Jesus Specifically Quoting the Jewish Scriptures


The following quotes might seem short but everything in the Gospels had to be brief because books – the raw materials and reproduction (meticulous copying by hand) – were extremely expensive. What is significant is that the quotes come from diverse parts of the Jewish Scriptures. Sometimes Jesus even rolled into one statement a compilation of quotes from different parts of the Jewish Scriptures.

Matthew 9:13 But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ . . .

Matthew 10:35-36 For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s foes will be those of his own household. [Micah 7:6]

Matthew 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

Matthew 12:5,7 Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? . . . But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Matthew 13:14-15 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive: for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again; and I would heal them.’

Matthew 15:4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’

Matthew 15:7-9 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, ‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’ .”

Matthew 19:17-19 He said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not offer false testimony.’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’ And, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Matthew 21:13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ . . .”

Matthew 22:36-37 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ . .”

Matthew 22:43-44 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?’

Matthew 23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ” [Psalm 118:26]

Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

Mark 12:10-11 Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord, it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Luke 4:4 Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”

Luke 4:8 Jesus answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’ ”

Luke 4:12 Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

Luke 11:49 Therefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute

Luke 20:37-40 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ . . . Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you speak well.” They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions.

Luke 22:36-37 Then he said to them, “ . . . which is written must still be fulfilled in me: ‘He was counted with transgressors.’ . . .”

John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me.

John 7:38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.

John 10:34 Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’

John 15:25 But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

Examples of Jesus showing significant understanding of the Jewish Bible without specifically quoting it:

Luke 2:46-47 [When Jesus was only twelve] After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers . . . All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

Luke 11:53-54 As he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him; lying in wait for him, and seeking to catch him in something he might say, that they might accuse him.

John 7:23 If a boy receives circumcision on the Sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me, because I made a man completely healthy on the Sabbath?

John 8:17 It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid.

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