Matthew 13:47-50

Michael Harvey Koplitz

 This edition 2020 copyright © by Michael H. Koplitz
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Published by Michael H. Koplitz

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 Matthew

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................6
THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GREEK METHOD AND THE
HEBRAIC METHOD OF TEACHING..................................................................................9
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE KABBALAH AND ITS SOURCES ....................... 11
 INTRODUCTION

After 2000 years of Christian theology and thought, the original meaning to the
Scriptures, especially the Christian Scriptures, has come to us today with a vast number
of filters. These filters include the theological interpretations that have developed over
the years about the meaning of the Scriptures. Unfortunately, Christianity divorced itself
from its mother religion, Judaism, by the end of the first century C.E. By doing so,
combined with the dwindling number of Jews in the church, the Hebraic understanding
of the Scriptures was mostly lost and eventually considered invalid by the church
Bishops. Ignatius of Antioch (died in 107 C.E.) in his Epistle to the Magnesians wrote,
“To profess Jesus Christ while continuing to follow Jewish customs is an absurdity. The
Christian faith does not look to Judaism, but Judaism looks to Christianity.”1

In addition to the filters, there is much cultural information not contained in the
narratives of the Scriptures because the people of the Bible knew their own culture. A
modern example is this. If you were to write in your diary you went to church on
Sunday; there would be a lot of information you would not include. Anyone reading
your diary entry would know certain things intuitively. Some of these things would be
(1) You drove your car; (2) The car had gasoline in it; (3) You had a driver’s license; (4)
You had paid for car insurance, to list a few items. The same applies when the narratives
of the Scriptures are read. When a narrative says that Yeshua’s disciples went into a field
and picked grain, the narrator does not have to explain how grain was picked and how
it was prepared for consumption.

Another example would be the marriage story. The original listeners of the Scriptures
did not need an explanation of what happened at a Jewish wedding. Read the account

1
Friedman, David. They Loved the Torah: What Yeshua's First Followers Really Thought about the Law. Baltimore,
MD: Lederer Books, 2001.
of Yeshua at the wedding at Cana, and you will find there is much cultural information
left out about the ceremony and celebration because the people knew it of the day.

So, to obtain a complete understanding of the Scriptures, especially the words of

Yeshua, we need to learn how to think as a person did in Yeshua’s days. This can be
done by combining the culture and customs of the people with a linguistic approach of
the Scriptures. The people “listened” intently for the linguistic clues that led to a depth
of meaning because they did not have books or copies of the Scriptures to read. The
Scriptures were passed down through the generations by a mouth to ear method.

Much has been written about the customs and manners of the ancient world; therefore,
current research is sufficient. What makes this dissertation unique is that it is the
combination of culture and to offer a Hebraic understanding of Scripture from
Yeshua’s day as the Jewish listener heard it.

Dr. Robert Price makes an argument in his article New Testament Narrative as Old
Testament Midrash that the New Testament is a retelling of the Old Testament, thus
creating aggadah.2 “The New Testament gospels and the Acts of the Apostles can be
shown to be Christian aggadah upon Jewish scripture, and these narratives can be
neither fully understood nor fully appreciated without tracing them to their underlying
sources, the object of the present article.”3

2
Aggadah is “the non legal or narrative material, as parables, maxims, or anecdotes, in the Talmud and other
rabbinical literature, serving either to illustrate the meaning or purpose of the law, custom, or Biblical passage being
discussed or to introduce a different, unrelated topic.” Source: "The Definition of Aggadah." Dictionary.com. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
3
Price, Robert M. "New Testament Narrative as Old Testament Midrash." In The Christ-myth Theory and Its Problems,
1. Cranford, NJ: American Atheist Press, 2011. Accessed August 01, 2016.
http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/art_midrash1.htm.
What is the Greek system of learning? J. Parsons expresses an overview of this system
of learning in his article Theology and the Greek Mindset. “The modern university, for
example, was modeled after the ideals of Plato’s Academy in which (it was hoped) the
entire universe would be explained within its halls.”4 Today’s Seminaries and Bible
Colleges are part of the modern university system and therefore, are using the learning
methodology that Plato and his contemporaries used to view the universe. This system
of learning and understanding is a part of our current education system. Therefore,
when teachers, who are considered experts in their field of study, instruct students, it is
often frowned upon for the student to challenge the teacher or to create a debate when
the student might not agree with the teacher’s interpretation. Besides, the Greek
method of learning calls the study of Scripture hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is “the
science of interpretation, especially of the Scriptures.”5 This Greek approach is very
different from the Hebraic method proposed by this study.

The learning methods of Socrates and his contemporaries make sense when studying,
for example, “The Iliad” by Homer or other Greek philosophic documents, but these
methods do not necessarily bring to life all of the flavors of ancient Middle Eastern
documents. This Greek approach is the method of Bible study that has been employed
by Christianity for over 1900 years.

4
Parsons, John. "Theology and the Greek Mindset - a Brief Look." Theology and the Greek Mindset - a Brief Look.
Accessed August 01, 2016. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Hellenism/hellenism.html.
5
"Hermeneutics." Dictionary.com. Accessed April 14, 2016.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hermeneutics.
 THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GREEK METHOD AND
THE HEBRAIC METHOD OF TEACHING

Once a student becomes aware of these two teaching styles, the student will be able to
determine if the class attended or if a book read, whether the teaching method is either
a Greek or Hebraic method. In the Greek manner, the instructor is always right because
of advanced knowledge. In the college situation, it is because the professor has his/her
Ph.D. in some area of study, so one assumes that he or she knows everything about the
topic. For example, Rodney Dangerfield played the role of a middle-aged man going to
college. His English midterm was to write about Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Since he did not
understand any of Vonnegut’s books, he hired Vonnegut himself to write the midterm.
When he received the paper from the English Professor told Dangerfield that whoever
wrote the paper knew nothing about Vonnegut. The professor’s words are an example
of the Greek method of teaching. Did the Ph.D. English professor think that she knew
more about Vonnegut’s writings than Vonnegut did? 6

In the Greek teaching method, the professor or the instructor claims to be the authority.
If one attends a Bible study class and the class leader says, “I will teach you the only
way to understand this biblical book,” you may want to consider the implications. This
method is standard since most Seminaries and Bible colleges teach a Greek mode of
learning, which is the same method the church has been utilizing for centuries.

Hebraic teaching methods are different. The teacher wants the students to challenge
what they hear. It is through questioning that a student can learn. Also, the teacher
wants his/her students to excel to a point where the student becomes the teacher.

6
Back to School. Performed by Rodney Dangerfield. Hollywood: CA: Paper Clip Productions, 1986. DVD.
If two rabbis come together to discuss a passage of Scripture, the result will be at least
ten different opinions. All points of view are acceptable if each is supported by biblical
evidence. It is permissible and encouraged that students develop many ideas. There is a
depth to God’s Word, and God wants us to find all His messages contained in the
Scripture.

Seeking out the meaning of the Scriptures beyond the literal meaning is essential to
understand God’s Word fully.7 The Greek method of learning the Scriptures has
prevailed over the centuries. One problem is that only the literal interpretation of
Scripture was often viewed as valid, as prompted by Martin Luther’s “sola literalis,”
meaning that just the literal translation of Scripture was accurate. The Fundamentalist
movements of today base their beliefs on the literal interpretation of the Scripture.
Therefore, they do not believe that God placed more profound, hidden, or secret
meanings in the Word.

The students of the Scriptures who learn through Hebraic training and understanding
have drawn a different conclusion. The Hebrew language itself leads to different
possible interpretations because of the construction of the language. The Hebraic
method of Bible study opens avenues of thought about God’s revelations in the
Scripture never considered. Not all questions about the Scripture studied will have an
immediate answer. If so, it becomes the responsibility of the learners to uncover the
meaning. Also, remember that many opinions about the meaning of Scripture are also
acceptable.

7
Davis, Anne Kimball. The Synoptic Gospels. MP3. Albuquerque: NM: BibleInteract, 2012.
 A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE KABBALAH AND ITS SOURCES

Level five analysis is created by using Kabbalah sources. The list is from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_texts_of_Kabbalah.

“Hekhalot ("Heavenly Palaces") are not a single text. Instead, they are a genre of
writings with shared characteristics. These texts primarily focus either on how to
achieve a heavenly ascent through the Heichalot (heavenly palaces) and what to expect
there or on drawing down angelic spirits to interact and help the adept. There are several
larger documents of the heichalot, such as Hekhalot Rabbati, in which six of the seven
palaces of God are described, Hekhalot Zutarti, Shi'ur Qomah , and 6th-century 3 Enoch,
as well as hundreds of small documents, many little more than fragments.

Sefer Yetzira (‫"( )סֵ פֶר יְ צִ ָירה‬Book [of] Formation/Creation"), also known as Hilkhot
Yetzira ("Laws of Formation"), is a primary source of Kabbalistic teaching. The first
commentaries on this small book were written in the 10th century, perhaps the text
itself is quoted as early as the 6th century, and perhaps its linguistic organization of the
Hebrew alphabet could be from as early as the 2nd century. Its historical origins remain
obscure, although many believe that it was authored by Abraham and edited by Rabbi
Akiva. It exists today in a number of editions, up to 2,500 words long (about the size
of a pamphlet). It organizes the cosmos into "32 Paths of Wisdom", comprising "10
Sefirot" (3 elements – air, water, and fire – plus six directions and center) and "22
letters" of the Hebrew alphabet (3 mother letters, seven double letters plus 12 simple
letters). It uses this structure to organize cosmic phenomena ranging from the seasons
of the calendar to the emotions of the intellect and is essentially an index of cosmic
correspondences
Bahir (‫"( )בהיר‬Illumination"), also known as Midrash of Rabbi Nehunya ben Ha-Kana - a
book of special interest to students of Kabbalah because it serves as a kind of epitome
that surveys the essential concepts of the subsequent literature of Kabbalah. It is about
12,000 words (about the size of a magazine). Despite its name "Illumination", it is
notoriously cryptic and difficult to understand (but not impossible). Much of it is
written in parables, one after the other. The Bahir opens with a quote attributed to
Rabbi Nehunya ben Ha-Kana, a Talmudic sage of the 1st century, and the rest the book
is an unfolding discussion about the quote. Jewish tradition considers the whole book
to be written in the Spirit of Rabbi Nehunya (or even literally written by him). It was
first published in Provence France (near Italy) in 1176. Historians suspect
Rabbi Yitzhak Ha-Ivver (Isaac the Blind) wrote the book at this time, albeit he
incorporated oral traditions from a much earlier time about the Tanakh, Talmud,
Siddur, Yetzira, and other Rabbinic texts.

Sefer Raziel HaMalakh (‫( )רזיאל המלאך‬Book of Raziel the Angel) is a collection of esoteric
writings, probably compiled and edited by the same hand, but originally not the work
of one author.

Leopold Zunz ("G. V." 2d ed., p. 176) distinguishes three main parts: (1) the Book Ha-
Malbush; (2) the Great Raziel; (3) the Book of Secrets, or the Book of Noah. These
three parts are still distinguishable—2b–7a, 7b–33b, 34a and b. After these follow two
shorter parts entitled "Creation" and "Shi'ur Ḳomah," and after 41a come formulas for
amulets and incantations.
Zohar (‫"( )זהר‬Splendor") – the most important text of Kabbalah, at times achieving
even canonical status as part of Oral Torah. It is a mystical commentary on the Torah,
written in medieval Aramaic.

Gershom Scholem argued that Moses de León was the sole author of the Zohar. More
recently, Yehuda Liebes contended that while De León may have been the primary
author, he incorporated or recast selections from contemporary kabbalists (e.g. Rabbi
Joseph Gikatilla, Rabbi Joseph of Hamadan, Rabbi Bahya ben Asher). Most recently,
Kabbalah scholars such as Ronit Meroz, Daniel Abrams and Boaz Huss have been
demonstrating that the materials within the Zohar underwent several generations of
writing, re-writing and redaction. De León claimed to discover the text of the Zohar
while in the land of Israel and attributed it to the 2nd-century Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai,
who is the main character of the text. The text gained enormous popularity throughout
the Jewish world.

Though the book was widely accepted, a small number of significant rabbis over the
subsequent centuries published texts declaring Rabbi Moshe invented it as a forgery
with concepts contrary to Judaism. However, many of these Rabbis were not Kabbalists
themselves. This was a major point of contention made by a community among the
Jews of Yemen, known as Dor Daim, a religious, intellectual movement that called for
a return to a more Talmudic based Judaism. Other communities in Italy and the
Andalusian (Spanish Portuguese) lands also questioned the content and authenticity of
the Zohar. While organized into commentaries on sections of the Torah, the Zohar
elaborates on the Talmud, Midrash Rabba, Sefer Yetzira, the Bahir, and many other
Rabbinic texts. To some degree, the Zohar simply is Kabbalah.
Pardes Rimonim (in Hebrew: ‫( )פרדס רימונים‬Garden [of] Pomegranates) – the magnum opus
of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, published in the 16th century and the main source of
Cordoverian Kabbalah, a comprehensive interpretation of the Zohar and a friendly rival
of the Lurianic interpretation.

Etz Hayim (in Hebrew: ‫"( )עץ חיים‬Tree [of] Life") is a text of the teachings of Isaac
Luria collected by his disciple Chaim Vital. It is the primary interpretation and synthesis
of Lurianic Kabbalah. It was first published in Safed in the 16th century. It consists of
the primary introduction to the remainder of the Lurianic system.

The Shemona She'arim (eight gates): is the full Lurianic system as arranged by Shmuel
Vital, the son of Haim Vital. Eitz Hayim is the only work published within Hayim Vital's
lifetime; the rest of his writings were buried with him in an unedited form. Supposedly
Shmuel Vital had a dream that he was to exhume his father's grave and remove certain
writings leaving the others buried. Shmuel Vital went on then to redact and publish the
works as the Eight Gates which are then, at times subdivided into other works
document.”
 MATTHEW 13:47-50
New American Standard 1995
47
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like
a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering
fish of every kind;
48
and when it was filled, they drew it up
on the beach; and they sat down and
gathered the good fish into containers, but
the bad they threw away.
49
"So it will be at the end of the age; the
angels will come forth and take out the
wicked from among the righteous,
50
and will throw them into the furnace
of fire; in that place there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.
Koine Greek
47
Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν
σαγήνῃ βληθείσῃ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἐκ παντὸς
γένους συναγαγούσῃ·
48
ἥν, ὅτε ἐπληρώθη, ἀναβιβάσαντες ἐπὶ τὸν
αἰγιαλόν, καὶ καθίσαντες, συνέλεξαν τὰ καλὰ εἰς
ἀγγεῖα, τὰ δὲ σαπρὰ ἔξω ἔβαλον.
49
Οὕτως ἔσται ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος·
ἐξελεύσονται οἱ ἄγγελοι, καὶ ἀφοριοῦσιν τοὺς
πονηροὺς ἐκ μέσου τῶν δικαίων,
50
καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός·
ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων.
Process of Discovery

Linguistics Section
Linguistic Structure
[Parable] 47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and
gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and
they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.
49
"So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked
from among the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Questioning the Passage8

1. Who is the fisherman in this parable?
The LORD is the fisherman in this parable. It is the LORD who will decide who
may enter the Kingdom and Heaven and who may not.9

2. What is the significance of the fish?

There were different species of fish in the Sea of Galilee. The fish that were tossed
back to the lake were those that were not edible. The ones that were kept would
have been from different species. Therefore, the parable is saying that the LORD
accepts people from all races into the Kingdom of Heaven. An individual can get
left out of the Kingdom of Heaven on their own account.

8
(The questions and answers offered are for discussion purposes. You may have different questions and answers.
Remember all questions are valid and all answers must be defendable from Scripture. This applies to this section
and to the Culture Section.)
9
Rocco A. Errico and George M. Lamsa, Aramaic Light on the Gospel of Matthew: a Commentary on the Teachings
of Jesus from the Aramaic and Unchanged Near Eastern Customs (Santa Fe, NM: Noohra Foundation, 2000).
Culture Section
Discussion
During Jesus’ day, fishermen cast their nets into the sea. They would wait until the
nets were filled. Once filled, the fisherman dragged their nets behind their boats to
the shore. At the shore, they would empty their nets and sort the fish. The edible
and sellable fish they placed into their boats. The unsellable fish they threw back
into the lake.10

Thoughts
The LORD is the one who decides who enters the Kingdom of Heaven. The “fish”
that are kept for the Kingdom of Heaven will be those persons who are righteous and
pious. Humans cannot judge other humans as to who will enter the Kingdom and
who will not. This is left to the LORD. This parable was not reflected well when the
church started to pronounce who will and will not enter Heaven, the elect. This
concept said that the LORD has already determined who will enter His kingdom. The
church used the concept of the elect to force people into particular types ofapproved
forms of behavior. The truth is that even the Pope does not know who is a part of
the elect and who is not. Just because a person is the Pope of the Catholic church, it
does not guarantee unconditional entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. One’s entrance
to the Kingdom of Heaven is decided by the LORD.

10
Frank Stern, A Rabbi Looks at Jesus' Parables (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2006).
 Spiritual Awareness in the Parable

This parable is another reminder that evil exists in Malkut and will always exist. Evil is
the accumulation of negative energy in one’s soul. However, negative energy is required
for the Universe to exist. Gevurah and Hod must have their influence in Malchut.
Justice and mercy, Gevurah and Chesed, are always trying to balance each other. A soul
can be considered in the same manner. Mercy is important, and justice is vital.

A person must be aware of the positive and negative energies that exist in Malkut. The
accumulation of negative energy without the balance of positive energy leads to the
Klippot of evil. Evil inclination exists in Malkut and will always exist. When the final
Tikkun comes, the end of times, the final correction will be made. Evil inclination will
be routed out as a part of the Tikkun. The righteous will be separated from the wicked
on judgment day (judgment day is a part of the Tikkun). The start of the Tikkun will be
the corrections that need to be made in the Tree of Life. Then the separation of evil
and righteous people will occur.

People desire to be spared from Avadon and Sheol. To avoid Avadon and Sheol, the
person must learn to avoid a build-up of negative energy. Serving the LORD by reading
the Torah and Zohar is an excellent way to allow positive energy to enter the soul. The
positive energy will interactive with negative energy to bring the soul into a neutral
balance.
Appendix