The Tearing of the High Priest’s Robes and of the Temple Curtain as Expressions of Human and Divine Anger in Matthew’s Gospel (26,65; 27,51)
Michał Klukowski
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , Polandhttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-1130-7406
Abstract
There are two passages about acts of tearing in the Gospel of Matthew. The first one is when the High Priest tore his robes after hearing supposed blasphemy against God from Jesus’ mouth (26,65), and the second when the Temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom (27,51). In this article I try to show that the tearing of the Temple curtain was God’s response to the previous act of the High Priest tearing his robes. The Old Testament tradition confirms that the tearing of clothes was a sign of grief or anger in response to blasphemy. Although the tearing of the Priest’s robes was forbidden by the Law (Lev 10:6; 21:10), the Mishnaic tradition testifies that the High Priest could have torn his robes immediately after hearing a blasphemy against God. It is possible that Matthew saw in the Temple curtain a sort of symbolic image of the robes of God, and that by tearing this curtain God expressed his grief and anger towards blasphemy against himself, i.e. the mocking and cursing of his Son. It is interesting that the curtain was torn in two from top to bottom, just like the Mishnah specifies that the High Priest had to tear his robe from top to bottom. There are two possible problems challenging my hypothesis. First, the Mishnah (though undoubtedly containing earlier traditions) is a later work than the Gospel of Matthew. Secondly, Matthew employs two different verbs to describe the acts of tearing, the priestly robe versus the veil.
Keywords:
God’s anger, tearing of the robes, Temple curtain, blasphemyReferences
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John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1130-7406
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