This essay is a succinct presentation of the research published in Alfred Edersheim’s 1883 book “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.” I have limited the quotation to the mention of the Biblical texts that are applied to the Messiah. By consulting Alfred Edersheim’s book (or the online reproduction) you can also find in which Rabbinic writings these texts are mentioned. Below we also include Risto Santala’s comments on Christ’s life in the Psalms.
Alfred Edersheim wrote:
The following list contains the passages in the Old Testament applied to the Messiah or to Messianic times in the most ancient Jewish writings. They amount in all to 456, thus distributed: 75 from the Pentateuch, 243 from the Prophets, and 138 from the Hagiographa, and supported by more than 558 separate quotations from Rabbinic writings_
The Rabbinic works from which quotations have been made are: the Targumim, the two Talmuds, and the most ancient Midrashim_I have, however, frequently quoted from the well-known work Yalkut, because, although of comparatively late date, it is really, as its name implies, a collection and selection from more than fifty older and accredited writings_
And if any student should arrive at a different conclusion from mine in regard to any of the passages hereafter quoted, I can at least assure him that mine is the result of the most careful and candid study I could give to the consideration of each passage. With these prefatory remarks I proceed to give the list of Old Testament passages Messianically applied in ancient Rabbinic writings.1
From the Old Testament-the Tanakh:
Genesis 1:2; 2:4; 3:15; 4:25; 8:11; 9:27; 14:1; 15:18; 18:4-5; 19:32; 22:18; 33:1; 35:21; 38:1-2; 49:1, 9-10, 12, 19.
Exodus 4:22; 12:2, 42; 15:1; 16:25, 33; 17:16; 21:1; 40:9, 11.
Leviticus 26:13
Numbers 7:12; 23:21; 24:7, 17; 27:16.
Deuteronomy 1:8; 11:21; 16:3; 19:8-9; 20:10; 23:11; 25:19; 30:4; 32:7; 33:5, 12, 17.
Judges 5:31.
Ruth 1:1; 2:14; 3:15; 4:18, 20.
1st Samuel 2:10.
2nd Samuel 22:28; 23:1-4.
1st Kings 4:33.
1st Chronicles 3:24.
Psalms 2:1-2, 4, 6-9; 16:5, 9; 18:31, 50; 21:1, 3-5, 7; 22:7, 15; 23:5; 31:19; 36:9; 40:7; 45:2-3, 6-7; 50:2; 60:7; 61:6, 8; 68:31; 72:1, 8, 10, 16-17; 80:17; 89:22-25, 27, 51, 53; 90:15; 92:8, 11, 13; 95:7; 102:16; 106:44; 110:1, 2, 7; 116:9, 13; 119:33; 120:7; 121:1; 126:2; 132:18; 133:3; 142:5.
Ecclesiastes 1:9, 11; 7:24; 11:8; 12:1.
Canticle of Canticles (Song of Songs) 1:8; 2:8; 3:11; 4:5, 16; 5:10; 6:10; 7:6, 13; 8:12, 4, 11.
Isaiah 1:25, 26; 2:4; 4:2, 4-6; 6:13; 7:21; 8:14; 9:6; 10:27, 34; 11:1, 3-7, 11-12; 12:3; 14:2, 29; 15:2; 16:1, 5; 18:5; 21:11-12; 23:8, 15; 24:23; 25:8-9; 26:19; 27:10, 13; 28:5, 16; 30:18-19, 25-26; 32:14-15, 20; 35:1, 5-6, 10; 40:1-3, 5, 10; 41:18, 25; 42:1; 43:10; 45:22; 49:8-10, 12, 14, 21, 23, 26; 51:12, 17; 52:3, 7-8, 12-13; 53:5, 10; 54:2, 5, 11, 13; 55:12; 56:1, 7; 57:14, 16; 59:15, 17, 19-20; 60:1-5, 7-10, 19, 21-22; 62:10; 63:2, 4; 64:4; 65:17, 19, 25; 66:7; 68:22.
Jeremiah 3:17-18; 5:19; 12:9; 16:13-14; 23:5-7; 30:21;
31:8, 20, 31, 33-34; 33:13.
Lamentations 1:16; 2:22; 4:22.
Ezekiel 11:19; 16:55; 17:22-23; 25:14; 29:21; 32:14; 36:25, 27; 39:2; 47:9, 12; 48:19.
Daniel 2:22, 35; 7:9, 13, 27; 8:13-14; 9:24; 12:3, 11-12.
Hosea 2:2, 13, 18; 3:5; 6:2; 13:14; 14:7.
Joel 2:28; 3:18.
Amos 4:7; 5:18; 8:11; 9:11.
Obadiah v.18, 21.
Micah 2:13; 4:3; 5:2-3; 7:6, 8.
Nahum 2:1.
Habakkuk 2:3; 3:18.
Zephaniah 3:8-9.
Zechariah 1:20; 2:10; 3:8, 10; 4:7, 10; 6:12; 7:13; 8:12, 23; 9:1, 9-10; 10:4; 11:12; 12:10; 14:2-9.
Malachi 3:1, 4, 16; 4:1-2, 5.
From the Apocryphal Books:
Tobit 14:5-7.
Wisdom of Solomon 3:7-8.
Ecclesiasticus a.k.a. Sirach (not to be confused with Ecclesiastes) 44:21; 47:11; 48:10-11.
Baruch 2:34-35; 4:29; Ch. 5.
1st Maccabees 2:57.
2nd Maccabees 2:18.
Gentile scholar Risto Santala notes:
The New Testament expounds virtually the whole history of salvation in the light of the Psalms.
Christ was despised, Ps. 22:6, 69:19-22;
he was rejected, Ps. 118:22;
he was mocked, Ps. 22:7-8, 89:51-52;
he was whipped, Ps. 129:3;
he was derided, Ps. 69:8,20;
he was impaled on a cross, Ps. 22:1-2, 14-17;
he was thirsty, Ps. 22:16;
he was given wine mixed with gall on the cross, Ps. 69:20-22;
lots were cast for his garments, Ps. 22:18-19;
his bones were not broken, Ps. 34:21;
he rose from the dead, Ps.16:10;
he ascended to heaven, Ps. 68:19;
he is at the right hand of God, Ps. 110:1 and 80:17;
he is the High Priest, Ps. 110:4;
he will judge the nations, Ps. 89:3-5;
his reign is eternal, Ps. 89:35-37;
he is the son of God, Ps. 2:7;
he spoke in parables, Ps. 78:2;
he calmed the storm, Ps. 89:10;
the people sang Hosanna to him, Ps. 118:25-26;
he is blessed forever, Ps. 45:1-4,8,18;
and he will come in his glory in the Last Days, Ps. 102:16-23.2