THE BOOK OF THE GENERATION. — The opening words of the Gospel show that it is written by a Jew for Jewish readers. They are an essentially Hebrew formula (as in Genesis 5:1), and were applied chiefly though not exclusively (Genesis 37:2) to genealogies such as that which follows here. JESUS CHRIST.... [ Continue Reading ]
The omission of the names of Ishmael and Esau is explained by the fact, that they were not only not in the line of succession, but were outside the covenant with Abraham — “In Isaac shall thy seed be called” (Genesis 21:12); and Esau had forfeited both the birth-right and the blessing. The brethren... [ Continue Reading ]
THAMAR. — The occurrence of the names of women in genealogies was the exception rather than the rule among the Jews; but there are instances enough in the Old Testament (_e.g.,_ Keturah, Genesis 25:1; the wives of Esau, Genesis 36:10; Timna, Genesis 36:22; Mehetabel, Genesis 36:39; Azubah, the wife... [ Continue Reading ]
NAASSON, or Nahshon, the brother of Elisheba the wife of Aaron, was, at the time of the Exodus, the “prince (or captain) of the children” of Judah (Numbers 1:7; Numbers 2:3; 1 Chronicles 2:10). A Jewish legend made him the first to enter the waters of the Red Sea.... [ Continue Reading ]
RACHAB. — The Old Testament records are silent as to the marriage of Salmon with the harlot of Jericho. When they were compiled it was probably thought of as a blot rather than a glory; but the fact may have been preserved in the traditions of the house of David. It has been conjectured that Salmon... [ Continue Reading ]
The wife of Urias. — Once again we have the mention of a woman who at least played a memorable part in the history of Israel. As this is the last of such names in the genealogy, it may be well to deal with the question whether any special purpose can be traced in the selection, beyond that of noting... [ Continue Reading ]
Ozias. — Ozias is, of course, the Uzziah of the Old Testament. Three names are omitted between Joram and this king — viz., Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah. Apparently the motive for the omission was simply the desire of bringing the names in each period into which the genealogy is divided to the arbitrary s... [ Continue Reading ]
JECHONIAS AND HIS BRETHREN. — Here again there is a missing link in the name of Eliakim, or Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah (2 Kings 23:34). Jeconiah was therefore the grandson of Josiah. The alternative reading mentioned in the margin rests on very slight authority, and was obviously the insertion of... [ Continue Reading ]
JECHONIAS BEGAT SALATHIEL. — We come here into a cluster of genealogical difficulties. (1) The natural impression left by Jeremiah 22:30 is that Coniah (or Jechonias) died childless, or, at least, left no descendants who came to rule as Zerubbabel did; (2) In the genealogy given by St. Luke (Luke 3:... [ Continue Reading ]
The arrangement into three triads of fourteen generations each was obviously in the nature of a _memoria technica._ The periods embraced by the three groups were, it may be noted, of very unequal length; and the actual omission of names in one of them, makes it possible that the others may have been... [ Continue Reading ]
St. Matthew, for some reason or other, omits all mention of what St. Luke relates very fully, as to the events that preceded the birth of Jesus and brought about the birth at Bethlehem. Either he had not access to any document full and trustworthy, like that which St. Luke made use of, or, as every... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSEPH HER HUSBAND. — The word was applied with strict accuracy from the moment of betrothal onwards. BEING A JUST MAN.... — The glimpse given us into the character of Joseph is one of singular tenderness and beauty. To him, conscious of being of the house of David, and cherishing Messianic hopes, w... [ Continue Reading ]
WHILE HE THOUGHT ON THESE THINGS. — The words imply a conflict, a perplexity; and the words of the angel came as the solution of his doubts. IN A DREAM. — From the Jewish point of view, dreams were the received channels of divine communications to the aged, open visions in the state of ecstasy to t... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME JESUS. — There is nothing strange in this being to Joseph the first knowledge of the name, which St. Luke tells us (Luke 1:31) had been previously imparted to Mary. The customs of the Jews were, as we have seen, against any communications between the bride and bridegroom dur... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THIS WAS DONE. — The Evangelist pauses in his narrative to introduce his own comment. He saw in what he relates that which answered to the apparent meaning of prophetic words. He could not possibly regard the agreement as a chance coincidence; and, as chance was excluded, there was no alternativ... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD. — It is not so easy for us, as it seemed to St. Matthew, to trace in Isaiah’s words the meaning which he assigns to them. As we find them in a literal translation from the Hebrew, the words of Isaiah 7:14 run thus: — “Behold, the maiden conceives and bears a son... [ Continue Reading ]
TOOK UNTO HIM HIS WIFE. — These few words cover a great deal. They imply the formal ratification of the betrothal before witnesses; the benediction by a priest; the marriage-feast; the removal from the house that had hitherto been her home to that of Joseph. They imply also that what had seemed evid... [ Continue Reading ]
TILL SHE HAD BROUGHT FORTH HER FIRST-BORN SON. — The word “firstborn” is not found in the best MSS. The questions which meet us here, unprofitable as they are, cannot be altogether passed over. What bearing have these words on the widespread belief of Christendom in the perpetual maidenhood of Mary?... [ Continue Reading ]