THE BOOK OF THE GENERATION] RM 'of the genealogy.' The phrase is from Genesis 5:1, and is meant as a title not of the whole Gospel, nor even of the Nativity, but only of the genealogy (Matthew 1:1), which the evangelist probably did not compose himself (though this is possible), but derived from an... [ Continue Reading ]
GENEALOGY AND BIRTH OF JESUS 1-17. Genealogy of Jesus: cp. Luke 3:23. The two genealogies of Jesus, which are constructed on quite different principles, require careful comparison and study, if their purpose and significance are to be understood. In both, the descent of Jesus is traced through Josep... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER JOSIAS ST. MATTHEW omits Eliakim (2 Kings 23:34). The brethren of JECHONIAH (Jehoiachin) are really his uncles, Jehoahaz and Zedekiah, Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, though really the uncle of Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:17; Jeremiah 37:1), is called his 'brother'even in OT. (2 Chronicles 36:10)... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS ESPOUSED] BV 'had been betrothed.' Betrothal was almost equivalent to marriage, and could not be broken off without a formal divorce: cp. on John 8:3 and Deuteronomy 22:23; Deuteronomy 22:24. SHE WAS FOUND] viz. by her husband. OF THE HOLY GHOST] Both here and in Luke 1:35 the miracle of the con... [ Continue Reading ]
A JUST _man_] i.e. a good or righteous man: here, in particular, a kind or humane man, because although he felt bound to divorce her, he wished to do so as privately as possible, and without assigning any reason. A Jewish husband could divorce his wife if she did not please him, simply by giving her... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ANGEL] RV 'an angel.' In St. Luke the angel who appears to Zachariah and Mary is named (Luke 1:19; Luke 1:26), and the same angel (Gabriel) is to be understood here. In other passages of the NT. angels appear and speak: at the Resurrection, Matthew 28:5 at the Ascension, A Matthew 1:11 to Peter... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS] see on Matthew 1:1. FOR HE SHALL SAVE] more exactly, 'for it is He that shall save.' 'Saving from sin' includes two processes: (1) atonement for sin, and (2) sanctification. Both are works of Christ. The natural atonement for sin is penitence; but inasmuch as human penitence is imperfect, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED, etc.] It is characteristic of St. Matthew, though not, of course, peculiar to him, to regard the events of Christ's life as taking place in order to fulfil God's gracious promises in the OT. made through the prophets. This particular phrase occurs 10 times in St. Matthew,... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, A VIRGIN] RV 'the virgin': see on Isaiah 7:14. It does not appear that the Jews regarded the passage as Messianic; but St. Matthew, writing for Christians, applies it to the Messiah, in accordance with the rabbinical maxim, 'All the prophets prophesied only of the days of the Messiah.' St. M... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KNEW HER NOT TILL] Some have thought that the evangelist means to imply that after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary lived together as man and wife, and that children were born to them. This may have been the case, but the words of the evangelist here are not meant to imply it. They simply aff... [ Continue Reading ]