Annotations Upon the New Testament, Matthew · Chapter 1
The Gospel according to St MATTHEW. CHAP. I.
THE word Translated Gospel in Classicall Authors signifies, first, Glad Tidings, or tydings of some good. 1 Sam. 4.10. and 18.24, 26, 27. Secondly, a reward given to him which brings gladsome newes. Thirdly, Sacrifice or thankes offered to God for some acceptable thing. In the Scriptures of the New Teastament it signifies, First, the history of those things which Jesus both did and taught, Mar. 1.1. Mat. 26.3. Secondly, Preaching or publishing of the doctrine of Salvation. 1 Cor. 9.14. 2 Cor. 8.18. Rom. 2.16. Thirdly, The glad tydings of Salvation in and through Jesus Christ, Isa. 40.9. and 52.7. and 61.1. Rom. 10.15.
foreign, signifies a gift or tribute due for good tydings, whether as an offering to the Gods, the Authours, or as a reward to men, the messengers and bringers. M. Mede. See more there. 1 Cor. 9.14.
Matthew is the first of the Evangelists, because he wrote first, the others Marke, Luke, Lucas Brugensis.and John follow likewise according to the order of time in which they wrote.
Matthew proceedes in this manner: First, he describes the Nativity of Christ. Secondly, his Baptisme. Thirdly, his Temptation. Fourthly, his Doctrine. Fiftly, his Miracles. Sixtly, his Passion. Seventhly, his Resurrection and Ascension.
Matthew and Luke agree; First, In their generall scope, which is to shew that Christ is the true Messias comming from Abraham and David. Secondly, In the subject matter or argument, which is to draw Christs Genealogie. Thirdly, In the persons of the first fourteen generations from Abraham to David, for the same persons altogether are rehearsed by both the Evangelists.
They differ; First, In the forme of the series, Matthew proceedes by descending, Luke by ascending; Matthew includes their generations in certaine classes and generations, but not Luke. Secondly,Spanhem. Dub. Evangel. parte 1. Dub. 19. In the Head or originall which Matthew makes in Abraham, Luke in Adam or God. Thirdly, in the Order of the description, Matthew praeposeth the genealogie to the conception and birth of Christ, Luke postposeth it.
VERSE I.
THe aforeign Syrus paraphrastes simpliciter dicit, descriptio generationis. Parum accommodate Munsterus vertit liber generationum. In tali enim constructione Sepher non significat librum, sed catalogum, seriem, recensionem, ut ex Gen. 5.1. patescit; nec libri totius argumentum Christi genealogia, sed exiguae tantummodo eius particulae. In eodem significatu voce foreign utuntur hic Hellenistae Dilher elect. l. 1. c. 9. Generationis id est majorum ex quibus ortus est Christus, ut Tertul. vertit. Bez. vide Pis. in loc.Booke] This first word of the first Evangelist, is a Greeke word, but in signification Hebrew. It is taken after the manner of the Hebrewes, who Gen. 5.1. have Sepher tholedoth, the booke of the generation, that is, a catalogue or reckoning up, but Moses speakes of the catalogue of the generation of Adam, Matthew of the booke of the generation of Jesus: so that generation is taken there actively, for them which Adam begot, that is, his posteritie; here passively, for those of which Christ is begotten, that is, for the Ancestors of Christ.
Jesus] The name in Greeke and Latine, imitateth the Syriac Ieshuang, it signifieth a Saviour, as the Angel explains it. v. 21. To save sinners was the maine designe of Christs comming into the world. He is first the alone Saviour, Acts 4.12. there is an utter inability in any other to save. Secondly, the Almighty Saviour, able to save. Isay 63. Heb. 7.25. Thirdly, it is his peculiar office to save those which were appointed him of his Father. Fourthly, it is for his glory that the Father hath made him a Saviour, John 5.22.24.
Christ] It is a greeke word, and signifieth annointed, and comprehends in it all his Offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, they beeing all annointed: He is called foreign the annointed, by an excellencie, 1 John 41. and 4.42.
Who is the sonne of David, the sonne of Abraham] These words may be taken two waies; first, this may be the sense, the sonne of David, which was the sonne of Abraham: Or thus, the sonne of David and Abraham, the conjunction and beeing understood, and the sense then is, that Christ was the sonne of both. Jansenius likes the former better.
bSpanhem. Dub. Evangel. Facit autem Matthaeus Abrahami & Davidis specialiter mentionem ob promissa illis facta; Abrahamo de populosa progenie, Davidi autem de regni stabilitate, quorum utrumque in Christo eminenter impletum est. Grotius in loc.Matthew calles Christ the sonne of David and Abraham. 1 Because the most speciall and frequent promises concerning the Messiah were made to Abraham and David, begun to Abraham, Gen. 12.2, 3. repeated and confirmed to David. Psal. 89.29. 2 Because these two were most in the esteeme and speech of the Jew…s, as men excelling among the rest, one among the Patriarkes, the other among the Kings. 3 Because the Messias among the Jewes was thought to bee the seede of Abraham and the sonne of David according to the promises.
He premiseth David before Abraham, First because it is solemne in the contexture of genealogies to ascend from the neerer to the more remote, as Luke doth c. 3. Secondly, for the better coherence of this verse with the other following, & Maldonate observeth that it is usuall with the Hebrewes to postpose that from which they will beginne what followes, as in 1 Gen. 1. Thirdly, because indeed Christ was not the sonne of Abraham but by David, and of him first and neerer than the other.
Vers. 5. All the women in Christs Genealogie except his most holy Mother, have a marke of infamie upon them, cNotandum in genealogia Salvatoris nullam sanctarum assumi mulierum sed eas quas scriptura reprehendit, ut qui propter peccatores venerat, de peccatoribus nascens omnium peccata deleret. Hieron. in loc.Thamar, vers. 3. with whom Judas her Father in law had committed incest, Gen. 38.18. Secondly, Rachab, vers. 5. who was a common strumpet, Heb. 11.31. Thirdly, Ruth, verse 5. she came of Moab, whom Lot begat of his owne daughter, Gen. 19.37. Fourthly, Vriahs wife, verse 6. with whom David committed adultery, and for whom he was so plagued of God, 1 Sam. 12.9, 10.
Vers. 6. David the King] OnelyOnly David is adorned with this Elogie, because in his person God propounded a type of the Messiah to come. Calvin. Because a promise of a perpetuall kingdome was made to him, 2 King. 7.12. Maldonate.
David is here called the King, because he was the first King in the genealogie of Christ, and because he was the first King among the people of Israel, in whose seede the Kingdome long continued. Jan sen. comment. in concord Evang.
Vers. 8. Joram begat Ozias] It is manifest from 2 King. 8.24. and 11.2. 1 Chron. 3.11, 12. that Ioram begat Ahaziah, Ahaziah Ioaz, Ioaz Amazia, and lastly Amaziah Vzziah, 2 Chron. 26.1. who also is called Azariah. Here three Kings, Ahaziah, Ioaz, and Amaziah are premised in this Genealogicall series; as Grand-children are called sonnes amongst the Hebrewes, so grandfathers and great-grandfathers, fathers, who may bee thought to have begotten their grand-children and great grand-children, viz. in a mediate generation. So Christ v. 1. is called the sonne of David & Abraham, Spanhem dub. Evang.so we are all called the sonnes of Adam, Iohn 8.33.39. And those three are pretermitted for the peculiar curse which God twice threatneth to powre on the house of Ahab, 1 King. 21.21. and 2 Kings 9.8. which curse the Lord would ratifie here, by altogether rasing out these three Kings which were of the posteritie of Ahab, (for Ahaziah was begot by Ioram of Athaliah the daughter of Ahab) out of the catalogue of Christs progenitors. Or these three Kings may be omitted,Annotations in folio. because Matthew intended to keepe within the compasse of fourteene generations here as well as afterwards.
Vers. 11. By the first Iechonias in the 11 vers. is understood Iehoiachim the sonne of Iosiah, who also is called Eliakim, and he was either of two names and called also Iechonias which is not unusuall in the holy storie, or it may be sayd the name Iehoiakim is rendred of Matthew per euphoniam, *Spanhemitis. Gomarus. vide de Dieu. et Pisc. in loc. Josias tanquam avus nepotem mediante patre Iechoniam gignere dicitur, genuit enim Iosias Ioiachimum, Ioiachim vero Iechoniam, cujus fratres non leguntur quidem germani extitisse, sed intelliguntur patrui atque agnati ex Iosia rege descendentes. Iun. in Paralel.Iechonias. There seeme to be but 13. in the last generation, unlesse he that was last named in the second be againe to be rehearsed the first in that last, as some reverend Divines thinke, viz. Iechonias the father, and also the sonne, which both are to bee reckoned in the genealogie, and are called Iehoiachim and Iehoiachin, 2 Chron: 36.8, 9.
Vers. 16. Quest. Why is the genealogie of Christ drawne from Matthew here, vers. 16. to Ioseph, and not rather to Mary, Spanhemius.when yet Christ neither was the sonne of Ioseph nor descended from him. The common answer both of the ancient and moderne interpreters (which Augustine propounds and defends, Lib. 2. Cons. Evang.) is this, that it was not the custome of the Iewes to rehearse a catalogue of generations by women, Num. 1.26. Hence it is an ancient maxime among them, familia matris non familia.
Vers. 17. From David untill the carrying away into Babylon are fourteene generations.] aIun. in paral. Rainold. de lib. Apoc. praelect. 8. er alij.There were indeed 17. generations from David to the Captivity, but for memories sake three are omitted, that the same even number might be kept in all.
Vers. 18. bShe that is betrothed is counted for a wife. Deut. 22.24.Espoused] Contracting is an ancient and commendable custome, see Gen. 19.8.14. Deut. 22.22. the very Heathens had their espousalls, Iudg. 4.1. Placuit despondi, nuptiis hic dictus est dies, sayes he in Terence. Came together] The word which the Evangelist useth, either modestly signifieth a cforeign de mutuo conjugij usu honeste dicitur ut 1 Cor. 7.8. Cui respondet Latina vox, coire sed minus verecunda.lying together, or is simply taken for to dwell together, that the husband and wife make a house and family, so the sence shall be that the Virgin was not yet delivered from her parents into the hand of her husband, but lived under their custody. Calvin.
V. 18. With Child] Word for word, dforeign, ut Iud. 13.5. Pro eo quod Evangelista Matthaeus dicit, inutero habebit, in Propheta Isa. 7. scriptum est in utero accipiet: sed propheta quia futura praedicit, significat quid futurum sit, & scribit, accipiet: Evangelista quiae non de futuro, sed de praeterito narret historiam, mutavit accipiet, & posuit, habebit, Qui enim habet, nequaquam accepturus est. Hieron. in loc. See Luk. 1.35having in her e bellie, as ver. 23. of the Holy Ghost.] Christ was not begotten spermaticè, not of the substance, but of the power of the Holy Ghost. He had his principium formale from him, and passivum from the Virgin Mary.
Vers. 19. He was a just man, and therefore not willing to accompanie with a defiled woman as he might suppose, but gentle also,See in Beza the difference betweene divortium and repudium. and so chose rather to put her away privily, than to cause her to be stoned as the Law was, Deut. 22.21. After marriage he could not have done this, but must have given her a bill. He would put her away because hee was just; and privily because he would not traduce her; He would put her away, that hee might satisfie his own conscience; and privily, that he might consult for his wives credit. Lucas Brugensis comment. in 4. Evangelia.
Vers. 20. But while he thought on these things] In the Greeke, and as hee had these things in his minde. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost] Angelus docebat Iosephum numinis esse quod ille putaverat criminis. August. Epist.
Vers. 21. Thou shalt call his name Iesus, for he shall save his people from their sinnes] To save from their sinnes is to deliver a sinner from all that hurt and mischiefe which sinne would bring, viz. 1 from the guilt of it, by which it defiles the conscience,Certum est illudnomen Inaūs Iesus, à Graecis Latinos, ab Hebraeis Graecos accepisse. Maldonatus in loc. See 2 Sam. 3.18. and maketh it to accuse, condemne and terrifie, and causeth it contrarily to acquit and comfort. 2 From the punishments of sinne, that is, from all evills in this life so farre as they bee punishments, that is, testimonies of Gods hatred against the sinner, and from the eternall miserie of Hell and the losse of heaven, making a man againe an heire of the kingdome of heaven. 3 From the dominion and tyrannie of sinne upon the will, by which one is a slave to it. 4 From the staine and filth of sinne, and makes the soule cleane and amiable in the sight of God, the filthinesse of sinne beeing taken away.
Vers. 22. Of all the writers of the Old Testament the Prophet Esay hath the honour to be the first that is vouched in the New, and of all places this hath the honour to be the first of all in the first Evangelist and in his first chapter.
foreign Virgo illa. Gen. 3.15.Vers. 23. A Virgin] That virgin foreign, that famous Virgin foretold, Isay 7.14. and selected from eternity, whose seede was to breake the Serpents head.
They shall call] So the Vulgar, Syriac, and Ethiopic reade it, the Arabic in the same sense passively, He shall be called, Beza. Vocabis, Thou shalt call, aVide miscell Drusij cent. 1. c. 72.The right of giving the name, (which rather agreed to the Father, and not to the mother, but by his bGen. 35.18. Luk. 1.60.62. Iun. Esa. 7.14. renders it, vocabis O virgo.consent) is here given to the mother, by which it is signified that this sonne as he was man was without Father. But in the 21. v. (as de Dieu. notes) the giving the name seemes to be ascribed to Ioseph.
dNobiscum carnis similitudine, nobiscum utilitate. Bern.Emanuel] Which being interpreted, is God with us, that is, in our nature, as Cartw. or graciously present with us, as Calvin. Chemnit.
Vers. 25. Helvidius would gather from these two words untill, and first borne, that Mary after had children by her husband. The word untill in Scripture is taken for never. Gen. 28.15. ePrimogenitus est non post quē alij, sed ante quem nullus alius genitus est. Pareus Chemnit.He is called the first borne in Scripture, which first opens the wombe, whether others follow or no. Yet it is the ancient and common opinion of the Church (saith Pareus) that Mary alwaies remained a virgin, which we willingly follow.
foreign, Illum promogenitum, that first borne, to shew that Christ is not called the first borne of Mary, but absolutely the first borne, because he is that famous first borne, viz. the first begotten of all creatures as Paul hath it, that is, begotten before the Creation of all things. Iansen. comment. in concord. Evang.