Matthew the apostle
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Matthew the apostle
by Admin on Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:56 pm
(MA thue) (gift of Jehovah)-----a tax collector who became one of the twelve apostles of Jesus (Matt. 9:9).Matthew's name appears seventh in two list of apostles (Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15), and eigthth in two others (Matt. 10:3; Acts 1:13).
In Hebrew, Matthew's name means "gift of God",but we know from his trade that he delighted in the gifts of others as well. He was a tax collector (Matt. 9:9-11) who worked in or around Capernaum under the authority of Herod antipas. In Jesus' day, land and poll taxes were collected directly by Roman officials, but taxes on transported goods were contracted out of local collectors. Matthew was such a person, or else he was in the service of one. These middlemen paid an agreed-upon sum in advance of the Roman officials for the right to collect taxes in an area. Their profit came from the excess they could squeeze from the people.
The Jewish people hated these tax collectors not only for their corruption, but also because they worked with the depised Romans. Tax collectors were ranked with murderers and robbers, and a Jew was permited to lie to them if neccessary. The attitude found in the gospels is similar. Tax collectors are lumped together with harlots (Matt. 21:31), Gentiles (Matt. 18:17), and, most often, sinners(Matt. 9:10). They were as offensive to Jews for their economic and social practed as lepers were for their uncleanness; both were excluded from the people of God.
It is probable that the Matthew mentioned in Matthew 9:9-13 is identical with the Levi of Mark 2:13-17 and Luke 5:27-32; the stories obviously refer to the same person and event. The only problem in the identification is the Mark mentions Matthew rather than Levi in his list of apostles (Mark 3:18), thus leading one to assume two different persons. It is possible, however, that the same person was known by two manes (compare "Simon" and "Peter"), or, less likely, that Levi and James the son of Aophaeus are the same person, since Mark call Alphaeus the father of both (Mark 2:14; 3:18). Following his call by Jesus, Matthew is not mentioned again in the New Testement.
Taken from the Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible--Herbert Lockyer. Sr., Editor
In Hebrew, Matthew's name means "gift of God",but we know from his trade that he delighted in the gifts of others as well. He was a tax collector (Matt. 9:9-11) who worked in or around Capernaum under the authority of Herod antipas. In Jesus' day, land and poll taxes were collected directly by Roman officials, but taxes on transported goods were contracted out of local collectors. Matthew was such a person, or else he was in the service of one. These middlemen paid an agreed-upon sum in advance of the Roman officials for the right to collect taxes in an area. Their profit came from the excess they could squeeze from the people.
The Jewish people hated these tax collectors not only for their corruption, but also because they worked with the depised Romans. Tax collectors were ranked with murderers and robbers, and a Jew was permited to lie to them if neccessary. The attitude found in the gospels is similar. Tax collectors are lumped together with harlots (Matt. 21:31), Gentiles (Matt. 18:17), and, most often, sinners(Matt. 9:10). They were as offensive to Jews for their economic and social practed as lepers were for their uncleanness; both were excluded from the people of God.
It is probable that the Matthew mentioned in Matthew 9:9-13 is identical with the Levi of Mark 2:13-17 and Luke 5:27-32; the stories obviously refer to the same person and event. The only problem in the identification is the Mark mentions Matthew rather than Levi in his list of apostles (Mark 3:18), thus leading one to assume two different persons. It is possible, however, that the same person was known by two manes (compare "Simon" and "Peter"), or, less likely, that Levi and James the son of Aophaeus are the same person, since Mark call Alphaeus the father of both (Mark 2:14; 3:18). Following his call by Jesus, Matthew is not mentioned again in the New Testement.
Taken from the Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible--Herbert Lockyer. Sr., Editor
