While I am unaware that all of the Fathers you mention claim that
Matthew wrote his gospel in Hebrew, I am aware that Jerome made such
claim. Here is a specific quote by Jerome, of the fourth and fifth
centuries C.E.:
"Matthew, who is also Levi, and who from a publican came to be an
apostle, first of all composed a Gospel of Christ in Judaea in the
Hebrew Language and characters for the benefit of those of the
circumcision who had believed. Who translated it after that in Greek is
not sufficiently ascertained. Moreover, the Hebrew itself is preserved
to this day in the library at Caesarea, which the martyr Pamphilus so
diligently collected. I also was allowed by the Nazarenes who use this
volume in the Syrian city of Beroea to copy it."
--De viris inlustribus
(Concerning Illustrious Men), chapter III.
(Translation from the Latin text edited by E.C.Richardson and published
in the series "Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der
altchristlichen Literatur," Vol. 14, Leipzig, 1896, pp. 8,9)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roberto Dam [SMTP:rad@infonet.com.py]
> Sent: Thursday, July 10, 1997 2:39 PM
> To: b-greek@virginia.edu
> Subject: "ARAMAIC, GREEK..."
>
> Hi, everyone,
> I was surprised to see that old bromide about "Aramaic, Greek..."
> referring to the language spoken at the time of Yeshuah/Jesus. The
> Greek
> TR says HEBRAISTI. Eusebius, Epiphanious, Irenaeus, Origen, the Bishop
>
> Papias, Jerome, and others, wrote (more of less the same):"Matthew
> wrote his gospel in the Hebrew language..." (Im quoting offhand).
> One of those quotations would be enough to dispel any doubts, let
> alone
> six of them, including the Word of God. There were some Aramaisms,
> surely, and some Greek borrowed words, but surely one can seen the
> Hebrew
> syntax under the surface ("And...And...And behold...)
> What do you think?
> Julio Dam
> Messianic Pastor
> Beit Shalom Messianic Congregation
> Asuncion, Paraguay
> P.S. YouĞre all invited to visit our site, which is full of articles,
> and
> my personal testimony
> URL:http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7775/BEITSHA2.HTM
> Spanish:http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7775/BEITSHA.HTM