g. Matthew 26.64

When interrogated by the high priest whether he is the Christ, the Son of God (Mt. 26.63), Jesus answers ‘You have said so. But I say to you: From now on you will see’:

τον υιον τον ανθρωπου καθημενον εκ δεξιων της δυναμεως

και ερχομενον επι των νεφελων του ουρανου

the son of Man sitting at the right hand of power

and coming upon the clouds of heaven.

We have here an unmarked citation from Dan. 7.13 into which words from Ps. 110(109).1 have been inserted. In Dan. 7.13 Θ, we find μετα των νεφελων του ουρανου ως υιος ανθρωπου ερχομενος ην; in the LXX version, the relevant part of the verse reads επι των νεφελων του ουρανου ως υιος ανθρωπου ηρχετο. The former translation is a precise rendering of the Aramaic original, the latter a reasonable one. The words καθημενον εκ δεξιων της δυναμεως in Matthew’s text come from Ps. 110(109).1, where according to the LXX version ‘The Lord’ says to ‘my lord’: καθου εκ δεξιων μου, ‘sit at my right hand’; this is a correct translation of the Hebrew. Put into their context, the two passages are clearly similar as far as their contents are concerned: in both, a human being receives, a share in God’s power, and his enemies are overcome by God. In Greek, the passages also have some common vocabulary: the human being in question receives αρχη, ‘dominion’ (Dan. 7.14 Θ; Ps. 109.3). So the two passages show τα εθνη, ‘the nations’ (Dan. 7.14; LXX Ps. 109.7). So the two passages show analogy, and this legitimated joining the two into one combined citation.

Matthew borrowed the entire scene of Jesus appearing before the Sanhedrin, of which the combined citation under discussion is a part, from Mark (Mt. 26.57-68; Mk 14.53-65). Again, there are in the combined citation some minor differences between Matthew and Mark; they can be easily explained by editorial work of Matthew and Mark’s text.

Mark (or the tradition before him) has taken up here the early Christian ideas that in the present, the risen Jesus is enthroned at the right hand of God, and that at the eschaton, he will come to judge on behalf of God. Matthew has followed Mark, but he has reinforced the impact of the combined citation. After Jesus affirms that he is the Christ, Mark has him address the high priest with the words ‘And you will see’, followed by a citation. By contrast, Matthew’s Jesus, at the same place, says ‘But I say to you: from now on you will see’, and the citation follows. Matthew reinforces the accusatory character of Jesus’ words: Jesus speaks with authority to the high priest, and tells him that from now on the roles will be reversed. Until this moment, the Sanhedrin was the judge of Jesus; from now on, Jesus will be the judge of the Sanhedrin. Conflict between Christian Jews and other Jews shimmers trough Matthew’s text.