Quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament
Encyclopedia
Numerous quotations of the Hebrew Bible
are made in the New Testament
. In general, the New Testament writers quote from the Septuagint ("LXX") version of the Hebrew Bible, as it was then in common use among Gentiles, both Roman and Greek, while Jews of the time spoke mainly Aramaic and Hebrew, and would either have read the Hebrew Bible in its original Hebrew, or in an Aramaic translation. However, the quotations quite often are not exact; this can be attributed either to the author using a different source text, or simply to the author paraphrasing the quotation.
This article is not intended as a complete reference list of Hebrew Bible quotations in the New Testament; merely as an overview of the practice.
In about ninety instances, the LXX is literally quoted. However, in around eighty further instances, the quote is corrected or altered in some way. For example, at Jesus says "Did ye never read in the scriptures that the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner
?" - a reference to Psalm 118:22. Likewise, Mark 12:10.
text ' onMouseout='HidePop("73970")' href="/topics/Gospel_of_John">John
19:37; 1 Corinthians 15:54). Besides the quotations made directly, there are found numberless allusions, more or less distinct, showing that the minds of the New Testament writers were filled with the expressions and ideas as well as historical facts recorded in the Old Testament.
There are in all two hundred and eighty-three direct quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament, and some quotations from other books. A number of Old Testament books remain unquoted in the New Testament. In Paul's writings, there are three quotations from certain Greek
poets (Acts
17:28; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Titus
1:12). These quotations are memorials of his early classical education. The Epistle of Jude
quotes the pseudepigraphal Book of Enoch
(1 Enoch 1:9) and the Assumption of Moses
.
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
are made in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. In general, the New Testament writers quote from the Septuagint ("LXX") version of the Hebrew Bible, as it was then in common use among Gentiles, both Roman and Greek, while Jews of the time spoke mainly Aramaic and Hebrew, and would either have read the Hebrew Bible in its original Hebrew, or in an Aramaic translation. However, the quotations quite often are not exact; this can be attributed either to the author using a different source text, or simply to the author paraphrasing the quotation.
This article is not intended as a complete reference list of Hebrew Bible quotations in the New Testament; merely as an overview of the practice.
Quotations not using chapter/verse notation
Because of the number and disparity of the New Testament authors, there is no uniform standard for these quotes. When the New Testament was written, the Old Testament was not divided into chapters and verses, and hence the authors had to provide contextual references:- When LukeGospel of LukeThe Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
(20:37) refers to Exodus 3:6, he quotes from "MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
at the bush", i.e. the section containing the record of Moses at the bush. - MarkGospel of MarkThe Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
(2:26) refers to 1 SamuelBooks of SamuelThe Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
21:1-6, in the words "in the days of AbiatharAbiatharAbiathar , in the Hebrew Bible, son of Achimelech or Ahijah, High Priest at Nob, the fourth in descent from Eli and the last of Eli's House...
". - PaulPaul of TarsusPaul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
(RomansEpistle to the RomansThe Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
11:2) refers to 1 KingsBooks of KingsThe Book of Kings presents a narrative history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of David to the release of his successor Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years...
ch. 17-19, in the words, "in Elias", i.e. in the portion of the history regarding Elias.
Literal versus altered quotations
Sometimes the quotations do not agree literally either with the LXX or the Hebrew text.In about ninety instances, the LXX is literally quoted. However, in around eighty further instances, the quote is corrected or altered in some way. For example, at Jesus says "Did ye never read in the scriptures that the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
?" - a reference to Psalm 118:22. Likewise, Mark 12:10.
Direct quotes from associated religious texts
Other quotations are sometimes made directly from the Hebrewtext ' onMouseout='HidePop("73970")' href="/topics/Gospel_of_John">John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
19:37; 1 Corinthians 15:54). Besides the quotations made directly, there are found numberless allusions, more or less distinct, showing that the minds of the New Testament writers were filled with the expressions and ideas as well as historical facts recorded in the Old Testament.
There are in all two hundred and eighty-three direct quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament, and some quotations from other books. A number of Old Testament books remain unquoted in the New Testament. In Paul's writings, there are three quotations from certain Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
poets (Acts
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
17:28; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Titus
Apostle Titus
Titus was a companion of Saint Paul, mentioned in several of the Pauline epistles. Titus was with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch and accompanied them to the Council of Jerusalem, although his name occurs nowhere in the Acts of the Apostles....
1:12). These quotations are memorials of his early classical education. The Epistle of Jude
Epistle of Jude
The Epistle of Jude, often shortened to Jude, is the penultimate book of the New Testament and is attributed to Jude, the brother of James the Just. - Composition :...
quotes the pseudepigraphal Book of Enoch
Book of Enoch
The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious work, traditionally ascribed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. It is not part of the biblical canon as used by Jews, apart from Beta Israel...
(1 Enoch 1:9) and the Assumption of Moses
Assumption of Moses
The Assumption of Moses is a Jewish apocryphal pseudepigraphical work. It is known from a single sixth-century incomplete manuscript in Latin that was discovered by Antonio Ceriani in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan in the mid-nineteenth century and published by him in 1861.-Identification:The...
.