An overview of the extent and diversity of methods utilised by the author of Hebrews when using the Old Testament

Abstract

After a brief survey of methods of using the OT in general in the NT, the focus of this study moves particularly to methods that were applied in using Scripture by the Auctor ad Hebraeos. The unknown author made use of a diverse range of techniques when interacting with and presenting his OT material. This includes a catena of explicit quotations, expansions on existing quotations from the tradition, a hymnic reworking of quotations, his own added commentary (midrash) on quotations, paraphrases, references and allusions. Although a large number of passages were selected by this unknown author from the early Jewish (Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo) and early Christian (Paul) traditions, it is also clear that some of these found their way into his document due to the author's own contribution. There is good reason to believe that the quotations formed the backbone, or original structure for the author's argumentation in the book of Hebrews. They are clearly being presented in two sets of 7 pairs each. The first set consists almost exclusively of hymnic texts, whereas the second set alternates consistently between a quotation pair from the Torah and a Prophet, with a quotation pair from the Torah and a Psalm.