The Origin of the Gospels
Calming of the Storm Perhaps we may illustrate the subject better if we take a particular passage of some length in detail, for example, the incident of the storm on the lake (Mark 4:35-41; Matt. 8:18-27; Luke 8:22-25), which will hardly be claimed as forming part of Q, as this source is usually explained.
Yohanan the Immerser’s Question
Matt. 11:2-6; Luke 7:18-23
(Huck 64, 81; Aland 106; Crook 122)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'” Updated: 1 November 2023
וַיַּגִּידוּ לְיוֹחָנָן תַּלְמִידָיו עַל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיִּקְרָא לִשְׁנֵי תַּלְמִידִים מִתַּלְמִידָיו וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶל הָאָדוֹן לֵאמֹר הַאַתָּה הוּא הַבָּא אוֹ לְאַחֵר נְיַחֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ יוֹחָנָן הַמַּטְבִּיל שָׁלַח אוֹתָנוּ אֵלֶיךָ לוֹמַר הַאַתָּה הוּא הַבָּא אוֹ לְאַחֵר נְיַחֵל בְּאוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁעָה רִפֵּא רַבִּים מֵחֳלָאִים וּמִמַּכּוֹת וּמֵרוּחוֹת רָעוֹת וּלְעִוְרִים רַבִּים נָתַן לִרְאוֹת וַיַּעַן יֵשׁוּעַ וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לְכוּ הַגִּידוּ לְיוֹחָנָן מַה שֶּׁאַתֶּם רוֹאִים וְשׁוֹמְעִים עִוְרִים נִפְקָחִים וּפִסְחִים מִתְהַלְּכִים מְצֹרָעִים מְטוֹהָרִים וְחֵרְשִׁים שׁוֹמְעִים וּמֵתִים קָמִים וַעֲנִיִּים מִתְבַּשְּׂרִים וְאַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּשֵׁל בִּי
Now, Yohanan’s disciples told him all about these things, so he picked two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you he who is coming, or must we continue waiting for someone else?”
So they came to Yeshua and said, “Yohanan the Immerser sent us to ask you, ‘Are you he who is coming, or must we continue waiting for someone else?'”
(Now at that time Yeshua healed many from sickness and injury and demonic oppression, and he gave many blind people the ability to see.)
So Yeshua replied, “Go tell Yohanan about what you yourselves can see and hear: people who were blind are now seeing and people who were lame are now walking around.
LOY Excursus: The Kingdom of Heaven in the Life of Yeshua
How to cite this article:
David N. Bivin and Joshua N. Tilton, “LOY Excursus: The Kingdom of Heaven in the Life of Yeshua,” The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction (Jerusalem Perspective, 2014) .
LOY Excursus: Greek Transliterations of Hebrew, Aramaic and Hebrew/Aramaic Words in the Synoptic Gospels
Matt. 5:18, 26; 6:2, 5, 16; 8:10; 10:15, 23, 42; 11:11; 13:17; 16:28; 17:20; 18:3, 13, 18, ; 19:23, 28; 21:21, 31; 23:36; 24:2, 34, 47; 25:12, 40, 45; 26:13, 21, 34; Mark 3:28; 8:12; 9:1, 41; 10:15, 29; 11:23; 12:43; 13:30; 14:9, 18, 25, 30; ; Luke 4:24; 12:37; 18:17, 29; 21:32; 23:43
ἠλί (ēli) = אֵלִי (‘ēli, “my God”)
Matt. 27:46 (2xx)
λαμά (lama) = לָמָּה (lāmāh, “why?”)
LOY Excursus: Mark’s Editorial Style
How to cite this article:
David N. Bivin, “LOY Excursus: Mark’s Editorial Style,” The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction (Jerusalem Perspective, 2014) .
Darnel Among the Wheat Parable
Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43
(Huck 96, 100; Aland 127, 131; Crook 149, 153)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'” Updated: 11 July 2024
לֵאמֹר לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְאָדָם זוֹרֵעַ זֶרַע טוֹב בְּשָׂדֵהוּ וּבִשְׁכִיבָתוֹ בָּא אוֹיְבוֹ וְזָרַע זוֹנִים בֵּין הַחִטִּים וְהָלַךְ וּכְשֶׁעָלָה הָעֵשֶׂב אַף עָלוּ הַזּוֹנִים קָרְבוּ אֶצְלוֹ עֲבָדָיו וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ אֲדוֹנֵנוּ רְצוֹנְךָ נֵלֵךְ וּנְקוֹשֵׁשׁ אוֹתָם וְאָמַר לֹא שֶׁמָּא תְּקוֹשְׁשׁוּ אֶת הַזּוֹנִים וְתַעַקְרוּ עִמָּם אֶת הַחִטִּים הַנִּיחוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם לִצְמוֹחַ עַד הַקָּצִיר וּבִשְׁעַת הַקָּצִיר קוֹשּׁוּ תְּחִילָּה אֶת הַזּוֹנִים וַעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָם חֲבִילוֹת וְתִשְׂרְפוּ אוֹתָם בָּאֵשׁ וְאֶת הַחִטִּים הַכְנִיסוּ לְאוֹצָרִי
And Yeshua told them this parable: “What is the matter like? It’s like someone who sowed good seed in his field.
A Voice Crying
— wp:heading {“textAlign”:”center”,”level”:3} –> Matt. 3:1-6; Mark 1:1-6; Luke 3:1-7a Luke 3:3; L32-33) to the desert (Mark 1:4; L29) appears to be a reaction to Jesus’ thrice-repeated question “Whom did you go out into the desert to see?”
Withered Fig Tree
Matt. 21:18-20; Mark 11:12-14, 20-21 (Huck 199, 201; Aland 272, 275; Crook 308, 310)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'”
Lord’s Prayer
Matt. 6:9-15; Mark 11:25; Luke 11:1-4
(Huck 30, 146, 201b; Aland 62, 185, 275b; Crook 43-44, 210, 311)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'”… This can be seen from the fact that the Lord’s Prayer disturbs the natural flow of the three topics: “When you give alms …when you pray …when you fast ….”
Four Soils Interpretation
Matt. 13:10, 18-23; Mark 4:10, 13-20; Luke 8:9, 11-15
(Huck 91, 93; Aland 123, 124; Crook 145, 146)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'” Updated: 23 May 2024
וַיִּקְרְבוּ תַּלְמִידָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ מַה הוּא הַמָּשָׁל הַזֶּה וַיֹֹּאמֶר לָהֶם זֶה הוּא הַמָּשָׁל הַזֶּרַע זֶה דְּבַר אֱלֹהִים וְהֵם עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ אֵלּוּ הַשּׁוֹמְעִים אֶת הַדָּבָר וְאֵינָם מְקַבְּלִים אוֹתוֹ וּבָא הַשָּׂטָן וְעוֹקֵר אֶת הַדָּבָר מִלִּבָּם וְהֵם עַל הַסֶּלַע אֵלּוּ הַשּׁוֹמְעִים אֶת הַדָּבָר וּמְקַבְּלִים אוֹתוֹ בְּשִׂמְחָה וְעִקָּר אֵין לָהֶם וּבִשְׁעַת נִסָּיוֹן הֵם סָרִים וְהֵם בַּחוֹחִים אֵלּוּ הַשּׁוֹמְעִים אֶת הַדָּבָר וּמְקַבְּלִים אוֹתוֹ וְהִרְהוּרִים וְהוֹן וְתַעֲנוּגֵי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הוֹלְכִים וְחוֹנְקִים אוֹתָם וְהֵם בָּאֲדָמָה הַטּוֹבָה אֵלּוּ הַשּׁוֹמְעִים אֶת הַדָּבָר וּמְקַבְּלִים אוֹתוֹ בְּלֵב טוֹב
Yeshua’s disciples approached him and said, “What is the meaning of this parable?”
So Yeshua replied, “The meaning of the parable is this: the seed represents the word of God.
Yeshua, His Mother and Brothers
Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:20-21, 31-35; Luke 8:19-21 (Huck 85, 89, 104; Aland 116, 121, 135;
Crook 135, 143, 157)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'”
Preparations for Eating the Passover Lamb
Matt. 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13 (Huck 234; Aland 308a; Crook 347a)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'” Revised: 14 December 2022Revised with the assistance of Joshua N. Tilton and Lauren S. Asperschlager.
וַיָּבֹא יֹום חַג הַמַּצּוֹת וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶת פֶּטְרוֹס וְאֶת יוֹחָנָן לֵאמֹר לְכוּ וְהָכִינוּ לָנוּ אֶת הַפֶּסַח וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ אֵיכָן אַתָּה רוֹצֶה שֶׁנָּכִין לְךָ לֶאֱכֹל אֶת הַפֶּסַח וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הֲרֵי כְּשֶׁתִּכָּנְסוּ לָעִיר יִפְגַּע בָּכֶם אָדָם נֹשֵֹׂא כַּד מָיִם לְכוּ אַחֲרָיו לַבַּיִת שֶׁיִכָּנֵס לוֹ וְתֹאמְרוּ לְבַעַל הַבַּיִת אוֹמֵר לְךָ רַבֵּנוּ אֵיכָן הַחֶדֶר שֶׁבּוֹ אוֹכַל אֶת הַפֶּסַח עִם תַּלְמִידַי וְהוּא יַרְאֶה לָכֶם עֲלִיָּה גְּדוֹלָה מוּצַעַת שָׁם הָכִינוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיָּכִינוּ אֶת הַפֶּסַח
The day of the holiday of Unleavened Bread arrived, so Yeshua sent Petros and Yohanan, instructing them: “Go prepare the Passover lamb for us.”
Call of Levi
Matt. 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32; 15:1-2
(Huck 53; Aland 44, 93; Crook 67, 97)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'”… All three evangelists also agree to place the Bedridden Man narrative (Matt. 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26) immediately before the Call of Levi story, and to place Why Yeshua’s Disciples Do Not Fast (Matt. 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39) immediately afterward.
Teaching in Kefar Nahum
— wp:heading {“level”:3,”className”:”has-text-align-center”} –> Matt. 4:13-16; 7:28-29; Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37
In Luke’s Gospel Teaching in Kefar Nahum (Luke 4:31-37) follows the account of Jesus’ visit to his hometown in Nazareth (Nazarene Synagogue; Luke 4:14-30). This story order is distinctly odd, since in Nazarene Synagogue Jesus mentions having performed miracles in Capernaum (Luke 4:23), even though Luke had not yet recorded either a miracle or a visit to Capernaum. Because of Jesus’ remark in Luke 4:23, the author of Luke would have done better if he had made Nazarene Synagogue the sequel to Teaching in Kefar Nahum rather than its prequel. … These redactional changes emphasize the positive response Jesus’ teaching elicited from his hearers (Luke 4:15, 32), a response that contrasts with the negative reaction to Jesus’ teaching in Nazareth.
He Could No Longer Openly Enter a Town: A Synoptic Study in Light of an Early Luke
(Luke 3:1)…. The fact that Jesus was named on the eighth day when he was circumcised (Luke 1:59, 2:21) is the first recorded observance of this tradition,See Shmuel Safrai, “Naming John the Baptist” (Jerusalem Perspective 20 (May 1989): 1-2 .as well as his reading from the Haftarah (the prophetic portion that follows the Torah reading) before preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-27).