Shem Tov or Shem Tob Matthew--The Hebrew Matthew

[Vic]

The claim concerning original Hebrew manuscripts or translating from original Hebrew manuscripts is not academically accurate. The supposed Hebrew Matthews or Shem Tob Matthew are from the 1400-1500 range CE. Precisely, ShemTob or Shem Tov is dated 1380, while DuTillet and Muenster are about 1550. Together they make up the "Middle Ages Matthews" but, they are very different, and that is one of the ironies.

Hugh Schonfeld and James Trimm mostly push DuTillet. Michael Rood and George Howard promote the Shem Tob version. The Greek Matthew is from the 250-400 CE range. And so it goes. See: http://www.seekgod.ca/trfactor.htm and http://www.seekgod.ca/trfactor2.htm

Shem Tob's "Matthew"is nothing more than an altered medieval text, which is a corrupt copy of the Latin text, which was originally copied from the Greek. Most legitimate textual critics have all but ignored this middle age manuscript.

The truth is that uninformed believers are being led by unbelievers to accept an altered anti-Christian version of Matthew that was included in the writing titled "Even Bohan" or "The Touchstone." This document was authored by Shem Tov, an unbelieving anti-Christian Jewish writer who some have referred to as a theologian, who resided in Spain during the fourteenth century. His copy of Hebrew Matthew has anti-Christian polemical commentary by him throughout the text.

The Shem Tov Matthew "translation" never identifies Jesus as the Messiah, gives John the Baptist an exalted role, Jesus' role in forgiving sins is omitted, and Jesus' ability to save all His people from their sins is also eliminated. It is also written in this "translation" that preaching the Gospel to the gentiles is of the anti-christ.

Just a brief comparison of phrases from the Shem Tov to the KJB, reveals these anti-Christian alterations to Scriptural Truth. The Shem Tov Hebrew Matthew quotes are from George Howard's 'Hebrew Gospel of Matthew', published by Mercer University Press (1995).

In this passage Jesus is made equal to the scribes or sages.

Mat 7:29 "For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

Shem Tov "because he was preaching to them with great power, not as the rest of the sages"

In this passage the coming of a future Kingdom is eliminated

Mat 6:10 "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

Shem Tov "may your kingdom be blessed; may your will be done in heaven and on earth"

In this passage the preaching of the gospel is eliminated.

Mat 11:5 "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them."

Shem Tov "the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are revived and the poor are acquitted."

In this passage the temple is exalted above Christ

Mat 12:6 "But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple."

Shem Tov"Truly I say to you that the temple is greater than this"

In this passage Elijah becomes the savior.

Mat 17:11 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."

Shem Tov "11. He answered them and said: Indeed Elijah will come and will save all the world. 12 "I say to you, he has already come, they did not know him, and they did to him according to their desire. (So) they will do to the Son of Man. 13 "Then the disciples understood that regarding John the Baptizer he was saying this""

Mat 18:11 "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."

Shem Tov 18:11, "and the Son of Man has stopped saving the enemy."

In these passages the Deity of Christ is eliminated.

Mat 19:28 "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory,..."

Shem Tov "Jesus said: Truly I say to you who follow me, in the day of judgement when man sits upon the throne of his glory you also will sit upon the twelve thrones of the twelve tribes of Israel." ***Jesus=Yeshu

Mat 20:30 "...when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David."

Shem Tov"...It was said to them: The prophet Jesus from Nazareth is coming. Then they cried out saying: Son of David, have mercy on us." ***Jesus=Yeshu

Mat 28:9 ".. Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him."

Shem Tov "As they were going Jesus passed before them saying: May the Name deliver you. They came near to him, bowed down to him, and worshipped him" ***Please Note Jesus = Yeshu ; the Name =haShem

In this passage preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ becomes, "the Anti-Christ" and "abomination of desolation."

Mat 24:14-16 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: "

Shem Tov "And this gospel, that is, evungili, will be preached In all the earth for a witness concerning me to all the nations and then the end will come. This is the Anti-Christ and this is the abomination which desolates which was spoken of by Daniel [as] standing in the holy place. Let the one who reads understand. Then those who are in Juda, let them flee to the mountains."

In the rabbinic writings (talmud) that the word Yeshu, found translated in the Shem Tov, has the same connotations as is found in the Toledot Yeshu. Briefly, it means may his name be blotted out.

Hardly something for Christians.

For more on this please see: http://www.seekgod.ca/embracebible.htm and http://www.seekgod.ca/embrachrist.htm