This
prophecy of the piercing is specific and important. It was also recognized as
messianic before the time of Christ and is still interpreted that way by Jews.
This prophecy generates discussion among Jews about the meaning and
interpretation of what seem to be conflicting passages. One Jewish scholar remarkably
admitted that he cannot explain these prophecies and concluded that they are eschatological,
not to be fulfilled by any historical person. Interestingly, this scholar wrote
of the future Messiah Son of Joseph “that he died for his people through no
fault of his, but because they failed him, is clearly indicated in the present
passage [Zech. 12:9-12] as the [Jewish] commentators agree-though they vainly
suppose the martyr to be a historical personage” (Torrey, “Messiah Son of Ephraim,”
273). According to the Babylonian Talmud the Messiah Ben Joseph would be
pierced, killed, and mourned like an only child and firstborn son.[1] The idea
of a suffering messiah is undeniable in Judaism. Because the Messiah Ben Joseph
suffers and dies, many Jews have concluded that he must be a different person
from the Davidic Messiah, who will appear at some later date after the death of
the Messiah Son of Joseph.[2] (Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, The
Crucifixion of the King of Glory: The Amazing History and Sublime Mystery of
the Passion [Chesterton, Ind.: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2021], 264)
Notes for the Above:
[1]
Sukk. 5. Rabbis of later periods also came to this conclusion; see, for
example, Rashi’s commentary on Tractate Sukkah 52:71. Rashi, whose full name is
Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1105) wrote commentaries on the Bible and on the
Talmud. He is one of the most influential interpreters of Jewish tradition, and
his commentaries are still widely read. Rabbi Moshe Alshich (1508-1593) also
wrote that the Messiah will willingly suffer for the sins of Israel and that he
will die by piercing. This is also expressed in the Yalkut Shimoni of
the Talmud, a famous work by Simeon, a medieval Jewish scholar in Germany, who
created a compilation of Jewish interpretations called “the Yalkut,” which
means “anthology.”
[2]
As time progressed, additional expectations were added to the Messiah Son of
Joseph figure, including the idea that he would die in battle, but this was
definitely not part of the early Jewish interpretation. This elaboration was
created after the time of Christ. Today, among Jews who still believe that the
Messiah will be an actual person, both messianic figures are typically
connected to eschatological Jewish expectations.
