Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren. And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares 3 begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; and Aram begat 4 Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; and Salmon begat Booz of Rachab. And Booz be- 5 gat Obed of Ruth. And Obed begat Jesse; and Jesse begat 6 David the king. And David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias. And Solomon begat Roboam; 7 and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; and Asa be- 8 gat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; and Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; 9 and Achaz begat Ezekias; and Ezekias begat Manasses; and 10 Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias ; and Josias 11 begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon. - And after they were brought to 12 Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; and Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Elia- 13 kim; and Eliakim begat Azor; and Azor begat Sadoc; and 14 Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; and Eliud be- 15 gat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of 16 which is improbable, for they were never impugned in early times, the error is chargeable upon the original records, not upon the Evangelists who copied them. 2. Judas and his brethren. His brethren are mentioned because they with Judah were the heads of the twelve tribes. In this genealogy some names are altered from the Hebrew to the Greek orthography, as Judah to Judas, Hesron to Esrom, Azariah to Ozias. 3. Phares and Zara. The latter introduced because he was a twin. Genesis xxxviii. 27. The names of several women are mentioned on account of remarkable events in their lives, by which their posterity are identified. 8. Joram begat Ozias. Three names, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, 1 Chron. iii. 11, 12, are here omitted, perhaps to make the number between David and the Babylonish captivity just fourteen, and thus render the list more convenient to remember, or because there was a curse denounced against the house of Ahab, to which these princes belonged; Ozias, therefore, was the great-grandson of Joram. 11. Between Josias and Jechonias came Jehoiakim. 1 Chron. iii. 15. 13. Zorobabel. Here terminates the line as recorded in the Old Testament. The rest was drawn from later tables, or tradition. 16. Of whom. This pronoun is in the feminine gender in Greek, referring then not to Joseph, but to Mary. Jesus was the actual son of Mary, but only the reputed, or legal son of Joseph, and in that way the descendant of Joseph's ancestry. 17 whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 18 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations ; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came to19 gether, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make Called Christ. This was added in the public record to distinguish him from others of the same name. Col. iv. 11. 17. Abraham, — David, Carrying away into Babylon. These were three prominent points in the Jewish history, and by attaching just fourteen names to each division, the memory was aided in retaining the genealogies. To make this number good, David and Josias have to be counted twice, once at the beginning, and once at the end of the periods in which they are respectively mentioned. These generations were on an average a little more than forty years in length. The usual period assigned now is thirty years. A generation is longer as we go back farther into antiquity. Carrying away into Babylon. The original signifies migration, change of abode; a milder word, used in accommodation to Jewish feelings, instead of transportation, exile. 2 Chron. xxxvi. This took place in the reign of Zedekiah, B. C. 605. Babylon, the splendid seat of the Assyrian and Chaldean empires, was situated in a large fertile plain on both sides of the river Euphrates, somewhat more than 600 miles, nearly east, from Jerusalem. Its stupendous walls, 87 feet thick and 350 feet high, were 60 miles in circumference, and entered by 100 gates of solid brass. Its temples, palaces, bridges, and hanging gardens, were the wonder of the world. But hardly a vestige of it now remains. Nebuchadnezzar then sat upon the throne. The children of Israel were held captive seventy years, but returned to Judea in the reign of Cyrus, Ezra i. 1, 2; and rebuilt their temple in the reign of Darius Hystaspes. Ezra vi. 15. 18. Birth. Nativity. Having traced his descent, the Evangelist goes on to relate the circumstances of his birth. Luke i. ii. On this wise. Old English for in the following way. - When as. Whenas, at the time when; now obsolete. Espoused. Betrothed, engaged. Even young children were sometimes espoused to each other by their parents. Among the Jews, unfaithfulness during an engagement was deemed as heinous as after marriage. Deut. xxii. 23, 24. Of the Holy Ghost. Of is frequently used for by in our version of the Scriptures, and in old English writers. The Holy Ghost is not a distinct person, as is implied by printing it in capitals, but the holy breath, spirit, influence of God. The simple idea is that it took place by divine power, according to the divine counsel. For other instances of miraculous creation, or conception, see Genesis ii. 7, 22, xxi. 2; Luke i. 57. her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the 20 Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying: Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall 21 bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins. (Now all this was done, 22 feeling in this place, rather than rectitude of principle. - Not willing, &c. Such was his rectitude, or propriety of feeling, upon this trying occasion, that he was not only unwilling to cause her to be punished by the rigor of the law, but even to subject her to public ignominy. He was reluctant to expose one whom he loved, even in her supposed guilt, and injury to himself, to death, or to shame. Was minded. A private divorce, according to the laws of the Jews, could be made in the presence of two witnesses, without reasons being assigned for it, or disgrace being incurred. A divorce was as necessary in a case where the parties were only espoused, as where they were actually married; and they were as much called husband and wife before marriage as after. See verses 16, 20. Joseph's affection prompted him to put her away without publicly stating the cause, or exposing her to the severity of the law. Deut. xxiv. 1. Cases occur where it is the part of justice not to push the laws of justice to extremity. 20. While he thought on these things. This argued a commendable deliberation. Supposing himself to be grievously wronged, yet he did not act rashly, but exercising the beautiful wisdom of patience, he met with its rich reward. Time and docility will clear up the darkest perplexities. — Behold. Lo. A word used in the Classics and the Scriptures to denote the approach of something extraordinary, and to awaken attention. Angel. A messenger. An angel is any instrument or form of the divine communication. This title is given to men, to beings of other spheres, to fire, storms, winds, plagues, and other modes by which God either publishes or executes his will. Gen. xxviii. 12; Exod. iii. 2, with Acts vii. 30; Psalms lxxviii. 49; Acts xii. 23; Psalms civ. 4; Rev. i. 20. Angel is often the name of an office, not of a distinct person, or conscious intelligence.. A dream. A frequent mode of divine communication in the elder ages, but it can be called little short of superstition to suppose that this sort of miracles is continued to the present day, and to put reliance upon the unchecked and grotesque wanderings of the imagination in sleep, as necessarily descriptive either of our duty or fortunes. - For that which is conceived. This was the reason why he should not hesitate to marry her. She had committed no crime, the conception was miraculous. 21. For he shall save, &c. That entitles him to be called Saviour. He saves men in a twofold manner, as affording a preventive and a remedy; as rescuing them from sins already committed, and restraining them from committing more. But he saves none against their will, none without their ef forts; saves none in their sins, but only from their sins. - His people. All men who believe in him and become his disciples. He came to that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the 23 prophet, saying: "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanu24 el ;" which, being interpreted, is, God with us.) Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bid25 den him; and took unto him his wife, and knew her not till put all mankind in the way of salvation, for so the word signifies, to lay the foundation of a kingdom of virtue and holiness as extensive as the race, as lasting as the earth. This aim he most diligently pursued in all his discourses, during his whole life, and by his exemplary death. To the last painful breath on the cross, to the last word at his ascension, he never wandered from the furtherance of this great plan. This is the key of his life and death, that he came to save men from their sins; not the consequences merely, but from sin itself. 22. That it might be fulfilled, &c. That is not to be taken in the sense of cause, or intention, but of the event. The birth of Jesus did not take place in order that the words of Isaiah might be verified, but so that they were verified. The thing was done for its own sake, not for the sake of fulfilling Isaiah's words, though, as it was, it did fulfil them. Again, we have an instance here of what is called Accommodation. The words of Isaiah did not relate to the birth of Christ, but to something which happened in the reign of Ahaz. The prediction had long before been fulfilled. But Matthew quotes it in the way of an illustration, as if he had said, “the ancient saying was made good, or verified; the passage in Isaiah well describes these events.' Is. vii. 14. 23. This and the preceding verse are parenthetical. They are the comment which Matthew makes upon the angel's message. - Behold a virgin, &c. This prediction was originally made by the prophet Isaiah, and was accomplished in the days of Ahaz, one of the kings of Israel. - Emmanuel. Composed of two Hebrew words, meaning God, and with us, i. e. God helpeth us. This signifies divine interposition in favor of Ahaz against his foes, an appropriate title for Jesus, but one which is not applied to him anywhere else in the Bible. The Jews were accustomed to form and apply appellations indicative of God's goodness, and compounded of his name. Thus, Bethel, house of God, Elijah, God the Lord. If the application of the word Emmanuel, God with us, to Jesus Christ, proves that he is God, as some hold, it might be argued just as strongly that the application, for instance, of the word Elijah, which means God the Lord, to John the Baptist, proved him to be God likewise. Matt. xi. 14. God is with us in nature, reason, conscience, and the multitude of his blessings and mercies. He was with the Jews especially in Moses and the Prophets. But he is eminently with the whole world in Jesus Christ, reconciling it to himself; for he gave him his spirit without measure. John iii. 34. He sent him as the brightest manifestation of his glory, as the true image and likeness of himself for men to look upon and copy. Loving Christ, the Image, we shall love God, the Original. 24. Joseph is not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. His con she had brought forth her first-born son; and he called his name Jesus. CHAPTER II. The Visit of the Wise Men and the Flight into Egypt. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the duct shows that he was not only a just man towards others, but also submissive to the will of God. 25. Her first-born son. Accord ing to the Jewish custom and law, the first-born son was entitled to peculiar privileges. Whether Mary had other children afterwards is unknown, and unimportant. Between the birth and the naming and circumcision of the child, Luke records some interesting particulars. Chap. ii. 8-20. "The wisdom of God ordained, that he, who was to be the great Exemplar of human duty and of human destination, should be brought into the world and pass through it, in the lowest most trying circumstances, erceting thereby an everlasting nument to this great and imporwant truth: that neither riches, high $15.00 wordly honor are any proof of t it of their possesrk of the divine fa SO vor."> CHAPTER II. 1. For events not mentioned by Matthew, occurring between the end of the last chapter and the beginning of this, see Luke ii. 838. Now when, &c. i. e. about the time Jesus was born. It is supposed that Jesus was born from four to six years before the common era. According to the Jewish law, an interval of forty days must elapse before the mother could enter the temple and make the appropriate offerings. Levit. xii. 2-4. Probably the presentation of Jesus in the temple, and the benedictions - of Simeon and Anna, took place before the coming of the wise men. - Bethlehem of Judea. So called to distinguish it from another town of the same name in Galilee. Bethlehem signifies house of bread, referring perhaps to the fertility of the country. It was also called Ephrata. It was a small village six miles in a southerly direction from Jerusalem, lying in the midst of fertile hills and vales, and commanding a distant view of the Dead Sea and the valley leading to it; so that any phenomenon over the place, as the brilliant spectacle witnessed by the shepherds, Luke ii. 9, would be seen far beyond the Dead Sea in the east country. This village was the birthplace and home of David, in earlier times, and from it he went forth to the army of Saul, and his royal destiny. The place is now inhabited by Christians and Mahometans, and contains about two hundred houses. The localities of the sacred history are pointed out to travellers with great exactness. A monastery stands over the place of Jesus' birth. Still little reliance can be placed on some of these traditions. - In the days. In the time or reign, a Hebraism. - Herod the king. This was Herod, miscalled the Great. The Romans were the virtual lords of the country, and he held the royal office under their authority. Wise men. Sages, Magi, or Magians. Their name is of Persian origin. They were found throughout the east, but especially in Persia, and comprehended priests, |