THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MAТТНEW. Ussherian year of the World, 4000.-Alexandrian year of the World, 5498.-Antiochian year of the World, 5488.-Constantinopolitan Era of the World, 5504.-Year of the Julian Period, 4709.-Era of the Seleucidæ, 308.-Year before the vulgar Æra of Christ, 5.-Year of the CXCIII. Olympiad, 4.-Year of the building of Rome, 749.-Year of the Emperor Augustus, i. e. from the battle of Actium, 26.-Consuls, Augustus XII. and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. -Year of the Paschal Cycle or Dionysian Period, 530.-Year of the Solar Cycle, 5.-Year of the Lunar Cycle, 13.-Dominical Letters, BA. CHAPTER I. The genealogy of Christ divided into three classes of fourteen generations each: The first fourteen, from Abraham to David, 2-6. The second fourteen, from Solomon to Jechonias, 7-10. The third fourteen, from Jechonias to Christ, 11-16. The sum of these generations, 17. Christ is conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary, when she was espoused to Joseph, 18. Joseph's anxiety and doubts are removed by the ministry of an Angel, 19, 20; by whom the child is named JESUS, 21. The fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah relative to this, 22, 23. Joseph takes home his wife, Mary, and Christ is born, 24, 25. NOTES ON CHAP. I. Verse 1. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ] I suppose these words to have been the original title to this Gospel; and that they signify, according to the Hebrew phraseology, not only the account of the genealogy of Christ, as detailed below, but the history of his birth, acts, sufferings, death, resurrection and ascension. The phrase, book of the generation, ספר תולדות sepher toledoth, is frequent in the Jewish writings, and is translated by the Septuagint, βιβλος γενεσεις, as here, by the Evangelist; and regularly conveys the meaning given to it above; e.g. This is the book of the generations of Adam, Gen. v. 1. That is, the account of the life of Adam and certain of his imme 2 diate descendants. Again. These are the generations of Jacob, Gen. xxxvii. 2. that is, the account or history of Jacob, his son Joseph, and the other remarkable branches of the family. And again. These are the generations of Aaron and Moses, Num. iii. 1. That is, the history of the life and acts of these persons, and some of their immediate descendants. The same form of expression is also used, Gen. ii. 4. when giving the history of the creation of heaven and earth. Some have translated βιβλος γενέσεως, The book of the genealogy; and consider it the title of this chapter only; but the former opinion seems better founded. Jesus Christ] See on verses 16. and 21. The son of David, the son of Abraham.] No person ever born, could boast in a direct line, a more illustrious ancestry than Jesus Christ. Among his progenitors, the regal, sacerdotal and prophetic offices, existed in all their glory and splendor. DAVID, the most renowned of sovereigns, was king and prophet: ABRAHAM, the most perfect character in all antiquity, whether sacred or prophane, was priest and prophet: but the three offices were never united except in the person of Christ; he alone was prophet, priest and king; and possessed and executed these offices in such a supereminent degree, as no human being ever did, or ever could. As the principal business of the prophet was to make known the will of God to men, according to certain partial communications received from Heaven; so Jesus who lay in the bosom of the Father, and who was intimately and thoroughly acquainted with all the mysteries of the eternal world, came to declare the Divine Nature, and its counsels to mankind.-See John i. 18. As the business of the priest was to offer sacrifices to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people; so Christ was constituted a high priest to make, by the sacrifice of himself, an atonement for the sins of the whole world; see 1 John ii. 2. and the whole Epistle to the Hebrews. As the office of king was to reign over, protect, and defend the people committed to his care by the Divine Providence; so Christ is set as a king upon Sion, having the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession, Psal. ii. 6, 8, &c. Of the righteousness, peace, and increase of whose government, there shall be no end, Isai. ix. 7. This threefold office, Christ executes not only in a general sense, in the world at large; but, in a particular sense, in every Christian soul. He is first a prophet, to teach the heart the will of God; to convict the conscience of sin, righteousness and judgment; and fully to illustrate the way of salvation. He is next a priest, to apply that atonement to the guilty conscience, the necessity of which, as a prophet, he had previously made known. And lastly, as a king, he leads captivity captive, binds and casts out the strong man armed, spoils his goods, extends the sway of the sceptre of righteousness, subdues and destroys sin, and reigns Lord, over all the powers and faculties of the human soul; so that as sin reigned unto death, EVEN so does grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. v. 21. of Christ. Α. Μ. 4000. 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and 'David the king begat Solomon of An. Olymp. her that had been the wife of Urias; CXCIII. 4. 7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 1 Sam. 16. 1. & 17. 12. 2 Sam. 12. 24.- 1 Chron. 3. 10, &c. Abraham, though the latter was many generations older: the reason seems to be this, that David was not only the most illustrious of our Lord's predecessors, as being both king and prophet; but because that promise, which at first was given to Abraham, and afterwards, through successive generations, confirmed to the Jewish people, was at last determined and restricted to the family of David. Son of David, was an epithet by which the Messiah was afterwards known among the Jews; and under this title, they were led to expect him by prophetic authority. See Psal. lxxxix. 3, 4. cxxxii. 10, 11. compared with Acts xiii. 23. and Isai. xi. 1. Jerem. xxiii. 5. Christ was prophesied of under the very name of David. See Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. xxxvii. 24, 25. Verse 2. Abraham begat Isaac] In this genealogy, those persons only, among the ancestors of Christ, which formed the direct line, are specified: hence no mention is made of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, nor of Esau, the son of Isaac : and of all the twelve patriarchs or sons of Jacob, Judah alone is mentioned. Verse 3. Pharez and Zara] The remarkable history of these twins may be seen Gen. xxxviii. Some of the ancients were of opinion, that the Evangelist refers to the mystery of the youngest being preferred to the eldest, as prefiguring the exaltation of the Christian church over the synagogue. Concerning the women whose names are recorded in this genealogy, see the note at the end of the chapter. Verse 8. Joram begat Ozias] This is the Uzziah, king of Judah, who was struck with the leprosy for his presumption in entering the temple to offer incense before the Lord. See 2 Chron. xxvi. 16, &c. Ozias was not the immediate son of Joram: there were three kings between them, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, which swell the fourteen generations to seventeen: but it is observed, that omissions of this kind are not uncommon in the Jewish genealogies. In Ezra vii. 3. Azariah is called the son of Merajoth, although it is evident from 1 Chron. vi. 7-9. that there were sir descendants between them. This circumstance the Evangelist was probably aware of; but did not see it proper to attempt to correct what he found in the public accredited genealogical tables; as he knew it to be of no consequence to his argument, which was merely to shew, that Jesus Christ as surely descended, in an uninter It is remarkable, that the Evangelist names David before || rupted line from David, as David did from Abraham. And would be so much inquired into by the Jewish people, as the lineage of the Messiah would be, that the Evangelists should deliver a truth, not only that could not be gainsaid, but also, rolls of ancestors." See Hora Talmudica. this he has done in the most satisfactory manner: nor did any person in those days pretend to detect any inaccuracy in his statement; though the account was published among those very people whose interest it was to expose the fallacy, in vin-might be proved and established from certain and undoubted dication of their own obstinate rejection of the Messiah, if any such fallacy could have been proved. But as they were silent, modern, and comparatively modern unbelievers, may for ever hold their peace. The objections raised on this head are worthy of no regard. Verse 11. Josias begat Jechonias, &c.] There are three considerable difficulties in this verse. 1. Josias was not the father of Jechonias; he was only the grand-father of that prince: 1 Chron. iii. 14-16. 2. Jechonias had no brethren; at least, none are on record. 3. Josias died 20 years before the Babylonish captivity took place, and therefore Jechonias and his brethren, could not have been begotten about the time they were carried away to Babylon. To this may be added a fourth difficulty, viz. there are only thirteen in this 2d class of generations; or forty-one, instead of forty-two in the whole. But all these difficulties disappear, by adopting a reading found in many MSS. Ιωσιας δε εγέννησε τον Ιωακειμ Ιωακειμ δε εγεννησε τον Ιεχονίαν. And Josias begat JEHOIAKIM, or Joakim, and JOAKIM begat Jechonias. For this reading, see the authorities in Griesbach. Josiah was the immediate father of Jehoiakim (called also Eliakeim and Joakim) and his brethren, who were Johanan, Zedekiah, and Shallum: see 1 Chron. iii. 15. Joakim was the father of Joachin or Jechonias, about the time of the first Babylonish captivity: for we may reckon three Babylonish captivities. The first happened in the fourth year of Joakim, son of Josiah, about A. M. 3398. In this year, Nebuchadnezzar having taken Jerusalem, led a great number of captives to Babylon. The second captivity happened under Jechoniah, son of Joakim; who having reigned three months, was taken prisoner in 3405, and was carried to Babylon, with a great number of the Jewish nobility. The third captivity took place under Zedekiah, A. M. 3416. And thus, says Calmet, the 11th verse should be read: Josias begat Joakim and his brethren: and Joakim begat Jechonias about the time of the first Babylonish captivity; and Jechonias begat Salathiel, after they were brought to Babylon. Thus, with the necessary addition of Joakim, the three classes, each containing fourteen generations, are complete. And to make this the more evident, I shall set down each of these three generations in a separate column, with the additional Joakim, that the Reader may have them all at one view. St. Matthew took up the genealogies just as he found them in the public Jewish records, which, though they were in the main correct, yet were deficient in many particulars. The Jews themselves give us sufficient proof of this. The Talmud, title Kiddushim, mentions ten classes of persons who returned from the Babylonish captivity: I. כהני COHANEY, priests. II. לוי LEVEY, Levites. III. ישראל YISHRAEL, Israelites. IV. חלולי | CHULULEY, common persons, as to the priesthood; such, whose fathers were priests, but their mothers were such as the priests should not marry. V. נירי GIREY, proselytes. VI. הרורי CHARUREY, freed-men, or servants who had been liberated by their masters. VII. ממזירי MAMZIREY, spurious, such as were born in unlawful wedlock. VIII. נתיני NETHINEY, Nethinims. IX. שתוקי SHETURKEY, bastards, persons whose mothers, though well known, could not ascertain the fathers of their children, because of their connections with different men. X. אסופי | ASUPHEY, such as were gathered up out of the streets, whose fathers and mothers were utterly unknown. Such was the heterogeneous mass brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem: and although we learn from the Jews, that great care was taken to separate the spurious from the true-born Israelites, and Canons were made for that purpose: yet it so happened, that sometimes a spurious family had got into high authority, and therefore must not be meddled with. See several cases in Lightfoot. On this account, a faithful genealogist would insert in his roll, such only as were indisputable. "It is therefore easy to guess," says Dr. Lightfoot, "whence Matthew took the last fourteen generations of this genealogy, and Luke the first forty names of his: namely, from the genealogical rolls, at that time well known, and laid up in the public κειμήλια, repositories, and in the private also. And it was necessary indeed, in so noble and sublime a subject, and a thing that 1 C |