Bible Commentaries
Matthew 1

Verses 1-17

1-6 Compare Luk_3:23-38 .

6-11 Compare 1Ch_3:10-16

12-16 Compare 1Ch_3:17-19 .

11 This is the royal lineage of the Son of David as well as the title to the land granted to Abraham. In contrast to the genealogy given by Luke, we are given the actual physical descent by the male line to Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of our Lord. The three sections bring before us three distinct phases of rule and the failure of each. First we have the theocracy until David, which ended when the people clamored for a king ( 1Sa_8:6-22 ). Then comes the period of the kingdom, which was a series of failures, until the Babylonian exile. Since then the nations ruled Israel, until the birth of Messiah, when they were under the Roman yoke. It was a dismal descent, and proved conclusively that no male issue of this line would ever be competent to sit upon the throne of Messiah. David was the greatest of the kings, yet his son Solomon was a living evidence of his terrible sin. And so degenerate did the line of his sons become that at the time of the exile Jechoniah drew down upon himself the curse of Jehovah: “Thus saith the Lord, 'Write this man bereft, A master who shall not prosper in his days: For no man of his seed shall prosper, Sitting on the throne of David And ruling any more in Judah'.” ( Jer_22:30 ) Neither Joseph, nor any of his progenitors since the exile, were eligible the throne. If Christ were his natural son, He also would be debarred. The Messiah cannot be of the seed of Jechoniah. Hence the absolute necessity of the virgin birth. Being begotten by God, the sins of progenitors did not taint His blood, and the curse of Coniah had no claim on Him. Yet, as the Son of Joseph, He inherited the title to the throne and all the honors of the house of David.

8 Between Joram and Ozias, there were three kings, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, but their names were blotted out according to the law ( Deu_29:20 ), because they introduced idolatry into Israel. Ahaziah (or Azariah or Jehoahaz) walked in the ways of Ahab and was slain by Jehu ( 2Ch_22:3 ; 2Ch_22:9 ). Joash served Jehovah as long as the priest Jehoiada lived, but afterwards the princes of Judah served idols. He slew the son of Jehoiada, who remonstrated. Hence the servants of King Joash slew him and would not bury him in the tombs of the kings ( 2Ch_24:17-25 ). Amaziah also bowed down to the gods of the sons of Seir, and was slain by the people of Jerusalem ( 2Ch_25:15-27 ).

10 Jehoiakim (or Shallum) is omitted from the list of kings because he refused Jeremiah's warnings, forsook the covenant, and turned to other gods ( Jer_22:1-7 ). In Chronicles mention is made, not only of his abominations, or idolatry, but to “that which was found on him”

( 2Ch_36:8 ). He made cuttings or marks on his flesh as a sign of his allegiance to other gods ( Lev_19:28 ). Hence he was denied human burial and his name is blotted out of the register of kings ( Deu_29:18-20 ).

Jechoniah's name is shortened to Coniah ( Jer_22:24 ) to show that Jehovah withdrew His support from him. He is not included in the line of kings. None of his seven sons ( 1Ch_3:17-18 ) succeeded to the throne. As no man of his seed can prosper, sitting on the throne of David,

yet the regal rights are in his line, Messiah must be his Son, but not his seed.

17 In each group there are fourteen generations. From Abraham to, and including, David, are fourteen. From David to and including Josiah are fourteen. From Jechoniah to and including Christ are fourteen.

|14 | Abraham to David |14 | David to Exile |14 | Exile to Christ |

By this peculiar Hebrew system of enumeration, the true spiritual values are emphasized.

David, as the most important progenitor, is counted twice. By substituting an event in place of a man for the link between the second and third group, Jechoniah is degraded to a place among the private persons of the third group. As a result the twenty kings of Judah are divided into two groups of ten each, the first seven of whom are counted and the last three are blotted out, as on the list herewith.Each period began with a revival and closed in apostasy. At the end of the first the land was oppressed by the Philistines; at the end of the second it was beneath the feet of Babylon: at the end of the third it was under the Roman yoke.

Verses 18-25

1 David 1 Ozias

2 Solomon 2 Joatham

3 Roboam

3 Achaz

4 Abijah 4 Hezekiah

5 Asaph

5 Manasseh

6 Josaphat 6 Amos

7 Joram 7 Josiah

[Ahaziah]

[Jehoahaz]

[Jehoash]

[Jehoiakim]

[Amaziah] [Jechoniah]

18 Compare Luk_1:26-38

19 The law was very strict in an ordinary case of this kind, and demanded that the woman be taken to the entrance of her father's house and the men of her city be required to stone her until she died ( Deu_22:21 ). Joseph could not bring himself to this, so intended to divorce her according to the law that when a man had taken a wife and has found some uncleanness in her then he was to write her a bill of divorcement and send her out of his house ( Deu_24:1 ).

23 In Isaiah, the prophet does not use the usual word for virgin, But olme, damsel ( Isa_7:14 ). It is not likely that it was a virgin when it first came to pass in the prophet's day. But in this, the proper fulfillment , the spirit changes the word to virgin , as it is in the Septuagint also.

Mat_2:1-6 Bethlehem, the House of Bread, can be traced back in the family of our Lord to the time of Boaz and Ruth ( Rth_1:1-2 ). Here David dwelt. It was so insignificant that it is not even mentioned among the cities of Judah by Joshua or Nehemiah. This is seized on by the prophet ( Mic_5:2 ) to form a background for its future greatness. Nor has any other event of importance transpired there. Its solitary and surpassing glory is the birth of the Shepherd of Israel.

1 The magi represent those who are learned in the lore of nature. All nature leads the true devotee to the worship of Him Whose handiwork it is. Many attempts have been made to explain the star of Bethlehem as a purely normal occurrence-a meteor, a comet, the conjunction of a number of planets, etc. But no such star could guide the magi for a long period and then take its place above Bethlehem, as distinct from Jerusalem. It is much easier to believe that it was an extraordinary star, for it heralded the birth of a most extraordinary Babe.

3 Herod the Great, as this king was usually called, may have been of Philistine extraction, his ancestors having been brought to Idumea as prisoners of war. He was the first sovereign of the Edomites who reigned over Judea, under Roman supremacy, and began about 40 B.C. His father, Antipater, had been procurator of Judea when Hyrcanus II., the Maccabean, was king. He died not long after these events. He received his kingdom from Antony and the Roman Senate. After the fall of Antony he found favor with the emperor Augustus. His actions tell us that he feared for his throne when the Messiah should come. In this he was in striking contrast with the Maccabean dynasty which he displaced. They took the royal authority with the express reservation of the rights of the Messiah (1 Macc.14:41). He massacred helpless infants in a futile effort to murder the Messiah.

7 It is evident, from the anxiety of Herod to get the exact time when the star first appeared, and his order to kill all the babes under two years, that the magi did not visit Bethlehem when Christ was born, but a long time afterward. He is now a little Boy, and Herod does not consider it safe to allow any child under two years to live. It is probable that they saw the star in the east at His birth, and, after some time for preparation, took their slow journey to Judea.

12 There is a startling contrast between the worshipful adoration of the magi, and the cruel conduct of His own people. The priests and scribes and populace should have exulted at His coming, but they are disturbed and uneasy. The priests should have worshiped Him, but they would not go a two-hours' journey to see Him. The magi traveled for months and brought Him presents. The scribes knew where be was born, but none went thither. The people followed their leaders. His own received Him not!

13 The khan at Bethlehem was the starting point of caravans for Egypt. Such it was in the days of Jeremiah, who lodged with Chimham at Bethlehem on his way to Egypt ( Jer_41:17 ). And in his day many Jews went down into Egypt so that there were large Jewish colonies there to which Joseph could go during his exile. Here the true Image of God would find the first objects to strike His dawning intelligence, and these would probably be the false images and gigantic temples of their idolatrous worship. Here was the center of the world's wisdom, but we do not read that any of the wise men recognized Him in Whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are concealed ( Col_2:3 ). But here also was the home of the Septuagint, the Greek version of the sacred scrolls which He used in His ministry. From here He, like the nation before Him, was called out of Egypt ( Hos_11:1 ).