| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 A record of descent of Jesus Anointed, son of David, son of Abraham. |
The book – Matthew is the Jewish Gospel, connecting the Old Testament with the New, and is written to prove the Messiahship of Christ. R1046:3*
The son of David – Matthew speaks of Christ as the Son of David; hence his genealogy is complete. R1046:6*
The necessity of thoroughly establishing the pedigree was important since of this tribe (Gen. 49:10) was to come the ruling king of Israel as well as the promised Messiah. A42; HG532:4
But it was not necessary that he should have a human father of the Davidic line. R453:1
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| 2 Abraham begot the Isaac, Isaac and begot the Jacob, Jacob and begot the Judas and the brothers of him. |
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| 3 Judas and begot the Phares and the Zara by the Thamar. Phares and begot the Esrom; Esrom and begot the Aram; |
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| 4 Aram and begot the Aminadab; Aminadab and begot the Naasson; Naasson and begot the Salmon; |
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| 5 Salmon and begot the Booz by the Rachab; Booz and begot the Obed by the Ruth; Obed and begot the Jesse. |
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| 6 Jesse and begot the David the king. David the king and begot the Solomon by the of the Urias; |
David the king – Matthew presents Jesus as king of the Jews, Luke presents him as a worker, and the other two gospels as a philanthropist and as the manifestation of God. R1046:6*
Begat Solomon – But Solomon's line was not the Messianic line. E129
Only the legal heirship came through Solomon, through his descendant Joseph, the legal father of Jesus. R2060:4
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| 7 Solomon and begot the Roboam; Roboam and begot the Abia; Abia and begot the Asa; |
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| 8 Asa and begot the Josaphat; Josaphat and begot the Joram; Joram and begot the Ozias; |
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| 9 Ozias and begot the Jotham; Jotham and begot the Achaz; Achaz and begot the Ezekias; |
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| 10 Ezekias and begot the Manasses; Manasses and begot the Amon; Amon and begot the Josias; |
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| 11 Josias and begot the Jechonias and the brothers of him, near the removal Babylonian. |
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| 12 After the removal Babylonian, Jechonias begot the Salathiel. Salathiel and begot the Zorobabel; |
Jechonias begat – That this line of genealogy is not that of Mary, our Lord's mother according to the flesh, is conclusively shown by a comparison of this verse with Jer. 22:30. R2060:4[R2060:2]
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| 13 Zorobabel and begot the Abiud; Abiud and begot the Eliakim; Eliakim and begot the Azor; |
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| 14 Azor and begot the Sadok; Sadok and begot the Achim; Achim and begot the Eliud; |
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| 15 Eliud and begot the Eleazar; Eleazar and begot the Matthan; Matthan and begot the Jacob; |
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| 16 Jacob and begot the Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, that being named Anointed. |
And Jacob – The real father of Joseph, in contrast with Heli, his father-in-law. (Luke 3:23) E129; Q791:2
Begat Joseph – Christ's legal father; but it is not necessary for Christ to use Joseph's genealogy. E130; Q791:2
If Jesus was a son of Joseph and Mary, he was just as much a son of Adam as you and I; and just as much an inheritor of Adam's sin, under the death sentence, and therefore not able to redeem himself, let alone the world. Q363:1
Matthew traces Joseph's genealogy; for, though Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nevertheless, being adopted by him as his son, he might, without impropriety, inherit through him. R2555:3,6; Q791:2
Mary, of whom was born – The principle of inherited royalty through a mother is illustrated by the heir apparent to the throne of England-- the Prince of Wales, an heir, not of his father, but of his mother, the present queen. R453:1
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| 17 All then the generations from Abraham till David, generations fourteen; and from David till the removal Babylonian, generations fourteen; and from the removal of Babylonian till Anointed, generations fourteen. |
Fourteen generations – Greek, genea, as in "This generation shall not pass." (Matt. 24:34) D603
The difference in the number of generations from David to Christ--27 in Matthew, 42 in Luke--need not be considered as remarkable. It would be remarkable had they been the same. Q791:2, 1
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| 18 Of the now Jesus Anointed the birth thus was. Being espoused for the mother of him Mary to the Joseph, before either came together them, she was found in womb having by a spirit holy. |
Before they came together – Mary was a sharer with Joseph when Jesus was born, though not when he was conceived; hence the genealogy of Joseph, the son of Solomon the son of David. R453:2
The knowledge of these circumstances was the evident cause of his kinsfolk's sneer at him, "We be not born of fornication." (John 8:41) R2425:1
With child – If we can have a perfect life germ, we can have a perfect child from an imperfect mother. R4964:1
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| 19 Joseph and the husband of her, a just man being and not willing her to publicly expose, was inclined secretly to release her. |
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| 20 These but of him thinking on, lo a messenger of a Lord in a dream appeared to him, saying: Joseph, son of David, not thou shouldst fear to take Mary the wife of thee; that for in her being found, by a spirit is holy; |
Of the Holy Spirit – Holy Spirit. His life came not from an earthly father, but from his heavenly Father. R4964:2
Not the seed of man, hence his very nature was perfect, holy, unlike our nature. R84:3*
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| 21 she shall bear and a son, and thou shalt call the name of him Jesus; he for shall save the people of him from the sins of them; |
His name JESUS – Meaning "Savior" or "Jehovah's salvation." R3687:6, 5335:3
In olden times, the name stood for the character. OV423:4
The Greek form for Joshua, signifying Savior. In the Syriac, Savior signifies life-giver. He has not yet become the life-giver or king. R4534:6
Signifying Savior or Liberator. Hence, only those who receive him as such are given liberty to become sons of God--none else. R1006:1
The entire work of our Lord Jesus is summed up in the meaning of the name, Jesus. R3687:6
Our Lord was publicly recognized as Savior as a babe; but it was only when he had fully completed that sacrifice at Calvary that he had the full right, and became owner, or Lord. R745:1,4
Only at the conclusion of the Millennial age will the full meaning of Savior be appreciated by the world. R4535:4
For he shall save – The name of Jesus is nothing, except as it means a Savior from sin and its penalty. R687:6
The Church's salvation begins now in the sense of reformation and rest in the Lord's promises; but they are not saved actually, but "saved by hope." (Rom. 8:24) R4535:1
His people – The good tidings of a Savior shall be to all people (Luke 2:10,11), but the special salvation from sin and death will come only to his people, those who believe into him. A107
All who ultimately become his people, no others. R4534:4, 3687:6, 1604:4; SM502:2
Let us make sure that we have accepted him and are "his people." R1604:4
Such noble shining heathen lights as Aristotle, Plato, Confucius and others are the Lord's "sheep" and "friends"--"his people" whom he came to save from their sins. (John 10:16; 15:13,14) R1180:3, 1178:3
From their sins – From all the mental, moral and physical degradation which came through father Adam's disobedience. R4702:4; A107
And from the penalty of their sins, death--which includes degradation, mental, moral and physical. R1604:4
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| 22 (This and all was done, so that might be fulfilled the word spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: |
That it might be fulfilled – Matthew's characteristic introduction to a quotation. Mark uses "as it is written." John has "as said Esaias," and Luke seldom makes any introductory references. R1047:1*
Quoting Isa. 7:14 and partially fulfilled at that time, as a type, with the prophet representing Jehovah, the prophetess representing the virgin Mary, and their child representing Jesus. R436:2,4
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| 23 Lo, the virgin in womb shall have, and shall bear a son, and they shall call the name of him Emmanuel; which is being translated, with us a God.) |
Virgin shall be with child – Showing that it was not the child of Joseph, but specially begotten by divine power. R4964:1
The narrative of Jesus' miraculous conception has the best and oldest Greek manuscripts to support it--the Sinaitic and the Vatican; the Alexandrian contains it in Luke, though in Matthew it is missing--not omitted. R434:4
Zoroaster taught that in the latter days a pure virgin should conceive and, at his birth, a star would appear with undiminished luster, even at midday. R4098:4*, 1674:6
Call his name Emmanuel – Must we set aside this prophecy because the child was called Jesus? Many names and many offices are his. His name has been called Immanuel (God with us). The church in general has recognized him by that name for 1800 years. R436:4
God with us – "God was manifest in the flesh." (1 Tim. 3:16) R27:2*
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| 24 Being aroused and the Joseph from the sleep, he did as commanded to him the messenger of a Lord, and took the wife of him, |
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| 25 but not he knew her till she brought forth the a son of her the first born; and called the name of him Jesus. |
Her firstborn son – The birth of Jesus was a gift of love divine. R5135:2
Implying that she brought forth other sons--his brothers and sisters (Mark 6:3)--afterward; a contradiction of the Catholic doctrine that Mary is "ever a virgin." R560:2*
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