Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 36 · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CAP. I.
THE rolle,1 The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. or cat…logue of the Pedigree of Iesus Christ; according to the flesh, derived from those two most remarkeable progenitors, David and Abraham; to whom the promises were most clearly and fully made of the Messiah, to be deduced from their loines.
And Sal…mon begat Booz of Rahab,5 And Salomon begat Booz of Rahab, and Booz begat Obed of Ruth, and Obed begat lesse. who received the spies in Jericho; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth, the Moabitesse; which two women, being forainers from the common-wealth of Israel, were both mercifully received into the Church of God, and honoured with the progeniture of Christ.
Of Joram was descended Ozias; betwixt whom were interposed three Kings, (Ahaziah, Joash,8 And Ioram begat Ozias. and Amasiah) whereof mention is not made (whether for that they were of the seed of Ahab; or for that, there being no danger of omission in so knowne a pedigree, there might be a just observation of the intended number, of the generations specified.)
And Josiah begat Joakim and his bretheren;11 And Iosias begat Iechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon. and that Joakim begat Joachin, or Jechoniah, neare to the time that they were carried away captive to Babylon; so as Josiah was the Grandfather of Jechoniah.
In the time of the captivitie,12 After that they were brought to Babylon, Iechonias begat Salathiel. Jechoniah (whom God pronounced childlesse, in respect of any succession to the throne) begat Salathiel his second sonne.
And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary,16 And Iacob begat Ioseph the husband of Mary. being of the same Tribe and family; so as they had the same common Ancestors;17 So all the generations from Abraham to David, are fourteene generations: & from David untill the carrying away into Babylon, are fourteene generations. which were therefore wont to be reckoned by the males, and not by the females.
So in the line or pedigree of Abraham to David, are fourteene descents; and from David to the carrying away into Babylon, fourteene descents, &c.
Then Joseph her betrothed husband, being a just man,19 Then Ioseph her husband being a just man, and not willing to make her a publike example, was minded to put her away privily. and therefore not willing to cloake that unchastity, when he suspected in his espoused wife; and on the other side as a mercifull and loving husband, being not willing to prosecute the rigour of the law against her, resolved to put her away privily.
20 Feare not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost.Feare not to acknowledge Mary for thy wife, and to make a rituall consumation of that marriage, which is contracted betwixt you; for that which is conceived in her, is not of any mortall seed, but is miraculously wrought by the power, and operation of the holy Ghost.
25 And knew her not, till she had brought forth her first borne sonne, and he called his name Iesus.And Joseph in reverence of that divine worke of the holy Ghost, and that blessed conception which was wrought in her; yeelded so much honour to the body of Mary his wife, as that hee altogether abstained from all carnall knowledge of so holy a vessell: and when this onelyonly child of hers was borne, according to the vision and premonition, which he had from God, he called his Name Jesus, or Saviour.
CAP. II.
1 Now when Iesus was borne in Bethleem of Iudea, in the daies of Herod the King; behold, there came wise men from the East, to Hierusalem.Now, when Jesus was (upon occasion of the Tribes going up to their severall Cities to be taxed) borne at Bethleem (not that of Zebulon but of Judah) in the reigne of Herod the first, being a Tributary King of the Iewes, under the Romanes, there came wise men from the Easterne coasts, (whether of Chaldea, or rather) of Persia, to the City of Jerusalem.
2 Saying, where is he that is borne King of the Iewes: for we have seene his starre in the East, and are come to worship him.Saying, where is hee, whom we know by assured revelation from God, to bee borne the true King of the Jewes; and that not a Prince of any naturall, and ordinary ranke, but such a one, as is designed, and notifyed from heaven, for some marvelous purpose: for there hath appeared unto us in the East a miraculous starre which signifieth his comming into the world, and wee are come afarre off, to present our homage, and worship unto him.
See Micha 5. vers. 2.6 And thou Bethleem, &c.
That very starre,9 When they had heard the King, they departed, and loe the starre which they saw in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. which they had formerly seene in the East, & had guided them to Jerusalem, now appeared unto them againe, and (as moving lower in the aire) went visibly before them, till it came to Bethleem, and there stood still over the house, where the new-borne child was.
And notwithstanding the homelinesse of the place,11 And fell downe and worshipped him: & when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrhe. and the meane appearance of the parents, and the poornesse of the furniture, and provison for that birth, they acknowledging some more than humane Majestie in that child, fell downe and worshipped him; and presented unto him the most precious gifts which their country yeelded, even gold, frankincense and myrrhe.
So as herein was fulfilled and verified,15 That it might bee fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord, by the Prophet, saying; Out of Aegypt have I called my Sonne. in an higher nature and degree, that which was spoken by the prophet Hoseas, saying; Out of Aegypt have I called my sonne; for that, which he spake of the people of Israel, which were the sonnes of God by choice, and adoption, was now fulfilled in him, who was the naturall, and eternall Sonne of his Father.
And slew all the children that were in Bethleem &c. and that were two yeares old and under,16 And slew al the children that were in Bethleem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two yeares old and under, according to the time, which he had diligently enquired of the wisemen. that he might make sure worke, and might certainely light upon the child, whose birth the wisemen had signified unto him; he did therefore resolve to cast beyond the time declared by them so farre backe, as there should bee no likelihood of possibilitie for that designed child to escape.
Then was againe fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet,17 18 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Ieremy the Prophet, saying; In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, & great mourning; Rachel weeping for her children, and would not bee comforted, because they are not. concerning Rachels weeping for her sonnes of the Tribe of Benjamin; shee being buried at Bethleem, was brought in, as it were in her grave, so deepely lamenting the losse of her posterity, carried away captive into Babylon, as that the voyce of her weeping was heard a farre off, even at Ramah in the Tribe of Benjamin; and now, well may she renue that her lamentation, when so many innocent children were thus cruelly slaine within the sight of her grave.
And he came, and abode in a City of Galilee,23 And hee came and dwelt in a City called Nazareth, that it might hee fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets, hee shall be called a Nazarene. called Nazareth, that in the very place of his dwelling, there might bee an allusion to that stile, or title which is frequently given to him of the Prophets, by whom hee is called Netzar: so as, out of this ground, the appellation which is given him of a Nazarene, how ever it be objected to him, by way of reproach, is rather a notable proofe of his answerablenesse to that prediction of the Prophets; especially that of Esay, who by the root of Jesse, whence he should come, describes Bethlehem (the dwelling of Iesse) for the place of his birth, and by that Netzar, which should arise from that root, meant to allude to the place of his abode and education.