마태복음 6:33의 τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῡ 다시보기

A Reconsideration of His Righteousness in Matthew 6:33 -Focusing on the Usages of ζητέω and ἐπιζητέω-

This paper attempts to investigate the meaning of His righteousness in Matthew 6:33 focusing on the usages of the verbs ζητέω and ἐπιζητέω in the Synoptic Gospels. In general, on the interpretation of δικαιοσύνη in Matthew scholars' opinions are categorized into three, ① God's gift (or vindication), ② God's demand, and ③ both of them. It seems very unlikely to detach the meaning of 'God's demand' from His righteousness in Matthew 6:33 on the grounds of the following considerations: (1) the meaning and interrelationship of five occurrences of δικαιοσύνη in Matthew 5-6, (2) the structure and context of Matthew 5-6 which describe 'seeking His righteousness' (6:33) and 'being perfect as your Father in heaven' (5:48) respectively as the vertical and the horizontal concept of 'the superior righteousness'(5:20). In addition, it seems very unlikely to assign the meaning of 'God's gift' to His righteousness in 6:33 on the grounds of the following considerations: (1) In Matthew 6 there is no reference to the persecution and hardships of the disciples though it has admonition about unostentatious pieties (vv. 1- 18) and warning of accumulation of wealth and worry of earthly needs (vv. 19-32). (2) The kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (= 'what to eat, what to drink, what to wear', 6:31) in 6:32-33, which are accompanied respectively by the imperative ζητεῑτε and by the passive προστεθήσεταί, are construed respectively as an object that the disciples are to seek and as what is to be added to by the heavenly Father. A survey of the usages of ζητέω and ἐπιζητέω in the Synoptic Gospels leads us to a better understanding of His righteousness in Matthew 6:33. It is clear that in Matthew there is a difference between the usage of ζητέω and that of ἐπιζητέω, whereas there is no difference between the usages in Mark and Luke as well as in the LXX. In Matthew the verb ζητέω being accompanied by only the active of εὑρίσκω seems to accentuate the constant action of the subject to seek the object until he/she finds it, whereas the verb ἐπιζητέω being accompanied not by εὑρίσκω but by only the passive verb (προστεθήσεται and δοθήσεται) seems to mean that the subject is to be given the object by God. According to the difference between the usages of ζητέω and ἐπιζητέω in Matthew, the kingdom of God and His righteousness (6:33) which is object of the verb ζητέω and the active of εὑρίσκω is what the disciples are to seek until they find, whereas all these things (6:32-33) which is object of the verb ἐπιζητέω and the passive προστεθήσεται is what is to be given by God. All our considerations thus far lead to the conclusion that His righteousness in Matthew 6:33 may refer to 'God's demand', that is, God's will that one is to pursue and fulfill incessantly. By God added to the disciples who seek to do God's will are their needs.