A plain commentary on the four holy Gospels

Front matter

Class Book.

J?, *SfL5

.PLAIN COMMENTARY

Chapter I

1. The genealogy of Christ from Abraham to Joseph. 18. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and bom of the Virgin Mary when she was espoused to Joseph. 19. The Angel satisfieth the misdeeming thoughts of Joseph, and interpreteth the names of Christ.

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

The beginning of the New Testament is meant to remind us of the beginning of the Old. The resemblance in the language is intended to imply that there is a certain relation or resemblance between the two Testaments also: so that the one is, in many respects, the very counterpart of the other. They have been compared to the two Cherubims of glory, which overshadowed the mercy-seat with their wings, and turned their faces one to another; — between which also God dwelt in brightness, (a) and from between which He communed with men. (6) Genesis v. is found to begin as follows, — " This is the book of the generations of Adain." Now Adam "is the figure of Him that was to come."(c)

The man Christ Jesus is the second Adam,(d) in whom we behold the beginning of a new Creation. For, "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."(e)

Our Lord is here called "the Son of David, the son of Abraham," because the promise of the Messiah was especially given to those two great saints ; to Abraham, in Gen. xxii. 18; to David, in 2 Sam. vii. 12. And "the Son of David" comes before "the son of Abraham," in order that "the stone which the builders rejected" may be made "the head of the corner."

How attentive should we be to thefrst words of the Gospel of Christ !

2, 3 Abraham begat Isaac ; and Isaac begat Jacob ; and his brethren ; and Judas begat Pharez and Zara of Thamar.

Besides the Blessed Virgin Mary, only four female names are found in this genealogy, — Thamar, guilty of incest ; Rahab, the harlot ; Ruth, a Moabitess ; Bathsheba, an adulteress. Nothing is said of Sarah, and Rebekah, and Rachel, and the other holy matrons of whom we elsewhere read. Our Lord's descent from these four persons, {all, probably of Gentile extraction,) may have been recorded, partly in order to intimate the interest which the Gentile world has in Christ ; and to prepare men's minds for the ultimate call of the Church, — His Spouse, — from among the Heathen : partly, in order to teach us that He came into the world to bear our shame. And we learn from what is here written, that the disgrace of the ancestor is no real blot upon the descendant ; who may yet be very holy, and reflect back his own brightness on all who ever went before him.

Concerning Rahab and Ruth however, much is said in the way of actual commendation in Holy Scripture: see the two next notes. And Thamar receives memorable notice in the Book of Ruth.(y) "She hath been more righteous than I," exclaimed the patriarch Judah concerning her.(^) Indeed we should be very careful how we venture to speak of persons whose history indeed, but not whose character is set down in the Book of Life.

The History may mislead us, or rather, it may be mistaken by us. For example, few readers of Genesis would have suspected that Esau was in God's sight a "fornicator," and " a profane person."(A)

4, 5 And Phares begat Esrom ; and Esrom begat Aram ; and Aram begat Aminidab ; and Aminidab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon ; and Salmon begat Booz of Rachab ;

" The harlot Rahab" is one of the " cloud of Witnesses," whose Faith is noticed by St. Paul ;(i) and whose works are appealed to by St. James, ii. 25. For her remarkable history see Joshua ii. and vi. This is the only place in the Bible where her marriage is recorded.

And Booz begat Obed of Ruth ; and Obed begat Jesse ;

For the lovely history of Ruth the Moabitess, see the Book in the Bible which bears her name. It was all in consequence of her faithfulness(/v) that she won for herself so glorious a place in the Book of Life.

6 And Jesse begat David the king ;

David was the youngest of Jesse's eight sons,(7) and "fed his father's sheep at Bethlehem." (m) God " took him from the sheepfolds . . . to feed Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance."(w)

And David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias ;

Instead of telling us that this was Bathsheba, the Spirit gives the name of her murdered husband; and thus reminds us of David's sin and Bathsheba's shame.

7 And Solomon begat Roboam ;

The names which follow, (with slight diversities in the spelling,) are the names of the kings of Judah, whose acts are recorded in the Books of Kings and Chronicles.

8 And Roboam begat Abia ; and Abia begat Asa ; and Asa begat Josaphat ; and Josaphat begat Joram ; and Joram begat Ozias ;

It is not meant that " Ozias," (that is, Uzziah,) was the son of "Joram" or Jehoram, but his grandson's grandson ; the names of three kings of Judah are therefore here left out ; namely, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. This reminds us that there are evil names which God will at last, assuredly, blot out of the Book of Life.(o)

Perhaps these three generations are omitted because they were the result of the unholy marriage of Jehoram with Athaliah, the daughter of the wicked Ahab and

(/) Ruth iv. 12. (g) Gen. xxxviii. 26. (h) Heb. xii. 16.

(m) 1 Sam. xvii. 15. (n) Psalm lxxviii. 70, 71. (o) Exod. xxxii. 33.

ON ST. MATTHEW S GOSPEL.

idolatrous Jezebel.Q?) Uzziah, who married Jerusha, the_ daughter of Zadok the priest, (q) is the first name which becomes restored to the line of our Lord's ancestors after the flesh. We are reminded by all this of the danger, and perhaps the guilt, of contracting marriage with an ungodly family.

9, 10, 11 And Ozias begat Joathain ; and Joatham begat Achaz ; and Acliaz begat Ezekias ; and Ezekias begat Manasses ; and Manasses begat Anion ; and Anion begat Josias ; and Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren about the time they were carried away to Babylon :

This " Jechonias" is called in the Old Testament JeJwiaJcim. Unless the Jechonias in this verse and the next are distinguished, it might be thought that the numbers in ver. 17, do not correspond with the names which had gone before.

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel ;

The king mentioned in verse 11, was the father of this " Jechonias ;" who is called in the Old Testament Jehoiachin, or Jeconiah, or Coniali. The curse of dying childless had been solemnly pronounced upon " Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim," by the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah. (r) Salathiel, here mentioned, must therefore have been only his adopted son.

And Salathiel begat Zorobabel ;

Zorobabel, (whose name means " He of the dispersion of Babylon,") was governor of Juclah ; a famous type as well as ancestor of our Lord. He it was who, with Jeshua the high-priest, rebuilt the temple of Jerusalem after the Captivity ;(s) being sustained in the task by the prophets Haggai and Zachariah.(^) For the sense in which Salathiel is here said to have begotten Zorobabel, see the note on St. Luke iii. 27.

13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud ;

This only means that Abiud was descended remotely from Zorobabel; he might be called his "son" in the same way as Joseph, in ver. 20, is called " son of David." For Zorobabel ; s immediate descendants, see 1 Chronicles iii. 19 — 24. The names which here follow, down to Joseph, are nowhere found in the Bible except in this place.

14, 15, 16 And Abiud begat Eliakim ; and Eliakini begat Azor ; and Azor begat Sadoc ; and Sadoc begat Achim ; and Achim begat Eliud ; and Eliud begat Eleazar ; and Eleazar begat Matthan ; and Matthan begat Jacob ; and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

This then is " the genealogy of Christ from Abraham to Joseph" as the heading of the chapter rightly informs us. But, since our blessed Lord was born of the Virgin Mary, — it may be asked, Why was not her genealogy given rather than Joseph's ? And, since Joseph was not our Lord's real Father, How does Ms descent from David show that our Lord also was "made of the seed of David according to the nesh?"(it)

These questions cannot be fully answered in a few words. It must suffice to point out that it was necessary at first, to keep the mystery of the Birth of Christ hidden from the unbelieving eyes of men, and indeed from the Powers of Darkness also : and that was why it seemed good in the providence of God, that Joseph should not only become the Virgin's wedded husband, but be looked upon and be spoken of for a certain space of time as our Lord's Father likewise.(x) Accorded) 2 Kings viii. 16—18, 26. . (q) 2 Kings xv. 32, 33. (r) Jer. xxii. 24—30. Is) Ezra iii. 2 ; v. 2 ; Hag. i. 14. (*) See Ezra v. 1 ; Hag. i. 1, 12 ; ii. 2. («) Rom. i. 3. (x) St. Matt. xiii. 55; St. Luke ii. 48; iii. 23; St. John vi. 42.

ingly, Joseph's genealogy from David is here given. And next, observe that, in the eyes of a Jew, Joseph's descent from David was quite enough to establish our Lord's legal descent likewise from the same king, notwithstanding His miraculous Birth ; because when Joseph married the Blessed Virgin her Holy Son was accounted to be strictly Joseph's son, and to be descended from the same line of ancestors as Joseph himself.

But lastly, it is to be borne in mind that, from the very language of Scripture, there can be no doubt that the Blessed Virgin was herself of the same family as Joseph. She came to Bethlehem "to be taxed," as well as her husband ;(y) therefore she was of the house and lineage of David, as well as he. The angel promised that the holy Child which should be born oilier, should occupy "the throne of His Father David;" iz) therefore she must have been of David's line. And Zacharias, who knew the mystery of our Saviour's Birth, blessed God for having " raised up a horn of Salvation in the house of His servant David." (a)

We must not be surprised to meet with some difficulties in a Revelation which comes from God : rather should it surprise us that We meet with so few. Nor is it reasonable that beings like ourselves, who really know nothing more about God and His ways than He has been pleased to tell us, should sit in judgment, as it were, on His Holy Book. Humility is the fitting attitude for the mind which studies divine things ; Adoration, the proper business of the heart ; and oh ! the peace and joy unspeakable which they experience, who are content in such a temper to feed upon the Word of Life. Consider such texts as the following : Job xxiii. 12 ; Psalm i. 2 ; lvi. 10 ; cxix. 72, 97, 103, 105, 140, 148, &c.

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.

In the Book of Wisdom(6) it is said, " Thou hast ordered all things in measure, number, and weight."

Three fourteens are 42 ; which is declared(c) to be the number of the stations of the Israelites, on their way from Egypt into Canaan. Just so, there are found to be 42 resting places in this Genealogy, by which the Israel of God are conducted out of the bondage of the world into the promised land of the Gospel, — the glorious liberty of the kingdom of Christ. As a matter of fact, indeed, there were more than 42 stations, just as there were actually more than 42 steps in the Genealogy.^) But the same inspiring Spirit which instructed the Author of the Book of Numbers to exhibit the stations as six times seven, guided the hand of the blessed Evangelist St. Matthew likewise to a similar result.

St. Matthew thus distinguishes three periods of time, from Abraham to Christ ; as Moses had defined the limits of two earlier periods ;(e) and these five embrace the whole interval comprehended by the Old Testament. A sixth and last period, the Age of the Gospel, extending on from the Advent of our Lord to the end of the world, may be considered to correspond with the Sixth Day of Creation, inasmuch as it presents us with the crowning work of Love, the Man, Christ Jesus, the Second Adam. There yet remains to be revealed that eternal Sabbath ;(f) of which the rest of the seventh day was but a faint type or image : and the whole will indeed be "finished."

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 Ghost.

The history of this mighty wonder is given at greater length in St. Luke's Gospel, (g) One Evangelist supplies what the other omits, in order to induce us to study all the four Gospels.

il]

St. Luke ii. 5. (2} St. Luke i. 32. (a) St. Luke i. 69.

Wisdom xi. 20. (c) Numbers xxxiii. (d) See notes on verses 8 and 19.

(ej Gen. v. and xi. (/) Heb. iv. 9. (g) St. Luke i. 26—28.

ON ST. MATTHEW S GOSPEL.

That the Saviour should be born of " a Virgin espoused to a man," as St. Luke speaks, {h) was a part of the Divine contrivance. The secret of His birth was thereby effectually concealed. See the note on verse 16. Also on St. Luke i. 27.

19 Then Joseph her husband,

For, by the Jewish law, an " espoused" (or betrothed) woman was reckoned as a wife. Consider the language of Deut. xxii. 23, 24.

being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

From this, we gather two things. First, that Joseph was a person of amazing forbearance and tenderness. Secondly, that the Blessed Virgin had kept the miracle of the Incarnation a profound secret even from him. She left to God the care of completing his own designs, and carrying out the wonderful work He had begun.

Well would it be Tor us, if we also, after entire obedience, could be content to leave the issues of events in the hands of God ! We act as if we could not trust Him in the commonest matters for a single hour.

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 ;

This was doubtless the Angel Gabriel, who had already conveyed wondrous tidings to Zacharias, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary.(i) Since the holy Angels take so great an interest in the concerns of men, as our Saviour Jestjs Christ assures us that they do,(&) how must they have delighted in thus ministering to His chosen servants ; and rejoiced in every thing that tended to prepare the way for the coming of His Gospel !

for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

God ended his doubts by sending an angel to reveal to him the innocence of Mary, and the Divinity of her Son, — who derived His birth from Heaven, and was heir of all the world. "And in all our doubts," says a pious Bishop, "we shall have a resolution from Heaven, or some of its ministers, if we havej;ecourse thither for a guide ; and be not hasty in our discourses, or inconsiderate in our purposes, or rash in our judgment."

21 And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS : for He shall save His people from their sins.

Almost every name has a well-known meaning. The name Jesus means Saviour: that is why the Angel says, "for He shall save His people."

"Jesus" is the Greek way of writing the Hebrew name Joshua. The famous typical personage who bore the latter name is therefore actually called " Jesus" in Acts vii. 45, and in Hebrews iv. 8. Other persons bore the name of Jesus besides our Lord: see, for example, Colossians iv. 11; but the name never belonged of right, to any one but Him.

Notice, here, the intimation afforded by the Angel that the promised Deliverer was to become the Head of a spiritual kingdom: — "He shall save His people — from their sins." As for that expression, "Sis people" consider how "He saith also in Osee, I will call them My people which were not My people," (I) for the name belongs to as many as have been redeemed to God by the Blood of the Lamb "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation :"(m) and was not confined, as the Jews fondly supposed, to the natural descendants of Abraham. See the note on St. Matt. iii. 9.

It was long before the most enlightened among them were able to realize this great truth. Thus the Apostles are found inquiring of our Blessed Lord, shortly

Ch) St. Luke i. 27. (i) St. Luke i. 19, 26, 27. [k) See St. Luke xv. 10.

"before His Ascension into Heaven, " Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel ¥'(n)

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet,

Bather "spoken by the Lord, through" that is, "by the mouth of" "the prophet." Compare the language of Acts i. 16. So in ii. 15. More will be found on this subject in the note on St. Luke i. 70.

23 saying, 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 with us.

Isaiah is the prophet here spoken of :(o) this is the first of the many ancient prophecies which St. Matthew notices as fulfilled in the History of our Blessed Lord. It had been pronounced about 750 years before, and yields to none, in its wondrous precision and clearness.

Emmanu means "with us," El means " God." Compare Isaiah viii. 10, where this interpretation of the Hebrew name is found.

Not that our Saviour received the name "Emmanuel" from anyone; but in Hebrew, "to be called" and "to be," are different ways of saying the same thing. Christ Jesus therefore, because He was "very God of very God," is said to have been "called Emmanuel," when He "dwelt among us," (as St. John writes, i. 14,) because He was really and truly, God with us.

Let us never forget His parting promise to His Apostles, the last words of St. Matthew's Gospel, — " Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world!" "If God be for us," asks St. Paul, "who can be against us?"(jp)

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife :

The Virgin Mary became the wife of Joseph, to whom she had already been espoused. (q) One reason why it was ordained that by a wedded wife the Eternal Son should be born into the world, has been already assigned in the note to ver. 16. But by this precaution on the part of the Most High we seem to be further taught that we tnay not rest content with purity of purpose and innocence of intention ; but that we must also " provide things honest in the sight of all men ;" leaving no room for scandal or suspicion, and throwing no unnecessary stumbling-block in the way of others. The most holy Virgin, as her title implies, remained a Virgin all her life. Our blessed Lord, the Only Begotten Son of the Father, (r) — was her first-born and her only Son. Yet, in respect of that mysterious Childbearing also, did Mary remain a Virgin : so that she has been compared to the Bush which burned with fire — and yet was not consumed. (s)

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born Son :

Which does not, in the least degree, imply that she ever had another : but only, that she had never had a son before this. Every "first-born" was presented unto the Lord, — whence the special notice given to the first-born in the law of Moses, Exod. xiii. 2 ; xxii. 29 ; and xxxiv. 19 ; Numb. iii. 13 ; viii. 17; and xviii, 15 : but this appellation was bestowed without any reference whatever to the children who might (or might not) happen to come after.

Concerning the expression " till she had brought forth," consider the following places of Scripture : — Gen. xxviii. 15 ; Deut. xxxiv. 6 ; 1 Sam. xv. 35 ; 2 Sam. vi. 23 ; Psalm cxii. 8, &c. ; and take notice that in none of those places is it by any means implied that, at the period spoken of, the thing did happen which is spoken of as not having happened until then. See by all means, in a Bible with references, the marginal note against Daniel i. 21.

(n) Acts i. 3. (o) See Isaiah vii. 14. (p) Kom. viii. 31.

(q) See ver. 18, and note there, (r) St. John i. 14, 18 ; iii. 16, 18. (s) Exod. iii. 2.

I.] ON ST. MATTHEW'S GOSPEL. 11

and he called his name JESUS.

As Joseph had been commanded by the Angel in v. 21. The Blessed Virgin had received the same command before him.(^) From the special interference of God in the bestowal of names on certain occasions, (as in Genesis xvi. 11; xvii. 5, 15, 19 ; xxxii. 28, and xxxv. 10 ; and St. Luke i. 13,) we learn that names ought not to be carelessly and thoughtlessly given, but that we should have a reason to assign for the name we bestow.

The dignity of the very name of God may be inferred from that petition in our daily prayer, — " Hallowed be Thy name." In many places of the Bible the Name of God stands for God Himself; as in Psalm xxi. 1, 7 ; Proverbs xviii. 10, &c.

PRAYERS.

GOD, which maketh us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Thy only Son Jesus Christ, grant that as we joyfully receive Him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold Him when He shall come to be our Judge ; who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Collect J or Christmas Day, A. D. 1549.

Almighty God, who hast given us Thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin ; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by Thy Holy Spirit ; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

(t) See St. Luke i. 31.

Chapter II

1. The Wise Men out of tlie East are directed to Christ by a Star. 11. They worship Him, and offer their presents. 14. Joseph jieetli into Egypt, with Jestjs and His Mother. 16. Herod slayeth the children. 20. Himself dieth. 23. Christ is brought back again to Galilee into Nazaretli.

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came Wise Men from the east to Jerusalem.

These Persian sages are thought to have "been of royal, as well as of priestly race ; and in their persons may have been first fulfilled those glorious anticipations of the prophet Isaiah: — "Kings . . . shall how down to Thee, with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of Thy feet."(«) " The Gentiles shall come to Thy light, and Kings to the brightness of Thy rising. 7 '^) " Yea, all Kings shall how down before Hini."(c) See also Psalm lxviii. 29 ; Ixxii. 10.

2 Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews ? for we have seen His Star in the East, and are come to worship Him.

" King of the Jews V a title which attended our Blessed Lord from the cradle to the grave, (cl)

Notwithstanding the humbleness of our Redeemer's birth, it should not escape our notice that the blessed event was carolled by Angels on Earth, and proclaimed by a Star in Heaven. Christ was laid in a manger indeed ; but Wise Men from the East did Him homage, and confessed that He was " King of the Jews." The finger of Prophecy pointed him out to the eye of Faith, from first to last, as the Messiah, the Saviour of the World.

Men are apt to overlook the glories by which the Son of God was attended, even in the lowest depth of His humiliation ; simply because those glories were not of Earth, but of Heaven.

3 When Herod the King had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Herod was by birth an Idumaean, or Edomite; that is, a descendant of Esau. *On this account, as well as because of his cruel and tyrannical conduct, he was far from popular with the Jewish people, (the descendants of Israel,) whom he governed. Well may tidings of one that was "born King of the Jeivs" have " troubled" Herod therefore ; inflaming his jealousy, and arousing all his fears !

4 And when he had gathered all the chief Priests and Scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

Observe what important results followed at once from the Wise Men's visit to Jerusalem. The chief Priests and Scribes were made to bear witness to the clear

(a) Isaiah xlix. 23. (&) lb. lx. 3.

(c) Psalm lxii. 11. (d) See St. Mattli. xxvii. 37, &c.

II.] ON ST. MATTHEW'S GOSPEL. 13

voice of Prophecy ; and the attention of all who looked for redemption in Jerusalem^) was called to the actual advent of Christ.

There were many holy men among the Jews who looked for His coming ; as St. Andrew and St. John,(/) St. Philip (g) and others of the Apostles. Simeon is expressly said to have "waited for the consolation of Israel." (7i) Joseph of Arimathea also "waited for the kingdom of Go~D."(i)

5 And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of Judaea : for thus it is written by the Prophet,

The Jews knew very well (as we learn from St. John vii. 42) that Christ was to he born in Bethlehem Ephratah, or, as it was commonly called, Bethlehem of Judasa, — to distinguish it from the other village of the same name in the tribe of Zabulon.(fc)

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda : for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule My people Israel.

The chief Priests do not repeat the exact words of Micah v. 2, but they give the sense of the prophecy very fairly. It is because they cite that place of Scripture according to the interpretation then current among the Jews ; and which is still preserved in their " Chaldee paraphrase."

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the Wise Men, inquired of them diligently what time the Star appeared.

He sent for them in private, pretending to take a friendly interest in the tidings they brought, and hoping thereby the better to frustrate the Divine Will which he had just heard declared out of ancient prophecy. He had yet to learn that " the counsel of the Lord standethfor ever; ,; (Z) that "with Him is wisdom and strength: He hath counsel and understanding -"(m) "He is in one mind, and who can turn Him ?"(w) " Hath He said, and shall He not do it ?"

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young Child ; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also.

Thus he sent them forth with lying words on his tongue, and murderous thoughts in his heart: but "the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." (o) "There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord." (p) "He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness." (q)