Matthew Through Old Testament Eyes, David B. Capes. Kregel Academic (ISBN: 9780825444784), 2024.

Summary: A commentary on the Gospel of Matthew showing both obvious and subtle references to the Old Testament of how the life and ministry of Jesus fulfilled the plan of God articulated in these passages.

The Gospel of Matthew would seem the ideal book to look at “through Old Testament eyes.” Matthew wrote for a primarily Jewish audience and cites numerous OT passages and alludes to others. This commentary draws all that out, including a very helpful chart on the twelve fulfillment quotations (yes, the number is significant) (pp. 136-137). Through inline verse by verse commentary, sections on the structure, passage overviews “through Old Testament Eyes” and “Going Deeper” discussions on particular passages, David Capes helps the reader of Matthew understand how Jesus, in his life and ministry, fulfilled the redemptive purposes of God, glimpsed by the writers of the former Testament.

In my review, I want to highlight some of the fresh insights I gained from this study:

• Capes notes the chiastic structure of the genealogy that highlights Jesus as Messiah, son of David and Son of Abraham.
• He ties Herod into the bad shepherds of Micah.
• He notes the connection of the servant song (Isaiah 42) to the Father’s “with him I am well pleased” at the baptism of Jesus.
• The beatitude form is one found throughout the Old Testament.
• The idea of the Two Ways restates themes found in Deuteronomy and elsewhere.
• The three clusters of three miracles in Mt. 8-9 each end with teaching on some aspect of discipleship
• The promise of rest in Matthew 11:28-30 sounds much like that in Jeremiah 6:16.
• Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is intentional, even premeditated, and not accidental.
• Capes sees parallels between King Ahasuerus and his oaths to Esther and Herod’s oath to his daughter at the banquet. A fascinating comparison!
• Only Matthew uses the term “church” in the “on this rock” promise to Peter.
• The elevation of children as models of discipleship is highlighted.
• Jesus arrival in Jerusalem on a donkey harks to Zechariah 9:9 and signifies the kind of king he is.
• Jesus is clear about his identity as the cornerstone, his rejection, and its consequences.
• Capes offers a helpful outline of the apocalyptic discourse of Matthew 24-25.
• It was not blasphemy for Jesus to claim he was Messiah, but rather to sit at God’s right hand and come on the clouds.
• Psalm 22 underlies the account of the torture, humiliation, and crucifixion, and Jesus cry of dereliction.
• Jesus Great Commission recapitulates his whole ministry–he exemplified what he commands.

This is only a selection. Capes helps us see the large structure of the five sermons and the bookends of Matthew as well as smaller details, such as parable or miracle groupings and their significance. Most of all, he helps us recognize in the story of Jesus the realization of the story of God’s history with Israel. Capes also helps us see how this gospel is a manual of discipleship, both for the first followers of Jesus and those of us coming along centuries later.

____________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.