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Matthew's New David at the End of Exile: A Socio-Rhetorical Study of Scriptural Quotations. By Nicholas G. Piotrowski. Supplements to Novum Testamentum 170. Leiden: Brill, 2016, xxiv + 315 pp., $138.00.
Piotrowski's revised Wheaton College dissertation, completed under the supervision of Nick Perrin, argues that "Matthew's prologue-quotations give shape to the narrative's christological and ecclesiological vision by drawing on the language of Israel's exile and restoration" (p. 4). Matthew engages in the use of selecting "frames" for the audience to interpret his work, and the frames selected by Matthew in his early chapters draw upon the OT's story of God's raising up a Davidic King in order to lead his people out of exile. The seven OT quotations in Matthew 1-4 work together in a symphony to evoke "Israel's history: exile and restoration" (p. 13). This story certainly makes clear Christological claims, but it is ultimately in service of the ecclesiological aim of defining the identity of the people of God.
Each chapter presents a detailed examination of the OT context of each of Matthew's prologue quotations and situates the quotation within the broader Matthean narrative. In chapter 2 ("The Effect of Isaiah's Narrative World in Matthew 1:18-25"), Piotrowski examines Matthew's citation of Isa 7:14 and argues that it is used "to indicate that Jesus' 'people' (1:21) are Yahweh's end-of-exile people, and that they experience this through Yahweh's faithfulness to David's house" (p. 33). Matthew's genealogy plays a significant role here, for it leaves the reader with the impression that the most recent event within Israel's history is the Babylonian exile (1:11, 17). One of the defining features of exile, of course, is the absence of a Davidic king. Furthermore, the factor that led Israel into exile, namely the sin of the people, has not been dealt with (1:21). Piotrowski argues that Matthew's citation of Isa 7:14 serves to resolve these problems. He presents a careful reading of Isaiah 79 9 demonstrates that God promises to be with his people ("Immanuel") by means of his ongoing faithfulness and establishment of the house of David. Israel's response to this promise will determine whether they experience judgment or salvation. Isaiah forecasts this as a prophetic event, and Matthew draws upon it to...