Matthew was written in Greek, even though it was written to the Jewish people. There are no extant copies anywhere of a Hebrew Matthew. Likely they didn't translate it into Hebrew, because more people read Greek, after Alexander the Great in the 3rd century B.C., Hellenized the world, including their language. Of course the boys who studied Hebrew in school, to read the Torah, but that probably would only have happened in the bigger cities, like Jerusalem.
Further, Jesus and his disciples quoted the LXX or Greek Septuagint 80% of the time, and the Masoretic Hebrew OT only 20% of the time. The LXX was translated in the 3rd century B.C., because the Jews were already losing their Hebrew, and Greek was the "common" or Koine language spoken throughout the Roman Empire. In fact, Greek was the language everyone spoke, and that aided the spread of the Gospel, more than any other time after Jesus died & was resurrected. Paul could go into a new town in Asia Minor, Greece or Rome, and preach the same gospel in the same language everywhere. The Masoretic text was completed in 800-1000 AD. That was when the vowel pointings were added, because Hebrew as a language was dead. The points helped to pronounce Hebrew, and were essential in understanding verb tenses and noun cases.
However, I do agree the KJV has many additions, because it was translated from corrupted manuscripts, and copyists mistakes for 500 years. I'm glad modern scholars have been able to compare the 6000 different extant manuscripts, put them in the right time period, families, and places. We know so much more about how to translate the Bible closer to the original autographs, through lower criticism, which just means the art and science of comparing manuscripts, nothing to do with doctrine or theology!
A more completed list:
Quotes by Church Fathers
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.
—
Jerome:
De viris inlustribus (On Illustrious Men), chapter III.
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He (Shaul) being a Hebrew wrote in Hebrew, that is, his own tongue and most fluently; while things which were eloquently written in Hebrew were more eloquently turned into Greek.
— Jerome, 382 CE,
On Illustrious Men, Book V
Matthew also issued a written gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect.
— Irenaeus,
Against Heresies 3:1 [c.175-185 A.D.]
First to be written was by Matthew, who was once a tax collector but later an apostle of Jesus Christ, who published it in Hebrew for Jewish believers.
—
Origen circa 210 CE, quoted by
Eusebius,
Church History, Book 6, Chapter 25, Section 4
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Didache
This version of the Lord’s Prayer is different from the one found in the Canonical Gospels. For this reason, some believe it is ‘possibly’ from the Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew . It is interesting to compare this fragment with GHeb-47, which confirms that this Lord’s Prayer was found in the Gospel of the Hebrews.
Ignatius
This fragment from Ignatius has caused much controversy among scholars because the term “bodiless demon” is used. We know that this excerpt is not from the Canonical Gospels, nor would this term be used in Hebrew. Thus, some have argued that this fragment was written in Syriac but with Hebrew letters.
Jerome affirms “bodiless demon” is in the Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew
Polycarp
Born some thirty years after the crucifixion, Polycarp is an important link to the Apostolic Age. A strong defender of Orthodoxy, he seems to have been aware of the Gospel of the Hebrews written by Matthew.
Justin
The Church Fathers explain that the Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew was sometimes referred to as the Gospel of the Apostles. Justin cites as his authority the “Apostles of our Christ” and the “Gospel of the Apostles.” (See GHeb-55) Also, Jesus being ‘begotten’ at His baptism is unique to the Hebrew Gospel.
Irenaeus
GHeb-11 Here Irenaeus states that the Ebionite community uses only the Gospel of Matthew! Other Church Fathers confirm what he writes, but say the Ebionites only use the Gospel of the Hebrews, making it ‘probable’ that the Gospel of the Hebrews was written by Matthew. It is highly unlikely than he is referring to the Canonical Matthean Gospel (see Epiphanius and Eusebius).
GHeb-12 Irenaeus states that Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Hebrews in their own dialect. Biblical scholars agree that Irenaeus cannot be referring to the Canonical Matthean Gospel, which has been shown to be composed in Greek by a person other than Matthew. This raises the ‘probability’ that Irenaeus is referring to the Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew
Pantaenus
GHeb-14 This excerpt explains why those who were associated with the school of Alexandria had such extensive knowledge of the Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew
Tertullian
GHeb-15 Scholars say that this quote is from the Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew.
Hegesippus
A contemporary of Irenaeus, Hegesippus was a master of Syriac and Hebrew. He was familiar with Jewish oral tradition as well as Hebrew Christianity, and, more particularly, the Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew.
GHeb-16 This fragment directly cites the Gospel of the Hebrews.
Clement of Alexandria
GHeb-17 and 18 and 19
These refer to the Gospel of the Hebrews. From Clements’s text it would appear that these teachings are familiar to Clements’s readers. ‘Seeking until one finds’ and ‘seeing God in your brother’ are themes developed in the Canonical New Testament. Also, it is clear that the Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew .
Epiphanius
GHeb-31 Epiphanius was probably the first to write of the Hebrew Christian community called the Nazarenes. They had a copy of the Gospel of the Hebrews, written by “Matthew quite complete in Hebrew."
Didymus
Didymus was a disciple of Origen. He was also the Head of the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Therefore, he had access to the scholarly works collected by his predecessors, Pantaenus, Clement and Origen. Thus he was familiar with and had access to the Authentic Hebrew Gospel of Matthew.
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