Benjamin’s Bragging Rights

I received the following question:

So why do you think that the tribe of Benjamin holds a special bragging right to it. I’m referring to when Paul is boasting in Philippians 3 that the tribe of Benjamin was something to be highly regarded. It seemed like it was one of the smaller tribes and maybe there was something in that. However, this tribe was almost wiped out completely back in the Old Testament by God. Seems like that isn’t anything to brag about.

To start out with, let us examine the passage you refer to. Paul, in listing his pedigree in Philippians 3, says in verses 4b-6, “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Here, being a member of the tribe of Benjamin clearly is something that Paul (and the Holy Spirit) considers as prestigious or worthy of having confidence in the flesh about. What is it that makes Benjamin special?

Paul Quoting Scripture

I received the following question:

In Romans 1:17 the Apostle Paul quotes Habakkuk. 2:4 and states that “the righteous will live by faith.” However, going back to Habakkuk the quote was “but the righteous will live by HIS faith.” Why is the quote from Paul different than the one used by Habakkuk?

A good question that I would be happy to answer. Romans 1:17 in Greek reads:

17. δικαιοσυνη γαρ θεου εν αυτω αποκαλυπτεται εκ πιστεως εις πιστιν καθως γεγραπται ο δε δικαιος εκ πιστεως ζησεται

Habakkuk 2:4 in the Septuagint (Greek) version reads:

4. εαν υποστειληται ουκ ευδοκει η ψυχη μου εν αυτω ο δε δικαιοσ εκ πιστεωσ μου ζησεται

You can see that that last six or seven words are basically the same (the slight difference seems to be caused by the Septuagint text I found online not dealing with the final “s” correctly,) but there is one difference: the little word mou that appears as the second-to-last word in the Septuagint version. That word means “of him,” and the phrase would be properly translation as “but the righteous out of the faith of him shall live.” In Romans, however, it reads, “but the righteous out of faith shall live.” So there is definitely a difference between the Septuagint and the New Testament.

Jeremiah’s Pieces of Silver

I received the following question:

I’d be interested to hear your take on the controversy over Matt 27:9-10.

An interesting question. Happy to oblige.

Matthew 27:9-10 reads,

9. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10. and gave them for the potter’s field, as the LORD directed me.”

This prophecy is found nowhere in the book of Jeremiah. There is a prophecy in Zechariah 11:12-13 that some suggest is the prophecy referred to.

12. Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.

This sounds very similar to the quote in Matthew 27. Notice, however, that Zechariah says that he threw the thirty pieces of silver into the house of the LORD for the potter, whereas in Matthew 27 it quotes Jeremiah as saying that “they” gave the thirty pieces of silver “for the potter’s field.” There is no mention of a field in Zechariah.