Intertextuality Pair

Matthew 9:13 → Hosea 6:6

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.
Walk the Square · a single-voice walk of this pair around the Clowney square8:44

Significance

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.

Found via
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type
Direct Quotation
Connection Method(s)
Analogy

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