Quotations of Jewish Scripture - The Gospel of John

This survey of the Gospel of John continues the survey of quotations of Jewish Scripture in different gospels both inside and outside the Christian canon of Scripture. A previous post has covered the details on the general approach for deciding whether to count something as a quotation rather than an allusion or other type of reference. 

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

Now that the survey has reached the last document included, we are able to get a more comprehensive picture of quotations of Jewish Scripture. 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, the Gospel of Matthew contains 39, the Gospel of Luke contains 17, and the Gospel of John contains 13 such passages.

The quotes used in John contain some material seen before in other gospels, such as variations of the phrase "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" on the occasion of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. It also contains a number of quotations not seen in the other gospels, such as the crowds mentioning that Moses had given them manna in the wilderness -- possibly a detail related to other gospels mentioning that the crowds were asking for a sign. This Gospel of John also includes Jesus' citation of the Psalm, "I have said you are 'gods'" in the context of an argument about whether his comments about himself as Son of God amounted to blasphemy. Other gospels had mentioned arguments in the days leading up to Jesus' execution over whether the Messiah was merely David's son or whether he was also David's Lord; here the quotation shows some tension earlier in Jesus' ministry on a related theme. Among the new quotes introduced, one is applied to Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus, "he who shared my bread" (etc).


In the Gospel of John, we see quotes that mention Isaiah and Moses. We see Scripture being quoted by Jesus, by John the Baptist, and by various other people within the narrative. Again we see Scripture independently applied from the narrator's perspective. Both the narrator's perspective and the people within the narrative show an awareness of Jewish Scripture and view the Jewish Scripture as part of their common frame of reference.

 The Quotations

The numbers count how many passages contain quotes of Scripture. A passage may contain more than one quote.

1. John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
   
2. His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me. 
    
3. What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
   
4. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’
   
5. Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?
   
6. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
   
7. Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

   “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.”

8. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

   “Lord, who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

9. For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

   “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts,
   so they can neither see with their eyes,
    nor understand with their hearts,
    nor turn—and I would heal them.”

10. “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’
    
11. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
    
12. This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

    “They divided my clothes among them
     and cast lots for my garment.”

13. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”