Again, because I expect readers with any interest in this topic to be generally familiar with the quotations, I'll place them below the analysis for the reader's convenience.
The Analysis
With a long-running series like this, a refresh on the scope can be useful: The eight non-Biblical gospels that we've surveyed, together, contain a combined total of 7 passages with quotations of Jewish Scripture. The Gospel of Mark contains 14, while the Gospel of Matthew by itself contains 39 such passages. Luke's gospel contains 17, coming in with more than the combined total of the eight non-Biblical gospels surveyed and more than Mark, but less than Matthew.
There are a number of quotations from Mark and Matthew that are not included in Luke, though the general analysis of the gospels isn't quite far enough along to have a solid understanding of Luke's basis for selection at this stage. Here I'll confine myself to commenting on things that are included in Luke, rather than the various things omitted.
We can recognize many of the quotations here from Matthew or Mark. Luke was clear about having researched the available material before writing. Yet Luke does not entirely follow either Matthew or Mark for quotations, and seems to have done some independent research into the quotations. The quotation of Isaiah introducing John the Baptist is expanded compared to Mark; it also has the section removed which wasn't from Isaiah. Between that and the way the quote is introduced ("it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet"), it reads as if Luke checked his references. This is Luke's first but not only reference to the previous writings as books or scrolls (using sometimes biblion and sometimes biblos, for those who keep track of such things). He refers to Isaiah's writings more than once using those terms. Luke also makes the first reference in our survey to the "Book of Psalms". Luke includes some quotations seen in neither Mark nor Matthew. It is not clear whether Luke recognized 'the people will say to the hills "Fall on us!"' as a quotation of Jewish Scripture; it is quoted by Jesus and left otherwise unintroduced. Luke also includes an account of Jesus reading from Isaiah's scroll at a sermon at the synagogue in Nazareth, which is not contained in either Mark or Matthew.
As with Mark and Matthew, Luke also shows awareness of the various books and different authors of Jewish Scripture, such as Isaiah, David, and Moses. There is a subtle shift of focus in Luke towards physical reference materials such as scrolls.
The Quotations
The numbers count how many passages contain quotes of Scripture. A passage may contain more than one quote.
1. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
2. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
3. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
4. The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
5. Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
6. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
7. This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
8. His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
“‘though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.’
9. He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
10. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
11. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
12. “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
13. When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
14. Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
15. But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
16. Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”
17. Then
“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
I should have thought of it, but never really considered that Luke may have done some research. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Martin
ReplyDeleteThank you for your encouragement. As much as I do the research because I want to know the answer, I write up the results because I hope I'm not the only one curious. I'm glad to know someone's out there reading.
Take care & God bless
Anne / WF