Language Studies

Aramaic Thoughts

Did Matthew Write His Gospel in Aramaic? - Part 1

The issue of the original composition of Matthew has been debated for many decades. Some scholars hold that Matthew did compose his gospel originally in Aramaic. The vast majority of them hold that he did not. The purpose of this essay is not to answer the question once and for all, but rather to lay before the reader the evidence for and against, so that he will then have the resources on which to base a reasoned answer to the question.

The idea that Matthew composed his gospel in Aramaic is based on a statement made by Papias, one of the early church fathers. Papias lived during the period from the late first century to the middle of the second century (his exact dates are disputed). Iranaeus, who wrote in the latter half of the second century, says that Papias, as well as Polycarp, knew the apostle John personally. That would, of course, take Papias’s origin well back into the first century, assuming that the tradition is accurate that John died shortly before the end of the first century. Eusebius, the author of Ecclesiastical History, who lived from AD 260-339, denies that Papias knew John, that instead he lived well after the death of John. We will return later to look at the statements of both Iranaeus and Eusebius, but for now it should be observed that since Iranaeus lived closer to the time of Papias than did Eusebius, he might have been in a better position to know for certain when Papias lived. If Papias did indeed know John, then he probably would have known from John the facts about the origin of Matthew’s gospel. If, however, Eusebius is correct, Papias may not have known anything about Matthew’s gospel except by tradition and supposition.

Further complicating the matter is the fact that Papias’s writings are no longer extant except in fragments quoted by Eusebius. Eusebius’s quotations of Papias, and his selection of those quotations may well have been affected by Eusebius’s generally negative attitude toward Papias, another issue that we will explore later.

But, to the extent we currently have it, Papias’s statement on the composition of Matthew’s gospel is as follows: "Matthew composed the gospel in the Aramaic language and each transmitted them as best he could." This simple English translation hides the fact that the meaning of almost every word in the statement is disputed as to its meaning. "Composed" translates the Greek word sunetaxeto, which could reasonably be translated "composed," "compiled," or "arranged." "The gospel" translates the Greek words ta logia, which could be translated the sayings or the gospel. "In the Aramaic language" translates the Greek Hebraidi dialekto, which could be "the Hebrew language," "the Aramaic language," "the Hebrew style," or "the Aramaic style." "Transmitted" translates the Greek hermeneusen, which could be "interpreted," "translated," or "transmitted." In other words, the translation offered above puts the best face on the statement in support of the idea that Matthew composed his gospel in Aramaic. But the statement could also be translated as, "Matthew arranged the sayings in a Hebrew style, and each interpreted them as best he could." This version puts the worst face on the idea of a Matthean Aramaic gospel. (To be continued next week.)

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