_The book_ That is, _This is the book_, the verb being elegantly omitted, according to the custom of the Hebrews, and also of the Greeks and Romans; _of the generation_ Or, as the Syriac expresses it, _The writing, narrative_, or _account of the generation_, or _birth of Jesus_, &c. The word γενεσις... [ Continue Reading ]
_Abraham begat Isaac_ “The evangelist here opens his history with our Lord's genealogy by Joseph, his supposed father. Luke gives another genealogy of him, thought by many to be Joseph's also, but without foundation; for the two genealogies are entirely different, from David and downward. It is true... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Judas begat Phares and Zara_ Some have observed that these sons of Judah are mentioned together because they were twins born at the same time: but if this had been a reason for assigning Zara the honour of being named in this genealogy, Esau, the twin brother of Jacob, ought to have obtained it... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Aram begat Aminadab_ Of these, to Jesse, little is said in Scripture, for either they lived in slavery in Egypt, or in trouble in the wilderness, or in obscurity in Canaan before the kingdom was settled. Naasson, as we learn Numbers 1:7, was head of the house of Judah, not, as some through mist... [ Continue Reading ]
_Salmon begat Booz of Rachab_ Viz., after their settlement in Canaan. It is not exact said that this woman was Rahab of Jericho, commonly called the harlot, but it is highly probable she was; for that Rahab was contemporary with Salmon, and a remarkable person, and there was no other of that name, e... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesse begat David the king_ David has the title of king given him in this genealogy, because he was the first king of his family, and because he had the kingdom entailed upon his children; in which respect he had greatly the advantage of Saul, from whose family the kingdom was taken away almost... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Solomon begat Roboam_ From whose government ten of the tribes revolting, chose Jeroboam for their king, who, to prevent them from returning to their subjection to the house of David, introduced the worship of the golden calves, and led the whole nation into the dreadful crime of gross idolatry;... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Joram begat Ozias_ By _Ozias_, Uzziah is intended, and it is certain from the history of the Kings and Chronicles that he was the son of Amaziah, 2 Chronicles 26:1; Amaziah, of Joash, ch. Matthew 24:27; Joash, of Ahaziah, ch. Matthew 22:11; and Ahaziah, of Jehoram. But, according to the languag... [ Continue Reading ]
_Josias begat Jechonias_ According to the Bodleian and other MSS., (of which notice is taken in the margin of our Bibles,) we must read _Josiah begat Jehoiakim, and Jehoiakim begat Jechoniah._ And this indeed seems absolutely necessary to keep up the number of _fourteen generations;_ unless we suppo... [ Continue Reading ]
_And after they were brought to Babylon_ After the Babylonish captivity commenced, _Jechonias begat Salathiel_ It is here objected, that God said concerning this Jeconiah, called also Coniah, Jeremiah 22:30, _Write ye this man childless:_ How then did he beget Salathiel? This objection is easily ans... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jacob begat Joseph_ It is evident that Joseph was properly the son of Jacob, and only the son-in-law of Eli: Luke 3:23. See note on Matthew 1:2. Though Joseph was not the true father of Christ, yet Christ's pedigree was reckoned by him, because he had no other father as man, and Joseph was his supp... [ Continue Reading ]
_So all the generations_, &c. “Matthew, designing to show that Jesus was the Messiah, began his genealogy at Abraham, to whom the promise was originally made, that _in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed._ But the succession of Christ's ancestors, from Abraham downward, naturall... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise_, ουτως ην, _was thus_ It was not in the ordinary course of nature, or manner in which children are conceived and born, but in the wonderful manner following. Not only the birth, but the conception of Christ, and what preceded it, are here included in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joseph her husband, being a just_ [or _righteous_] _man_ That is, as many understand it, a strict observer of the law, and of the customs of his ancestors, and therefore not judging it right to retain her under these circumstances. But the following words, _and not willing to make her a public exam... [ Continue Reading ]
_But while he thought on these things_ While he was revolving them in his mind, in the night season, ignorant as he then was of the divine conception in Mary; while he was inclined to divorce her in this private way, but had not absolutely determined upon it; and while there was a conflict in his br... [ Continue Reading ]
_She shall bring forth a son_ Hers, not thine, for he does not say _to thee_, Christ being απατωρ, _without father_, as man. _And thou shalt call his name Jesus_ It belonged to Joseph, as being reputed his father, and the person under whose protection Christ was placed during his infancy, to give hi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled_ That is, by the doing of all this was fulfilled the following prophecy. For we are not to suppose that the bare accomplishment of an ancient prediction was the end God had in view in sending his Son into the world; which would imply that, if no such... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth_, &c. Some have unhappily supposed that this famous prophecy immediately related to the birth of a child of Isaiah's in a natural way, and that it only referred to Christ in a secondary sense. But surely a son's being born of one then a vi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joseph did as the angel had bidden him_ This sudden change of his resolution, shows his great faith and ready obedience to God. When God speaks to our hearts, we speedily and cheerfully do what before we not only scrupled, but thought, perhaps, most inconvenient and unpleasing, and even contrary to... [ Continue Reading ]