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A

COMPANION

TO THE

NEW TESTAMENT.

ST. MATTHEW.

I.-1.-16. The difference of design will satisfactorily explain the seeming difference between the genealogies of our Saviour given by the Evangelists Matthew and Luke, from the public registers, and which comprise a period of four thousand years, from Adam to Joseph his reputed father, or to Mary his mother. The genealogy given by St. Matthew was principally designed for the Jews; and therefore it traces the pedigree of Jesus Christ as the promised seed, downwards from Abraham to David, and from him through Solomon's line to Jacob the father of Joseph who was the reputed or legal father of Christ. That given by St. Luke iii. 23. &c. was intended for the Gentiles, and traces the pedigree upwards from Heli, the father of Mary, to David through the line of his son Nathan, and from Nathan to Abraham, concurring with the former, and from Abraham up to Adam who was the immediate " son of God" born without father or mother. Horne's

A

Introduction, vol. ii. page 539. Heli and Eli are contractions of Eliakim; and Eliakim and Joakim signify the same, as being derived the one from Eli, and the other from Yehovah or Jehovah which are names of God. The Jews still represent Zorobabel not as the son of Pedaiah, but of Salathiel. From Zorobabel the genealogy branches off in his two sons Abihud here, and Resa at St. Luke, in a similar way as it does in the two sons of David, Solomon and Nathan.

I.-8. "And Joram begat Ozias." Here these three kings, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, are omitted, possibly because of the curse twice denounced against the house of Ahab, 1 Kings xxi. 21. and 2 Kings ix. 8. which was to take place even to the fourth generation. His immediate descendants being thus blotted out of the records of Christ's family, and overlooked as if they had never lived.—Ostervald.

I.—11. & 12. "Josias begat Jechonias, and Jechonias begat Salathiel." Some few manuscripts read-Josiah begat Jehoiakim, and Jehoiakim begat Jechoniah; which is the more probable reading, not only because the fact was so, but also because without it there are not fourteen. It is said of Jechoniah, Jer. xxii. 30. that he should be written childless; Salathiel was, therefore, probably only the adopted son of Jechoniah.-Ostervald.

I.-21. "Thou shalt call his name Jesus." The term Jesus is the same as Jehoshuah or Joshuah; and is composed of two Hebrew words, which signify Jehovah the Saviour. The Old Testament Joshuah who, in the Septuagint or Greek version, is also called Jesus, was a type of Christ as being the Deliverer of the people. As a type is inferior to the antitype, so the name of the second Jesus is explained by these words, "For he shall save his people from their sins." Hence he was truly Emmanuel" or God with us."

J.

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22.

"That it might be fulfilled." The Greek will allow us to read here, as in some other places, so that, i. e.

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so that it came to pass, or fell out that what the Prophet said was realized..

II.1.

"Now when Jesus was born." The translation here does not express the sense of the original: it was after, as Doddridge renders it, sometime after, a year perhaps or more.-Ostervald.

II.2. "To worship him." To prostrate ourselves before him a ceremony still used to eastern princes; which they call worshipping. Cornelius Nepos refers to this in his account of Conon: "Necesse est enim, si in conspectum veneris, venerari te regem."

11.-9. "The star-went before them." If this was strictly a star, it might then lead or guide them. It might, however, be a meteor.

II.- -14. "And departed into Egypt." It has been asserted that Christ learnt magic arts in Egypt. We find however, that he returned to Galilee when an infant. Hence Grotius says, "Nam fuisse Jesum unquam in Ægypto, non constat, nisi ex discipulorum libris, qui addunt, infantem adhuc inde rediisse."-De Verit. Rel. Christ. Lib. 5th.

II. 17. "Then was fulfilled," &c. The circumstance referred to, is in Jer. xxxi. 15. and though not a prediction of the present event, yet it may very pertinently be applied and hence said to be fulfilled or exemplified.

22.

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II. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa, in room of his father Herod." Archelaus was of a most cruel disposition: in the beginning of his reign he caused three thousand Jews to be massacred in the temple. Herod had a numerous offspring by his different wives, although their number was greatly reduced by his unnatural cruelty in putting many of them to death. The annexed table will perhaps be found useful in distinguishing the particular persons of this family, whose names occur in the Evangelical histories.

Introduction, vol. ii. page 539. Heli and Eli are contractions of Eliakim; and Eliakim and Joakim signify the same, as being derived the one from Eli, and the other from Yehovah or Jehovah which are names of God. The Jews still represent Zorobabel not as the son of Pedaiah, but of Salathiel. From Zorobabel the genealogy branches off in his two sons Abihud here, and Resa at St. Luke, in a similar way as it does in the two sons of David, Solomon and Nathan.

I. -8. "And Joram begat Ozias." Here these three kings, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, are omitted, possibly because of the curse twice denounced against the house of Ahab, 1 Kings xxi. 21. and 2 Kings ix. 8. which was to take place even to the fourth generation. His immediate descendants being thus blotted out of the records of Christ's family, and overlooked as if they had never lived.-Ostervald.

I.-11. & 12. "Josias begat Jechonias, and Jechonias begat Salathiel." Some few manuscripts read-Josiah begat Jehoiakim, and Jehoiakim begat Jechoniah; which is the more probable reading, not only because the fact was so, but also because without it there are not fourteen. It is said of Jechoniah, Jer. xxii. 30. that he should be written childless; Salathiel was, therefore, probably only the adopted son of Jechoniah.-Ostervald.

I.-21. "Thou shalt call his name Jesus." The term Jesus is the same as Jehoshuah or Joshuah; and is composed of two Hebrew words, which signify Jehovah the Saviour. The Old Testament Joshuah who, in the Septuagint or Greek version, is also called Jesus, was a type of Christ as being the Deliverer of the people. As a type is inferior to the antitype, so the name of the second Jesus is explained by these words, "For he shall save his people from their sins." Hence he was truly "Emmanuel" or God with us.”

J.-22. "That it might be fulfilled." The Greek will allow us to read here, as in some other places, so that, i. e.

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