1Dies ist das BuchG976 von der GeburtG1078 JesuG2424 ChristiG5547, der da ist ein SohnG5207 DavidsG1138, des SohnesG5207 AbrahamsG11. 2AbrahamG11 zeugteG1080 IsaakG2464. IsaakG2464 zeugteG1080 JakobG2384. JakobG2384 zeugteG1080 JudaG2455 undG2532 seineG846 BrüderG80. 3JudaG2455 zeugteG1080 PerezG5329 undG2532 SerahG2196 vonG1537 der ThamarG2283. PerezG5329 zeugteG1080 HezronG2074. HezronG2074 zeugteG1080 RamG689. 4RamG689 zeugteG1080 AmminadabG284. AmminadabG284 zeugteG1080 NahessonG3476. NahessonG3476 zeugteG1080 SalmaG4533. 5SalmaG4533 zeugteG1080 BoasG1003 vonG1537 der RahabG4477. BoasG1003 zeugteG1080 ObedG5601 vonG1537 der RuthG4503. ObedG5601 zeugteG1080 JesseG2421. 6JesseG2421 zeugteG1080 den KönigG935 DavidG1138. Der KönigG935 DavidG1138 zeugteG1080 SalomoG4672 vonG1537 dem WeibG3588 des UriaG3774. 7SalomoG4672 zeugteG1080 RehabeamG4497. RehabeamG4497 zeugteG1080 AbiaG7. AbiaG7 zeugteG1080 AsaG760. 8AsaG760 zeugteG1080 JosaphatG2498. JosaphatG2498 zeugteG1080 JoramG2496. JoramG2496 zeugteG1080 UsiaG3604. 9UsiaG3604 zeugteG1080 JothamG2488. JothamG2488 zeugteG1080 AhasG881. AhasG881 zeugteG1080 HiskiaG1478. 10HiskiaG1478 zeugteG1080 ManasseG3128. ManasseG3128 zeugteG1080 AmonG300. AmonG300 zeugteG1080 JosiaG2502. 11JosiaG2502 zeugteG1080 JechonjaG2423 undG2532 seineG846 BrüderG80 um die ZeitG1909 der babylonischenG897 GefangenschaftG3350. 12NachG3326 der babylonischenG897 GefangenschaftG3350 zeugteG1080 JechonjaG2423 SealthielG4528. SealthielG4528 zeugteG1080 SerubabelG2216. 13SerubabelG2216 zeugteG1080 AbiudG10. AbiudG10 zeugteG1080 EliakimG1662. EliakimG1662 zeugteG1080 AsorG107. 14AsorG107 zeugteG1080 ZadokG4524. ZadokG4524 zeugteG1080 AchimG885. AchimG885 zeugteG1080 EliudG1664. 15EliudG1664 zeugteG1080 EleasarG1648. EleasarG1648 zeugteG1080 MatthanG3157. MatthanG3157 zeugteG1080 JakobG2384. 16JakobG2384 zeugteG1080 JosephG2501, den MannG435 MariasG3137, vonG1537 welcherG3739 ist geborenG1080 JesusG2424, derG3588 da heißtG3004 ChristusG5547. 17AlleG3956 GliederG1074 vonG575 AbrahamG11 bisG2193 auf DavidG1138 sind 14G1180 GliederG1074. VonG575 DavidG1138 bisG2193 auf die babylonischeG897 GefangenschaftG3350 sind 14G1180 GliederG1074. VonG575 der babylonischenG897 GefangenschaftG3350 bisG2193 auf ChristusG5547 sind 14G1180 GliederG1074. 18DieG1161 GeburtG1083 Christi G5547 G2424 warG2258 aber also getanG3779. AlsG1063 MariaG3137, seineG846 MutterG3384, dem JosephG2501 vertrauetG3423 war, fand sich’s, ehe G4250 G2228 erG846 sie heimholteG2147 G4905, daß sie schwanger G1064 G1722 war vonG1537 dem heiligenG40 GeistG4151. 19JosephG2501 aberG1161, ihrG846 MannG435, warG5607 frommG1342 undG2532 wollteG2309 sieG846 nichtG3361 in SchandeG3856 bringenG3856, gedachteG1014 aber, sieG846 heimlichG2977 zu verlassenG630. 20IndemG846 er aberG1161 alsoG5023 gedachteG1760, sieheG2400, da erschienG5316 ihmG846 ein EngelG32 des HERRNG2962 imG2596 TraumG3677 und sprachG3004: JosephG2501, du SohnG5207 DavidsG1138, fürchteG5399 dich nichtG3361, MariaG3137, dein GemahlG1135, zu dirG4675 zu nehmenG3880; dennG1063 das inG1722 ihrG846 geborenG1080 ist, das istG2076 vonG1537 dem heiligenG40 GeistG4151. 21UndG1161 sie wird einen SohnG5207 gebärenG5088, desG846 NamenG3686 sollst du JesusG2424 heißenG2564; dennG1063 erG846 wird seinG846 VolkG2992 seligG4982 machen vonG575 ihrenG846 SündenG266. 22DasG5124 ist aberG1161 allesG3650 geschehenG1096, auf daßG2443 erfülletG4137 würde, wasG3588 derG5259 HERRG2962 durchG1223 den ProphetenG4396 gesagtG4483 hat, der da sprichtG3004: 23SieheG2400, eine JungfrauG3933 wird schwanger G1064 G1722 sein undG2532 einen SohnG5207 gebärenG5088, undG2532 sie werden seinenG846 NamenG3686 ImmanuelG1694 heißenG2564,« dasG3739 istG2076 verdolmetschtG3177: GottG2316 mitG3326 unsG2257. 24DaG1161 nun JosephG2501 vomG575 SchlafG5258 erwachteG1326, tatG4160 er, wieG5613 ihmG846 des HERRNG2962 EngelG32 befohlenG4367 hatte, undG2532 nahmG3880 sein GemahlG1135 zu sichG846. 25UndG2532 er erkannteG1097 sieG846 nichtG3756, bis G2193 G3739 sie ihrenG846 erstenG4416 SohnG5207 gebarG5088; undG2532 hießG2564 seinenG846 NamenG3686 JesusG2424.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 GENEALOGY OF CHRIST. ( = Luke 3:23-38). (Mat. 1:1-17)
The book of the generation--an expression purely Jewish; meaning, "table of the genealogy." In
Gen 5:1 the same expression occurs in this sense. We have here, then, the title, not of this whole Gospel of Matthew, but only of the first seventeen verses.
of Jesus Christ--For the meaning of these glorious words, see on
Matt 1:16;
Matt 1:21. "Jesus," the name given to our Lord at His circumcision (
Luke 2:21), was that by which He was familiarly known while on earth. The word "Christ"--though applied to Him as a proper name by the angel who announced His birth to the shepherds (
Luke 2:11), and once or twice used in this sense by our Lord Himself (
Matt 23:8,
Matt 23:10;
Mark 9:41) --only began to be so used by others about the very close of His earthly career (
Matt 26:68;
Matt 27:17). The full form, "Jesus Christ," though once used by Himself in His Intercessory Prayer (
John 17:3), was never used by others till after His ascension and the formation of churches in His name. Its use, then, in the opening words of this Gospel (and in
Matt 1:17-
Matt 1:18) is in the style of the late period when our Evangelist wrote, rather than of the events he was going to record.
the son of David, the son of Abraham--As Abraham was the first from whose family it was predicted that Messiah should spring (
Gen 22:18), so David was the last. To a Jewish reader, accordingly, these behooved to be the two great starting-points of any true genealogy of the promised Messiah; and thus this opening verse, as it stamps the first Gospel as one peculiarly Jewish, would at once tend to conciliate the writer's people. From the nearest of those two fathers came that familiar name of the promised Messiah, "the son of David" (
Luke 20:41), which was applied to Jesus, either in devout acknowledgment of His rightful claim to it (
Matt 9:27;
Matt 20:31), or in the way of insinuating inquiry whether such were the case (see on
John 4:29;
Matt 12:23).
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren--Only the fourth son of Jacob is here named, as it was from his loins that Messiah was to spring (
Gen 49:10).
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4. And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5. And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6. And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her of Urias--Four women are here introduced; two of them Gentiles by birth--Rachab and Ruth; and three of them with a blot at their names in the Old Testament--Thamar, Rachab, and Bath-sheba. This feature in the present genealogy--herein differing from that given by Luke--comes well from him who styles himself in his list of the Twelve, what none of the other lists do, "Matthew the publican"; as if thereby to hold forth, at the very outset, the unsearchable riches of that grace which could not only fetch in "them that are afar off," but teach down even to "publicans and harlots," and raise them to "sit with the princes of his people." David is here twice emphatically styled "David the king," as not only the first of that royal line from which Messiah was to descend, but the one king of all that line from which the throne that Messiah was to occupy took its name--"the throne of David." The angel Gabriel, in announcing Him to His virgin-mother, calls it "the throne of David His father," sinking all the intermediate kings of that line, as having no importance save as links to connect the first and the last king of Israel as father and son. It will be observed that Rachab is here represented as the great-grandmother of David (see
Ruth 4:20-
Ruth 4:22;
1Chr 2:11-15) --a thing not beyond possibility indeed, but extremely improbable, there being about four centuries between them. There can hardly be a doubt that one or two intermediate links are omitted.
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8. And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias--or Uzziah. Three kings are here omitted--Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah (
1Chr 3:11-12). Some omissions behooved to be made, to compress the whole into three fourteens (
Matt 1:17). The reason why these, rather than other names, are omitted, must be sought in religious considerations--either in the connection of those kings with the house of Ahab (as LIGHTFOOT, EBRARD, and ALFORD view it); in their slender right to be regarded as true links in the theocratic chain (as LANGE takes it); or in some similar disqualification.
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren--Jeconiah was Josiah's grandson, being the son of Jehoiakim, Josiah's second son (
1Chr 3:15); but Jehoiakim might well be sunk in such a catalogue, being a mere puppet in the hands of the king of Egypt (
2Chr 36:4). The "brethren" of Jechonias here evidently mean his uncles--the chief of whom, Mattaniah or Zedekiah, who came to the throne (
2Kgs 24:17), is, in
2Chr 36:10, as well as here, called "his brother."
about the time they were carried away to Babylon--literally, "of their migration," for the Jews avoided the word "captivity" as too bitter a recollection, and our Evangelist studiously respects the national feeling.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon--after the migration of Babylon.
Jechonias begat Salathiel--So
1Chr 3:17. Nor does this contradict
Jer 22:30, "Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man (Coniah, or Jeconiah) childless"; for what follows explains in what sense this was meant--"for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David." He was to have seed, but no reigning child.
and Salathiel--or Shealtiel.
begat Zorobabel--So
Ezra 3:2;
Neh 12:1;
Hag 1:1. But it would appear from
1Chr 3:19 that Zerubbabel was Salathiel's grandson, being the son of Pedaiah, whose name, for some reason unknown, is omitted.
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud, &c.--None of these names are found in the Old Testament; but they were doubtless taken from the public or family registers, which the Jews carefully kept, and their accuracy was never challenged.
16 And Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus--From this it is clear that the genealogy here given is not that of Mary, but of Joseph; nor has this ever been questioned. And yet it is here studiously proclaimed that Joseph was not the natural, but only the legal father of our Lord. His birth of a virgin was known only to a few; but the acknowledged descent of his legal father from David secured that the descent of Jesus Himself from David should never be questioned. See on
Matt 1:20.
who is called Christ--signifying "anointed." It is applied in the Old Testament to the kings (
1Sam 24:6,
1Sam 24:10); to the priests (
Lev 4:5,
Lev 4:16, &c.); and to the prophets (
1Kgs 19:16) --these all being anointed will oil, the symbol of the needful spiritual gifts to consecrate them to their respective offices; and it was applied, in its most sublime and comprehensive sense, to the promised Deliverer, inasmuch as He was to be consecrated to an office embracing all three by the immeasurable anointing of the Holy Ghost (
Isa 61:1; compare
John 3:34).
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away--or migration.
into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon--the migration of Babylon.
unto Christ are fourteen generations--that is, the whole may be conveniently divided into three fourteens, each embracing one marked era, and each ending with a notable event, in the Israelitish annals. Such artificial aids to memory were familiar to the Jews, and much larger gaps than those here are found in some of the Old Testament genealogies. In
Ezra 7:1-
Ezra 7:5 no fewer than six generations of the priesthood are omitted, as will appear by comparing it with
1Chr 6:3-15. It will be observed that the last of the three divisions of fourteen appears to contain only thirteen distinct names, including Jesus as the last. LANGE thinks that this was meant as a tacit hint that Mary was to be supplied, as the thirteenth link of the last chain, as it is impossible to conceive that the Evangelist could have made any mistake in the matter. But there is a simpler way of accounting for it. As the Evangelist himself (
Matt 1:17) reckons David twice--as the last of the first fourteen and the first of the second--so, if we reckon the second fourteen to end with Josiah, who was coeval with the "carrying away into captivity" (
Matt 1:11), and third to begin with Jeconiah, it will be found that the last division, as well as the other two, embraces fourteen names, including that of our Lord.
18 BIRTH OF CHRIST. (
Matt 1:18-
Matt 1:25)
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise--or, "thus."
When as his mother Mary was espoused--rather, "betrothed."
to Joseph, before they came together, she was found--discovered to be.
with child of the Holy Ghost--It was, of course, the fact only that was discovered; the explanation of the fact here given is the Evangelist's own. That the Holy Ghost is a living conscious Person is plainly implied here, and is elsewhere clearly taught (
Acts 5:3-
Acts 5:4, &c.): and that, in the unity of the Godhead, He is distinct both from the Father and the Son, is taught with equal distinctness (
Matt 28:19;
2Cor 13:14). On the miraculous conception of our Lord, see on
Luke 1:35.
19 Then Joseph her husband--Compare
Matt 1:20, "Mary, thy wife." Betrothal was, in Jewish law, valid marriage. In giving Mary up, therefore, Joseph had to take legal steps to effect the separation.
being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example--to expose her (see
Deut 22:23-
Deut 22:24)
was minded to put her away privily--that is, privately by giving her the required writing of divorcement (
Deut 24:1), in presence of only two or three witnesses, and without cause assigned, instead of having her before a magistrate. That some communication had passed between him and his betrothed, directly or indirectly, on the subject, after she returned from her three months' visit to Elizabeth, can hardly be doubted. Nor does the purpose to divorce her necessarily imply disbelief, on Joseph's part, of the explanation given him. Even supposing him to have yielded to it some reverential assent--and the Evangelist seems to convey as much, by ascribing the proposal to screen her to the justice of his character--he might think it altogether unsuitable and incongruous in such circumstances to follow out the marriage.
20 But while he thought on these things--Who would not feel for him after receiving such intelligence, and before receiving any light from above? As he brooded over the matter alone, in the stillness of the night, his domestic prospects darkened and his happiness blasted for life, his mind slowly making itself up to the painful step, yet planning how to do it in the way least offensive--at the last extremity the Lord Himself interposes.
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph thou son of David--This style of address was doubtless advisedly chosen to remind him of what all the families of David's line so early coveted, and thus it would prepare him for the marvellous announcement which was to follow.
fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost--Though a dark cloud now overhangs this relationship, it is unsullied still.
21 And she shall bring forth a son--Observe, it is not said, "she shall bear thee a son," as was said to Zacharias of his wife Elizabeth (
Luke 1:13).
and thou--as his legal father.
shalt call his name JESUS--from the Hebrew meaning "Jehovah the Saviour"; in Greek JESUS--to the awakened and anxious sinner sweetest and most fragrant of all names, expressing so melodiously and briefly His whole saving office and work!
for he shall save--The "He" is here emphatic--He it is that shall save; He personally, and by personal acts (as WEBSTER and WILKINSON express it).
his people--the lost sheep of the house of Israel, in the first instance; for they were the only people He then had. But, on the breaking down of the middle wall of partition, the saved people embraced the "redeemed unto God by His blood out of every kindred and people and tongue and nation."
from their sins--in the most comprehensive sense of salvation from sin (
Rev 1:5;
Eph 5:25-
Eph 5:27).
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet-- (
Isa 7:14).
saying--as follows.
23 Behold, a virgin--It should be "the virgin" meaning that particular virgin destined to this unparalleled distinction.
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted, is, God with us--Not that He was to have this for a proper name (like "Jesus"), but that He should come to be known in this character, as God manifested in the flesh, and the living bond of holy and most intimate fellowship between God and men from henceforth and for ever.
24 Then Joseph, being raised from sleep--and all his difficulties now removed.
did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife--With what deep and reverential joy would this now be done on his part; and what balm would this minister to his betrothed one, who had till now lain under suspicions of all others the most trying to a chaste and holy woman--suspicions, too, arising from what, though to her an honor unparalleled, was to all around her wholly unknown!
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son: and he called his name JESUS--The word "till" does not necessarily imply that they lived on a different footing afterwards (as will be evident from the use of the same word in
1Sam 15:35;
2Sam 6:23;
Matt 12:20); nor does the word "first-born" decide the much-disputed question, whether Mary had any children to Joseph after the birth of Christ; for, as LIGHTFOOT says, "The law, in speaking of the first-born, regarded not whether any were born after or no, but only that none were born before." (See on
Matt 13:55-
Matt 13:56).