Later text
Matthew 9:13BSB
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Intertextuality Pair
Quotation
Later text
Matthew 9:13BSB
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Earlier text
Hosea 6:6BSB
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Jesus quotes Hosea to justify eating with tax collectors and sinners, showing the prophets' priority of mercy over ritual. The "not...but" construction is Hebraic comparative ("more than"), not absolute contrast - God desires both but prioritizes heart response over external ceremony. Prophets consistently emphasized covenant faithfulness over mere ritual observance. Jesus embodies this priority, demonstrating that the Messiah comes to call sinners to repentance, not to maintain distance from them.