Exodus 32:1-20

The Golden Calf (Deut 9.6-29)

32:1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the LORD." 6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.

7 The LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!' " 9 The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation."

11 But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, 'I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.' " 14 And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, written on the front and on the back. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp." 18 But he said,

"It is not the sound made by victors,

or the sound made by losers;

it is the sound of revelers that I hear."

19 As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it. (Exodus 32:1-20, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from April 14, 2008 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year Two), when they were repeated from May 8, 2006 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year Two):

While Moses is on the mountain getting instructions about building the tabernacle and inaugurating the covenant, the people become impatient. “When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain,” says the narrator, “the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, ‘Come, make gods (Myh9lox$, ’ ^elōhîm) for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him’ ” (Exod. 32:1). The Jewish translations render Myh9lox$ (’ ^elōhîm), usually “God,” as “a god” (JPS 1917, NJPS 1985, 1999; cf. TNIV text note a). Other translations use the plural, “gods” (e.g. AV/KJV, NRSV, TNIV text, NEB, LXX qeoiv, theoi). The same is true for verses 23 and 31 (cf. vv. 4, 8). According to Rabbi J. H. Hertz,

The Rabbis explain that the people expected Moses to return on the fortieth day, inclusive of the day of his ascent; but he remained forty clear days on Mount Sinai. When he did not appear on the day they expected him, the people concluded that he was dead, and a feeling of utter helplessness possessed them. They demanded a visible god. . . . The ‘god’ was to replace Moses as their leader. (Pentateuch & Haftorahs, 2^nd ed., 24^th printing, 1981, on Exod. 32:1)

On the reference to “Aaron” alone, the Rabbi says, “When Moses departed from the camp, he left Aaron and Hur in charge (xxiv, 14). Why, then, is Aaron alone mentioned here? Tradition relates that Hur resisted the people’s demand, and was put to death by them. Aaron, seeing the determination of the people, decided to work for gaining time till the arrival of Moses” (ibid.). Jeffrey H. Tigay says,

With Moses now gone for forty days (24:18), the people . . . fear that he has disappeared, and since he had been their sole conduit to God they ask Aaron to make them a ‘god’ [cf. NJPS, above] (Radak at 1 Kings 12:28). Although most commentators believe that the mean ‘god’ literally, it is more likely that they mean it as a metonymy for something that would serve as a new means of securing God’s Presence. (The Jewish Study Bible, 2004, on Exod. 32:1)

In response, Aaron asks for the people’s jewelry (apparently what the people had taken from the Egyptians). “Aaron said to them, ‘Take off (Uqr4P!&, pār ^eqû) the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me’ ” (v. 2). William L. Holladay defines the verb translated “take off,” as “pull off, tear off” (A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1971, 10^th corrected impression 1988, s.v. qrp, p-r-q, piel). Of “break off” (JPS, for NRSV “take off”), Rabbi Hertz says, “Aaron’s intention may have been to cool their ardour, thinking they would hesitate to sacrifice their ornaments” (op. cit., on v. 2). “Rings,” says Edward L. Greenstein, are “associated in Gen. 35:4 with foreign gods that must be suppressed at Bethel, one of Jeroboam’s cult sites (see note on 32:1-35)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Exod. 32:2). In his earlier note Greenstein says,

Making the golden calf violates 20:4, 23; cf. King Jeroboam’s calves (1 Kings 12:25-33; see note on 32:4), which functioned historically not as idols but as pedestals for the deity (like the cherubim . . .), but which are viewed as idolatrous in 2 Kings 17:16; Hos. 8:4-6; 10:5-6; 13:2. Cf. the variations in Deut. 9:8-21, 25-29; also Neh. 9:16-18.” (ibid., on 32:1-35)

The narrator continues. “So all the people took off (Uqr4P!&t4y90v1, wayyithpār ^eqû) the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron” (Exod. 32:3). As the narrator presents the people’s response, he uses Aaron’s verb, but in the hitpael conjugation with a reflexive sense, “pull off, tear off from oneself” (Holladay, loc. cit.). “To Aaron’s astonishment,” says Rabbi Hertz, “the people at once complied with his request. ‘What a fickle people!’ say the Rabbis: ‘one day the give their silver and gold for the Sanctuary of God; and on the morrow, they do the same for a Golden Calf’ ” (op. cit., on v. 3). So Aaron “took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods ( j~yh,lox$, ’ ^elōheykā, see above, on v. 1), O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” (v. 4). The Rabbi says, “The golden articles were first melted, so that a mass of metal was formed, and this was shaped by Aaron into the semblance of a calf. The latter was the object of worship among Israel’s Semitic kinsmen” (ibid., on v. 4).

“When Aaron saw this [i.e., the ‘image of a calf’],” says the narrator, he built an alter before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a festival to the LORD (hvhyla, la-YHWH)’ ” (v. 5). Tigay comments on “a festival of the LORD” (NJPS, for NRSV “a festival to the LORD”): “Since the image does not represent a different god, the people are not in violation of the Decalogue’s prohibition against worshipping other gods but rather, as v. 8 indicates, the prohibition of making and worshipping idols (20:4-5)” (op. cit., on v. 5). On “to-morrow,” Rabbi Hertz says,

The postponement , the Rabbis say, was due to Aaron’s confident hope that Moses would appear by then, and the feast in honour of the calf would be changed int ‘a feast to the LORD.’ Yehudah Hallevi declares ‘the people did not intend to give up their allegiance to God.’ They desired a visible symbolic representation of the God who brought them out of Egypt.” Their sin was not a breach of the First, but of the Second Commandment. (ibid., on Exod. 32:5)

Even so, the Rabbi finds “the conduct of Aaron throughout this incident . . . difficult to understand.” He adds:

There is, however, an explanation, though no excuse, for his behaviour. Tradition makes love of peace the outstanding trait of his nature. Always a lover of peace and a pursuer of peace, and thinking that resistance was futile, he acquiesced in the people’s demand. There would doubtless have been many to side with him, but he feared the division that might result in bloodshed. (ibid.)

The people were clearly determined. “They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel (qH2%cal4, l ^etsachēq)” (v. 6). Greenstein comments on “revel”: “Cf. v. 19; the verb has sexual overtones (‘fondling’ in Gen. 26:8). The ritual seems to parody 24:5, 11” (op. cit., on v. 6). Rabbi Hertz comments on “to make merry” (JPS, for NRSV “to revel”), “By dancing and singing (cf. v. 18 f), which usually figured in the religious celebrations of heathen peoples” (op. cit., on v. 6). Tigay comments on “dance” (NJPS, for NRSV “revel”), “cf. vv. 18-19, where singing and dancing are both mentioned. The people are honoring the calf as they had honored God in 15:20-21” (op. cit., on v. 6).

The LORD’s assessment of the situation is quick, strong and very disapproving. On the mountain, he tells Moses, “Go down at once! Your people [note that it is not ‘my people’], whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods ( j~yh,lox$, ’ ^elōheykā, see above, on v. 1), O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt’ ” (vv. 7-8). Rabbi Hertz says, “God disowns the sinful Israelites. He refuses to acknowledge them as His people” (op. cit., on v. 7). But he cites “the Rabbis,” saying they “understand ‘thy people which thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt’ as an allusion to the mixed multitude. It was not God who had brought these out of Egypt, but Moses had allowed them to accompany the Israelites” (op. cit., on v. 7). On the word “quickly” (v. 8 JPS, cf NRSV “they have been quick”), he notes, “It was less than six weeks since they had heard the Voice of God declaring, ‘Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image’ ” (ibid., on v. 8).

The LORD is pictured as deeply offended. “The LORD said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, how stiff-necked (Jr,fo-hweq4-Mfa, ‘am-q ^ešēh ‘ōreph) they are’ ” (v. 9). “Stiff-necked,” says Greenstein, was “like an unresponsive draft animal (cf. Num. 22:23)” (op. cit., on v. 9). Rabbi Hertz suggests “obstinate” (op. cit., on v. 9), and Tigay suggests “headstrong” (op. cit., on v. 9). The LORD threatens to destroy Israel for this sin and replace them with Moses’ descendants. “Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation” (v. 10). Of “let Me alone,” the Rabbi says, “The Rabbis explain this to mean that Moses understood from these divine words that his intercession alone could save the Israelites from the extermination which threatened them” (op. cit., on v. 10). Compare Tigay, on “let me be” (NJPS, for NRSV “let me alone”): “God implies that Moses can restrain Him from destroying Israel. Midrashic commentaries understand this as a hint for Moses to do just that by praying on Israel’s behalf and making the case for sparing them. Prophets frequently and appropriately play this intercessory role (1 Sam. 12:23; Jer. 18:20; Ezek. 22:30-31; Ps. 106:23; cf. Gen. 18:17-32)” (op. cit., on v. 10).

And Moses intercedes. “But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, ‘O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?” (v. 11). Moses thus reverses the relationship in the LORD’s charge. The LORD disclaims the people, saying “Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt” (v. 7), but Moses in turn calls them the LORD’s “people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt” (v. 11; cf. the words of Aaron about the “image of a calf” in verse 4. As Moses makes his case, he points out the possible scandal. “Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’?” (v. 12a). Rabbi Hertz comments on “for evil” (JPS, for NRSV “with evil intent”). “such would be the mockery of the Egyptians, if Israel were now to perish; cf. x, 10” (op. cit., on v. 12). According to Tigay, verse 12 presents “Moses’ most daring argument: annihilating Israel would damage God’s reputation in the world. He would appear diabolical and lose the stature that He had gained from the exodus. This suggests that God cares about His reputation” (op. cit., on v. 12). “Turn (bUw, šûv) from your fierce wrath,” says Moses; change your mind (MHen0!h9v4, w ^ehinnāchēm, ‘and repent’ AV/KJV, JPS, ‘and renounce’ NJPS) from your fierce wrath,” says Moses; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people” (v. 12b). Holladay, with allowance for both meanings, supports “change your mind” (NRSV), or “renounce” (NJPS): “allow oneself a change of heart regarding, relent regarding Exod 32:12 . . . absolute turn from former attitude, repent Job 42:6” (op. cit., s.v. MHn, n-ch-m, nifal). With regard to the translation “repent,” Rabbi Hertz says, “Heb. idiom often attributes to God the feelings or emotions of man. God is thus said to ‘repent,’ when, in consequence of a change in the character and conduct of men, He makes a corresponding change in the purpose towards them which He had previously announced (Driver)” (loc. cit.).

Moses reminds the LORD of the promises to the patriarchs. “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore (TAf4b018w4n9, nišba‘tā) to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever’ ” (v. 13). “By destroying the Israelites,” says Tigay, “God would, furthermore, violate His oath to the patriarchs to give them countless descendants and eternal possession of the promised land (Gen. 12:7; 13:15-16; 15:5; 17:8)” (op. cit., on v. 13). For “swore,”says Greenstein, “see Gen. 22:16-17” (op. cit., on v. 13). In response to Moses’ intercession, we are told that “the LORD changed his mind (MH,n0!y09v1, wayyinnāchem, ‘repented’ AV/KJV, JPS) about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people” (v. 14). The verb, “changed his mind” or “repented” is repeated from verse 12 (discussed above).

But when he returns to the camp, Moses displays the same anger [‘indignation’? See below.] previously attributed to God. “Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets (tHolu, luchōth) of the covenant (tdufeh!&, hā‘ēduth) in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, written on the front and on the back” (v. 15). Of “bearing the two tablets of the Pact” (NJPS, for NRSV “carrying the two tablets of the covenant”), Tigay explains, “which he had just received (31:18)” (op. cit., on 32:15). “The tablets,” says the narrator, “were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved (tUrHA, chārûth) upon the tablets” (v. 16). “In his horror at the conduct of the Israelites,” says Rabbi Hertz, “Moses shattered the Tablets, although they were made by God himself” (op. cit., on v. 16). Of “Incised (Heb. ‘charut’) upon the tablets” (NJPS, for NRSV “engraved”), Tigay says, “In a verbal play, a midrash interprets the text as if it read ‘(there was) freedom (“cherut”) upon the tablets,’ explaining that no one is free except one who studies the Toran (Pirkei ’Avot 6:2. Ironically, subjugation to law is viewed as bringing freedom” (op. cit., on v. 16).

Joshua, who was with Moses on the mountain (cf. 24:13), was the first to notice indications of trouble in the camp below. “When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, ‘There is a noise of war in the camp’ ” (v. 17). And he describes the noise:

“It is not the sound made (tOn8f3, ‘ ^anôth) by victors,

or the sound made (tOn8f3, ‘ ^anôth) by losers;

it is the sound of revelers (tOn0fa, ‘annôth) that I hear” (Exod. 32:18, NRSV)

The Hebrew words indicated are infinitives of the verb “sing,” in the qal (‘light’) form in the first two lines, but in the intensified piel form in the third line (cf. William L. Holladay A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1971, 10^th corrected impression 1988, s.v. IV hnf, ‘-n-h). Greenstein explains “revelers,” as “ ‘singing’ (the same Hebrew verb as in 15:21; Isa. 27:2)” (op. cit., on v. 18). Tigay says this suggests “that the people are honoring the calf as they had honored God” (op. cit., on vv. 17-18). Upon arrival, Moses is clearly angered by what he sees. “As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger (Jx16, ’aph) burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain” (v. 19). According to Rabbi Hertz,

The Heb. term translated by ‘anger’ covers both anger and indignation. Now, it was not anger that caused him to shatter the Tables. ‘He who breaks anything in anger is as if he were an idolater,’ say the Rabbis. Anger is selfish and blind, and a purely emotional reaction against an injury received. . . . Altogether different is the moral feeling of indignation that sweeps over us whenever we see a great wrong committed; not because it injures us, as is always the case in anger, but because the wrong is an outrage against justice and right. Such a feeling of righteous indignation filled Moses when he beheld a People that had been at Sinai, dancing before a golden calf! A mob guilty of such base and senseless ingratitude to God was, he felt, unworthy of the Divine Tables of the Law. (op. cit., on v. 19)

Moses’ anger [indignation?] continues as “He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it” (v. 20).

Colossians 3:18-4:6 (7-18)

18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, 24 since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality. 4 1 Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, 4 so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should.

5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me; he is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts; 9 he is coming with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instructions-if he comes to you, welcome him. 11 And Jesus who is called Justus greets you. These are the only ones of the circumcision among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in everything that God wills. 13 For I testify for him that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, "See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord."

18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. (Colossians 3:18-4:6 (7-18), NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from comments on Colossians (3:18-4:1) 2-18 of May 11, 2009 (Monday in the week of the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year One), when comments were based on earlier comments with some editing and supplement, those of April 14, 2008 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year Two), when comments were repeated with some editing from May 7, 2007 (Monday in the week of the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year One), when comments were repeated from May 8, 2006 (Monday of the week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year Two); compare also the comments on Colossians 3:18-4:6 of January 12, 2008 (Saturday in the week of Epiphany Sunday, ref. for Jan. 12, Year Two).

In Colossians Paul briefly summarizes rules for Christian households (Col. 3:18-4:6) which he explains more fully in Ephesians (Eph. 5:21-6:9; cf. the discussion in the Archives for Jan. 22 and 23, 2009, Thurs. & Fri. in the week of the Second Sunday after the Epiphany). It is important to remember the principle of mutual submission with which the Ephesians passage starts (Eph. 5:21). Richard Foster reminds us that Jesus set pagan practice of lording it over subjects in contrast with Christian servant leadership (Mk. 10:42-44 and parallels), and that one should read the Ephesians passage in the light of this passage from the Gospels (in The Celebration of Discipline). It has been noted that the mere fact that instructions are given to the wives, children and slaves at all is a remarkable change from the typical practice in Greco-Roman moral and ethical advice, which would mainly be addressed to the “stronger” and “responsible” parties, the husbands, fathers and masters.

If wives are called upon to submit here (Col. 3:18), husbands and wives are called to mutual submission in Ephesians (Eph 5:21; cf. vv. 22-33). If children are told to obey their parents “in everything” here (Col. 3:20), they are to obey “in the Lord” in Ephesians (6:1), where allusion is made to the Fourth Commandment (Exod. 6:12; Deut. 5:6). And where Colossians says “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord” (Col. 3:22), after “masters,” Ephesians includes “with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ” (Eph. 6:5). Both Epistles instruct the slaves to consider their service as rendered not merely to their human masters, but “as done for the Lord” (Col 3:23; cf. Eph. 6:7). But there is also advice for masters: “Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven” (Col. 4:1; cf. Eph. 6:9).

The basis for equality and reciprocal relations is laid in the Christian gospel. “In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, “Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!” (Col. 3:11). “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Instructions which may seem to fall short of this ideal at times are intended to shield the Christian community from criticism of outsiders.

As Paul continues, he advises the Colossian believers [and us] to devote ourselves to prayer. “Devote yourselves to prayer,” he says, “keeping alert in it with thanksgiving” (4:2). And he requests prayer for himself. “At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should” (vv. 3-4). It is remarkable that Paul, while mentioning his circumstance of imprisonment, requests prayer not for release from prison, but rather that he may have an open door fore presenting the gospel of Christ. “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time (kairovV, kairos)” (v. 5). As an alternative translation of kairovV (kairos) to “time,” the NRSV text note d says “Or opportunity.” For both himself and for the Colossian believers, it appears, Paul prays for opportunity for Christian witness and ministry. Perhaps as means to such witness, Paul’s concluding admonition says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone” (v. 6).

As the Letter moves toward the closing greeting, the readers are reminded that Tychicus will share news with them about Paul (vv. 7-8), joined by Onesimus, “the faithful and beloved brother” (v. 9), though Paul is requesting mercy for him from his former slave-owner (Philemon 1-20). Paul sends greetings from Aristarchus and Mark (Col. 4:10), Jesus, “called Justus” (v. 11), Epaphras (v. 12-13), Luke and Demas (v. 14). Paul greets “the brothers and sisters in Laodicea,” Nympha, and “the church in her house” (v. 15). The church at Colossae is to exchange letters with the nearby church at Laodicea (v. 16). And Archippus is to carry out his instructions (v. 17). Paul closes with a greeting in his own handwriting, by which he certifies that the dictated letter actually comes from him.

Matthew 5:1-10

5;1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:1-10, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from September 17, 2009 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 14, Year One), when comments were repeated from April 14, 2008 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year Two), when comments were repeated from September 20, 2007 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 14, Year One), when comments were based on earlier comments–some repeated from time to time–from May 3, 2004 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year Two), from September 15, 2005 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 14, Year One), from May 8, 2006 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year Two), and from comments on Mt. 5:1-12 from September 3, 2006 (the Sunday closest to August 31, Year Two).

Today’s reading includes Matthew’s brief introduction of the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying” (Mt. 5:1-2). This is followed by the first eight Beatitudes (vv. 3-10). Matthew’s ninth Beatitude (Mt. 3:11-12) is part of tomorrow’s reading. In Luke, the parallel Sermon on the Plain (Lk. 6:20-49, cf. v. 17) begins with four beatitudes and four contrasting woes. The relationship between these two versions of the beatitudes is indicated by the following table:

Matthew’s first eight beatitudes call certain kinds of people “blessed” (makavrioi, makarioi, cf. makavrioV, makarios, singular, in Ps. 1:1, for the Heb. yr2w4xa, ’ašrê, “fortunate, blessed,” William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1971, 10^th corrected impression 1988, s.v. yr2w4xa, ’ašrê). These include “the poor in spirit . . . those who mourn . . . the meek . . . those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . . the merciful . . . the pure in heart . . . the peacemakers . . . those who are persecuted for righteousness sake" (Mt. 5:3-10). If we include the ninth beatitude (Mt. 5:11-12), we find that four of the beatitudes have parallel beatitudes in Luke (as in the table above). Luke’s Sermon on the Plain (Lk. 6:20–49) is largely parallel to parts of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Both begin with beatitudes and both conclude with similar illustrations about persons who built houses, one of which withstood the storm and one which was destroyed (Mt. 7:21-27; Lk. 6:46-49). Of the four beatitudes in Luke that are parallel to beatitudes in Matthew, each has contrasting “woes,” as is also apparent in the table above. So we see that Luke’s balanced list of beatitudes and woes draws a sharp contrast between the poor (v. 21b) and the rich (v. 24), those who weep (v. 21b) and those who laugh (v. 25b), those who are hungry (v. 21a) and those who are full (v. 25a) and between those who are persecuted “on account of the Son of Man” (vv. 22-23) and those of whom “all speak well” (v. 26). Marion Lloyd Soards says of Luke’s four beatitudes that “the focus is on economic and social conditions, not spiritual states” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Lk. 6:20-23).

T. W. Manson, however, has a different perspective, if not a different understanding. He suggests that Luke’s “simpler form” of the beatitudes “is strongly eschatological,” and as such, “it is likely that their “stark simplicity” is “the original,” whereas in Matthew “the phrasing of the beatitudes has been given a more edifying turn” (T. W. Manson, The Sayings of Jesus, London: SCM Press, 1949, repr., 1975, p. 47). Manson continues as follows on the first beatitude (“poor,” “poor in spirit”):

The first beatitude states the contrast in general terms. The meaning of the word ‘poor’ is given by such passages as Ps. 69:29-36. In the Judaism of the last two centuries B.C. the term was practically a synonym for Chāsîd [dys9HA], i.e. ‘saintly’ or ‘pious,’ in the best sense. So, for example, Ps. Sol. 10:7: ‘The saints also shall give thanks in the assembly of the people: and God will have mercy on the poor in the (day of) gladness of Israel.’ Here ‘the saints’ and ‘the poor’ stand in synonymous parallelism. Again in the Talmud they are treated as synonyms (Ber. 6^b). The use of the word ‘poor’ in this way goes back to the days of the Seleucid rule in Palestine. Then it was the poor above all who remained faithful to their religion and the Law. The well-to-do upper classes in Jerusalem allowed themselves to be tainted with heathenism. Hence “rich” tends to mean ‘worldly’ and ‘irreligious,’ and ‘poor’ the opposite. In this specialized sense the word is used here. In Mt. the paraphrase ‘poor in spirit’ is an attempt to make this fact clear. The Kingdom of God belongs to these simple devoted souls, because they belong to it, having accepted God’s will as the only rule of their lives. As they submit themselves to the obligations of the Kingdom, so they become heirs of its privileges. (ibid.)

Manson has said that Matthew’s clarifying addition of “in spirit” illustrates his tendency to “gild the lily” (ibid.). He believes that Luke’s shorter version implies what Matthew’s version thus spells out. In general, we may say that Matthew’s version of the Beatitudes provides a blueprint for Christian living. Of the beatitudes in Matthew, J. Andrew Overman says, “In these nine beatitudes Jesus describes the ideal characteristics of the members of the Matthean community. They promise God’s comfort in the coming age (Isa. 61:2)” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Mt. 5:3-12).

It has been said that the arrangement of material in Matthew’s Gospel (throughout) has made it an excellent “church manual” for teaching and practice, and for that reason, it was a favorite among the early Christians. The various beatitudes, as presented by Matthew, certainly point to significant Christian values, even virtues. We would do well to aspire to these attributes. We certainly need people at this time who are humble (“poor in spirit”), hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart and peacemakers, not to mention the other characteristics described in the beatitudes.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net