Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis — Matthew (Full Book) for Hebrew Translation
Scope and Method
This document analyzes the Gospel of Matthew in Koine Greek for Hebrew-language translation requirements, extending (never contradicting) the baseline Romans Language Package (translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, doctrine_risk_registry.json). Where a term is already established in the baseline, its recorded Hebrew rendering is reused exactly and marked [BASELINE]. New terms required for Matthew’s distinctive vocabulary and doctrines are marked [NEW] and are proposed here for inclusion in an updated translation_memory.json in a later step.
Structure:
- Part A — Core passage Matthew 5:1-12 (the Beatitudes), verse-by-verse.
- Part B — Chapter-by-chapter coverage of Matthew 1–28 in full, covering load-bearing theological terms not already exhausted by the core passage. Chapters contributing no new vocabulary beyond prior chapters/baseline state this explicitly.
Each term entry includes: Original (Greek), Transliteration, Literal Meaning, Semantic Range, English Variants, Contextual Theological Meaning, and Hebrew Rendering & Risk.
PART A — Core Passage: Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes), Verse by Verse
Matthew 5:1
“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.”
| Field | ὄρος (mountain) | μαθητής (disciple) |
|---|---|---|
| Transliteration | oros | mathētēs |
| Literal meaning | mountain, hill | learner, one who follows a teacher |
| Semantic range | literal geography; typological “mountain of revelation” (Sinai, Zion) | pupil of a rabbi/philosopher; in NT, a committed follower of Jesus |
| English variants | mountain / hill / mountainside | disciple / follower / student |
| Contextual theological meaning | Matthew deliberately stages Jesus’ inaugural teaching on a mountain, evoking Moses receiving Torah at Sinai — Jesus as the new/greater lawgiver-revealer, a load-bearing typological signal for “The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching” | Distinguishes the inner circle receiving this teaching from the “crowds” (ὄχλοι) who overhear it (5:1-2; cf. 7:28-29) |
| Hebrew rendering & risk | הר (har) — Low risk lexically; High risk of missed typology if translator notes do not flag the Sinai echo, since הר alone is generic | תלמיד (talmid) — [NEW, High risk] see full entry below |
[NEW] disciple / תלמיד (talmid) — High risk. Talmid/rav is a robust, positive existing Jewish category (a talmid attaches to a rav for Torah instruction and apprenticeship in life). The risk is scope, not absence: Matthew’s usage repeatedly demands a more total, exclusive allegiance than the ordinary talmid-rav bond (8:19-22; 10:37-39; 16:24-26) — this must be taught as an intensification of a familiar category, not assumed to transfer automatically.
Matthew 5:2
“And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:“
| Field | διδάσκω (taught) |
|---|---|
| Transliteration | didaskō |
| Literal meaning | to teach, instruct |
| Semantic range | formal instruction; also used of Torah instruction by scribes/rabbis |
| English variants | taught / instructed |
| Contextual theological meaning | Sets up 7:28-29’s climactic observation that Jesus “taught… as one having authority (ἐξουσία), and not as their scribes” — the formal introduction to the doctrine of the Authority of Jesus’ Teaching |
| Hebrew rendering & risk | לימד (limed) — Low lexical risk; doctrinal weight carried by ἐξουσία (see Chapter 7 below), not by this verb alone |
Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
[NEW] blessed / μακάριος (makarios) — High risk.
- Literal meaning: fortunate, blessed, happy in the fullest sense (not mere emotional happiness).
- Semantic range: from ordinary “happy/fortunate” to the LXX’s use for the state of the person aligned with God’s favor (Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man…”).
- English variants: blessed / happy / fortunate.
- Contextual theological meaning: an eschatological pronouncement of kingdom-favor on those who by worldly measure appear to have nothing — a performative declaration, not a mere observation of feeling.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: אשרי (ashrei) — strong positive existing resource (Psalm 1:1; the liturgical “Ashrei” prayer recited multiple times daily). Risk: precisely because Ashrei is so liturgically familiar, it may be heard as a devotional formula rather than Jesus’ authoritative, surprising reversal-pronouncement (the poor, not the prosperous, are declared fortunate). Must be taught with attention to the paradox, not just the word.
[NEW] poor in spirit / πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι (ptōchoi tō pneumati) — Medium risk.
- Literal meaning: poor/destitute with respect to spirit.
- Semantic range: not economic poverty alone but a posture of spiritual destitution/humility before God; cf. Isaiah 66:2 (“he who is humble and contrite in spirit”); a close conceptual match to the Qumran community’s own self-designation as the “poor” (Hebrew ebionim/anawim).
- English variants: poor in spirit / humble in spirit.
- Contextual theological meaning: the first Beatitude sets the register for all the rest — kingdom entry is granted to those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy, not to the self-sufficient.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: עניי רוח (aniyei ruach) — genuine positive resource directly echoing Isaiah 66:2’s phrasing; low collision risk, but must not be flattened into mere economic poverty.
[NEW] kingdom of heaven / βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (basileia tōn ouranōn) — Critical risk; core term for the curriculum’s first listed doctrine, “The Kingdom of Heaven.”
- Literal meaning: kingdom/reign of the heavens.
- Semantic range: Matthew’s strongly preferred phrase (~32 occurrences) for what Mark/Luke usually call “the kingdom of God” (βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, which Matthew himself also uses at 6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31; 21:43). Reflects the common Second Temple Jewish reverential circumlocution avoiding the divine name.
- English variants: kingdom of heaven / kingdom of God / heavenly kingdom.
- Contextual theological meaning: God’s inaugurated-yet-future reign, breaking in through Jesus’ person and ministry, not a future-only political restoration.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: מלכות השמים (malchut hashamayim) — this is a genuine and strong existing Rabbinic category (מקבל עליו את מלכות שמים, “accepting the yoke of the kingdom of heaven,” recited with the Shema). This is an asset, but the risk is exactly the scope-mismatch already flagged for the baseline’s kingdom_of_god entry: Rabbinic “malchut shamayim” denotes present submission to the commandments, not Matthew’s redemptive-historical inaugurated reign through the Messiah. Translation rule: render Greek βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν consistently as מלכות השמים, and Greek βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ (the minority of occurrences within Matthew itself) with the baseline’s מלכות האלוהים — keep the two Hebrew forms distinct even though they denote the same theological referent, since Matthew’s own text distinguishes the two Greek phrases.
Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
| Field | πενθέω (mourn) | παρακαλέω (comforted) |
|---|---|---|
| Transliteration | pentheō | parakaleō |
| Literal meaning | to grieve, lament | to call to one’s side; console, comfort |
| Semantic range | bereavement, mourning over sin, mourning over exile/national calamity | comfort/consolation; distinct from the baseline’s “exhort” sense of the same root (urging/encouraging) |
| English variants | mourn / grieve | comforted / consoled |
| Contextual theological meaning | Echoes Isaiah 61:2-3 (“comfort all who mourn… give them a garland instead of ashes”), a text Jesus later applies to himself (Luke 4); mourning here includes grief over sin and brokenness, met with eschatological comfort | The comfort is future/passive (“shall be comforted” — a divine passive: God will comfort) |
| Hebrew rendering & risk | אבל (avel) / להתאבל — Low risk | [NEW] נחם (nacham)/ינחמו — Medium-High risk: must be distinguished from the baseline’s “exhort” (לעודד); this is consolation, not encouragement-to-action. Positive resource: root נ-ח-ם underlies Isaiah 40:1’s “נחמו נחמו עמי” (Comfort, comfort my people) and the Rabbinic messianic epithet “Menachem” (Comforter) for the Messiah — a genuine teaching asset worth surfacing, not merely a risk. |
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
[NEW] meek / πραΰς (praus) — Low-Medium risk.
- Literal meaning: gentle, mild, unassuming.
- Semantic range: not weakness but power restrained; a settled, humble disposition before God and others.
- English variants: meek / gentle / humble.
- Contextual theological meaning: a near-verbatim quotation of LXX Psalm 37:11 (Hebrew Psalm 37:11 עֲנָוִים יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ, “the meek/humble shall inherit the land/earth”). This is a genuine positive resource, not a foreign import.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: ענו (anav) — low risk; strong existing OT resonance. The one nuance to flag: Psalm 37’s אָרֶץ (“land,” commonly understood as the Land of Israel in its original context) is broadened by Jesus to the whole earth — an expansion of scope that should be taught explicitly (see also “inherit,” below).
[NEW] inherit / κληρονομέω (klēronomeō) — Medium risk.
- Literal meaning: to receive as an heir’s portion, to inherit.
- Semantic range: covenantal land-inheritance (as in the Torah’s tribal allotments) broadened in the NT to eschatological, global inheritance.
- English variants: inherit / possess / receive as inheritance.
- Contextual theological meaning: connects to the “adoption”/inheritance-rights doctrine already flagged as High risk in the baseline (Romans 8) — Matthew 5:5 is an early seed of that same inheritance theology.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: נחל / ירש (yarash) — low lexical risk; theological risk is the land-to-globe expansion of scope noted above, which must be taught, not assumed obvious to a Hebrew-speaking reader for whom “inheriting the land” (ירושת הארץ) carries strong, specific territorial resonance.
Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
righteousness / δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) — [BASELINE, Critical]. Reuse exactly: צדק (tzedek), never צדקה (tzedakah) outside a direct Genesis 15:6 quotation. Here righteousness is the object of a consuming appetite (hunger/thirst), not a legal verdict per se, but the term must still be rendered with tzedek to keep consistency with the “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” doctrine developed later in Matthew 5:20 and throughout the Sermon on the Mount — this is the same lexical stock, not a separate word.
| Field | πεινάω / διψάω (hunger/thirst) | χορτάζω (satisfied) |
|---|---|---|
| Transliteration | peinaō / dipsaō | chortazō |
| Literal meaning | to be hungry / to be thirsty | to be filled, fed to satisfaction (originally of feeding animals fodder) |
| Semantic range | physical need extended metaphorically to spiritual longing | complete satisfaction, filling |
| English variants | hunger and thirst / long for / crave | satisfied / filled |
| Contextual theological meaning | Total, urgent desire for right-standing with God and for God’s justice in the world — anticipates the fuller righteousness-by-faith teaching Paul later develops, here framed as holy desire rather than achievement | The promise of future satisfaction (eschatological, not immediately self-generated) |
| Hebrew rendering & risk | רעב וצמא (ra’ev ve-tzame) — Low risk | ישבעו (yisba’u) — Low risk |
Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
[NEW] mercy / ἔλεος (eleos) — Medium risk.
- Literal meaning: compassion, pity, mercy shown to one in need.
- Semantic range: distinct from but related to grace (undeserved favor) and covenant-loyalty (chesed); mercy specifically emphasizes compassionate response to suffering/distress.
- English variants: mercy / compassion / pity.
- Contextual theological meaning: this term becomes a recurring Matthean motif — cf. Matthew 9:13 and 12:7, both quoting Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” — key texts for the doctrine of “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” (right relationship with God expressed through compassion, not merely ritual/legal correctness).
- Hebrew rendering & risk: רחמים (rachamim) — genuine positive resource (Exodus 34:6’s “רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן,” rachum ve-chanun, among God’s Thirteen Attributes). Must be kept distinct from חסד (chesed), the baseline’s established rendering for “grace” — rachamim (compassion, from the root for “womb”) and chesed (covenant loyalty) name related but different aspects of God’s character; conflating them would blur two theologically distinct baseline/new terms.
Matthew 5:8
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
[NEW] pure in heart / καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ (katharoi tē kardia) — Medium risk.
- Literal meaning: clean/pure with respect to the heart.
- Semantic range: moral and relational integrity of inner disposition, not ritual purity (cf. baseline’s “holy” entry, which flags this same ritual-vs.-moral risk).
- English variants: pure in heart / clean of heart.
- Contextual theological meaning: directly echoes Psalm 24:4 (“He who has clean hands and a pure heart”) — Psalm 24 itself is about who may ascend the Temple mount and “see” God’s presence, making the connection to the next clause deliberate and textually anchored.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: טהורי לב (tehorei lev) — low lexical risk given the Psalm 24:4 anchor; the risk to flag is exactly the one the baseline’s “holy” entry already names: Hebrew טהרה (taharah)/טהור carries heavy ritual-purity connotations (kosher law, family purity) in contemporary Jewish practice, so translators must ensure the moral/relational sense is clear from context, not assumed.
[NEW] see God / ὄψονται τὸν Θεόν (opsontai ton theon) — Critical risk.
- Literal meaning: they will see God.
- Semantic range: ranges from a metaphor for intimate relational access to God to a literal beatific-vision promise.
- English variants: see God / behold God.
- Contextual theological meaning: this sits in direct tension with the Torah’s own theophany restrictions (Exodus 33:20, “no man shall see me and live”) while resonating with Job 19:26 and Psalm 17:15 (“I shall see your face in righteousness”). The Beatitude promises what the Torah restricts within this present life — an eschatological, not present-life, fulfillment, that must be taught as such to avoid confusion or perceived contradiction with Exodus 33:20.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: יראו את האלוהים (yir’u et ha-Elohim) — lexically straightforward; the risk is entirely theological/exegetical, requiring explicit engagement with the Exodus 33:20 tension rather than silent translation.
Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
[NEW] peacemaker / εἰρηνοποιός (eirēnopoios) — Low-Medium risk.
- Literal meaning: one who makes peace.
- Semantic range: an active reconciler, not merely a passive avoider of conflict.
- English variants: peacemaker.
- Contextual theological meaning: connects to shalom (baseline “peace” entry, Medium risk — peace with God through justification) but here applied horizontally, to human relationships, as fruit of having received peace with God.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: עושה שלום (oseh shalom) — strong liturgical resonance (“Oseh Shalom Bimromav”); low collision risk.
“called sons of God” / υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται — Critical risk; requires careful cross-reference to the baseline’s Critical “son_of_god” entry.
- Contextual theological meaning: this is not the unique, ontological Sonship of Christ (baseline entry, reserved for Jesus alone as huios theou in the singular, unique sense — see Chapter-by-chapter, Matthew 1, 3, 4, 14, 16, 17, 26, 27 below). Matthew 5:9 instead uses the plural, corporate/adoptive sense that the Tanakh itself already has for Israel corporately (Exodus 4:22) and that the baseline’s son_of_god entry explicitly names as a distinct prior category. Translation rule: the Hebrew must be able to distinguish, through context and any accompanying notes, between (a) בן האלוהים as Christ’s unique title (never pluralized, never applied to believers directly in that ontological sense) and (b) this verse’s plural “sons of God” as a derivative, familial/ethical status granted to peacemaking believers. Do not use the identical baseline phrase בן האלוהים unqualified for both senses without a clarifying note.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: בני האלוהים (benei ha-Elohim), plural — [NEW, Critical].
Matthew 5:10
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Reuses righteousness (צדק, baseline Critical) and kingdom of heaven (מלכות השמים, established above). New term:
[NEW] persecuted / διωκόμενοι (diōkomenoi) — Medium risk, primarily doctrinal-framing risk rather than lexical.
- Literal meaning: pursued, chased, persecuted.
- Semantic range: hostile pursuit, harassment, active opposition.
- English variants: persecuted.
- Contextual theological meaning: introduces the “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus” doctrine explicitly at the climax of the Beatitudes; note the deliberate inclusio with v.3 and v.10, both ending “theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” bracketing the whole unit.
- Hebrew rendering & risk: נרדפים (nirdafim) — low lexical risk.
Matthew 5:11-12
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
| Field | ὀνειδίζω (revile) | μισθός (reward) | προφήτης (prophets) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transliteration | oneidizō | misthos | prophētēs |
| Literal meaning | to reproach, insult | wages, payment, reward | one who speaks forth (God’s message) |
| Semantic range | verbal abuse, public shaming | earned wage in secular use; in NT often extended metaphorically to eschatological recompense | prophetic office; baseline [BASELINE, Low] נביא (navi) |
| English variants | revile / insult / mock | reward / recompense / wages | prophets |
| Contextual theological meaning | The persecution is explicitly “on my account” (ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ) — the first of many places in Matthew where allegiance to Jesus personally, not merely to righteous living in general, is the ground of blessing/persecution | Must not be taught as merit-earning salvation; this “reward” language sits alongside, and must be harmonized with, the baseline’s grace/faith Critical entries so that misthos is not misread as a wage earned by suffering | Places the disciples’ experience in continuity with the OT prophets’ suffering — Jesus’ followers as heirs of the prophetic line of suffering witness |
| Hebrew rendering & risk | מחרפים (mecharfim) — Low risk | שכר (sachar) — Medium risk: flag for review alongside grace/faith doctrine to prevent a works-reward misreading | נביא/נביאים — [BASELINE, Low], reuse exactly |
PART B — Chapter-by-Chapter Semantic Analysis, Matthew 1–28
Chapter 1 — Genealogy and Birth Narrative
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous (Heb. Yehoshua/Yeshua, “YHWH saves”) | proper name Jesus | Matthew’s naming explanation, “he will save his people from their sins” (1:21), makes the ישע (yasha)/salvation root explicit as etymology, not incidental wordplay | [BASELINE, Critical] ישוע — never ישו |
| Christ / Messiah Χριστός Christos Anointed One | title, eventually functioning as a name Christ / Messiah | Opens the book: “the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (1:1) frames the entire Gospel as a messianic claim | [BASELINE, Critical] משיח |
| son of David υἱὸς Δαυίδ huios Dauid descendant/heir of David | royal-messianic title son of David | Appears in the very first verse (1:1) as a primary identity marker; distinct from, but closely related to, the baseline’s seed_of_david (זרע דוד, Romans 1:3’s “descended from David according to the flesh”) — Matthew’s phrase functions as a direct address/title used repeatedly by petitioners (see chs. 9, 12, 15, 20, 21) | [NEW, High] בן דוד (ben David). Genuine existing rabbinic messianic category (“Mashiach ben David”), but tied to a Rabbinic expectation of a single-reign political/national deliverer — see baseline “messiah” entry’s two-comings framing caution. |
| Immanuel Ἐμμανουήλ Emmanouēl ”God with us” | proper name/title, direct quotation of Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel | Names the Incarnation doctrine (baseline Critical entry, התגלמות) concretely: God’s personal presence with his people | [NEW, Critical] עמנואל — this is a rare case of direct recitation of the existing Masoretic Hebrew (עִמָּנוּ אֵל already appears verbatim in Isaiah 7:14); risk is entirely interpretive, not lexical (see next entry) |
| virgin παρθένος parthenos virgin, unmarried young woman | can denote strictly “virgin” or more loosely “young woman” depending on source language virgin | Matthew explicitly cites Isaiah 7:14 as fulfilled in the virgin conception | [NEW, CRITICAL] בתולה (betulah). The Masoretic Hebrew of Isaiah 7:14 itself uses עַלְמָה (almah, “young woman”), not the more specific בְּתוּלָה. The LXX’s παρθένος (which Matthew follows) is the narrower “virgin” term. This almah/betulah gap is one of the oldest, most-contested points of Jewish-Christian textual dispute (cf. Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho) and must carry an explicit translator’s note rather than a silent harmonization. |
| Holy Spirit Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον Pneuma Hagion — | — Holy Spirit | Conception “of the Holy Spirit” (1:18, 20) — foundational to both Incarnation and Deity/Sonship of Christ doctrines | [BASELINE, Critical] רוח הקודש |
| angel of the Lord ἄγγελος Κυρίου angelos Kyriou messenger of the Lord | — angel of the Lord | Delivers the birth announcement to Joseph; echoes OT angelophanies | [NEW, Low] מלאך ה׳ (malach Adonai) — strong existing OT category, low risk |
Chapter 2 — The Magi, Flight to Egypt, Return to Nazareth
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| worship προσκυνέω proskyneō to bow down, prostrate oneself in homage | ranges from respectful bowing to a human superior, to full religious worship of deity worship / bow down / pay homage | The Magi’s act toward the infant Jesus (2:2, 2:11) is deliberately ambiguous in Greek register but functions in Matthew’s narrative as an anticipation of full worship due Deity — a foretaste of the Deity of Christ doctrine, though not yet doctrinally settled at this narrative point | [NEW, High] להשתחוות/סגידה. Risk: Hebrew has a clear register distinction between השתחוות (bowing, can be for a human dignitary) and the fuller sense of worship reserved for God; translators must decide per-passage where Matthew’s narrative intends the fuller sense (especially by 28:9, 28:17, post-resurrection) versus ambiguous early narrative moments — flag for theologian review each occurrence. |
| fulfilled (formula) ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν hina plērōthē to rhēthen ”that what was spoken might be fulfilled” | Matthew’s recurring citation-formula (also 1:22; 2:17; 2:23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:9) that it might be fulfilled / to fulfill what was spoken | Central mechanism of the “Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy” doctrine — Matthew’s ~14-fold formula argues Jesus’ life as the intended referent of specific prophetic texts | [NEW, High] להתגשם/התגשמות (reusing the root already used for the baseline doctrine name “fulfillment_of_prophecy,” התגשמות הנבואה). Must be distinguished from the separate, more doctrinally loaded rendering needed for Matthew 5:17 (see Chapter 5 below). |
| Nazarene Ναζωραῖος Nazōraios one from Nazareth | title/geographic designation, applied prophetically at 2:23 Nazarene | The prophetic citation here (“he shall be called a Nazarene”) has no single clear OT source text and has long puzzled interpreters — a genuine interpretive difficulty to flag, not smooth over | [NEW, Medium] נצרי (Notzri) — note: this is also the standard Modern Hebrew word for “Christian” generally (נוצרי); care is needed so the geographic/prophetic sense in 2:23 is not read merely as a generic “he will be called a Christian,” which would be circular in context. |
Chapter 3 — John the Baptist
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| repent / repentance μετανοέω / μετάνοια metanoeō / metanoia to change one’s mind; turn around | moral-spiritual reorientation; John’s baptism “of repentance” repent / repentance / turn | John’s opening proclamation (3:2) pairs repentance directly with the imminence of “the kingdom of heaven” — repentance as the necessary response to the kingdom’s inbreaking | [NEW, High] תשובה (teshuvah) / לשוב. Teshuvah is the central High Holy Day category of “return” to God (via prayer, charity, ethical amendment) — a strong existing resource, but must be anchored here as decisive recognition of, and turning toward, the in-breaking kingdom and the Messiah specifically, not generic annual ethical renewal. |
| kingdom of heaven βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν basileia tōn ouranōn — | — — | First occurrence in the Gospel (3:2): “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” | [NEW, Critical] — see full entry under Matthew 5:3 above; reuse מלכות השמים consistently from this first occurrence forward. |
| baptism βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω baptisma / baptizō to dip, immerse | ritual immersion baptism / baptize | John’s baptism of repentance in the Jordan, distinct from (though related to) the Trinitarian baptism commanded in 28:19 | [NEW, Medium-High] טבילה/להטביל (tevilah/le-hatbil). Genuine existing resource: Jewish mikveh immersion (for ritual purification and for proselyte conversion) is a real conceptual anchor, but John’s and later Christian baptism’s specific meaning (repentance in view of the kingdom; later, union with Christ) must be taught as distinct from ritual mikveh purification, not assumed identical. |
| voice from heaven / “This is my beloved Son” Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός Houtos estin ho Huios mou ho agapētos This is my Son, the beloved | — This is my beloved Son | The Father’s own voice at the baptism (3:17) is the first of three key declarations of Christ’s unique Sonship (also 17:5; implicitly 27:54) — foundational to the Sonship of Christ Critical doctrine | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] בן האלוהים framework; “beloved” (ἀγαπητός) — [NEW, Medium] אהוב/יחיד — note possible echo of “your only son, whom you love” (Genesis 22:2, Isaac’s binding), a deliberate typological resonance worth flagging for teaching. |
Chapter 4 — Temptation and Early Galilean Ministry
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| temptation πειρασμός peirasmos test, trial, temptation | testing that may either strengthen or seduce to sin temptation / test / trial | Jesus’ forty-day wilderness testing (echoing Israel’s forty years) establishes him as the faithful counterpart to Israel’s wilderness failures | [NEW, Medium] ניסיון (nisayon) — strong existing resource (Abraham’s “ten trials,” nisyonot); low collision risk, positive typological overlap with the wilderness generation. |
| devil / Satan διάβολος / Σατανᾶς diabolos / Satanas slanderer / adversary | personal, malevolent spiritual adversary devil / Satan / the accuser | Direct confrontation and defeat of the tempter by Scripture-citation (Deuteronomy quotations) — models faithful use of Torah against temptation | [NEW, Low-Medium] השטן (ha-Satan) — existing Tanakh category (Job 1-2, Zechariah 3), though Second Temple/NT usage develops a more clearly personal, cosmically opposed figure than some earlier OT usage; note this development explicitly. |
| fishers of men ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων halieis anthrōpōn fishermen of people | metaphor for the mission of gathering people into the kingdom fishers of men | The call of the first disciples (4:19) — an early seed of the Great Commission doctrine developed fully in ch. 28 | [NEW, Low] דיגי אנשים (dayagei anashim) — low risk, transparent metaphor. |
Chapter 5 — Sermon on the Mount, continued (verses 13-48)
(Verses 1-12, the core passage, are treated in full in Part A above.)
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| fulfill (the Law) πληρῶσαι plērōsai to fill up, complete, bring to full expression | Matthew 5:17’s specific claim differs from the citation-formula sense in ch. 2 — here it is Jesus’ own stated relationship to Torah and the Prophets, not a prophecy-fulfilled-by-an-event claim fulfill / complete / accomplish | The single most doctrinally sensitive verse in Matthew for a Jewish-Hebrew reader: “I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them” (5:17). Directly parallels the baseline’s caution at the “law” Critical entry regarding Romans 10:4 (Messiah as Torah’s telos/goal, not its termination) | [NEW, CRITICAL] למלא (le-male). Must NOT use the baseline doctrine-name root הגשמה/hitgashmut here (reserved for the distinct prophecy-fulfillment-formula sense), and must never be rendered in a way that reads as “I have come to cancel/replace the Torah.” Requires mandatory translator note per the baseline system prompt’s Torah-framing rule. |
| righteousness exceeding περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων perisseusē hē dikaiosynē hymōn pleion tōn grammateōn kai Pharisaiōn ”your righteousness must abound/exceed more than the scribes and Pharisees” | — your righteousness must exceed / surpass | Names the curriculum doctrine “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” directly (5:20); sets up the six antitheses (“You have heard… but I say to you”) that follow | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] צדק (tzedek); scribes/Pharisees — see Chapter 23 below for full treatment; risk here is entirely one of framing: this must be taught as an intra-Jewish call to a deeper Torah-fulfillment, not as Gentile Christian superiority over Judaism. |
| perfect τέλειος teleios complete, whole, mature | moral/relational completeness, not sinless perfectionism perfect / complete / whole | ”Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48) — the climax of the antitheses, calling for a wholeness of love (including love of enemies) that mirrors God’s own character | [NEW, Medium] תמים (tamim) — existing OT resource (“Noah was tamim in his generation,” Genesis 6:9; sacrificial animals required to be tamim); low collision risk, good positive resonance with wholehearted covenant faithfulness. |
| oaths / retaliation / love enemies (various: ὅρκος, ἀνθίστημι, ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθρούς) horkos / anthistēmi / agapate tous echthrous oath; resist/retaliate; love your enemies | — swear oaths / turn the other cheek / love your enemies | The remaining antitheses of ch. 5; ethical instruction flowing from, not replacing, Torah’s own commands (cf. Leviticus 19:18’s “love your neighbor,” extended here) | Low-Medium risk terms; standard Hebrew vocabulary (שבועה, להתנגד, לאהוב את האויבים) suffices; the framing risk (Torah-fulfillment vs. Torah-abolition) already flagged above governs this whole unit. |
Chapter 6 — Piety, Prayer, and Anxiety
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| alms(giving) ἐλεημοσύνη eleēmosynē act of mercy/charity | charitable giving to the poor alms / charitable giving | Matthew 6:1-4’s teaching on giving “in secret” | [NEW, Medium] צדקה (tzedakah) — note carefully: this is the one other context (alongside Genesis 15:6 quotations, per baseline) where tzedakah is the CORRECT and expected rendering, since almsgiving/charity is precisely tzedakah’s Modern Hebrew meaning. Cross-reference the baseline righteousness entry so translators do not confuse this correct usage with the forbidden general “righteousness” substitution. |
| Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father,” “hallowed be your name,” “your kingdom come,” “daily bread,” “forgive us our debts” Πάτερ ἡμῶν, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, τὸν ἄρτον… τὰ ὀφειλήματα Pater hēmōn, hagiasthētō to onoma sou, eltheto he basileia sou, ta opheilemata — | — Our Father… hallowed be your name… your kingdom come… daily bread… forgive us our debts | The Lord’s Prayer (6:9-13) compresses much of Matthew’s theology: Fatherhood (baseline אבינו, Medium), kingdom of heaven (see above), and forgiveness of “debts” (ὀφειλήματα, a striking financial metaphor for sin) | Father — [BASELINE, Medium] אבינו; kingdom — see above; “debts” (ὀφειλήματα) — [NEW, Medium] חובות (chovot), a real financial/legal metaphor also present in Rabbinic thought (sin as a debt); low collision, positive resource. |
| mammon μαμωνᾶς mamōnas wealth, money | a direct Aramaic loanword (מָמוֹן) meaning wealth/possessions, personified here as a rival master mammon / money / wealth | ”You cannot serve God and mammon” (6:24) | [NEW, Low] ממון (mamon) — this word is already native Hebrew/Aramaic; simply retain the existing cognate. Minimal lexical risk; doctrinal point (exclusive allegiance) carries the weight. |
| do not be anxious μὴ μεριμνᾶτε mē merimnate do not worry/be anxious | freedom from anxious care based on trust in the Father’s provision do not worry / do not be anxious | 6:25-34 — an early, practical outworking of the doctrine of providence (baseline Medium entry, השגחה פרטית) | Reuses [BASELINE, Medium] conceptual link to providence; verb itself low risk (אל תדאגו). |
Chapter 7 — Judging, the Narrow Gate, False Prophets
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| narrow gate / narrow way στενὴ πύλη / τεθλιμμένη ὁδός stenē pylē / tethlimmenē hodos narrow gate / constricted road | metaphor for the difficult, minority path of true discipleship versus the easy, popular path to destruction narrow gate / narrow way | 7:13-14 — sharpens the “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus” doctrine with a stark binary image | [NEW, Medium] שער צר / דרך צרה — low lexical risk; standard Hebrew vocabulary. |
| false prophets ψευδοπροφῆται pseudoprophētai false spokespersons | those who claim prophetic authority falsely false prophets | 7:15-20, “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” discernible “by their fruit” | Reuses [BASELINE, Low] נביא root with negation: נביאי שקר — low risk. |
| ”Lord, Lord” Κύριε, Κύριε Kyrie, Kyrie — | — Lord, Lord | 7:21-23 — “not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” — an early anticipation of the Romans 10:9 confession-of-Lordship doctrine, here warning against confession without obedience | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] אדון; framing risk: must not be read as devaluing the confession itself, but as warning against confession divorced from a transformed life (cf. baseline “obedience_of_faith” High entry). |
| authority (as builder on rock) ἐξουσία (implicit; explicit at end of chapter) exousia — | — — | Chapter closes (7:28-29) with the crowds astonished “because he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” — the formal naming of the “Authority of Jesus’ Teaching” doctrine | [NEW, HIGH] סמכות (samchut). Genuine positive resource: samchut resonates with the Rabbinic concept of semichah (ordination, chain of transmitted teaching authority), which makes the contrast Matthew draws sharper and more legible to a Hebrew reader — Jesus teaches with unmediated, self-derived authority, not authority derived through a chain of prior rabbinic transmission. This must be taught as a deliberate contrast, not softened. |
Chapter 8 — Healing Ministry, Authority over Illness and Nature
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| leprosy / leper λέπρα / λεπρός lepra / lepros skin disease rendering one ritually impure | Torah-defined impurity condition (Leviticus 13-14), not necessarily modern clinical leprosy leprosy / leper | Jesus’ touch and healing (8:1-4) crosses a significant ritual-purity boundary, prefiguring the “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” theme of compassion over ritual distance | [NEW, Medium] צרעת/מצורע (tzara’at/metzora) — direct Torah-cognate term; low lexical risk, but the purity-law context must be surfaced for full doctrinal weight. |
| centurion’s faith πίστις pistis — | — faith | ”I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel” (8:10) — an early, striking instance of Gentile faith exceeding Jewish response, seeding the “Unity of Jews and Gentiles” trajectory that Matthew, like Romans, must handle without flattening Israel’s priority | Reuses [BASELINE, High] אמונה exactly; framing risk flagged for theologian review given the Israel-comparison language. |
| authority (over nature/demons) ἐξουσία exousia — | — authority | Calming the storm (8:23-27) and casting out demons (8:28-34) extend Jesus’ authority (established in ch.7) beyond teaching into the physical/spiritual order | Reuses [NEW, High] סמכות established above. |
Chapter 9 — Forgiveness, Calling of Matthew, Mercy Not Sacrifice
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Son of Man (authority to forgive sins) ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου… ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας ho Huios tou anthrōpou… exousian echei aphienai hamartias the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins | — Son of Man has authority to forgive sins | 9:6 — the first explicit linkage of the “Son of Man” title to divine prerogative (forgiving sins is God’s alone, cf. scribes’ objection in 9:3) — a major Christological load-bearing moment | [NEW, CRITICAL] בן אדם (ben Adam) — see full entry, Chapter 16/26 below; here it is the specific claim to divine forgiving-authority that must not be softened. |
| mercy, not sacrifice ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν eleos thelō kai ou thysian I desire mercy and not sacrifice | direct quotation of Hosea 6:6 ”I desire mercy, not sacrifice” | 9:13 (repeated 12:7) — a programmatic quotation for the whole Gospel’s ethic, directly relevant to “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” | mercy — reuses [NEW, Medium] רחמים established at Matthew 5:7; sacrifice — [NEW, Low] קרבן/זבח (korban/zevach), standard Torah-cognate vocabulary. |
| new wine, old wineskins οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς oinon neon eis askous palaious new wine into old skins | metaphor for the incompatibility of the new kingdom reality with old, rigid forms if handled wrongly new wine in old wineskins | 9:16-17 — must be taught carefully so as not to imply wholesale rejection of the “old” (Torah/Israel), consistent with 5:17’s fulfillment (not abolition) framing | [NEW, Low-Medium] יין חדש בנאדות ישנים — low lexical risk; framing risk parallels the ch. 5 caution. |
Chapter 10 — Sending the Twelve
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| apostle ἀπόστολος apostolos one sent | — apostle | 10:2 — “the names of the twelve apostles” — Matthew’s only use of the noun form, naming the office that Paul’s Romans letter presupposes | [BASELINE, Medium] שליח |
| lost sheep of Israel τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ ta probata ta apolōlota oikou Israēl the lost sheep of the house of Israel | defines the initial, deliberately Israel-focused scope of the Twelve’s mission (contrast with the later universal scope in ch. 28) lost sheep of the house of Israel | 10:6 (cf. 15:24) — establishes a staged mission strategy (Israel first, then the nations), directly relevant to preserving the “to the Jew first” priority language already flagged in the baseline’s “universal_scope_of_gospel” High entry | [NEW, High] הצאן האובדות של בית ישראל — must be held together with ch. 28’s Great Commission rather than read as contradicting it; a staged, not competing, mission scope. |
| not peace but a sword οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην, ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν ouk ēlthon balein eirēnēn, alla machairan I did not come to bring peace, but a sword | metaphor for the divisive, costly effect of allegiance to Jesus even within families not peace but a sword | 10:34 — intensifies the “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus” doctrine | [NEW, Medium] — must not be confused with baseline “peace” (שלום, peace with God); this is a distinct, this-worldly relational-cost metaphor. Standard Hebrew (חרב) suffices lexically. |
Chapter 11 — John’s Doubt, Woes, the Easy Yoke
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”the one who is to come” ὁ ἐρχόμενος ho erchomenos the coming one | Messianic-expectation shorthand the one who is to come / the coming one | John’s question from prison (11:3) directly engages the Messianic Promise Critical doctrine and its unmet-expectations tension | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] משיח framework; phrase itself: [NEW, High] הבא (ha-ba). |
| yoke ζυγός zygos yoke (agricultural implement); metaphor for a system of obligation | Rabbinic idiom: “yoke of Torah” (עול תורה), “yoke of the commandments” (עול מצוות) yoke | ”Take my yoke upon you… my yoke is easy” (11:29-30) — directly engages the existing rabbinic yoke-of-Torah idiom | [NEW, HIGH] עול (ol). Must be taught as Jesus offering a yoke (not yokelessness) — a positive reframing of an existing category, not its abolition, consistent with the ch.5 fulfillment-not-abolition framing. |
| rest ἀνάπαυσις anapausis rest, refreshment | eschatological/relational rest, echoing OT Sabbath-rest theology rest | Paired directly with the yoke saying (11:28-29) | [NEW, Medium] מנוחה (menuchah) — strong positive existing resource (Sabbath rest, Psalm 95’s “my rest,” מנוחתי); low collision risk. |
Chapter 12 — Sabbath Controversies, Blasphemy of the Spirit, Sign of Jonah
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabbath σάββατον sabbaton — | — Sabbath | ”The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath” (12:8) — directly engages the most observance-central commandment in Jewish life | [NEW, HIGH] שבת (Shabbat). Must be taught as Jesus’ authoritative priority-ordering/interpretation of Sabbath law (cf. 12:1-8, 9-14), not its abrogation — same framing discipline as the ch.5 “fulfill, not abolish” rule. |
| blasphemy against the Spirit βλασφημία κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος blasphēmia kata tou Pneumatos slander/blasphemy against the Spirit | the one unforgivable sin category in Matthew blasphemy against the Holy Spirit | 12:31-32 — a uniquely weighty, Critical-adjacent statement tied directly to the baseline’s Holy Spirit Critical entry (a distinct divine Person, not an impersonal force, capable of being personally sinned against) | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] רוח הקודש; new compound: [NEW, High] חילול/גידוף רוח הקודש. |
| sign of Jonah τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ to sēmeion Iōna the sign of Jonah | typological reference to Jonah’s three days in the fish as a foreshadowing of the Resurrection sign of Jonah | 12:39-40 — an explicit self-interpretation by Jesus linking his coming death/resurrection to an OT type, directly supporting the “Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy” doctrine | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] תחיית המתים conceptually; “sign” — [NEW, Low] אות (ot), standard Hebrew, low risk. |
Chapter 13 — Parables of the Kingdom
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| parable παραβολή parabolē comparison, illustrative story | figurative teaching form parable | An entire chapter of kingdom-parables (sower, wheat and tares, mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, pearl, net) — Matthew’s primary teaching vehicle for the Kingdom of Heaven doctrine | [NEW, Low-Medium] משל (mashal). Strong positive existing resource (Proverbs, wisdom literature); minimal collision risk. |
| why do you speak in parables (hardened hearts) ἵνα βλέποντες μὴ βλέπωσιν hina blepontes mē blepōsin so that seeing they may not see | quotation/allusion to Isaiah 6:9-10 seeing they do not see | 13:13-15 — Matthew applies Isaiah’s own commissioning-text about hardened hearts to Jesus’ contemporaries’ response, a Fulfillment-of-Prophecy move with real weight for the later Israel-hardening discussion Paul develops in Romans 9-11 | [NEW, Medium] — standard Hebrew phrasing (רואים ולא רואים); doctrinal weight, not lexical risk, is the concern — flag alongside baseline’s “election”/“effectual_calling” High entries. |
Chapter 14 — Feeding the Five Thousand, Walking on Water
No major new theological vocabulary terms beyond those already established in Chapters 1–13. Notable: the disciples’ confession “Truly you are the Son of God” (14:33) is the first explicit disciple-confession of this title within the narrative (as opposed to narratorial statement or divine voice), which reinforces — but does not modify — the baseline’s Critical son_of_god (בן האלוהים) entry. Reviewed and confirmed: no new term entries required for this chapter.
Chapter 15 — Tradition of the Elders, the Canaanite Woman
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| tradition of the elders παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων paradosis tōn presbyterōn tradition/what is handed down from the elders | the developing body of oral legal tradition later systematized in the Mishnah tradition of the elders | 15:1-9 — Jesus contrasts human tradition with “the commandment of God” — must be framed carefully as critique of a specific application, not of Torah or of the broader concept of tradition itself, per the same caution as the “law” baseline entry | [NEW, Medium-High] מסורת הזקנים (masoret ha-zekenim) — historically accurate and recognizable term (precursor to what becomes the Mishnah/Oral Torah); framing risk requires theologian review given later Christian tendencies to caricature this positively-intended body of interpretation. |
| defile / clean, unclean κοινόω / καθαρός, ἀκάθαρτος koinoō / katharos, akathartos to make common/impure; clean, unclean | Levitical purity categories, here reapplied by Jesus to moral/heart categories (“what comes out of the mouth”) defile / clean / unclean | 15:10-20 — relocates defilement from ritual/dietary categories to the heart, a significant reworking that must not be read as abolishing kashrut wholesale but as prioritizing moral over ritual defilement in this specific teaching context | [NEW, High] טמא/טהור (tamei/tahor) — direct Torah-cognate vocabulary; framing risk requires careful handling given the weight of kashrut in ongoing Jewish practice. |
Chapter 16 — Peter’s Confession, Keys of the Kingdom
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος Sy ei ho Christos, ho Huios tou Theou tou zōntos — | — — | Peter’s confession (16:16) is the narrative and theological pivot of the whole Gospel, joining the Messianic Promise and Sonship of Christ Critical doctrines in a single sentence | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] משיח and בן האלוהים exactly, together, with no modification. |
| church ἐκκλησία ekklēsia assembly | — church | ”On this rock I will build my church” (16:18) — the founding statement of the Church doctrine | [BASELINE, Critical] קהילה — never עדה; must never imply replacement of Israel, per baseline rule, reinforced by the Romans 11 grafting-in framework already established. |
| Peter / rock (wordplay) Πέτρος / πέτρα Petros / petra Peter / rock | Greek wordplay (Petros/petra) does not reproduce identically in Hebrew Peter, on this rock | 16:18 — a well-known translation-mechanics issue: the Greek pun linking Peter’s name to “rock” has no exact parallel in Hebrew (כיפא/פטרוס vs. סלע/צור) | [NEW, Medium] — translator note required: Hebrew rendering should use פטרוס for the name and סלע or צור for “rock,” explicitly noting to reviewers that the Greek wordplay is not reproducible and the theological point (not primarily a pun on Peter’s own person, but on the confession he has just made) should carry the weight instead. |
| keys of the kingdom / bind and loose κλεῖς τῆς βασιλείας / δήσῃς…λύσῃς kleis tēs basileias / dēsēs…lysēs keys of the kingdom / you shall bind…loose | stewardship-authority image; “bind/loose” is direct halakhic terminology for rabbinic rulings that prohibit (bind) or permit (loose) keys of the kingdom / bind and loose | 16:19 — grants delegated authority tied to the church’s future discipline function (developed fully in ch. 18) | [NEW, HIGH] מפתחות המלכות; לאסור ולהתיר (le’esor ul’hatir). Genuine positive existing resource (rabbinic halakhic ruling-language), but must be taught in its ecclesial-authority context (Matt 18:18) rather than assumed to grant a unique perpetual office beyond the immediate scriptural scope — flag for theologian review. |
| take up his cross ἄρας τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ aras ton stauron autou to take up one’s cross | metaphor for total self-denial, even unto death, in following Jesus take up his cross | 16:24-26 — the definitive statement of the “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus” doctrine | [NEW, HIGH] לשאת את צלבו (la-set et tzlavo). Standard Hebrew lexically (צלב); cultural-sensitivity flag required given the historical association of the cross symbol with periods of antisemitic violence in Jewish collective memory — framing/context notes needed, not a lexical substitution. |
Chapter 17 — The Transfiguration
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| transfigured μετεμορφώθη metemorphōthē was transformed in outward appearance | temporary visible unveiling of glory, not a change of nature was transfigured / was transformed | 17:1-8 — a temporary unveiling of Christ’s preexistent glory (kavod), directly linked to the baseline’s “glory” (כבוד) Medium entry and to Sinai theophany imagery (Moses’ face shining, Exodus 34:29-35) | [NEW, CRITICAL] השתנות פניו / התהפכות דמותו. Must be distinguished from the baseline’s Incarnation entry (a permanent assumption of human nature) — this is instead a temporary visible disclosure of glory already present but normally veiled. Heavy reuse of [BASELINE, Medium] כבוד in surrounding phrasing recommended. |
| ”This is my beloved Son, listen to him” Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός… ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ Houtos estin ho Huios mou ho agapētos… akouete autou — | — — | 17:5 — the second of the Father’s direct voice-declarations (cf. ch. 3), now adding “listen to him,” reinforcing the Authority of Jesus’ Teaching doctrine at the highest possible register | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] בן האלוהים; “listen to him” ties directly to the ch. 7 סמכות (authority) entry. |
Chapter 18 — Church Discipline
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”if your brother sins against you” (discipline procedure) ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σὲ ὁ ἀδελφός σου ean hamartēsē eis se ho adelphos sou if your brother sins against you | structured multi-step process for addressing sin within the believing community church discipline procedure | 18:15-17 — the Gospel’s foundational text for the doctrine of “The Church and Church Discipline,” a structured, redemptive (not merely punitive) process | Reuses [BASELINE, High] חטא (sin); “brother” — [NEW, Low] אח (ach), low risk, note the warm covenant-community resonance. |
| ”where two or three are gathered” οὗ γάρ εἰσιν δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι hou gar eisin dyo ē treis synēgmenoi for where two or three are gathered | promise of Christ’s presence amid communal gathering, echoing Rabbinic minyan/quorum concepts (though the numeric threshold differs from the traditional minyan of ten) where two or three are gathered | 18:20 — supports the Church doctrine with a promise of Christ’s presence, paralleling but numerically distinct from the Rabbinic minyan concept — worth noting as a point of comparison, not identity | [NEW, Medium] — note the minyan comparison explicitly in any teaching material; standard Hebrew (שנים או שלושה מתאספים) suffices lexically. |
| bind and loose (repeated) δήσητε…λύσητε dēsēte…lysēte — | — — | 18:18 — repeats the ch.16 keys-of-the-kingdom authority now explicitly in the discipline context, confirming this authority belongs to the gathered community (church), not to Peter alone | Reuses [NEW, High] לאסור ולהתיר established at ch. 16. |
| unforgiving servant / seventy times seven ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά hebdomēkontakis hepta seventy times seven | hyperbolic idiom for limitless forgiveness seventy times seven / seventy-seven times | 18:21-35 — grounds the discipline process in a prior, more fundamental ethic of unlimited forgiveness, echoing but transcending Lamech’s boast of vengeance (Genesis 4:24, “seventy-sevenfold”) | [NEW, Low-Medium] שבעים ושבעה / שבעים פעמים שבע — genuine positive resource, deliberate echo/reversal of the Genesis 4:24 Lamech text. |
| stumbling block σκάνδαλον skandalon trap, snare, cause of stumbling | occasion of sin or apostasy for another stumbling block / offense | 18:6-9 — severe warning against causing “little ones” to stumble | [NEW, Medium] מכשול (mikshol) — direct Torah-cognate (Leviticus 19:14, “לא תתן מכשול”); low collision, positive resource. |
Chapter 19 — Divorce, the Rich Young Man
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| divorce (“what God has joined together”) ὃ οὖν συνέζευξεν ὁ Θεός, ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωρίζετω ho oun synezeuxen ho Theos, anthrōpos mē chorizetō what God has joined, let man not separate | Jesus’ teaching on marriage’s creational permanence, engaging the Deuteronomy 24:1 divorce-certificate debate between the schools of Hillel and Shammai what God has joined together, let no man separate | 19:3-9 — situates Jesus within a live, specific halakhic debate of his day (Hillel vs. Shammai on grounds for divorce), not a novel topic | [NEW, Medium] — standard Hebrew (מה שחיבר האלוהים אל יפריד אדם); the doctrinal/historical point (engaging an existing halakhic debate) should be flagged for teaching notes, not lexical substitution. |
| eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven εὐνοῦχοι διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν eunouchoi dia tēn basileian tōn ouranōn eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven | voluntary celibacy for kingdom service those who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven | 19:12 — a striking, minority-application teaching; low overall doctrinal weight for the curriculum’s core doctrines but should not be silently omitted | [NEW, Low] סריסים למען מלכות השמים — low risk, rare/specialized phrase. |
Chapter 20 — Workers in the Vineyard, the Ransom Saying
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| workers in the vineyard (grace/reward parable) — — — | parable illustrating God’s generosity exceeding strict wage-justice laborers in the vineyard | 20:1-16 — a parable that anticipates the grace-versus-merit tension Paul develops fully in Romans, here in narrative form (“the last will be first, and the first last”) | Conceptually ties to [BASELINE, High] grace/חסד and [BASELINE, Critical] righteousness/salvation entries, though the Greek word χάρις itself does not occur; flag for theologian review given the works/grace tension. |
| ransom λύτρον lytron ransom price, redemption payment | direct atonement/substitution term for a price paid to secure release (of a captive, slave, etc.) ransom | ”The Son of Man came… to give his life as a ransom for many” (20:28) — one of Matthew’s most theologically load-bearing single verses, naming the mechanism connecting Christ’s death to the “justification”/“imputed_righteousness” Critical baseline doctrines | [NEW, CRITICAL] כופר (kofer). Genuine strong existing resource: cognate root כ-פ-ר underlies kapparah/Yom Kippur atonement vocabulary (Exodus 30:12, “a ransom for his soul”) — an asset, but must be taught explicitly alongside the baseline’s Critical justification/imputed_righteousness entries as the mechanism, not left as an isolated financial metaphor. |
Chapter 21 — Triumphal Entry, Temple Cleansing, Wicked Tenants
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosanna, Son of David Ὡσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαυίδ Hōsanna tō huiō Dauid ”Save now/please,” Son of David | liturgical acclamation (from Psalm 118:25-26) applied as a messianic title-confession Hosanna to the Son of David | 21:9 — the crowd’s acclamation directly invokes the son_of_david title (established ch.1) in a public, messianic-coronation register | Reuses [NEW, High] בן דוד; “Hosanna” — [NEW, Low] הושענא, a term already native to Hebrew liturgy (recited at Sukkot), a strong positive resource. |
| house of prayer / den of robbers οἶκος προσευχῆς / σπήλαιον λῃστῶν oikos proseuchēs / spēlaion lēstōn house of prayer / den of robbers | direct quotation combining Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 house of prayer / den of robbers | 21:13 — the Temple-cleansing narrative combines two prophetic critiques; note the temple centrality doctrine implication (see ch.24 below) | [NEW, Medium] בית תפילה / מאורת פריצים — direct Torah/Prophets-cognate vocabulary, low lexical risk; theological weight is in the Temple’s coming judgment (ch. 24), which must not be taught as wholesale rejection of the Temple institution itself but as prophetic critique within it. |
| rejected stone become cornerstone λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας lithon hon apedokimasan hoi oikodomountes, houtos egenēthē eis kephalēn gōnias the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone | direct quotation of Psalm 118:22-23, applied messianically the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone | 21:42 — a key Fulfillment-of-Prophecy proof-text, applying a Psalm about Israel’s own vindication to Jesus specifically — a genuinely novel interpretive move requiring explicit teaching, per the same caution flagged for Messianic Promise in the baseline | [NEW, High] האבן אשר בזו הבונים היתה לראש פינה — a striking case where the Hebrew rendering is simply the existing Psalm 118 text (Hebrew original, not merely LXX-derived), a genuine positive resource requiring interpretive rather than lexical care. |
Chapter 22 — Wedding Feast, Render unto Caesar, Greatest Commandment
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| resurrection (Sadducees’ question) ἀνάστασις anastasis — | — resurrection | 22:23-33 — Jesus’ answer (“God is not the God of the dead, but of the living,” citing Exodus 3:6) engages directly with the Sadducees, who denied resurrection, unlike the Pharisees, who affirmed it — an internal Jewish debate Jesus enters on the Pharisaic/affirming side | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] תחיית המתים; framing note: unlike the baseline’s general Resurrection-of-Christ entry (which engages the messianic-job-description problem), this passage engages a different internal Jewish debate (general resurrection’s reality at all, Sadducee vs. Pharisee) — worth distinguishing for teaching clarity. |
| greatest commandment (love God, love neighbor) ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου… ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου agapēseis Kyrion ton Theon sou… agapēseis ton plēsion sou you shall love the Lord your God… you shall love your neighbor | direct quotation of Deuteronomy 6:5 (the Shema) and Leviticus 19:18 love the Lord your God… love your neighbor as yourself | 22:34-40 — “on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” — directly supports the “fulfill, not abolish” framing established at 5:17, now stated as Torah’s own internal center of gravity | [NEW, HIGH] — must render using the existing, familiar Hebrew of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5) and Leviticus 19:18 verbatim, not a paraphrase, given their centrality to Jewish daily liturgy and identity. |
| David calls him Lord (Psalm 110) Κύριον αὐτὸν καλεῖ Kyrion auton kalei he calls him Lord | direct quotation/application of Psalm 110:1 David calls him Lord | 22:41-46 — a direct exegetical argument for the Lordship of Christ, using David’s own psalm — closely parallel to the baseline’s treatment of Romans 10:9/Joel 2:32 | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] אדון; the Psalm 110 argument itself should be flagged alongside the baseline’s Lordship-of-Christ escalation rule for mandatory theologian review. |
Chapter 23 — Woes Against the Scribes and Pharisees
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| scribes and Pharisees γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι grammateis kai Pharisaioi scribes and Pharisees | historically specific 1st-century Jewish teaching/legal groups; the Pharisaic movement is a direct precursor to Rabbinic Judaism itself scribes and Pharisees | The seven “woes” (23:13-36) are Matthew’s most extended polemic, and require the most careful cultural-historical framing of any chapter in the book | [NEW, HIGH] סופרים ופרושים. Critical framing note (High/Critical risk of misuse, not of lexical mistranslation): this is intra-Jewish covenant-community prophetic critique (in the genre of the OT prophets’ critique of Israel’s own leadership), not an outsider’s polemic against Judaism as a whole — and must never be taught or rendered in a way that feeds historic antisemitic caricature. Mandatory theologian review for all ch.23 material. |
| hypocrite ὑποκριτής hypokritēs actor, pretender, hypocrite | performed piety without corresponding inner reality hypocrite | Repeated refrain throughout ch. 23 (also earlier at 6:2, 6:5, 6:16, 7:5) | [NEW, Medium] צבוע (tzavu’a) — standard Modern Hebrew term; lexically low risk, but cultural-historical sensitivity flag applies per the note above. |
| ”hen gathers her chicks” (lament over Jerusalem) ὄρνις ἐπισυνάγει τὰ νοσσία αὐτῆς ornis episynagei ta nossia autēs a hen gathers her chicks | tender maternal image of God’s/Jesus’ desired care for Jerusalem, met with rejection as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings | 23:37-39 — closes the woes with lament rather than triumph, quoting/echoing covenant-lament language; must be preserved with its emotional and theological weight (grief, not merely condemnation) | [NEW, Low] תרנגולת האוספת את אפרוחיה — low lexical risk; emotional register must be preserved in surrounding translation choices. |
Chapter 24 — The Olivet Discourse (Part 1): Signs of the End
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| end of the age συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος synteleia tou aiōnos completion/consummation of the age | eschatological terminus of the present age end of the age / end of the world | 24:3 — the disciples’ question frames the entire discourse; central to the “Judgment and the End of the Age” doctrine | [NEW, HIGH] קץ העולם / אחרית הימים. “Acharit hayamim” is a strong existing OT/Rabbinic eschatological category (Isaiah, Daniel); risk is the same two-comings mismatch already flagged for the baseline’s messiah/resurrection Critical entries — Matthew’s inaugurated-yet-future framework does not map neatly onto a single unbroken Messianic-Age expectation. |
| abomination of desolation τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως to bdelygma tēs erēmōseōs the abomination that causes desolation | direct quotation of Daniel 11:31/12:11 abomination of desolation | 24:15 — Matthew applies Daniel’s own historical vocabulary (originally referencing Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ Temple desecration) typologically/eschatologically to a future event | [NEW, HIGH] שקוץ משומם (shikkutz meshomem) — direct citation of the existing Daniel Hebrew text; the layered, double-fulfillment reading (past historical referent and future eschatological referent) must be taught explicitly, not assumed self-evident. |
| Son of Man coming on the clouds ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν ho Huios tou anthrōpou erchomenos epi tōn nephelōn the Son of Man coming on the clouds | direct allusion to Daniel 7:13-14’s heavenly, dominion-receiving figure the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven | 24:30 — ties the Son of Man title (established ch.9) explicitly to its Danielic source, at maximum eschatological register, with “power and glory” (reusing baseline כבוד) | [NEW, CRITICAL] בן אדם — see consolidated entry, glossary file; this is the fullest, most exalted register of the title in the whole Gospel. |
| the elect οἱ ἐκλεκτοί hoi eklektoi the chosen ones | — the elect | 24:22, 24, 31 | Reuses [BASELINE, High] בחירה root: [NEW] נבחרים/בחירים. |
Chapter 25 — The Olivet Discourse (Part 2): Judgment Parables
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ten virgins (wise/foolish) παρθένοι parthenoi virgins/young women | parable of preparedness for the bridegroom’s (Christ’s) return ten virgins / bridesmaids | 25:1-13 — a parousia-readiness parable; note the same παρθένος term flagged critically at 1:23 recurs here in a non-controversial, non-Isaiah-7:14 sense (simply “young unmarried women”) — translators should not import the Isaiah 7:14 controversy into this unrelated usage | [NEW, Low] בתולות/עלמות — low risk in this context; contrast explicitly with the Chapter 1 flag to avoid over-applying that controversy where it does not belong. |
| talents (parable) τάλαντα talanta a unit of monetary weight | parable of entrusted resources and accountability talents | 25:14-30 — stewardship/accountability parable; low theological-vocabulary risk, primarily an economic unit | [NEW, Low] — proper unit term, treat as a loanword/transliteration (טלנטים) or “משאלות” descriptively; minimal doctrinal risk. |
| sheep and goats / “least of these” τὰ ἐλάχιστα τούτων ta elachista toutōn the least of these | final judgment criterion based on treatment of the vulnerable the least of these | 25:31-46 — the Gospel’s most extended final-judgment scene, central to “Judgment and the End of the Age” | [NEW, Medium] הקטנים ביותר מאלה — low lexical risk; doctrinal weight (works as evidence of, not basis for, right relationship with Christ) must be harmonized with the baseline’s grace/faith Critical entries in teaching notes. |
| eternal punishment / eternal life κόλασιν αἰώνιον / ζωὴν αἰώνιον kolasin aiōnion / zōēn aiōnion eternal punishment / eternal life | the chapter’s closing antithesis (25:46) eternal punishment / eternal life | Directly engages the same tension flagged for the baseline-adjacent גהינום/Gehinnom entry (see ch. below); the unending duration (αἰώνιον used for both outcomes in parallel) is a genuinely load-bearing grammatical point | [NEW, CRITICAL] עונש עולם / חיי עולם — see full “Gehenna” treatment below; the parallel grammatical structure (same Greek adjective for both punishment and life) should be preserved in Hebrew if possible, as it is itself part of the argument for eternal (not temporary) duration of both. |
(Note: the term “hell/Gehenna,” γέεννα, occurs earlier at 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33 — consolidated treatment below in the glossary rather than repeated per chapter, per the “load-bearing” focus instruction.)
[NEW, CRITICAL] Gehenna/hell — γέεννα (geenna): Literal meaning: the Valley of Hinnom (a real geographic location south of Jerusalem, site of child sacrifice under Ahaz/Manasseh, 2 Kings 23:10, later a byword for judgment, cf. Jeremiah 7:31-32). Semantic range: from concrete geography to eschatological metaphor for final judgment/punishment. Hebrew rendering: גהינום (Gehinnom). Critical risk: mainstream Rabbinic tradition holds Gehinnom as generally a place/state of finite, purifying post-mortem punishment (commonly capped at twelve months in later tradition, e.g. m.Eduyot 2:10 and related sources), whereas Matthew’s usage (paired with “eternal,” αἰώνιος, at 25:46) implies unending duration. This is a genuine doctrinal divergence from the mainstream Jewish default and must be taught explicitly as such, not assumed self-evident from the shared word alone.
Chapter 26 — Last Supper, Gethsemane, Betrayal, Trial
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passover πάσχα pascha Passover | the specific festival meal setting of the Last Supper Passover | 26:2, 17-19 — situates the Last Supper explicitly within Pesach, framing Christ’s death within Exodus/lamb typology | [NEW, HIGH] פסח (Pesach). Must be taught as a typological deepening/fulfillment of Pesach’s existing meaning, not a replacement erasing the festival’s ongoing Jewish observance and significance — same framing discipline as the “law”/“covenant” baseline entries. |
| ”this is my body… this is my blood of the covenant” τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου… τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης touto estin to sōma mou… touto gar estin to haima mou tēs diathēkēs this is my body… this is my blood of the covenant | institution of the Lord’s Supper, directly invoking Jeremiah 31:31’s “new covenant” language this is my body… this is my blood of the covenant | 26:26-28 — one of the highest-density doctrinal moments in the book, joining covenant, atonement (cf. the ch.20 ransom/כופר entry), and the Last-Supper institution itself | Covenant — reuses [BASELINE, High] ברית exactly, with the same caution already flagged there (Jeremiah 31:31’s covenant extended to uncircumcised Gentiles apart from Torah observance is a live point of difficulty for a Hebrew-speaking reader, not a foreign concept needing introduction); “body/blood” — [NEW, Critical] גופי/דמי — mandatory theologian review per the baseline’s atonement-language escalation rule. |
| Gethsemane (“not my will but yours”) οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλ᾽ ὡς σύ ouch hōs egō thelō all᾽ hōs sy not as I will, but as you will | submission of Jesus’ human will to the Father’s will in the garden not my will, but yours be done | 26:36-46 — a key text for the Humanity of Christ (Medium baseline entry) and for discipleship’s cost, modeled by Jesus himself | Reuses [BASELINE, Medium] framework of “humanity_of_christ”; standard Hebrew phrasing suffices lexically. |
| Sanhedrin trial / blasphemy charge βλασφημία blasphēmia blasphemy | the charge brought against Jesus for claiming divine Sonship (26:63-66) blasphemy | Jesus’ own (qualified) affirmation “You have said so” (σὺ εἶπας, 26:64) in response to the high priest’s direct question, “Are you the Christ, the Son of God?” — the trial’s climax directly engages the Deity/Sonship of Christ Critical doctrines under formal legal examination | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] משיח, בן האלוהים; the trial context itself should be flagged as requiring theologian review given its historical entanglement with later, distorted “deicide” accusations against the Jewish people — teaching must center Jesus’ own words and their theological content, with explicit historical-sensitivity framing. |
Chapter 27 — Crucifixion
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| King of the Jews Βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων Basileus tōn Ioudaiōn King of the Jews | the Roman charge/mocking title placed over the cross, ironically true King of the Jews | 27:11, 29, 37 — Roman mockery unintentionally states the Gospel’s own messianic claim | [NEW, High] מלך היהודים (Melech ha-Yehudim) — lexically simple; theological weight is entirely in the dramatic irony (mockery stating truth), which should be preserved in teaching notes. |
| ”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” Θεέ μου, Θεέ μου, ἱνατί με ἐγκατέλιπες Thee mou, Thee mou, hinati me egkatelipes — | — — | 27:46 — a direct quotation of Psalm 22:1 in its Aramaic-inflected form (“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani” in the preceding clause) — one of the deepest Fulfillment-of-Prophecy anchor texts in the Passion narrative | [NEW, Critical] must render using the existing Hebrew of Psalm 22:2 (אֵלִי אֵלִי לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי) rather than a fresh translation, given the direct textual citation; mandatory theologian review given the weight of this cry for both the Deity of Christ and Humanity of Christ doctrines held together. |
| temple veil torn τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ ἐσχίσθη to katapetasma tou naou eschisthē the veil of the temple was torn | the curtain separating the Holy of Holies, torn at the moment of Jesus’ death the curtain of the temple was torn in two | 27:51 — a dramatic sign-event with major implications for access to God’s presence, closely tied to the “see God” tension flagged at Matthew 5:8 | [NEW, High] פרוכת המקדש נקרעה — direct Torah-cognate vocabulary (פרוכת, the same word for the Tabernacle/Temple veil); theological weight (new access to God’s presence) must be taught explicitly, with sensitivity to ongoing Jewish Temple-centered hope, per the baseline’s caution on Temple-related material. |
| centurion’s confession Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος Alēthōs Theou Huios ēn houtos Truly this was the Son of God | — Truly this was the Son of God | 27:54 — a Gentile centurion’s confession bookends the Gospel’s Sonship-of-Christ theme with the ch.3 and ch.17 divine voice-declarations and the ch.14, 16 disciple confessions | Reuses [BASELINE, Critical] בן האלוהים exactly. |
Chapter 28 — Resurrection and the Great Commission
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Hebrew Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| resurrection (“he is not here, he has risen”) ἠγέρθη ēgerthē he has been raised | — he has risen / he has been raised | 28:6 — the angelic proclamation; the narrative climax of the baseline’s Critical Resurrection-of-Christ doctrine | [BASELINE, Critical] תחיית המתים — reuse exactly; note the specific verb form (ēgerthē, divine passive, “was raised [by God]”) should inform surrounding phrasing even though the noun תחיית המתים is the established fixed term. |
| worship (post-resurrection) προσεκύνησαν prosekynēsan they worshiped | — they worshiped him | 28:9, 17 — resolves the ambiguity flagged at 2:11; here the register is unambiguous full worship of the risen Christ | Reuses [NEW, High] להשתחוות/סגידה established at ch.2 — this occurrence should be marked as the disambiguating, full-worship-register instance for teaching purposes. |
| Great Commission πορευθέντες… μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος poreuthentes… mathēteusate panta ta ethnē, baptizontes autous eis to onoma tou Patros kai tou Huiou kai tou Hagiou Pneumatos go… make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit | the Gospel’s climactic missionary mandate and Trinitarian baptismal formula Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit | 28:18-20 — the culmination of the “Great Commission” doctrine, resolving the staged mission scope begun at 10:6 (“lost sheep of Israel”) into a now-universal mandate, while the “to the Jew first” priority pattern (cf. baseline’s universal_scope_of_gospel High entry) must still be taught as the historical starting point, not erased | [NEW, CRITICAL] ; “all nations” (πάντα τὰ ἔθνη) reuses [BASELINE, Medium] גויים (goyim) — note carefully that here “nations” grammatically includes Israel among “all nations” being discipled, not only Gentiles, a scope-point requiring explicit teaching; “baptizing… in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” — [NEW, CRITICAL] מטביל(ים) אותם בשם האב והבן ורוח הקודש — mandatory theologian review per the baseline’s Trinitarian-formula and Deity-of-Christ escalation rules; reuses [BASELINE, Medium] אבינו, [BASELINE, Critical] בן האלוהים (contextually implied), and [BASELINE, Critical] רוח הקודש. |
| ”I am with you always, to the end of the age” ἐγὼ μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος egō meth᾽ hymōn eimi pasas tas hēmeras heōs tēs synteleias tou aiōnos I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age | closing promise of Christ’s abiding presence I am with you always, to the end of the age | 28:20 — deliberately bookends the whole Gospel with the ch.1 “Immanuel” (God with us) theme, now fulfilled in the risen, abiding Christ, and reuses the “end of the age” (συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος) term established in ch.24 | Reuses [NEW, Critical] עמנואל (thematically) and [NEW, High] קץ העולם/אחרית הימים (lexically); this closing verse should be flagged for teaching materials as the Gospel’s deliberate inclusio with its opening Immanuel theme. |
Summary of Methodology Notes for Phase 2
- All baseline Romans terms occurring in Matthew (Jesus, God, Messiah, David, Israel, Gentiles, Law, Sin, Righteousness, Faith, Kingdom of God, Covenant, Church, Resurrection, Lord, Son of God, Holy Spirit, Father, Glory, Called/Calling, Election, Apostle, Prophet, Prophecy, Holy) must reuse the baseline Hebrew renderings exactly — no independent re-derivation permitted.
- New Matthew-specific terms identified above (kingdom_of_heaven, son_of_david, son_of_man, repentance, blessed/ashrei, fulfill-Torah, fulfill-prophecy-formula, authority/samchut, disciple/talmid, yoke, mercy/rachamim, ransom/kofer, immanuel, virgin/betulah-almah tension, transfiguration, binding-and-loosing, keys-of-the-kingdom, cross-bearing, gehenna, passover, abomination-of-desolation, end-of-the-age, great-commission/baptismal-formula, scribes-and-pharisees framing, and others cataloged per chapter above) require formal addition to an updated
translation_memory.jsonprior to Phase 2 segment translation, per the baseline’s own new-term protocol. - All Critical and High risk items identified above are routed for human theologian review per the baseline
doctrine_risk_registry.jsonescalation rules, extended here to Matthew’s nine curriculum doctrines. - See
analysis/08_core_glossary.mdfor the consolidated glossary table covering every term identified in this document, organized by doctrine and cross-referenced by chapter.