One of the most intriguing things about the Bible is how Jesus and the Holy Spirit made reference to it in their own words. This was a fascinating aspect of written communication at the time. For example, when someone read Isaiah 53, that person knew what it meant, because they had studied Isaiah. However, when Jesus quoted it, he assumed his audience would know what he was talking about. He didn’t have to explain himself because they already had the historical context and weren’t reading scripture as an isolated letter or book. In other words, they weren’t reading a Bible, but rather the Bible spread over thousands of years and sifted to a handful of books that became known as scripture.
It’s important to note that not all of these quotes are direct citations or exact copies. Sometimes Jesus or someone else will paraphrase or summarize what they’re quoting from the Old Testament. There are also occasions when Jesus refers to a story from the Old Testament but doesn’t actually quote it word-for-word—instead, he just tells us what happened in broad strokes. Discussing; Jesus quotes old testament in Matthew, Jesus quotes the Old Testament in Luke.
How Many Times Does Jesus Quote The Old Testament
The most famous example of this is when Jesus told his disciples about how John the Baptist had been beheaded by King Herod and then said: “It is written in the book of Psalms” (Matt 14:9 NIV).
In this case, Jesus didn’t actually say those exact words; instead, he was paraphrasing Psalm 118:22-23 which says: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”
Most people who call themselves Christians know that Jesus lived, taught, and died in Palestine as a Jew. They reflect on his birth as a manger baby. And they might even be familiar with the fact that Jesus was crucified at the order of Pontius Pilate. But how many people know that Jesus quoted from the Old Testament? The answer is: more than you think!
Jesus himself quoted the OT 7 times.
Jesus himself quoted the OT 7 times. He did this, however, not by simply quoting the words of the OT but rather by rephrasing them in his own words. This method can be seen in Matthew 24:32-33 and Mark 13:30-31.
Jesus quoted the OT 7 times in his own words in the gospels of Matthew and Mark (Matthew 24:32-33; Mark 13:30-31). He also quoted from it once in Luke 21:22, during his farewell discourse with his disciples at Bethany; and he cited it twice more during his travels throughout Galilee after that event (Luke 17:25; 21:25).
There are 7 direct quotations of the OT in Jesus’ speech on the cross.
Jesus’ last words on the cross are recorded in three of the four gospels (Matthew 27:46-50; Mark 15:34-37; Luke 23:46-49). Each of these passages begins with a direct quotation from Psalm 22:1. There are seven direct quotations of Old Testament texts in Jesus’ speech on the cross. In addition to this, Matthew 27:50 quotes Isaiah 53:12, which is also found in Luke 22:37 where it is cited by Peter as an allusion rather than a direct quote.
In addition to these seven direct quotations and one indirect quotation, there are many more instances in which Jesus uses language that echoes phrases or ideas found elsewhere in Scripture
On a first read, it might seem like Jesus only quoted the Old Testament on a few occasions. But that’s not actually true. In fact, Jesus makes direct quotations of the Old Testament more than you might think! The New Testament quotes the Old Testament 1,871 times (the King James Version numbers are in parentheses). That’s more than any other book except for Psalms (2,569).
As we’ve seen, there are many instances of Jesus and the apostles quoting the Old Testament. The New Testament also makes many allusions to it, which is how you can tell that certain passages were inspired by or echoing specific verses in the Old Testament. That said, it may be difficult to analyze every single instance of a Bible quote in this post—there are so many! Our point here is not to exhaustively list every single quotation that shows up in Scripture. Instead, our purpose was to illustrate that there are a vast number of biblical quotes from the Old Testament—and to show some examples of what they sound like when read aloud with their context. We hope this has been helpful for you!
Jesus quotes the Old Testament in Luke
In Matthew, Jesus quotes from Psalm 8:
“What is man that you are mindful of him? And the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:4)
Jesus used this passage to emphasize human value. He said, “For even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:30) Jesus was saying that we are valuable because God knows each one of us personally, and we should not fear anything because God will protect us.
Jesus quotes old testament in Matthew
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus quotes from the Old Testament about his own coming:
“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
“Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus uses this passage to condemn divorce. He also uses it to condemn blasphemy against the name of God.
The Old Testament comprises the first thirty-nine books of the Bible.
Jesus used these books extensively to demonstrate His authority as God’s Son, and He often quoted from them. Below are some examples.
Matthew 4:4-10 – The temptation of Jesus Christ (cf. Deut. 8:3; 6:16)
Matthew 5:21-37 – Jesus’ teaching on divorce (cf. Deut. 24:1-4)
Matthew 10:5-8 – Jesus’ commission of the Twelve Apostles (cf. Num. 13:2-16)
Matthew 11:10-19 – Jesus’ teachings on John the Baptist (cf. Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3)
Matthew 12:38-42 – Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant (cf. Leviticus 19:17; Mark 11:12; Luke 17:18)
how often did jesus quote the old testament
Jesus quotes the Old Testament around twenty times, mostly from the book of Psalms.
He uses this quote to make a point, such as when he says, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7).
Jesus also used quotations from the Old Testament to give authority to his claims. For example, when he said: “I tell you the truth,” he was quoting Isaiah 55:11.
Jesus quotes the Old Testament over 40 times in the Gospels, and he quotes specific passages from the books of Isaiah, Psalms, and Hosea more than a dozen times each. He also references over 100 other passages in the Old Testament.