New Testament Fake Verse Citations
Last updated
Last updated
There are a few instances where New Testament authors cite verses or make references to texts that are either difficult to trace, do not directly exist in the Old Testament, or have no exact match in the Hebrew Scriptures. Here are some notable examples:
23 And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
There is no direct verse in the Old Testament that says the Messiah would be called a "Nazarene." Some scholars suggest that Matthew might be referring to a general theme or concept found in the prophets rather than a specific quote. Others argue that "Nazarene" might be a play on the Hebrew word for "branch" (nezer), which appears in prophecies like Isaiah 11:1. However, there is no explicit Old Testament verse that states the Messiah would be called a Nazarene.
38 He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”
There is no exact Old Testament verse that says this. Some scholars suggest that Jesus is paraphrasing or summarizing themes from passages like Isaiah 44:3 or Ezekiel 47:1, which speak of water as a symbol of God's blessing or the Spirit. However, there is no exact match in the Old Testament.
5 Or do you suppose it is in vain that the scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us”?
There is no direct Old Testament verse that corresponds to this statement. This could be a paraphrase of Old Testament teachings or a synthesis of biblical principles, but there is no specific verse that matches this quote exactly.
9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”
This prophecy closely resembles Zechariah 11:12-13, not Jeremiah. While some argue that Matthew may have been referring to a lost tradition from Jeremiah or combining elements from both prophets, the exact prophecy attributed to Jeremiah is not found in the Old Testament.
13 but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. 14 Therefore it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.”
There is no direct Old Testament verse that matches this quotation. Some scholars believe the author may have been quoting an early Christian hymn or summarizing the message of passages like Isaiah 26:19 or Isaiah 60:1, but the exact phrasing is not found in the Old Testament.
9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,”
There is no exact match to this in the Old Testament. However, some scholars suggest that Paul might be referencing a combination of ideas from Isaiah 64:4 ("For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee...") and Isaiah 65:17. This appears to be a loose paraphrase or a synthesis of themes, rather than a direct quote.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight—”
While part of this citation ("The voice of one crying in the wilderness") comes from Isaiah 40:3, the first part ("Behold, I send my messenger before your face") actually comes from Malachi 3:1. Mark attributes the whole passage to Isaiah, which has led scholars to suggest that Mark either combined two prophecies under Isaiah's name or that Isaiah was considered the more prominent prophet in this case. Some also suggest it could be due to the way ancient authors sometimes referred to multiple prophets under a single name.
5 Or have you not read in the law how on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?
There is no specific Old Testament law that explicitly states this. Matthew may be referring to the general practice of priests working in the temple on the Sabbath (offering sacrifices and performing duties), which is implied in passages like Numbers 28:9-10, but no verse directly describes this as "profaning" the Sabbath while being guiltless. This is likely Matthew’s interpretative explanation rather than a direct quotation.
36 For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, “Not a bone of him shall be broken.” 37
This is not a direct citation of a single Old Testament verse, but it likely alludes to Exodus 12:46 (regarding the Passover lamb: "You shall not break any of its bones") and Psalm 34:20 ("He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken"). John's Gospel applies these verses to Jesus, interpreting them as prophetic fulfillments, though they do not specifically refer to the Messiah in the Old Testament.
9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
Jude 9 refers to an event where Michael the archangel contends with the devil over the body of Moses. This incident is not found in the Old Testament. It likely comes from an extra-biblical Jewish tradition, possibly from the apocryphal work The Assumption of Moses, which is not part of the Old Testament canon. This reference shows that some New Testament authors drew on Jewish traditions and texts that were known in their time but not included in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Jude also cites the Book of Enoch (1 Enoch 1:9) in verses 14-15, which was not part of the Jewish or Christian canon. Jude’s reference to Enoch shows that some non-canonical Jewish literature was influential in early Christian thought.
11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
This seems to be a loose paraphrase of Isaiah 28:16, which says, “He who believes will not be in haste” (or "will not panic" in some translations). Paul quotes the Greek Septuagint which uses the phrase "will not be put to shame" (ou me kataischynthē in Greek), which is about not experiencing disgrace or humiliation. In contrast, the Hebrew Masoretic Text says, "will not be in haste," meaning the one who believes will not act in panic or hurry.
Since Paul claimed to be an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, was raised as a Pharisee, and studied in the Jerusalem school of Rabbi Gamaliel, one of the leading Jewish thinkers of his time; it is strange that he did not correct this mistake when citing the verse.