_THE GENEALOGY OF CHRIST FROM ABRAHAM TO JOSEPH: HE WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY GHOST, AND BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY, WHEN SHE WAS ESPOUSED TO JOSEPH. THE ANGEL SATISFIETH THE ANXIOUS THOUGHTS OF JOSEPH, AND INTERPRETETH THE NAME OF JESUS._ _Year of the World 4004._... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BOOK OF THE GENERATION— _The lineage of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham._ Campbell. Commentators are divided with regard to this phrase; some supposing that it means, and should be rendered, _the history of the life of Jesus Christ;_ and that it is a general preface to St. Matthew's G... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAS BEGAT PHARES AND ZARA OF THAMAR— It is remarkable, that only four women are mentioned in this genealogy,and all of them branded in the sacred history with a mark of infamy; Thamar for incest, Rachab forfornication, Ruth for heathenism, and Bathsheba for adultery. Perhaps the Holy Spirit design... [ Continue Reading ]
RACHAB— See the note on Joshua 2:1. Dr. Doddridge observes, that though it is not expressly said that this person was Rahab of Jericho, commonly called _the harlot;_ yet there can be no room to doubt, as we know that she was contemporary with Salmon, and may conclude that she, as all the other women... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON, OF HER THAT HAD BEEN, &C.— In the original it is, _by her of Urias;_ a mode of expression common both among the Greeks and Romans. See the note on 2 Samuel 12:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
JORAM BEGAT OZIAS— It is undeniably evident, from 2 Chron. chap. 22: and following, that three princes are here omitted. There are instances of the like omissions in other genealogies. See Ezra 7 where, by comparing that chapter with 1 Chronicles 6 it is found that five generations were left out. We... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSIAS BEGAT JECHONIAS, &C.— Dr. Doddridge renders this verse thus, after the reading of the Bodleian and other manuscripts, notice of which is taken in the margin of our English bibles; _And Josiah begat Jehoiachim and his brethren; and about the time of the Bablyonish captivity Jehoiahim begat Jec... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ZOROBABEL BEGAT ABIUD— Among the sons of _Zorobabel_ (which signifies _a stranger in Babylon_), reckoned up 1 Chronicles 3 there is no mention of Abiud, or his posterity; but as the Jews were very careful to keep genealogical tables of their families, St. Matthew had, in all likelihood, what he... [ Continue Reading ]
JACOB BEGAT JOSEPH— It is a maxim among the Jews, that the family of the mother is not called a family; all their pedigrees are reckoned and deduced from the father. This is the reason why St. Matthew has here set down the genealogy of Joseph. It is also very probable, that Mary was an only daughter... [ Continue Reading ]
SO ALL THE GENERATIONS, &C.— St. Matthew, designing to shew that Jesus was the Messiah, begun 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 downward naturally resolves itsel... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST, &C.— _Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this manner;_ literally, _was thus;_ not only the birth, but the conception of Christ, and what preceded it, are here included, in the word γεννησις, which we translate _birth,_ and which some critics have unwarily confused wi... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING A JUST MAN— Dr. Doddridge observes very well, that it is without any good reason that this text is often assigned as an instance, that the word is used to signify _merciful_ or _good-natured._ If we consider the information which Joseph might have received from persons of such an extraordinary... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD— Probably Gabriel, who had been sent to Zecharias and Mary. That Joseph's scruple did not proceed, as some of the fathers suppose, merely from veneration, appears from the reason given why he should take Mary, which in that case would have been the only reason against it. Some... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME JESUS— That is, _He shall be God the Saviour;_ for he shall prove that glorious and divine Person, the long-expected Messiah, intended by God _to save his people,_ even all that truly and perseveringly believe in him; by procuring an ample pardon for them, and raising them,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW ALL THIS WAS DONE, &C.— _In all this, what was spoken by the prophet was verified._ Campbell. The original words found as if the prophesy was the cause of the event predicted; but, generally speaking, things do not come to pass because they are foretold, but are foretold because they certainly w... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, A VIRGIN, &C.— To what we have said on this prophesy in its proper place, Isaiah 7:14 may now be added, that it is not possible to understand it of any other persons than of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin, in whom alone it is completely and literally fulfilled: but Bishop Chand... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING RAISED FROM SLEEP—BIDDEN HIM— _Awaked out of sleep—directed him._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KNEW HER NOT TILL, &C.— Some may infer from this passage, that Mary had other children afterwards; but the original here only excludes the time preceding the birth, without any consequence as to the future. Thus Michal _had no child until the day of her death;_ 2 Samuel 6:23 where the LXX has th... [ Continue Reading ]