and hate one another. 11 And many false {“False” (ויקומו)} prophets {“Prophets” (נביאי)} will rise up and deceive many {“The Many” (הרבים את)}. 12 And because wickedness {“Wickedness” (הרשעות)} will increase {“Multiplies” (תרבה)}, the love of most {“Love of Many” (רבים אהבת)} will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end will be saved {“Saved” (יושע)}. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 15 “So when you see standing in the holy place {“Place” (במקום)} ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet {“Prophet” (נביא)} Daniel (let the reader understand {“Understand” (יבין)}).

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

http://youtu.be/m2qh1lbMy-c

Matthew 23:29-39 Jesus Makes a Poem about the Prophets

In Matthew 23:29-39, Jesus makes a Hebrew poem using the words “You Build” (שתבנו), “Prophets” (נביאים), “Sons” (שבנים), “Stone” (אבנ). These words are used in the gospel of Matthew in ten different poems including The Dialogue of John the Baptist, The Temptation, The Sermon on the Mount, The Confession of Peter, The Olivet Discourse, Crucifixion and Resurrection. The poems using these words appear throughout Matthew linking both narrative and sayings into a unified text built on a central poetic theme.
“You Build” שתבנו
“Prophets” נביאים
“Sons” שבנים
“Prophets” נביאים
“Prophets” נביאים
“Prophets” נביאים
“Stone” אבנ
“Sons” בניך

Matthew 23:29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build {“You Build” (שתבנו)} the tombs of the prophets {“Prophets” (נביאים)} and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets {“Prophets” (נביאים)}.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons {“Sons” (שבנים)} of those who murdered the prophets {“Prophets” (נביאים)}. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents! You brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets {“Prophets” (נביאים)} and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets {“Prophets” (נביאים)} and stone {“Stone” (אבנ)} those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children {“Sons” (בניך)} together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will never see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

Matthew 23:27-28 Jesus Makes a Poem about Filthy Hypocrites

In Matthew 23:27-28 Jesus creates a poem out of two wordplays.

“Hypocrites” החנפים
“Filthy” מטונפים

“Sepulcher” קבר
“Within” קרב

Matthew 23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites {“Hypocrites” (החנפים)}! For you are like whitewashed tombs {“Sepulcher” (קבר)} which outwardly appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness {“Filthy” (מטונפים)}. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside {“Within” (קרב)} you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Matthew 21:33-45 Jesus Makes a Marvelous Poem

In Matthew 21:33-45, Jesus makes an incredibly complex poem using six interwoven wordplays. This parable is one of the most poetically complex passages in the gospel of Matthew and is on a par with the Sermon on the Mount, the Olivet Discourse, and the Passion.

33 “Built” ויבן
35 “Stone” אבן
37 “Son” בנו
37 “Son” בנו
38 “Son” בנו
42 “Stone” אבן
42 “Builders” הבונים
42 “In Our Eyes” בעינינו
44 “Stone” אבן
46 “Prophet” נביא

43 “Bearing Fruit” פרי עשו
45 “Pharisees” פרושים

37 “Honor” יראו
38 “Saw” ויראו
46 “Feared” ויראו

43 “Kingdom” מלכות
43 “Off you” מעליכם

41 “Wicked” הרעים
41 “Misery” ברעה

42 “Corner or Pinnacle” פנה
42 “Marvel” נפלאת
44 “Falling” והנופל
44 “Falls” יפול

Matthew 21:33 “Hear another parable: there was a landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it and built {“Built” (ויבן)} a tower. And he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country. 34 When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned {“Stone” (אבן)} another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did the same to them. 37 Last of all, he sent his son {“Son” (בנו)} to them saying, ‘They will respect {“Honor” (יראו)} my son {“Son” (בנו)},’ 38 But when the tenants saw {“Saw” (ויראו)} the son {“Son” (בנו)}, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches {“Wicked” (הרעים)} to a miserable {“Misery” (ברעה)} death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone {“Stone” (אבן)} which the builders {“Builders” (הבונים)} rejected
has become the chief cornerstone {“Corner or Pinnacle” (פנה)}.
This was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous {“Marvel” (נפלאת)} in our eyes’ {“In Our Eyes” (בעינינו)}?
43 “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom {“Kingdom” (מלכות)} of God will be taken away from you {“Off you” (מעליכם)} and given to a nation bearing the fruits {“Bearing Fruit” (פרי עשו)} of it. 44 [And he who falls {“Falling” (והנופל)} on this stone {“Stone” (אבן)} will be broken to pieces. But on whomever it falls {“Falls” (יפול)}, it will crush him.]”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees {“Pharisees” (פרושים)} heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 But when they tried to arrest him, they feared {“Feared” (ויראו)} the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet {“Prophet” (נביא)}.

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Matthew 18:08-09 Jesus Makes a Poem about the Causes of Sin

In Matthew 18:08-09, Jesus makes a poem using wordplay with the terms “Offend” and “Dispose.”


“Offend or Stumble” תכשילך
“Dispose” ותשליכה

Matthew 18:8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin {“Offend or Stumble” (תכשילך)}, cut it off and throw {“Dispose” (ותשליכה)} it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin {“Offend or Stumble” (תכשילך)}, pluck it out and throw {“Dispose” (ותשליכה)} it away.

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Matthew 11:07-12 Jesus Makes a Poem about Kings

In Matthew 11:07-12, Jesus creates a poem with two wordplays.
The first wordplay involves the terms “Cast About,” “King,” “Messenger,” and “Kingdom.” This wordplay symbolizes the contrast between kings and John the Baptist – the messenger. The terms “King” and “Messenger” are spelled similarly, however, Jesus emphasizes that even though they are spelled similarly the “Messenger” of the kingdom of Heaven is greater than an earthly “King.”
The second wordplay involves the terms “Noble” and “Greater.” This wordplay emphasizes that John is greater than those who wear noble clothes.

“Cast About” (מושלכת)
“King” (המלכים)
“Messenger” (מלאכי)
“Kingdom” (מלכות)

“Noble” (בגדים)
“Greater” (גדול)

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken {“Cast About” (מושלכת)} by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man in dainty {“Noble” (בגדים)} clothes? Indeed, those who wear dainty clothes are in kings’ {“King” (המלכים)} houses. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more {“Greater” (גדול)} than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written:
‘Behold, I send my messenger {“Messenger” (מלאכי)} before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater {“Greater” (גדול)} than John the Baptist. Yet he who is least in the kingdom {“Kingdom” (מלכות)} of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom {“Kingdom” (מלכות)} of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force.
J. Clontz – The Comprehensive New Testament