BOOK I.

PART I.

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

SECTION I.

DESCENT OF JESUS. ANCESTRY OF JOSEPH.

SECTION II.

ANGEL'S MESSAGE TO JOSEPH.

SECTION III.

VISIT OF MAGIANS AT BETHLEHEM.

SECTION IV.

RESIDENCE IN EGYPT. RETURN TO NAZARETH.

PART I.

I.

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1A family record of JESUS CHRIST, David's son, Descent Abraham's son.

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2 Abraham was the father of Isaac; and Isaac was the father of Jacob; and Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers; and Judah was the father of Phares and Zara, by Thamar; and Phares was the father of Esrom; and Esrom was the father of Aram; and Aram was the father of Aminadab; and Aminadab was the father of Nashon; and Nashon was the father of Salmon; and Salmon was the father of Boaz, by Rahab; and Boaz was the father of Obed, by Ruth; and Obed was the father of Jesse; and Jesse was the father of David the king. And David the king was the father of Solomon, by her who was Uriah's; and Solomon was the father of Rehoboam; 7 and Rehoboam was the father of Abijah; and Abijah was the father of Asa; and Asa was the father of Jehosaphat; and Jehosaphat was the father of Jehoram; and Jehoram

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1. The title applies to the first two chapters, and not to the following list of names, nor to the whole book. Gen. ii. 4; v.1; vi. 9; xxv. 19; xxxvi. 1. The declaration of descent is according to the predictions of the Old Testament, and the statements of the New. 2 Sam. vii. 16; Luke i. 32; Mat. ix. 27; xxii. 42; Rom. i. 3; 2 Tim. ii. 8; Gen. xxii. 18; Gal. iii. 16.

5. Some generations are probably omitted between Salmon and Boaz. 8. Three generations are left out between Jehoram and Uzziah. 1 Chron. iii. 11. Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah.

of Jesus.

Ancestry

of Joseph.

Comment.

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was the father of Uzziah; and Uzziah was the father of Joatham; and Joatham was the father of Ahaz; and Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah; 10 and Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh; and Manasseh was the father of Amon; and Amon was the father of Josiah; 11 and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the removal to Babylon. 12 And after the removal to Babylon, Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel; and Salathiel was the father of Zorobabel; 13 and Zorobabel was the father of Abiud; and Abiud was the father of Eliakim; and Eliakim was the father of Azor; 14 and Azor was the father of Zadok; and Zadok was the father of Achim; and Achim was the father of Eliud; 15 and Eliud was the father of Eleazar; and Eleazar was the father of Matthan; and Matthan was the father of Jacob; 16 and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 All the generations then from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto

11. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah, the grandfather of Jechoniah. 1 Chron. iii. 15. Either his name is omitted, or he is the Jechoniah mentioned first, and his son or nephew afterwards. The names are given as they were in the registers. 3 Esd. i. 34.

16. This is stated to be the ancestry, not of Jesus, but of Joseph, who is addressed as the son of David, ver. 20. The ancestry of Jesus is given by St. Luke, iii. 23. He was supposed to be the son of Joseph, being really the descendant of Heli, the father of Mary. Here Joseph, the descendant of Jewish kings, is referred to as the guardian of the childhood of Him to whom they and all earthly kings are subordinate. His kingdom was not an inheritance from them.

17. The reckoning refers to the list of names. From Abraham to David are 14: and from David to Josiah 14: and from Jechoniah to Jesus 14. Or, from Abraham to David 14: from Solomon to the first Jechoniah 14: and from the second Jechoniah to Jesus 14. This partial regularity, appearing in the registers, is noticed as suggestive of the perfect order which belongs to the Divine government. There is an evident reason for the genealogy of Joseph in St. Matthew's nar rative, but none for it in that of St. Luke: and that he should have two genealogies is very improbable. In the two lists, between David and Jesus, only two names agree. If the clause, Luke iii. 23, as was

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the removal to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the removal to Babylon unto the CHRIST, fourteen generations.

II.

purpose.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was thus: for when Joseph's his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 21 And Joseph her husband, being an upright man and unwilling to expose her, purposed to divorce her secretly.

20 But as he thought on these things, lo, an angel Angel's of the Lord appeared in a dream to him, saying,

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Joseph, son of David, be not afraid to receive Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bear a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he will save his people from their sins."

message.

22 Now all this has come to pass, that there should Prophecy. be a fulfilment of what was spoken by the Lord

supposed Joseph's son," be taken as a parenthesis, the ancestry is declared to be that of Jesus. His mother's name having been before given, its mention here would be superfluous.

18. Mary left Nazareth immediately after receiving the angel's message; and therefore her maternity would not be known by Joseph, until it became manifest. Luke i. 39. They were married, and resided at Nazareth until the time of the birth of Jesus, when they came to Bethlehem. Luke ii. 4.

21. This name is given in the Old Testament as Joshua, an enlargement of Oshea: the latter denoting deliverance, and the former deliverance by Jehovah. The salvation of Christ is here described as a deliverance from sin; not the political deliverance which the people hoped for; nor simply release from punishment. Num. xiii. 16; Acts iii. 26. The name Christ, from the Greek, is equivalent to Messiah, from the Hebrew; and denotes one anointed for, and appointed to, some office. Kings and others are spoken of as Christs, when their Divine appointment is referred to. Lev. vi. 22; 1 Sam. xxvi. 9; 1 Chron. xvi. 22.

22. The words of the prophet had their first fulfilment in one present, whose son, born naturally, but according to a Divine prediction, became a sign to the persons addressed. The same words are here

Birth of
Jesus.

Magians'

through the prophet, saying, 23" Lo, the virgin will conceive and bear a son; and they shall call his name IMMANUEL," which being interpreted is GOD WITH

US.

24 Then Joseph, when he arose from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord directed him, and received his wife: 25 but he did not live with her till she brought forth her first-born son; and he called his name Jesus.

III.

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa, inquiry. in the days of Herod the king, lo, Magians from the

Answer of prophecy.

east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who is born to be King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and we came to bow down to him."

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3 And Herod the king hearing this was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling all the Chief-priests and Scribes of the people, he inquired of them, where the Christ should be born. 5 And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judæa; for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, art in no wise least among the leaders of Judah, for from thee will go forth a Leader, who will tend my people Israel."

applied to another case, similar but far superior; and are used with a higher significance. Isaiah vii. 14.

25. The account of the birth of our Lord in Bethlehem is given by St. Luke. Some interval occurred before the visit recorded in the next chapter, for the children of two years and under were put to death according to the exact information obtained respecting the star's appearing.

1. The birth of Jesus was a year or two before the death of Herod, A.U.C. 750=B.C. 4; and was consequently about B. C. 6. The Herod here mentioned was the father of Herod Antipas, subsequently referred to, xiv. 1; and the grandfather of Herod Agrippa, Acts xii. 1; whose son was king Agrippa. Acts xxv. 13.

6. The statement of the priests agrees in meaning with that of the prophet; what is implied in the one being expressed in the other, Micah v. 2.