Sadoc Legat Achim; and Achim | Abraham to David are fourteen begat Eliud; generations; and from David until 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; the carrying away into Babylon and Eleazar begat Matthan; and are fourteen generations; and from Matthan begat Jacob; the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen genera tions. 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from 17. All the generations, &c. This division of the names in their genealogy was doubtless adopted for the purpose of aiding the memory. It was common among the Jews; and other similar instances are preserved. They were destitute of other books beside the Old Testament, and had but few copies of that among them, and those chiefly in their synagogues. They would, therefore, naturally devise plans to keep up the remembrance of the principal facts in their history. One method of doing this was, to divide the tables of genealogy into portions of equal length, to be committed to memory. This greatly facilitated the remembrance of the names. A man who wished to commit to memory the names of a regiment of soldiers, would naturally divide it into companies, and platoons, and this would greatly facilitate his work. This was doubtless the reason in the case before us. And, though it is not strictly accurate, yet it was the Jewish way of keeping their records, and answered their purpose. There were three leading persons and events that nearly, or quite, divided their history into equal portions: Abraham, David, and the Babylonish captivity. From one to the other was about fourteen generations, and, by omitting a few names, it was sufficiently accurate to be made a general guide or directory in remembering their history. In counting these divisions, however, it will be seen that there is some difficulty in making out the number fourteen in each division. This may be explained in the following manner. In the first division, Abraham is the first, and David the last, making together fourteen. In the second series, David would naturally be placed first, and the fourteen was completed in Josiah, about the time of the captivity, as sufficiently 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as a Lu.1.27,&c. Second division. David, Solomon, Third division, Josias, Jechonias near for the purpose of convenient com. putation. 2 Chron. xxxv. In the third division, Josiah would naturally be placed first, and the number was completed in Joseph. So that David and Josiah would be reckoned twice. This may be shown by the following table of the names : First division. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judas, Phares, Esrom, Aram, Aminadab, Naasson, Salmon, Booz, Obed, Jesse, David. -14 Salathiel, Roboam, Abia, Zorobabel, Asa, Abiud, Josaphat, Eliakim, Joram, Azor, Ozias, Sadoc, Joatham, Achim, Carrying away into Babylon. This refers to the captivity of Jerusalem, and the removal of the Jews to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, 588 years before Christ. See 2 Chron. xxxvi. Josiah was king when these calamities began to come upon the Jews, but the exact time of the seventy years of captivity did not commence until the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, or 32 years after the death of Josiah. Babylon wat situated on the Euphrates, and was encompassed with walls which were about 60 miles in circuit, 87 feet broad, and 350 feet high, and the city was entered by a hundred brazen gates, 25 on each side. It was the capital of a vast empire, and the Jews remained there for seventy years. See my Notes on Isaiah, ch. xiii. 18. On this wise. Thus. In this manner. Espoused. Betrothed, or engaged to be married. There was his mother Mary was espoused to to make her a public example, Joseph, before they came together, was minded to put her away she was found with child of the privily. Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing 5th year before the account called A. D. commonly an interval of ten or twelve months among the Jews between the contract of marriage and the celebration of the nuptials. (See Gen. xxiv. 55. Judges xiv. 8); yet such was the nature of this engagement, that unfaithfulness to each other was deemed adultery. See Deut. xxii. 25, 28. ¶ With child by the Holy Ghost. See Note, Luke i. 35. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a a De.24.1. b ver.16. specify the causes for which the divorce was made, and witnesses were also present to testify to the divorce. But in this case it seems, Joseph resolved to put her away without specifying the cause: for he was not willing to make her a public example. This is the meaning here of privately. Both to Joseph and Mary this must have been a great 19. Her husband. The word in the trial. Joseph was ardently attached to original does not imply that they were her, but her character was likely to be married. It means here the man to ruined, and he deemed it proper to sewhom she was espoused. A just parate her from him. Mary was innoman. Justice consists in rendering to cent, but Joseph was not yet satisfied every man his own. Yet this is evi- of her innocence. Yet we may learn dently not the character intended to be how to put our trust in God. He will given here of Joseph. It means that defend the innocent. Mary was in he was kind, tender, merciful; so at- danger of being exposed to shame. tached to Mary, that he was not wil- Had she been connected with a cruel, ling that she should be exposed to passionate, and violent man, she would public shame. He sought, therefore, have died in disgrace. But God had so secretly to dissolve the connexion, and ordered it that she was connected with to restore her to her friends without the a man mild, amiable, and tender; and, punishment commonly inflicted on adul-in due time, Joseph was apprized of the tery. The word just has not unfrequently this meaning of mildness, or mercy. See 1 John 1. 9. Comp. C cero, De Fin. 5, 23. ¶ A public example. To expose her to public shame or infamy. Adultery has always been considered a crime of a very heinous nature. In Egypt it was punished by cutting off the nose of the adulteress; in Persia the nose and ears were cut off; in Ju- 20. He thought on these things. He dea the punishment was death by ston- did not act hastily. He did not take ing. Lev. xx. 10. Eze. xvi. 38, 40. the course which the law would have John viii. 5. This punishment was also permitted him to do, if he had been inflicted where the person was not mar-hasty, violent, or unjust.. It was a case ried, but betrothed. Deut. xxii. 23, 24. In this case, therefore, the regular punishment would have been death in this painful and ignominious manner. Yet Joseph was a religious man-mild and tender; and he was not willing to complain of her to the magistrate, and expose her to death, but sought to avoid the shame, and to put her away privately. Put her away privately, The law of Moses gave the husband the power of divorce. Deut. xxiv. 1. It was customary in a bill of divorce to truth in the case, and took his faithful and beloved wife to his bosom. Thus our only aim should be to preserve a conscience void of offence, and God will guard our reputation. We may be assailed, or circumstances may be against us; but in due time God will take care to vindicate our character, and save us from ruin. deeply affecting his happiness, his character, and the reputation and character of his chosen companion.-God will guide the thoughtful and the anxious. And when we have looked patiently at a perplexed subject, and know not what to do, then God, as in the case of Joseph, will interpose to lead us, and direct our way. Ps. xxv. 9. The angel of the Lord. The word angel literally means a messenger. It is applied chiefly in the scriptures to those invisible holy beings who have not fallen into dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 1 begotten. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name 'JESUS: for he shall save • his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it 2 i.e. Saviour. a Ac.5.31. 13.23.38. sin; who live in heaven (1 Tim. v. 21, our translation the name Joshua should compare Jude 6); and who are sent have been retained. Acts vii. 45. Heb. forth to minister to those who shall be iv. 8. It was a very common name heirs of salvation. Heb. i. 13, 14. Dan. among the Jews. He shall save. ix. 21. The word is sometimes applied This expresses the same as the name, to men, as messengers (Luke vii. 24; and on this account the name was given ix. 52. James ii. 25.); to the winds to him. He saves men by having died (Ps. civ. 4); to the pestilence (Ps. lxxviii. to redeem them; by giving the Spirit to 49); or to whatever is appointed to make renew them (John xvi. 7, 8); by his known, or to execute the will of God. It power in enabling them to overcome is commonly applied, however, to the their spiritual enemies, in defending unfallen, happy spirits that are in heaven, them from danger, in guiding them in whose only dignity and pleasure it is to the path of duty, in sustaining them in do the will of God. Various ways were trials and in death; and he will raise employed by them in making known them up at the last day, and exalt them the will of God, by dreams, visions, to a world of purity and love. ¶ His assuming a human appearance, &c. people. Those whom the Father has In a dream. This was a common given to him. The Jews were called way of making known the will of God the people of God, because he had choto the ancient prophets and people of sen them to himself, and regarded them God. Gen. xx. 3; xxx. 1, 11, 24; as his peculiar and beloved people, sexxxvii. 5; xli. 1. 1 Kings iii. 5. Dan. parate from all the nations of the earth. vii. 1. Job iv. 13-15. In what way Christians are called the people of it was ascertained that these dreams Christ, because it was the purpose of were from God, cannot now be told. the Father to give them to him (Isa. It is sufficient for us to know that in liii. 11. John vi. 37); and because in this way many of the prophecies were due time he came to redeem them to communicated; and to remark that himself. Titus ii. 14. 1 Peter i. 2. now there is no evidence that we are to¶ From their sins. This is the great put reliance on our dreams. Dreams are wild, irregular movements of the mind, when it is unshackled by reason, and it is mere superstition to suppose that God now makes known his will in this way. See my Introduction to Isaiah 37. Son of David. Descendant of David. See ver. 1. The angel put him in mind of his relation to David perhaps to prepare him for the intelligence that Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah-the promised heir of David. Fear not. Do not hesitate, or have fears about her virtue and purity. Do not fear that she will be unworthy of you, or will disgrace you. 21. His name JESUS. The name Jesus is the same as Saviour. It is derived from the verb signifying to save. In Hebrew it is the same as Joshua. In two places in the New Testament it i used where it means Joshua, the leader of the Jews into Canaan, and in business of Jesus in coming and dying. It is not to save men IN their sins, but FROM their sins. Sinners could not be happy in heaven. It would be a place of wretchedness to the guilty. The design of Jesus was, therefore, to save from sin; 1st, by dying to make un atonement, (Titus ii. 14); and 2d, by renewing the heart, and purifying the soul, and preparing his people for a pure and holy heaven. And from this we may learn: 1st, That Jesus had a design in coming into the world; he came to save his people-and that design will surely be accomplished. It is impossible that in any part of it he should fail. 2d. We have no evidence that we are his people, unless we are saved from the power and dominion of sin. A mere profession of being his people will not answer. Unless we give up our sins: unless we renounce the pride, pomp, and pleasure of the might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with a Is.7.14. world, and all our lusts, and crimes, we have no evidence that we are the children of God. It is impossible that we should be Christians if we indulge in sin, and live in the practice of any known iniquity. 3d. That all profess ing Christians should feel that there is no salvation unless it is from sin, and that they can never be admitted to a holy heaven hereafter, unless they are made pure, by the blood of Jesus, here. 22, 23. The prophecy here quoted is recorded in Isa. vii. 14. It was delivered about 740 years before Christ, in the reign of Ahaz, king of Judah. The land of Judea was threatened with an invasion by the united armies of Syria and Israel, under the command of Rezin and Pekah. Ahaz was alarmed, and seems to have contemplated calling in aid from Assyria to defend him. Isaiah was directed in his consternation to go to Ahaz, and tell him to ask a sign from God (vs. 10, 11); that is, to look to God rather than to Assyria for aid. This he refused to do. He had not confidence in God; but feared that the land would be overrun by the armies of Syria (v. 12,) and relied only on the aid which he hoped to receive from Assyria. Isaiah answered that, in these circumstances, the Lord would himself give a sign, or a pledge, that the land should be delivered. The sign was, that a virgin should have a son, and before that son would arrive to years of discretion, the land would be forsaken by these hostile kings. The prophecy was, therefore, designed originally to denote to Ahaz that the land would certainly be delivered from its calamities and dangers, and that the deliverance would not be long delayed. The united land of Syria and Israel united now in confederation, would be deprived of both their kings, and thus the land of Judah be freed from the threatening dangers. This appears to be the literal fulfilment of the passage in Isaiah. Might be fulfilled. It is more difficult to know in what sense this could be said to be fulfilled in the birth of Christ. To understand this, it may be remarked that 1 child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel; which being interpreted, is, God with us. 1 or, his name shall be called. b Jno.1.14. the word fulfilled is used in the scrip tures, and in other writings, in many senses, of which the following are some: 1st. When a thing is clearly predicted, and comes to pass: as the destruction of Babylon, foretold in Isa. xiii. 19-22; and of Jerusalem, in Matt. xxiv.- 2d. When one thing is testified, or shadow. ed forth by another, the type is said to be fulfilled. This was the case in regard to the types and sacrifices in the Old Testament, which were fulfilled by the coming of Christ. See Hebrews ix. - 3d. When prophecies of future events are expressed in language more elevated and full than the particular thing, at first denoted, demands. Or, when the language, though it may express one event, is also so full and rich as appropriately to express other events in similar circumstances, and of similar import. Thus, e. g., the last chapters of Isaiah, from the xlth chapter, foretell the return of the Jews from Babylon; and every circumstance mentioned occurred in their return. But the language is more expanded and sublime than was necessary to express their return. will also express appropriately a much more important and magnificent deliverance that of the redeemed under the Messiah, and the return of the people of God to him, and the universal spread of the gospel; and therefore it may be said to be fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, and the spread of the gospel. So if there were any other magnificent and glorious events, still, in similar circumstances, and of like character, it might be said also that these prophecies were fulfilled in all of them. The language is so full and rich, and the promises so grand, that they appropriately express all these deliverances. This may be the sense in which the prophecy now under consideration may be said to have been fulfilled. 4th. Language is said to be fulfilled when though it was used to express one event, yet it may be used also to express another. Thus a fable may be said to be fulfilled when an event occurs similar to the one concerning which it was first spoken. It 24 Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife : A parable has its fulfilment in all the cases to which it is applicable; and so of a proverb, or a declaration respecting human nature. The declaration "there is none that doeth good," (Ps. xiv. 3), was at first spoken of a particular race of wicked men. Yet it is applicable to others, and in this sense may be said to have been fulfilled. See Rom. iii. 10. In this use of the word fulfilled, it means, not that the passage was at first intended to apply to this particular thing, but that the words aptly or appropriately express the thing spoken of, and may be applied to it. We may say of this, as was said of another thing, and thus the words express both, or are fulfilled. The writers of the New Testament seem occasionally to have used the word in this sense. A virgin shall be with child. Matthew clearly understands this as applying literally to a virgin. Compare Luke i. 34. It thus implies that the conception of Christ was entirely miraculous, or that the body of the Messiah was created directly by the power of God, agreeably to the declaration in Heb. X. 5. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. ¶ Immanuel. This is a Hebrew word, and means literally, God with us. Matthew doubtless understands this word as denoting that the Messiah was really "God with us," or that the divine nature was united to the human. He does not affirm that this was its meaning when used in reference to the child to whom it was first applied; but this was its meaning as applicable to the Messiah. It was fitly expressive of his character; and in this sense it was fulfilled. When first used by Isaiah, it denoted simply that the Dirth of the child was a sign that God was with the Jews, to deliver them. The Hebrews often used the name of Jehovah, or God, in their proper names. Thus, Isaiah means "the salvation of Jehovah;" Eleazer, help of God;" Eli, "my God," &c. But Matthew evidently intends more than was de 66 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born * son: and he called his name JESUS. a Ex.13.2. b Lu.2.21. noted by the simple use of such names. He had just given an account of his miraculous conception; of his being be gotten by the Holy Ghost. God was therefore his Father. He was divine as well as human. His appropriate name was "God with us." And though the mere use of such a name would not prove that he had a divine nature, yet as Matthew uses it, and meant evidently to apply it, it does prove that Jesus was more than a man; that he was God as well as man. And it is this which gives glory to the plan of redemption. It is this which is the wonder of angels. It is this which makes the plan so vast, so grand, so full of instruction and comfort to Christians. See Phil. ii. 6-8. It is this which sheds such peace and joy into the sinner's heart; which gives him such security of salvation; and renders the condescension of God in redemption so great, and his character so lovely "Till God in human flesh I see. My thoughts no comfort find; "But if IMMANUEL's face appears, For a full examination of the passage, See my Notes on Isa. vii. 14. 25. Knew her not. The doctrine of the virginity of Mary before the birth of Jesus is a doctrine of the scriptures, and very important to be believed. But the scriptures do not affirm that she had no children afterwards. Indeed all the accounts in the New Testament lead us to suppose that she had. See Notes on Matt. xiii. 55, 56. The language here evidently implies that she lived as the wife of Joseph after the birth of Jesus Her first-born son. Her eldest son. or he that by the law had the privilege of birth-right. This does not of necessity imply that she had other children. Though it seems probable. It was the |