| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the 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 begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah and his brethren; |
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| 3 And Judah begat Pharez and Zarah of Tamar; and Pharez begat Hezron; and Hezron begat Ram;
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| 4 And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon; and Nahshon begat Salmon; |
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| 5 And Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; |
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| 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah; |
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 And Solomon begat Rehoboam; and Rehoboam begat Abijah; and Abijah begat Asa; |
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| 8 And Asa begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram; and Jehoram begat Uzziah; |
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| 9 And Uzziah begat Jotham; and Jotham begat Ahaz; and Ahaz begat Hezekiah; |
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| 10 And Hezekiah begat Manasseh; and Manasseh begat Amon; and Amon begat Josiah; |
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| 11 And Josiah begat Jehoiachin and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: |
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| 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jehoiachin begat Shealtiel; and Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel; |
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 And Zerubbabel begat Abihud; and Abihud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azur; |
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| 14 And Azur begat Zadok; and Zadok begat Jokim; and Jokim begat Eliud; |
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| 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Mattan; and Mattan begat Jacob; |
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| 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. |
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 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. |
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 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. |
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 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. |
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| 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a 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 Spirit. |
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 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. |
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 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by 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 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God is with us. |
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 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: |
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| 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name 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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