Footnote 5 – O Little Town of…Nazareth?

The author of Matthew misunderstood the rhetorical device called hendiadys, often used in Hebrew poetry, in which a term is repeated and preceded with the particle, often translated “and.” The second mention of the term actually modifies the first. See Harvey Minkoff, “Searching for the Better Text,” BR 15:04. For another example of Matthew accommodating the story to scripture, see the case of Judas’s death (Matthew 26:15, 27:3–10), which is presented as fulfilling a scripture citation in wording but does not agree with Luke’s account (Acts 1:16–20).