"the simplest solution is that Matthew tolerated a slight deviation from symmetric perfection, and so should his interpreters."
That's a tribute to Matthew's fidelity to his sources. If he concocted the genealogy whole cloth, to fabricate a backstory for Jesus, we'd expect symmetric perfection. But because Matthew is constrained by the facts, historical accuracy takes precedence over artificial symmetry.
"the simplest solution is that Matthew tolerated a slight deviation from symmetric perfection, and so should his interpreters."
ReplyDeleteThat's a tribute to Matthew's fidelity to his sources. If he concocted the genealogy whole cloth, to fabricate a backstory for Jesus, we'd expect symmetric perfection. But because Matthew is constrained by the facts, historical accuracy takes precedence over artificial symmetry.