Tool Beta
The Ancient World Behind the Text
Pick a passage anywhere in the New Testament. See the customs and ideas a first reader knew without being told.
Matthew 26:17-30, The Passover and the cup
Jesus eats the Passover with the Twelve in the city, names the one who dips with him as his betrayer, gives the bread and the cup new meaning, and vows not to drink wine again until the kingdom.
Matthew 26:17-30, in every translation this tool compares.
Jesus eats the Passover with the Twelve in Jerusalem and warns that one of them, sharing the dish with him, will betray him. Over the bread and the cup he gives the meal new meaning, speaking of his body and of his blood sealing a covenant for the forgiveness of sins. He says he will abstain from wine until God's reign arrives, and after a hymn they leave for the Mount of Olives.
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/passover-pilgrims\/","n":"Passover and the pilgrim crowds","s":"The spring festival that retold God's rescue of Israel from Egypt. Jerusalem filled with pilgrims, and hopes of freedom ran high.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/reclining-at-table\/","n":"Reclining at table","s":"At banquets men lay on couches, propped on the left elbow, and where you lay showed your rank.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/eating-together\/","n":"Eating together","s":"Sharing a table made a bond of friendship, so who you ate with told everyone whose side you were on.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/oaths-and-vows\/","n":"Oaths and vows","s":"Calling God, or something holy, to witness that you speak the truth or will keep your word. People swore by lesser things to keep God's name safe if they broke it.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/messianic-banquet\/","n":"The banquet of the age to come","s":"The feast Jews expected God to spread for the righteous when his kingdom came, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the table.","r":""}
The Passover had to be eaten inside the city walls, after sundown and before midnight, with at least ten people to a lamb, so most homes took in guests that night (Keener; the cultural backgrounds notes). Keener compares the Passover liturgy, which identified the bread on the table with the bread of affliction eaten in Egypt; Jesus' words over the bread were no more literal than that. Vows of abstinence, I will not eat or drink this until that happens, were common, and since the fourth cup came after the closing hymn, the cup here was probably the third (the cultural backgrounds notes; Keener). After the meal the rest of the Hallel was sung (the cultural backgrounds notes). Matthew, Mark and Luke make this a Passover meal, so that Jesus died on Nisan 15, while one reading of John 18:28 puts his death on Nisan 14; Carson, Moo and Morris leave the day open and name Friday, April 7, AD 30, and Friday, April 3, AD 33, as the two likeliest dates. Wilkins sets out two ways of reconciling them: a different calendar or way of counting the day, or John's Passover meaning the whole festival week.
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, on Matthew 26:17, 26:18-19, 26:20, 26:21-23, 26:26, 26:27 and 26:29
- NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, notes on Matthew 26:17, 26:20, 26:29, 26:30 and 26:40
- D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo and Leon Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament, ch. 1, The Synoptic Gospels, section Gospel Chronology, The Death of Jesus
- Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew, in Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, sidebar The Day of the Lord's Supper and Crucifixion During the Passion Week
