The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
Matthew 1
Chapter I · Vol. IV, pp. 47–48
1 The genealogy of Christ from Abraham to Joseph. 18 The miraculous conception of Mary; Joseph's doubts are satisfied by an angel, who declareth the name and office of Christ: Jesus is born.
1 The booka of the generation1 of Jesus Christ,2 theb son of 3David, cthe son of Abraham.Cited in HC 35
a Lu.3.23-38, with Ge.5.1; 10.1; 6.9; 2.4; 11.10,27; 25.12; 36.1,9. Nu.1.20. Ru.4.18.
b 2 Sa.7.12-14. Ps.132.11. Is.11.1. Je.23.5; 33.15. ch.22.42,45. Lu.1.31,32. Ac.2.30; 13.23. Ro.1.3.
1 Rather, 'roll of the genealogy,' taken from the public registers, which were evidently in existence, according to Lu.ii.—C.
2 See note * in first column of next page.
3 This mark of Messiah was absolutely necessary. See Jn.7.42, comp. with 2 Sa.7.12. 1 Ki.9.5.—C.
c Ge.12.3; 22.18; 26.4; 28.14. Lu.3.23-34. Ga.3.16.
A.M. —
* Jesus was the personal name of our Lord, given by the angel at the annunciation, to denote the special work he should accomplish. He was to be the Saviour of mankind. Christ, equivalent to the Hebrew Messiah, is the prophetical name of our Lord, indicative of his great offices, as anointed Priest, Prophet, and King. As here used it is a proper name; but in the body of the gospel narratives it is an appellative, and in Greek has the article. It is descriptive of him as the Messiah, the Anointed One.—P.
3 And hJudas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and iPhares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
h Ge.38.27-30. 1 Ch.2.4.
i Ge.46.12. Ru.4.18-22. 1 Ch.2.5,9-15. Lu.3.31-33.
5 And Salmon begat Booz of kRachab; and Boozl begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
k Jos.ii.; 6.22-25. He.11.31. Ja.2.25.
l Ru.ii.-iv. 1 Ch.2.11,12.
6 And nJesse begat David the king; and Davido the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7 And pSolomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
p 1 Ch.3.10-17. 1 Ki.11.43; 14.31; 15.8. 2 Ch.9.31; 12.16; 14.1.
9 And rOzias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
r 2 Ki.15.7,38; 16.20. 2 Ch.26.23; 27.9; 28.27.
11 And 5Josias begat Jechonias6 and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon;
5 Some read, Josias begat Jakim, and Jakim begat Jechonias.
6 Or, Jehoiakim, 1 Ch.3.15,16. 2 Ki.23.30,34; 24.17. 2 Ch.36.1,4,10.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechoniast begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
t 2 Ki.24.12; 25.27. 1 Ch.3.17,19. Hag.1.1,12; 2.2,23. Ezr.3.2; 5.2. Ne.7.7; 12.1. Lu.3.27.
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
17 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.
18 Now the xbirth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child yof the Holy Ghost.Cited in WCF 24.5 · HC 35
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a 8just man, and not willing to make her aa public example, was minded to put her away privily.Cited in WCF 24.5
8 The exact intentions of Joseph may be gathered from a comparison of his character as given in the phrase 'a just man—a man who felt conscientiously bound to act in accordance with a fair yet merciful interpretation of law—with the enactment in De. 24. 1. Had he desired to act legally without regard to mercy, he might have resolved to bring Mary to a public trial; but he resolved to adopt the milder course, give her a 'writing of divorcement,' and send her away from his house without public trial or exposure.—P.
A.M. 4000.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, athe angel of the 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 conceived9 in her bis of the Holy Ghost.Cited in WCF 24.5
21 Andc she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:1 ford he shall save his people from their sins.Cited in WLC 40, 41 · HC 18, 29
22 Now all this was done, that eit might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,Cited in HC 18
23 Behold,g a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name2 Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, hGod with us.3Cited in WSC 21 · WLC 40 · HC 18
24 Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, idid as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
i De.12.32. 1 Sa.15.22. Ac.26.19.
Notes
Ver. 1-17. In this genealogy of Christ, by his supposed father, we have four women inserted, three of them Gentiles, and Bathsheba, an adulteress, to discover him as the Saviour of the Gentiles and of the greatest sinners. The three immediate descendants of Joram by Athaliah are omitted, to mark the curse of God upon unhallowed marriages to the third and fourth generation. 18, 19. Mary's espousal to Joseph prevented the imputation of bastardy to her son, and secured her an assistant to bring him up.—Joseph was afraid of marrying an unchaste woman on the one hand, or, on the other, of publicly exposing to be stoned one whom he hoped might be innocent.
Ver. 3. A considerable difference in the spelling of several names will be observed—e.g. Judas is spelled Judah; Phares, Pharez, Ge. 46. 12; Thamar, Tamar, Ge. 38. 6; Ezrom, Hezrom, Ge. 46. 12, &c. &c. This variety presents to the attentive reader of the Scriptures no serious inconvenience. It would, however, have been well had the translators studied uniformity.—Only four women out of forty-two are mentioned in this register—Thamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, against each of whom there lies some charge, either of personal sin, heathenism, or poverty. These facts are, most probably, thus educed to obviate the cavils of the Jews against the poverty of our Lord's mother, and, historically, to show that he came to save both Jew and Gentile, guilty not merely of original, but of the deepest actual transgression. C.
Ver. 18. Dating from the birth of Christ did not commence till about A.D. 730, which birth some place in the fifth year before the common era. From Malachi to Christ there are reckoned 400 years; from Ezra, 500; from Solomon, 1000; from the exodus, 1500; and from the creation, 4000; or, according to other calculations, 4004. C.
Ver. 19. A just man. Mild, gentle, benignant, as the word signifies among the Hebrews, Ps. 114. 17; Pr. 12. 10. C.
Ver. 22. That (or so that) it might be fulfilled. Not as if the design was to fulfil the prophecy, but that the event fulfilled it. For such use of the Greek ἵνα, see Mat. 23. 26; Lu. 9. 45. C.
Ver. 23. Considerable difference of opinion exists as to the mode of interpreting this and many kindred passages in the New Testament. The passage quoted is from Is. 7. 14, and a glance at the context shows that the prophet there, under divine guidance, speaks of an event about to occur in his own time, and which would be a sign to the Israelites; whereas the words are by Matthew interpreted as prophetical of the Messiah. The solution is this, that while the words of Isaiah did refer directly to an event soon about to take place, yet that event was itself typical of another and greater—namely, of the incarnation. Such being the case, the language of the prophet applies as fully to the antitype as to the type. There is no straining of the meaning therefore, no accommodation, in Matthew's application of Isaiah's words. The inspiring Spirit designed them to be applicable to our Lord. P.
Reflections.—Though long delays of God's favours may much exercise our patience, they do not in the least weaken his promises. Full and convincing is the evidence that our Jesus is the true Messiah, the Saviour of Jews and Gentiles, males and females, of sinners, even the chief. Marvellous was the providence of God that he should prepare him his holy manhood through and from such abominable persons and acts. But strange alterations take place in the temporal condition and moral qualities of families in a few generations. How miraculous was our Saviour's conception and birth, and how honourably testified! With great wisdom and prudence God conducted every circumstance thereof to his honour and to the happiness of those concerned. Yet they who receive remarkable honours from God may expect remarkable trials; but if we keep a good conscience, God will maintain, or, in due time, vindicate our honour. It is very comely when piety towards God, fidelity towards man, and tenderness of our reputation, go together. And in suspicious cases we should always hope the best, and depend upon God for such solution of our doubts as may enable us to proceed with freedom and comfort. But nothing can more enliven a perplexed mind than discoveries of Jesus Christ as the great God-man, who effectually saves from sin and wrath.