Frequently Asked Questions About Hebrew Roots

Hebrew Roots FAQ's and Myths

Scriptures

Myth. The "Hebrew Matthew, Or Shem Tov, or Shem Tob Matthew prove a Hebrew original. The Hebrew Matthew proves that the NT was written in Hebrew first.

A. Many deny the inspiration and inerrancy of the Greek New Testament, and teach that it is full of “translation” errors. Many teach that the Greek was copied from the Aramaic, which was copied from the “original” Hebrew. Because of this belief, it is purported that the Greek is a third generation copy which was poorly translated.

This scholarly disaster is then upheld on the shaky toothpick of the alleged Hebrew New Testament which boils down to the claim of a Hebrew Matthew, thereby proving their postulating. The Hebrew Matthews have been known of and reviewed by scholars and others for centuries. The supposed "original" Hebrew Matthews, which are not in agreement with each other, are from the 1400-1500 range CE. Copies of the texts are readily available for review, and have not been "guarded" or hidden as some would claim. Precisely, ShemTob is dated 1380, while DuTillet and Muenster are about 1550. Together they make up the "Middle Ages Matthews" but, they are very different, and as one stated, that is one of the ironies. The Greek Matthew used for most Bibles is from the 250-400 CE range.

Hugh Schonfeld pushes the DuTillet, and his, An Old Hebrew Text of St. Matthew's Gospel,  suggests that Hebrew, not Greek, is the original text of the New Testament, is widely used by those within HR.. Schonfield is best known for his writing, The Passover Plot, which uses every argument to show why the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ were not as stated in the Scriptures. He looks at the Scriptures as 'legends', and wishes to set believers free from destructive teachings and deceptions and their "fairy dust called faith." 1  

Schonfield suggests in The Passover Plot, that if people depend only on the New Testament they would be unable to form a correct understanding of Jesus 2  He also believes that the authors, instead of being inspired by God write as they did, were at the disadvantage of having 'meager' documentation and dependent on their recollections. 3  

He then suggested, in spite of New Testament Scriptures which declare the writings to be by revelation of the Holy Spirit, that, today we are much better off today than New Testament writers. 4

Schonfield shows us his way to finding the 'truth', and reaching conclusions is through total detachment to any bias of Christian beliefs. Rather, one look to the realities of that time, using analysis and comparisons of data from a myriad of sources, scraps and hints, looking at traditions of the Jewish people and thereby come to the 'truth.'  5 

In what becomes his speculation and actual denunciation of the Scriptural account of Jesus Christ, Schonfield declared that in his analysis and reconstruction of events, that it could not be claimed as actually accurate.  6

That speculation becomes an exercise to destroy the validity of the Scriptures, the Deity of Jesus Christ, His crucifixion, His burial, His being raised from the dead and His ascension to the right hand of the Father. It attempts to destroy who Jesus Christ is, and the witness found in the New Testament. 

Dr. Petersen noted:

"...3. Hebrew versions of the Gospel of Matthew have been known to and used by New Testament scholars for centuries. Often referred to in scholarship as the "Old Hebrew Matthew," Sebastian Münster produced the first edition of such a manuscript in 1537 (Münster 1537); in 1555 Jean du Tillet edited a different but similar Hebrew Matthew manuscript (du Tillet 1555). However, in addition to these two, at least five other Hebrew Matthews (mostly fragmentary) are known...a Hebrew Matthew contained in the twelfth (in some manuscripts, the thirteenth) book of the Even Bohan (The Touchstone), a Jewish polemical treatise directed against Christians (Howard 1995: 160-161). ...

4. The Even Bohan was composed in Spain (presumably in Aragon) by a Castilian-born Jew named Shem-Tob ben-Isaac ben-Shaprut in 1380 (ibid.: xi). He revised his work at least three times: in 1385, around 1400, and once again, still later (ibid.)"..."

"104. There is no mystery about the genesis of Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew. It is obvious that it incorporates material from a variety of sources (e.g., from the Toledoth Jeshu, the Vetus Latina, etc.). But because of the high number of agreements with the Liège Harmony, many of them unique, the tradition behind the Liège Harmony--which we know to be a Latin gospel harmony--must also be the principal element responsible for the textual complexion of Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew:.."  7

Discussing the Toledoth Yeshu or Toledoth Jeshu in Part III of the series To Embrace Hebrew Roots, 8.in the article The Talmud & Jesus Christ, 9 it was noted,

"The Talmud and Cabala teachings of the Toledot Yeshu-- (or Tolodoth Ieschu or Sepher Toldoth Jehoshua) represent various teachings regarding Christ, which may be shocking to many. A brief overview of these teachings refers to writings that quote the Talmud, (treatise Sabbath, folio 104, treatise Sanhedrim, folio 107, and Sota, folio 47)..."

The Shem Tov also eliminates His title of Christ/Messiah. Both The Talmud, and the Toldoth Yeshu blaspheme Christ and His finished work, and distort the details of His ministry. In some versions of the Toldoth Yeshu, (geneaology of Yeshu) the name “Yeshu” is used as an acronym for "Yemach Shemo U'zikhrono" which translated means “May his name and memory be blotted out.” 10 

The Shem Tov Hebrew Matthew quotes are from George Howard's 'Hebrew Gospel of Matthew', published by Mercer University Press (1995) and are compared to the KJV. The name Yeshu, disclosed below, is currently the name that many people refer to Jesus as when speaking modern Hebrew in Israel.

These passages fail to identify Jesus as Messiah.

Mat 1:1 "...the generation of Jesus Christ..."

Shem Tov "...the generations of Jesus..." ***Please note that Jesus is translated from the name Yeshu in the Hebrew text of this translation.

Mat 1:18 "...now the birth of Jesus Christ..."

Shem Tov "...birth of Jesus..." ***This is also translated from the word Yeshu from the Hebrew text.

In this passage His ability to forgive all sin is eliminated.

Mat 1:21 "...thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins"

Shem Tov "...you will call his name Jesus because he will save my people from their sins." ***Jesus=Yeshua

Mat 9:2 " And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee."

Shem Tov "9:2, "They brought to him one who was sick with contractions, that is, paralitico, lying upon his bed. Jesus saw their faith and said to the sick man: Have courage my son. It is by the faith of God that your sins have been forgiven." ***Jesus = Yeshu

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 their behavior not their doctrine is questioned.

Mat 16:12 "Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

Shem Tov "beware of the behavior of the Pharisees and the Saducees..." *** This does not have the verse broken up by number. There is a group of verses listed as 9-12 , and no verse 6, 7, or 8a. 

Mat 16:9-12 9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Shem Tov 16:9-12, "Do you remember the five loaves and four thousand men how many seahs were left over? Therefore you should understand that I am not speaking of natural loaves but I am saying to you that you should (beware) of the behavior of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 

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.