Biblica - Vol 90 (2009) Crowe, Brandon D., The Song of Moses and Divine Begetting in Matt 1,20 (2009)

It is argued in this article that the imagery of Israel’s divine begetting from the Song of Moses (Deut 32,18) is in view in the account of Jesus’ divine begetting in Matt 1,20. To establish the plausibility of this claim, the characteristics and widespread knowledge of the Song of Moses are surveyed first, followed by the rationale for positing its presence in Matthew. The allusion to Deut 32,18 in Matt 1,20 is one component of a larger Matthean pattern by which the Evangelist portrays Jesus as the obedient Son of God in contrast to Israel as God’s disobedient son. This reference also highlights the imagery of new creation that Matthew associates with the birth of Jesus.