Matthew 27:9 – “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet,…”

 

John Gills says the following about this reference to Jeremy or Jeremiah the prophet, as there is no prophecy in the entire book of Jeremiah, which refers to the purchase of a potter’s field for 30 pieces of silver.

  1. Zechariah had two names – Zechariah and Jeremiah – but there is no proof of this.  (WWR – I doubt this is true.)
  2. Jerom declares he read in a non-canonical book by Jeremiah these very words; therefore this is the book Matthew is referring to.  (WWR – I doubt this passage in Matthew refers to any non-canonical passage.)
  3. Mr. Medes has labored to make the last four chapters of the book of Zechariah to be written by Jeremiah.  (WWR – sounds like he is trying to make things fit together.)
  4. John Gill believes the best solution is that the Jews divided the Old Testament into three divisions: (1) The Law – written by Moses, (2) The Prophets, which was divided into two parts – the former and the latter.  The former prophets began with Joshua and the latter prophets began with Jeremiah, (3) Cetubim or Hagiographa, (the Holy Writings), which began with the Psalms.  John Gills states that the beginning book referred to a particular division of the Old Testament.
  5. Matthew Henry; Jamieson, Fausset, Brown, and Lightfoot also believes the same as John Gill.