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Explanation for:
Matthew
27
:
9
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was prized, whom they prized of the children of Israel.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"They were apprehensive about the spoken words of Scripture and aimed to hinder their realization. However, the silver, once it entered the temple, was already consecrated. \\"And that they bought with it a place of burial,\\" signifies a righteous act they undertook for the sake of God, ensuring that the prophecy of Scripture would come to pass, for a significant mystery was contained within it. If this silver was drawn from the sacred treasury, why was it not allowed to return to the same place? Why couldn’t this resource be combined with the original source of the funds? If they hadn’t come from there, they could have stated so plainly. Was this silver intrinsically more defiled than any other? Was it any more defiled than Goliath's sword, which, wrapped in linen, rested beside the altar (1 Sam. 21:9), or the gold of the Egyptians (Ex. 11:2), or the gold that David gathered from various nations and dedicated to God (2 Sam. 8:11)? What about the crown of pearls he wore when singing in the spirit (2 Sam. 12:30, Ps. 20:4), or the offerings that the Philistines presented, which were left there permanently? (1 Sam. 6:11) Did not Nebuchadnezzar also seize all the sacred vessels and place them in the temple of his idols? (4 Sam. 25) Moreover, the Philistines brought the ark of the covenant into the temple of Dagon (1 Sam. 5:2). Who possesses the authority to render unclean items holy and consecrated? If they indeed purchased the field with this silver because He proclaimed Himself as God, then it was fitting to cover the altar with it. Yet, this was not their true intention; they sought to obstruct the fulfillment of the prophecy."},{"author-name":"Ambrose of Milan","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88871ceef8c96e0998cd0_Ambrose%20of%20Milan.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The Jewish leaders did not return the price of the blood to the temple treasury; instead, they used the money obtained from the betrayal of Christ to purchase a potter's field for burying travelers. This fulfilled the prophecy, as seen in Zechariah 11:12, and unveiled the mystery of the forthcoming Church. According to divine revelation, the field represents the world, as stated in Matthew 13:38. The potter symbolizes the Creator, who formed humanity from the dust of the earth, as documented in the Old Testament: \\"And God created man from the dust of the earth\\" (Genesis 2:7). He possesses the ability to shape us in our nature and to recreate us through His grace in His divine plan. While we fall through our own transgressions, His mercy restores us by renewing our spirit, aligning with Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 18:7-8).\\n\\nThe price of blood signifies the sufferings of Christ. Through this price, Christ redeems the world, as noted in St. Hidarius of Pictavia: \\"He came that the world might be saved through Him\\" (John 3:17). As both the Creator and Lawgiver, He came to grant eternal grace to all who died and were buried with Him in baptism (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). However, there is not a burial place for everyone everywhere. Although the world provides for all things, it does not preserve all things. While it may offer a common dwelling, lawful burial is reserved for those who have become part of God's family through faith, even though they were once wanderers and outsiders under the law. As it is written, \\"Remember that you who were once Gentiles according to the flesh were alienated from the company of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise\\" (Ephesians 2:11-12). Yet, now they are no longer aliens and strangers; through faith, they have gained the privilege of being fellow citizens with the saints."},{"author-name":"Augustine of Hippo","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88950a5c988a4fc06c7ae_Augustine%20of%20Hippo.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"Some may find it perplexing that the testimonies do not appear in the writings of Jeremiah. However, there are Gospel references that do not attribute this to the prophet, and perhaps we ought to give precedence to those references. Indeed, these words were not uttered by Jeremiah himself, but rather by Zechariah. The frequent appearance of Jeremiah’s name in various lists remains difficult to elucidate, particularly since the earliest manuscripts simply state, “It was fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,” leaving the specific identity of the prophet unmentioned, yet it is evident that Zechariah is the one intended. \\n\\nAlternatively, the inclusion of Jeremiah’s name might be attributed to the mysterious workings of Divine Providence, which influenced the thoughts of the Evangelists. It is possible that Matthew, when composing his Gospel, mistakenly assigned the words to Jeremiah instead of Zechariah, as such errors can occur, leading him to include that name with confidence. Nevertheless, since the memories of the evangelists were inspired by the Holy Spirit, the mention of this prophet could arise only if the Lord willed it to be recorded in that way. This situation reflects the extraordinary harmony that exists among all the holy prophets, as everything they have written was communicated through them by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, what Zechariah expressed is just as much his own as it is Jeremiah’s, and vice versa. Thus, the writings of all the prophets can be viewed as a single narrative thread, and the objections raised by skeptics or those lacking experience—aimed at highlighting discrepancies among the sacred Evangelists—are in fact recognized by believers and scholars as evidence of the unity shared by all saints and prophets.\\n\\nAnother essential point to consider is that Zechariah refers to thirty pieces of silver but omits mention of the field’s purchase. Conversely, Jeremiah recounts that he acquired the field from his relative and owed him the payment. As such, those who read Jeremiah’s account alongside Zechariah’s soon identify the linkage between the two prophecies, recognizing their unified message. Regarding Matthew’s addition to this prophecy, specifically the phrase not found in either Zechariah or Jeremiah, “Whom the children of Israel valued and gave them for the potter’s land, as the Lord said unto me,” it is reasonable to infer that the evangelist, inspired by divine revelation, intended to convey that this prophecy was connected to the assessment of Jesus. The transaction for the field was recorded in an earthen vessel, leading to the term potter’s field. Additionally, the Lord informed Jeremiah that his acquisition of the field signified it would serve as a burial place for those delivered in that land. I present these reflections not to definitively address such a complex matter, but rather to illustrate that these prophetic affirmations, when combined within a single Gospel account, deserve careful contemplation."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"\\"The value placed upon Him who was esteemed\\" clearly pertains to the worth of Christ. Although He is beyond all value, the people of Israel determined a cost for Him, as they agreed to offer Judah thirty pieces of silver."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"It is mentioned that this is not found in the book of Jeremiah as we currently have it; therefore, it must have been recorded in a text that has been lost. Perhaps the writings we possess were subsequently discarded out of malice by the Jews, similar to other teachings. The chief priests took the value of the incomparable Christ, whom they appraised based on the worth assigned by the people of Israel. They are also referred to as high priests, as evidenced by Judas’s inquiry, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” and they proposed thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). The Lord instructed me, that is, revealed to me."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The thirty pieces of silver were also used to acquire the potter's field, as noted by the holy Evangelist Matthew (27:9, 10), fulfilling the prophecy recorded in the Book of the Prophets: \\"And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of that which was valued, which was valued from the children of Israel; and I gave them for the village of the miser, as the Lord had commanded me\\" (Zechariah 11:12, 13; cf. 11:12, 13; cf. Jer. 18:2; cf. 32:6ff.)."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The exact phrasing cited by the Evangelist from the writings of the prophet Jeremiah is not found within that text, but it closely resembles passages in the book of the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 11:12-13). Several theories have been proposed to clarify this discrepancy. For instance, Origen and Euthymius Zigabenus suggested that these words derive from a lost prophetic declaration attributed to Jeremiah. Augustine posited that the author mistakenly referred to Jeremiah instead of Zechariah. Others argue that the language in Zechariah echoes expressions found in Jeremiah (Jer. 18 and Jer. 19), leading the author to reference Jeremiah when he actually meant Zechariah, among many other hypotheses. The most plausible explanation is that if this reference indeed originates from Zechariah (albeit not verbatim, but capturing the essence of the prophecy as is characteristic of Evangelist Matthew - Matt. 4:15-16), the attribution to Jeremiah is likely a later scribal error that proliferated in ancient manuscripts. In the original texts, the name Zechariah was likely intended, as still found in many ancient manuscripts (see Tischendorf, Nov. Testam.). This sort of error is quite plausible in the abbreviated manner of writing proper names used in antiquity; Ιερεμι'ου could easily be misread as Ιρι'ου, just as Ζαχαρι'ου could appear as Ζρι'ου, allowing for one abbreviated name to be substituted for another. \\n\\nThe phrase ‘Took thirty pieces of silver,’ etc., signifies that the prophet was sent by God to tend to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, representing the Supreme Shepherd-God. The Jewish people disregarded this prophet, along with others, thereby also neglecting God Himself. To demonstrate how little they valued the prophetic guidance, God instructed the prophet to ask what compensation they would offer for his shepherding efforts, should they be inclined to pay him. They offered him thirty pieces of silver—the price typically paid for slaves (see note to Matthew 26:15)—indicating that they regarded the prophet's work, and therefore God's care, as insignificant, akin to the worth of a slave. God then instructed the prophet to cast this so-called honor (ironically) into the treasury of the potter, indicating the low esteem in which He was held. The prophet declared, “And I took thirty pieces of silver and cast them into the house of Jehovah for the potter” (Zech. 11:4, 11-12). The betrayal of Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophetic action: the Lord Jesus manifested as the Messiah—the good shepherd—and the Jewish leaders appraised His life at thirty pieces of silver—the slave’s price—and with this money, they purchased a field from the potter. While the Evangelist alludes to this fulfillment of prophecy, he does not provide a verbatim quotation from the prophetic text."},{"author-name":"Philaret (Gumilevski)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c896f4b6fd32caa244b5d7_Philaret%20(Gumilevski).png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"It was insufficient merely to disgrace the Sanhedrin. By purchasing the potter's field with the disdained silver coins, the Sanhedrin not only fulfilled the narrative of Jesus but also inscribed its own condemnation and a hymn of praise to Him. The Lord spoke through the prophet, saying, “And I said unto them, If it please you, give my payment; but if not, do not give it. And they counted out to Me the payment of thirty pieces of silver. And Jehovah said unto me, Throw this treasure to the potter; dear is this price by which I am valued with them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the house of Jehovah, unto the potter” (Zech. 11:12-13). While the Evangelist does not quote the prophet's words with precise fidelity, he recalls them from memory. The Lord reveals Himself to the prophet as the shepherd of Israel and laments Israel's ungratefulness, indicating that they ought to appraise His toil and compensate Him at their own judgment. Thus, the price set is thirty pieces of silver, and the Lord commands the prophet to cast aside this meager sum, illustrating Israel's ingratitude. It is evident how accurately this prophecy came to pass in the account of Jesus, fulfilled by the very chief priests."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In this transaction, the Sanhedrin unwittingly realized an ancient prophecy, bringing shame upon themselves while honoring Jesus. It was accomplished, fulfilling what had been foretold by the prophets, particularly through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32:9, Jeremiah 18:2) and even more distinctly through Ahariah (Zechariah 11:12-13), who declares, “And take them out.” The prophecy stated, “And they took thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him who was valued, whom the children of Israel valued, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.” Even today, remnants of a village associated with blood can be seen near Jerusalem."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The author of the Gospel includes in his account that the prophecy of Jeremiah was realized through these events. However, it was actually Zechariah who proclaimed, “And they will give me thirty pieces of silver in payment. And the Lord said unto me, Cast them into the storehouse of the church, - The high price at which they have valued me! And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the house of the Lord for the potter” (Zechariah 11:12-13). It is thought that citing Jeremiah instead of Zechariah resulted from an error by the scribe, as earlier documents reference Zechariah correctly."}]}
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