3

Matthew 12:19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.

Matthew 12:19 seems to describe the strong silent type but Jesus hardly was the silent type.

Luke 19:37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

He was not teaching His disciples to be the silent type either.

Matthew 10:27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.

1
  • The Messiah, the stones, and the people are three different things.
    – Lucian
    Jul 25, 2020 at 18:08

2 Answers 2

2

How does Matthew 12:19 describe Jesus?

Matthew 12:19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.

In fulfillment of the prophecy, Matthew quoted Isaiah 42:1-4

Matthew 12:19" He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets." This means that when curing people Jesus instructs them not to tell others, he does not want loud or boisterous advertising about his miracles. He does not want exaggerated reports that would be passed from mouth to mouth in the streets and elsewhere.

Isaiah 42:1-4 (NASB)

God’s Promise concerning His Servant

42 “Behold, My Servant, whom I [a]uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the [b]nations. 2 “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. 3 “A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His [c]law

1

In performing exegeses of the Gospels, we must attempt to understand the authors and their respective audiences. While not all firmly or historically noted, it is believed that Matthew is a Jew and is writing to Jews. Mark (the oldest Gospel), too, is a Jew that most probably followed Peter and finds his Jewish voice. Luke is a Greek physician and historian that travels with Paul and writes the Acts with a more Gentilic audience. John (a non-synoptic Gospel) is a disciple of Jesus and speaks first-hand in a theological format.

With that, two popular schools form hypothetical patterns of shared knowledge that include a source denoted as “Q” the common known sayings and activities of Jesus. The Griesbach Hypothesis offers a triangular approach with Matthew feeding Mark and Luke, while Luke feeds Mark. The more popular Two-Source Hypothesis is patterned with Mark and “Q” feeding both Matthew and Luke.

Using these exegetical points, it is most clear that Matthew is speaking to Jews who are well-versed in the Hebrew texts, especially Isaiah. The description in Matthew is a direct quote from Isaiah 42:2: “He does not cry out or raise his voice, his voice is not heard in the street.” As a sheep goes to the slaughter, they do not cry out in the suffering, they only cry out in fear. As Jesus anticipates the slaughter, neither does he cry out or make a fuss on His behalf. He fully understands what He has come to do, and will succumb to His earthly mission. To offer the Matthian Jewish point, the author encourages the Jews of the day to embrace the prophetic parallel with which they would be most comfortable and seem most understandable. He implores his audience to see Jesus as the Lamb of God.

5
  • I beg to disagree, with all due respect. 'Q' is, in fact, not a document; it is a historical fact of Jewish tradition. We must apply a practical analysis to hermeneutics. Without our ability to analyze in practicality, we become useless to academics and those seeking expanded knowledge.
    – Neil C
    Jul 26, 2020 at 21:02
  • Never quote Wikipedia; it is a non-source for academia. It is totally restricted to my students. Wikipedia is not scholarly, and those in my circle recognize its weakness. I will not comment further on that point. Please do reach out again in the future.
    – Neil C
    Jul 26, 2020 at 21:11
  • It has been nice speaking with you, Nigel. You seem argumentive beyond the pale. I stand by my academics. Never demand from those whom you do not know; it is rude and egregious.
    – Neil C
    Jul 26, 2020 at 21:24
  • I was attempting to convey to you that your resource was disputed. I have deleted all my comments to you. I shall not disturb you again. Regards and best wishes.
    – Nigel J
    Jul 26, 2020 at 21:27
  • And to you, sir. My Best!
    – Neil C
    Jul 26, 2020 at 21:29

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.