RECONSTRUCTING Q

Matthew's Use of Mark

The following table shows which Markan pericopes Matthew expands and which ones he condenses. Passages that contain double tradition material are marked with an asterisk. The last two columns shows how many words Matthew took to write what Mark wrote and how many words Luke used to writing something Mark did not write. I have highlighted cells with at least 30 words not taken from Mark. Anything less than this seemed to just be expansions on Mark that did not make use of an extra source, except possibly in the case of the Last Supper, but even there it is not certain that Matthew is using another source (though as Dunn points out you would expect Matthew to have additional knowledge of traditions in key liturgical passages, such as the Lord's Prayer and the Lord's Supper).

PericopeReferencesWord CountsWords based on:
MarkMatthew DifferenceMarkOther
3The Temptation of JesusMatthew 4:1-11||Mark 1:12-13||Luke 4:1-1330184*513%30154
21The Purpose of ParablesMatthew 13:10-17||Mark 4:10-12||Luke 8:9-1052155*198%10253
47Second Passion PredictionMatthew 17:22-23||Mark 9:30-32||Luke 9:43b-4547131179%30101
63Warning against the ScribesMatthew 23:1-7||Mark 12:38-40||Luke 20:45-4744109*148%6544
4Jesus Goes to GalileeMatthew 4:12-17||Mark 1:14-15||Luke 4:14-313581*131%3942
31Jesus Sends the TwelveMatthew 10:1-14||Mark 6:6b-13||Luke 9:1-6106230*117%103127
42Peter's ConfessionMatthew 16:13-20||Mark 8:27-30||Luke 9:18-2175157109%7780
66Chief Priests Plot Against JesusMatthew 26:1-5||Mark 14:1-2||Luke 22:1-23470106%4723
77Jesus Before PilateMatthew 27:1-26||Mark 15:1-15||Luke 23:1-25196398103%211187
1John the Baptist Prepares the WayMatthew 3:1-12||Mark 1:1-8||Luke 3:1-20123236*92%14987
2Jesus' BaptismMatthew 3:13-17||Mark 1:9-11||Luke 3:21-225399*87%6237
57Jesus' AuthorityMatthew 21:23-32||Mark 11:27-33||Luke 20:1-812522278%116106
49DivorceMatthew 19:1-12||Mark 10:1-1215321641%15363
48Who Is the Greatest?Matthew 18:1-20||Mark 9:33-50||Luke 9:46-50307423*38%142281
26Summary of Jesus' Speaking in ParablesMatthew 13:34-35||Mark 4:33-34253436%1519
65Apocalyptic DiscourseMatthew 24:1-51||Mark 13:1-37||Luke 21:5-36606824*36%563261
34Walking on the WaterMatthew 14:22-33||Mark 6:45-5213918835%11672
73Jesus' ArrestMatthew 26:47-56||Mark 14:43-52||Luke 22:47-5314018935%13356
58Parable of the TenantsMatthew 21:33-46||Mark 12:1-12||Luke 20:9-1918223831%19345
27Jesus Calms the StormMatthew 8:18-27||Mark 4:35-41||Luke 8:22-25118155*31%8570
81Resurrection of JesusMatthew 28:1-10||Mark 16:1-8||Luke 24:1-1213617327%11657
79Crucifixion of JesusMatthew 27:32-54||Mark 15:21-39||Luke 23:26-4825932827%3280
14Lord of the SabbathMatthew 12:1-8||Mark 2:23-28||Luke 6:1-510813626%9244
62David's Son or David's LordMatthew 22:41-46||Mark 12:35-37||Luke 20:41-44637824%5622
78The Soldiers Mock JesusMatthew 27:27-31||Mark 15:16-20698422%786
18A Kingdom DividedMatthew 12:22-37||Mark 3:20-30||Luke 11:14-22126150*19%7179
68Judas Agrees to Betray JesusMatthew 26:14-16||Mark 14:10-11||Luke 22:3-6303517%350
40The Leaven of the Pharisees and HerodMatthew 15:39-16:12||Mark 8:10-21168194*15%13559
70Last SupperMatthew 26:20-30||Mark 14:17-26||Luke 22:14-2316018113%1810
45TransfigurationMatthew 17:1-13||Mark 9:2-13||Luke 9:28-3620923211%19834
71Jesus Predicts Peter's DenialMatthew 26:31-35||Mark 14:27-31||Luke 22:31-34798710%870
5Jesus Calls His First DisciplesMatthew 4:18-22||Mark 1:16-20||Luke 5:1-1182899%890
72GethsemaneMatthew 26:36-46||Mark 14:32-42||Luke 22:40-461811958%18213
37Syrophoenician WomanMatthew 15:21-28||Mark 7:24-301291398%9544
59Rendering to CaesarMatthew 22:15-22||Mark 12:13-17||Luke 20:20-261061158%1114
19Jesus' Mother and BrothersMatthew 12:46-50||Mark 3:31-35||Luke 8:19-2185906%900
43First Passion PredictionMatthew 16:21-23||Mark 8:31-33||Luke 9:2269724%648
55Entry into JerusalemMatthew 21:1-11||Mark 11:1-11||Luke 19:28-441851903%13258
51The Rich Man Who Lacks One ThingMatthew 19:16-30||Mark 10:17-31||Luke 18:18-30281271*-4%22348
60Marriage at the ResurrectionMatthew 22:23-33||Mark 12:18-27||Luke 20:27-38171163-5%1549
15Healing on the SabbathMatthew 12:9-14||Mark 3:1-6||Luke 6:6-119590-5%900
74Peter Follows at a DistanceMatthew 26:57-58||Mark 14:53-54||Luke 22:54-554339-9%390
76Peter's DenialMatthew 26:69-75||Mark 14:66-72||Luke 22:56-62128116-9%1160
22Parable of the Sower ExplainedMatthew 13:18-23||Mark 4:13-20||Luke 8:11-15145128-12%1280
53Request of James and JohnMatthew 20:20-28||Mark 10:35-45||Luke 22:24-27190168-12%1680
25Parable of the Mustard SeedMatthew 13:31-33||Mark 4:30-32||Luke 13:18-205750*-12%500
75Jesus Before the SanhedrinMatthew 26:59-68||Mark 14:55-65||Luke 22:63-71179157-12%1570
39Feeding of the 4,000Matthew 15:32-38||Mark 8:1-9131115-12%1150
67Anointing at BethanyMatthew 26:6-13||Mark 14:3-9124109-12%1090
20Parable of the SowerMatthew 13:1-9||Mark 4:1-9||Luke 8:4-8151131-13%1310
44On DiscipleshipMatthew 16:24-28||Mark 8:34-9:1||Luke 9:23-27132114-14%1140
56Cursing the Fig Tree and Clearing the TempleMatthew 21:12-22||Mark 11:12-26||Luke 19:45-48253215-15%14471
12Call of LeviMatthew 9:9-13||Mark 2:13-17||Luke 5:27-3210993-15%8310
13FastingMatthew 9:14-17||Mark 2:18-22||Luke 5:33-39129105-19%1050
80Burial of JesusMatthew 27:55-61||Mark 15:40-47||Luke 23:49-56144114-21%1140
17Jesus Appoints the TwelveMatthew 10:1-4||Mark 3:13-19||Luke 6:12-169474-21%740
8Healings at CapernaumMatthew 8:16-17||Mark 1:32-34||Luke 4:40-414636-22%360
36DefilementsMatthew 15:1-20||Mark 7:1-23361278*-23%22553
30Jesus in His HometownMatthew 13:54-58||Mark 6:1-6a12596-23%960
52Third Passion PredictionMatthew 20:17-19||Mark 10:32-34||Luke 18:31-347353-27%530
50Little ChildrenMatthew 19:13-15||Mark 10:13-16||Luke 18:15-176445-30%450
7Jesus and Simon's Mother-in-LawMatthew 8:14-15||Mark 1:29-31||Luke 4:38-394430-32%300
33Feeding of the 5,000Matthew 14:13-21||Mark 6:30-44||Luke 9:10-17237157-34%13621
11Jesus Heals a ParalyticMatthew 9:1-8||Mark 2:1-12||Luke 5:17-26196126-36%1260
54Blind BartimaeusMatthew 20:29-34||Mark 10:46-52||Luke 18:35-4312379-36%718
69Preparations for the Last SupperMatthew 26:17-19||Mark 14:12-16||Luke 22:7-139961-38%565
35Many HealingsMatthew 14:34-36||Mark 6:53-567244-39%440
32John the Baptist BeheadedMatthew 14:1-12||Mark 6:14-29||Luke 9:7-9302172-43%1720
38Deaf and Mute ManMatthew 15:29-31||Mark 7:31-3711563-45%5112
61Greatest CommandmentMatthew 22:34-40||Mark 12:28-34||Luke 10:25-2815382-46%5032
10Jesus Heals a LeperMatthew 8:2-4||Mark 1:40-45||Luke 5:12-169952-47%520
46Demonized BoyMatthew 17:14-20||Mark 9:14-29||Luke 9:37-43a270133*-51%9835
28Gerasene DemoniacMatthew 8:28-34||Mark 5:1-20||Luke 8:26-39325135-58%1350
29Jairus' Daughter and the Hemorrhaging WomanMatthew 9:18-26||Mark 5:21-43||Luke 8:40-56373138-63%12810
16Crowds Follow JesusMatthew 12:15-21||Mark 3:7-12||Luke 6:17-1910323-78%230

NOTE: I have highlighted 30 of the 75 passages as likely including material from another source.