Maarten J.J. Menken, «The Old Testament Quotation in Matthew 27,9-10: Textual Form and Context», Vol. 83 (2002) 305-328

The source of the fulfilment quotation in Matt 27,9-10 must be Zech 11,13, but the biblical text is distorted to a degree that is unparalleled in the other fulfilment quotations, and Matthew ascribes the quotation to Jeremiah. Another difficulty is that the quotation seems to have influenced the context to a much larger extent than in the case of the other fulfilment quotations. A careful analysis of the text shows that the peculiar textual form can be explained in a relatively simple way. The influence of the quotation on Matt 27,3-8 is limited, and is best ascribed to Matthew’s redaction. After all, this fulfilment quotation appears to be less exceptional than it is sometimes supposed to be.

Hebrew, l Ntn is "to give to", and b Ntn is "to give for" ³¹. The process of textual change is best understood on the hypothesis of the use of a revised LXX. A reviser changed ei)j to_ xwneuth/rion of the original LXX into the more correct ei)j to_n kerame/a, with retention of the preposition ei)j.

        The textual analogy between Zech 11,11-13 and Jer 32(39),6-15 may also have constituted a legitimation for e!dwka in the quotation. According to Jer 32(39),11-12, Jeremiah took (MT: xq)w; LXX: kai_ e!labon) the deed of purchase and gave it to Baruch (MT: Nt)w; LXX: kai_ e!dwka)³². The act of taking occurs in (virtually) the same wording in Zech 11,13, and the change of the act of throwing into one of giving could also be legitimated by the analogy.

        It will be clear that the modifications made in the hypothetical revised LXX serve the aim of making the quotation apply better to the preceding narrative. "Throwing" had to be changed into "giving" because the chief priests use the money to buy the potter’s field; they do not throw it to the potter. The phrase "into the house of the Lord" had to be eliminated because the money leaves the temple and goes to the owner of the potter’s field. The word "field" had to be introduced because the potter’s field was purchased.

4. Matt 27,10b

        The final line of Matthew’s quotation cannot, in its literal form, be retraced to Zech 11,13. However, in this verse and its context, there are some phrases that may well have inspired the content of the final line of the quotation. The verse begins with the words: "And the Lord said to me". At the end of Zech 11,11, there is the phrase: "It was the word of the Lord". This formula is, as we have seen, also found in Jer 32(39),8, and Jer 32(39),6-15 contains other formulae whose content resembles that of Matt 27,10b: "the word of the Lord came to me" (v. 6), "according to the word of the Lord" (v. 8), "thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel" (vv. 14.15)³³. We also meet there in the LXX the verb sunta/ssein, a translation of hwc piel, with as its subject not God but the prophet, who, however, speaks to Baruch the word of "the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel" (v. 13).