Scriptural Mormonism: Strack and Billerbeck on John 11:51

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Strack and Billerbeck on John 11:51

11:51: He did not say that on his own, but since he was the high priest that year, he prophesied.

Prophecies without the knowledge and will of the speaker are often mentioned within the rabbinic literature.

Babylonian Talmud Soṭah 12B: “This one זֶה is one of the children of the Hebrews” (Exod 2:6). R. Yohanan († 279) has said that זֶה “this one” teaches that she prophesied without her knowledge שנתנבאה שלא מדעתה that “this one” will fall (into the Nile), but no other child will fall in.—As the passage goes on to explain, the edict to kill the Hebrew boys is said to have been lifted by the Egyptians on that day. ‖ Babylonian Talmud Soṭah 12B: “Take הֵילִיכִי this child” (Exod 2:9). R. Hama b. Hanina (ca. 260) said, “She prophesied and did not know what she prophesied: היליכי, that is, הא שליכי, this one is yours!”—The same is said in Exod. Rab. 1 (67B). ‖ Babylonian Talmud Baba Batra 119B: “You will bring them in and plant them on the mountains of your possessions” (Exod 15:17). It is not said, “You will bring us in” (as one should expect in the mouth of the redeemed of Egypt), but rather “You will bring them in (i.e., others).” This teaches that they prophesied without knowing what they prophesied (for in fact it was later decreed that those who were drawn out of Egypt would not enter the land of Canaan).—A similar passage is in Mek. Exod. 15:17 (51A). ‖ Midrash Psalms 90 § 4 (194A): R. Eleazar (ca. 270) said in the name of R. Yose b. Zimra (ca. 220), “All prophets who prophesied did not know what they prophesied, only Moses and Isaiah knew. Moses said in Deut 32:3, ‘Let my teaching be like rain’; Isaiah said in Isa 8:18, ‘Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh gave me are a symbol and a sign of the miracles in Israel.’ ” (The proof lies in the fact that Moses and Isaiah speak of themselves in the first person, see below). R. Joshua the priest b. Nehemiah (ca. 350) said, “Elihu also prophesied and knew (understood the content); see Job 33:3, ‘My lips (my words) know they speak clearly.’ ” R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Yose b. Zimra, “Samuel, the master of the prophets, prophesied and did not know; see 1 Sam 12:11, ‘Yahweh sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel.’ He does not say, ‘and me,’ but rather ‘Samuel,’ because he did not know what he prophesied.”(Hermann L. Strack and Paul Billerbeck, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud & Midrash, 3 vols. [trans. Jacob N. Cerone; Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2022], 2:627-28)