The Tradition of Yetzer in Rabbinic Literature of the Second Temple Period within the Narrative of Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness in Matthew 4:1–11: An Intertextual Study
Keywords:
Gospel of Matthew, Intertextuality, Rabbinic Literature, Temptation, YetzerAbstract
Christianity cannot be separated from the historical roots of Judaism. Within Judaism, there exists a concept known as Yetzer Hara, which inclines human beings toward sin, and its antithesis, Yetzer Hatov, which directs them toward what is good. It is also said that Yetzer Hara can be understood as the personification of Satan, the evil entity who tempts humankind. The Gospel of Matthew presents the narrative of Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–11), where Satan subjects Jesus, the Messiah and fully human, to various temptations. The Gospel of Matthew bears a strong Jewish background in its author, its intended audience, and the broader context in which it was written. This study focuses on the intertextual relationship between the Jewish tradition of Yetzer Hara and Matthew 4:1–11, using biblical hermeneutics complemented by intertextual analysis, and shows that the author of Matthew intertextually assimilates the Yetzer tradition in narrating the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.
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