Bryan at The Weight of Glory writes about how Matthew cites Jeremiah in Matthew 27:9-10—the only problem is that the quote isn’t from Jeremiah:
This verse is often used in cases built against the inerrancy of Scripture, because if the quotation is clearly not from Jeremiah, but Matthew says it is, then Matthew is clearly in error and the Scriptures cannot be inerrant.
Unsurprisingly, there’s an explanation. Bryan quotes Craig Blomberg:
Matthew is again employing typology [i.e. patterns or themes carried throughout the two testaments] and combining allusions to texts in both Jeremiah and Zechariah…. Matthew apparently sees references to both passages… but follows a standard literary convention of his day by referring only to one source (in this case, the more obscure, though probably also the more important one).
Read the whole post for more discussion. If you come across something that seems inaccurate in the Bible, consult a good commentary or ask your pastor—chances are, others have already found ways to resolve the apparent contradiction.
I have always thought that the real reason was because the Jews were known to combine the minor prophet scrolls withing the major prophets. So Zechariah would have been in the Jeremiah scroll. Thoughts?…
Trackback by Theologian — September 7, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
“A terrible waste of space?” At Reasons to Believe they answer the common question “Why is the universe so big if there is no life on other planets?” At the ESV blog they address whether Matthew 27:9-10 is quoting Jeremiah or Zechariah?…
Trackback by Links: Apologetics — September 25, 2007 @ 7:50 am