Simon the Leper
Simon the Leper
In Matthew 26 we Simon the .eper . Was this Simon the Leper?
Simon the leper. Some read the passage of Luke 7 where a Pharisee named Simon invites Jesus to dine as "patronising" and "ungracious", even "hostile".
"The invitation was clearly due to a patronising curiosity, if not to a worse and hostile motive. The whole manner of the Pharisee to Jesus was like his invitation, ungracious."[1]
When other Pharisees were "patronising and ungracious" with a "hostile motive" Jesus would tell them nothing. Jesus knew what this man "spake within himself" and took time to explain the importance of forgiveness.
"36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city[2], which was a sinner[3], when she knew that [Jesus] sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw [it], he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman [this is] that toucheth him: for she is a sinner[3]. 40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Luke 7: 36-42
Some question if this was Simon the leper?
"There were two Simons among the Twelve, and there are nine Simons mentioned in the New Testament alone, and twenty in Josephus."[4]
A leper would not be allowed around people nor live inside the cities if his or her skin was infected as the Torah law commanded. They could not be on the Sanhedrin and meet with others.
But also had healed many lepers but there seems to be no evidence that Simon needed healing or was healed including the healig reported in Matthew 8.
“2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Matthew 8:2,
Who was this Simon?[5] "There were two Simons among the Twelve, and there are nine Simons mentioned in the New Testament alone, and twenty in Josephus."[6]
Why by this woman?
Who was she?
John 12:3 "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."
Both Hebrew and Aramaic are written without the use of vowels. The Aramaic words for leper is GimelReishBeitAlef (גרבא) or GaRaBA. A jar maker or jar merchant is also GimelReishBeitAlef (גרבא) or GaRaBA.
The Hebrew word tsara (ערַצָ)[7] is translated leper.
A woman pours oil from an alabaster[8] jar after breaking it open.
So the Peshitta text reads Simon the jar maker or potter and this makes sense as he was anointed with a costly jar of perfume in the same verse. Seems as though the translator got it wrong.
The Peshitta text reads "Simon the jar maker" or "potter"
Simon the Leper"/Simon the Jar-maker
- ↑ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Commentary.
- ↑ 4172 ~πόλις~ polis \@pol’-is\@ probably from the same as polemos 4171 meaning war, or perhaps from polus 4183 meaning many, much, large; n f AV-city 164; 164
- 1) a city
- 1a) one’s native city, the city in which one lives
- 1b) the heavenly Jerusalem
- 1b1) the abode of the blessed in heaven
- 1b2) of the visible capital in the heavenly kingdom, to come down to earth after the renovation of the world by fire
- 1c) the inhabitants of a city
- 1) a city
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 268 ~ἁμαρτωλός~ hamartolos \@ham-ar-to-los’\@ from 264 ἁμαρτάνω hamartano, without a share; adj AV-sinner 43, sinful 4; 47
- 1) devoted to sin, a sinner
- 1a) not free from sin
- 1b) pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked
- 1b1) all wicked men
- 1b2) specifically of men stained with certain definite vices or crimes
- 1b2a) tax collectors, heathen
- 1) devoted to sin, a sinner
- ↑ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Commentary.
- ↑ Simon Peter(Matthew 10:2), and Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15) both disciples, and Simon of Cyrene (Matthew 27:32) carried the cross of Jesus.
- ↑ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Commentary.
- ↑ 06879 צָרַע tsara‘ [tsaw-rah’] a primitive root; v; [BDB-863b] [{See TWOT on 1971 }] AV-leper 14, leprous 6; 20
- 1) to be diseased of skin, be leprous
- 1a) (Qal) to be a leper
- 1b) (Pual) to have leprosy
- 1) to be diseased of skin, be leprous
- ↑ 211 ἀλάβαστρον alabastron [al-ab’-as-tron] from alabastros (of uncertain derivation), the name of a stone; n n; AV-alabaster box 3, box 1; 4
- 1) a box made of alabaster in which unguents are preserved
- The ancients considered alabaster to be the best material in which to preserve their ointments. Breaking the box, probably means breaking the seal of the box.