HEBREW GOSPEL OF MATTHEW - CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 3 (Part 2) — Section 007 [MT 3:7–12]

פרק שביעי

Note on Textual Divisions & Concordance Markers

The section titles (פרק ראשון, פרק שני, etc.) follow the authentic internal layout of Shem-Tob's Hebrew text, which organizes the Gospel of Matthew into 116 structural pericopes. The traditional 28-chapter and verse divisions ([MT X:X–X]) did not exist in ancient manuscripts; they were devised centuries later by Western scholars (Stephen Langton in 1205 and Robert Estienne in 1551) to build Latin concordances. The standard chapter/verse citations are included in brackets solely as a concordance reference for readers navigating standard printed Bibles.

#	Shem-Tob Hebrew Text	Literal Translation
7	וירא כי רבים מהפרושים בלעז פַּארִיזִיאָי ומן הפרושים באו לטבילתו ויאמר להם לברוח מן הקצף לעתיד לבא מהאל׃	And he saw that many of the Perushim, in a foreign tongue Parizi'ay, and from the Perushim came unto his immersion, and he said to them to flee from the wrath destined to come from the El.
8	עשו פרי תשובה השלמה׃	Make the fruit of whole turning [repentance].
9	ואל תאמרו בלבבכם אבינו אברהם׃ אמן אני אומר לכם שיוכל אלקים להקים את בנו אברהם מן האבנים האלה׃	And do not say in your heart: "Our father is Avraham." Truly I say to you that Elohim is able to raise up his son Avraham from these stones.
10	וכבר הגיע הגרזן לשרש העץ אשר לא יעשה פרי טוב יכרת ובאש ישרף׃ וישאלו לו החבורות א״כ מה נעשה׃ ויען להם יוחנן מי שיש לו שתי כתנות יתן הא׳ למי שאין לו׃ ויבאו העם להטביל׃ וישאלוהו רבים מה נעשה ויען להם תצטערו לשום איש ולא תענשום ותשמחו בחלקיכם׃ וכל העם היו חושבים ומדמים בלבם נמול יוחנן הוא יש״ו׃	And already the axe has reached unto the root of the tree that does not make good fruit; it shall be cut down and in fire it shall be burned. And the bands asked him: "If so, what shall we do?" And Yochanan answered them: "He who has two tunics, let him give the one to him who has none; and the people came to immerse." And many asked him: "What shall we do?" And he answered them: "You shall distress no man, and you shall not punish them, and you shall rejoice in your portions." And all the people were thinking and imagining in their heart: "Is Yochanan circumcised [or] is he Yeshu?"
11	ויוחנן ענה לכולם באמת הנני מטביל אתכם בימי תשובה ואחר יבא חזק ממני שאיני ראוי להתיר שרוך נעלו׃ והוא יטביל אתכם באש רוח הקדוש׃	And Yochanan answered to all of them: "In truth, behold I immerse you in days of turning, and after comes [one] stronger than me, that I am not fit to loosen the thong of his sandal; and he shall immerse you in fire, the holy breath."
12	אשר בידו מזרה לזרות את גרנו ויאסוף הדגן לאוצרו והתבן ע״כ׃	Which in his hand is a winnowing shovel to winnow his threshing floor, and he will gather the grain unto his storehouse, and the straw, etc.

Consonantal & Paleographic Notes

• פרק שביעי (Seventh Section): Preserves the authentic internal Hebrew division heading designating this narrative as Section 7 of the 116 pericopes [MT 3:7–12].
• Verse 7 (בלעז פַּארִיזִיאָי & מהאל):
  • בלעז: The scribe explicitly marks the foreign vocalization: "in a foreign tongue, Parizi'ay."
  • מהאל: Preposition מ (from) + definite article ה (the) + אל (El). Strictly translated "from the El" rather than substituting Elohim or generic Godhead titles.
  • The Perushim / Gospel of Barnabas Context: Hebrew פרושים literally means "the separated ones" (root פרש). In the Gospel of Barnabas (chapters 144–145), an important historical commentary illuminates this movement: it traces the original "Pharisees" to an ancient, honorable prophetic tradition under Elijah and Elisha—holy ascetics who truly separated themselves from worldly ambition and corruption to dwell in the wilderness. However, over generations this authentic separation devolved into a rigid, politicized institution. As Barnabas notes, while they retained the external name and clothing of "separation," their hearts became thoroughly united with the world, leaving a religious establishment that bore no resemblance to its humble prophetic origin.
  • מהפרושים... ומן הפרושים: The continuous Hebrew text preserves the exact consonantal repetition written on the parchment.
  • לעתיד לבא: Semitic temporal idiom: "destined to come."
• Verse 8 (השלמה): The adjective is השלמה (ha-shelemah — whole/complete): "fruit of whole turning."
• Verse 9 (בנו אברהם & אלקים):
  • בנו אברהם: The plate literally has the singular construct noun with third-person pronominal suffix בנו: "raise up his son Avraham."
  • אלקים: Rendered strictly as "Elohim."
• Verse 10 (Continuous Hebrew Text & Identity Question):
  • No Editorial Parentheses: All modern Western critical brackets and parentheses have been eliminated, preserving the unbroken Semitic narrative stream of the parchment.
  • א״כ: Scribal abbreviation for אם כן (*im ken* — "if so").
  • הא׳: Abbreviation for האחת (*ha-achat* — "the one").
  • תצטערו לשום איש: From the kinetic root צער ("cause sorrow/distress to any man").
  • נמול יוחנן הוא יש״ו: Unique Hebrew manuscript reading: "Is Yochanan circumcised [or] is he Yeshu?"
• Verse 11 (בימי תשובה & באש רוח הקדוש):
  • בימי תשובה: The text reads בימי (Bet-Yod-Mem-Yod — "in days of turning/repentance"), not במים ("in water").
  • באש רוח הקדוש: "in fire, the holy breath," placing "the holy breath" in direct apposition with fire.
• Verse 12 (מזרה & ע״כ — The Scribal Technique of "Etc."):
  • מזרה: The winnowing shovel/fork (root זרה).
  • ע״כ (עד כאן / "Etc."): The occurrence of ע״כ (ad kan / "unto here" / "etc.") is emphatically not an accidental truncation or scribal oversight. In authentic Hebrew manuscript transmission, this is a deliberate rhetorical and pedagogic technique addressed directly to an informed audience. The scribe signals to hearers who are already steeped in the scriptures: "You know this already; it has been revealed to you."
  • Furthermore, the truncation carries a sharp theological and literary implication: this apocalyptic imagery of unquenchable fire and burned chaff has been heavily overstated and weaponized by those who believe not. Overstated and worn-out passages inevitably lose their spiritual gravity through mindless repetition. By arresting the line at והתבן ע״כ ("and the straw, etc."), the scribal transmission cuts through rhetorical inflation, giving true weight and sharper emphasis to the genuine core of the prophecy while directly honoring the spiritual discernment of those who already comprehend its true implications.