Cibratj'of'thc'tWlocfvcal Seminary PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY PRESENTED BY Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church 169 7 V. 1 [ NOV 5 I9TJ THE W Biblical Museum A COLLECTION OF NOTES Explanatory, Homiletic and Illustrative FORMING A COMPLETE COMMENTARY ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF MINISTERS, BIBLE STUDENTS, AND SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHERS / By JAMES COMPKR GRAY AT7THOK. OF "TOPICS FOR TEACHERS,' "THE CLASS AND THE DESK," ETC. REVISED WITH ADDITIONS FROM THE LATER BIBLICAL LITERATURE By rev. GEORGE M. ADAMS, D.D. THE NEW TESTAMENT VOL. I Containing ths Four Gospkls and thb Acts op the Apostles NEW YORK E. R. HERRICK & CO. 70 Fifth Avenue Copyright 1897 BY S. R. HERRICK & CO. NOTE BY THE REVISER. npHE Biblical Museum has proved itself a very useful and popular -work. It •*- fills a place otherwise vacant among Biblical helps. One is surprised in a careful examination, by the learning, good judgment and power of condensation shown in it. But the quarter of a century which has elapsed since it was prepared, has been a time of rare activity and success in all studies bearing on the elucidation of the Scriptures. Explorers, excavators, philologists, historians, archseologists have been reaping the richest results of diligence and enterprise. Monuments, manuscripts, medals, inscriptions have shed many a precious ray of light on the facts and customs touched by the Scriptural record. It has therefore been thought desirable to revise the work, with the view of making it as valuable to the Bible students and Sunday-school teachers and fami- lies of to-day, as it was in its original form, to those of the earlier generation. Accordingly, portions here and there that could be spared, illustrations that have done good service and become over-familiar, occasionally interpretations which the progress of Biblical knowledge has left behind — have been replaced by fresher and, for our day, more valuable material. The best of the recent commentaries and other works illustrating the Scripture have been searched for brief, pointed and suggestive statements of the truth. The references have all been carefully verified and very greatly improved in accuracy. Many more names of the author- ities quoted might have been added. But where the passage cited is quite brief and touches no controverted point, it has been thought better to indicate it sim- ply by marks of quotation. The reviser and the friends who have shared his labors will be gratified if their efforts shall prove to have made some slight contribution toward the under- standing and love of the Word — that Word which so grows upon the admiration of all who faithfully study it, which becomes ever more precious to us as we strug- gle with the mystery of life, and as we approach the mingled certainty and mys- tery of the life to come. G. M. A. Atjbijbndale, Mass., April, 1897. PRKFACE. ALMOST innumerable have been the notes received by me, during the last few years, from those who have desired to know what commentary on the Bible I would recommend for their use. The question proposed with such remarkable ease, and doubtless regarded as extremely simple, 1 have often felt to be an exceedingly difficult one. When I knew the correspondent, and knew also what other aids to Biblical study he possessed, I could sometimes venture to name a commentary that might be most serviceable for Mm. But such cases were neces- sarily few. Yery often, therefore, the question was met — following a very high example — by proposing another. What kind of commentary do you want — criti- cal,, illustrative, doctrinal, devotional, practical, or what? The querist would then discover how difficult a question he had proposed. He scarcely knew what he wanted. He quickly found that he desired what did not exist: — one commen- tary having the chief characteristics of several, with certain features not found in any one. It is to meet this very widely expressed want that the ^^ Biblical Museum " — of which the matter has been in course of compilation during many years — is now offered to my fellow-laborers in the study and the Sunday-school; and not without the hope that it will prove of some material use — the explanatory and homiletic notes especially — to others than those who are practically engaged in religious instruction. It will be seen that the plan of the book is this : — To every verse, or small group of closely related verses, are appended notes in the following order: 1. Notes Explanatory, in which — laying many competent authorities under contribution — both the letter and the spirit of the sacred text have a very brief and careful elucidation. To these are added — 2. Notes Homiletic, original and selected, in which are suggested the subjects of sermons for the preacher and of lessons for the teacher, that may appropriately be founded on the words df the text. These homiletic outlines, including heads of discourse, or suggestive hints to aid in the management of the subject when treated in the pulpit or in the Bible-class, are followed by — 3. Notes Illustrative, containing one or more anecdotes, or an illustrative quotation from some standard author. In addition to these, and arranged down the side of each page, are — 4. Notes Marginal, comprising, in addition to other matter, notes of the following description: (1) Chronological; in which, as nearly as can be ascertained, the date of each event is given. (2) Analytical; wherein, by means of antique type, a clue is furnished to the contents of the adjoining page, and a digest or summary of the chapter may at once be seen. (3) Biblical; supplying not only the ordinary references, but references also to other texts of Scripture, in the notes on which the reader will find addi- tional illustrations of the subject under consideration. (4) Literary; as etymolo- gies of old or peculiar Bible words; names of authors and books referred to; select classical and other quotations to serve the purpose of secular or theological side lights, which sometimes, in the way of contrast, or in other instances in the way of exegesis, or of various readings, may assist in explaining, or in suggesting ideas upon, the passage or subject under notice. In conclusion, the compiler begs to tender his warmest thanks to those numer- ous friends who have encouraged and aided him in this undertaking; and while trusting that the " Biblical Museum " will be of service to those for whose use it was specially designed, he ventures to express the hope that those who find it use- ful will do their utmost to bring it under the notice of all who, in common with themselves, take a practical interest in the study of the Word of God for their own instruction or that of others. Halifax, 1871. The New Test. ('H Kaivii AmOi^kt}) is -that part of sac. writings composed aft. ascension of Christ: and containing (1) The Gospels; i. e. the life of our Lord: (3) The Acts; i. e. the history of the propagation of Christianity in Apostolic times: (3) The Epistles; i.e. the exposition of Christian doctrines: (4) The Revelation ; i.e. a prophetic exhibition of future things. The word Testament is of Scrip, origin (Matt. xxvi. 28: Mk. xiv. 24: 2 Cor iii. 6r Heb. ix. 15, 20), applied by Paul to Bks. of Scrip. (2 Cor. iii. 6—18). The Gk. equivalent, diaO'^KT) {diatheke) has two meanings: (1) covenant (Heb. viii. 8: ix. 15), the chief one, ace. to wh. the N. T, is "abk. containing the terms of the N^ew Covenant betw. God and man," as dis. fr. the Old Covenant of the Law (Gal. iv. 24): (2) Testament or will (Heb. ix. 16, 17) adopted by early Church, and implies " that unspeak- able gifts are bequeathed to us in the Gospel, antecedent to all conditions required of us, so that the Christian's inheritance is sealed to him as a son and heir of God by the death of Christ as a testator." Zbc (3o0pel accorMng to St. flDattbew. 1. TitIjE, Gospel. This word (fr. Saxon god=good, and spe^=speech or tidings) cor- responds with the Gk. Evangelium {EiayyiXiw, fr. ci) — eu, good, and ayyeXla, angelia — a message) =5^ tod tidings; and is applied to the four accounts of the life of our Saviour who brought "good tidings of great joy to all people" (Lu. ii. 10); hence the writers of these histories are called the four Evangelists. [Recent etymologists go far to prove, by the comparison of kindred languages, that Gospel is from "God" and " spell "=a narrative of God, and so the history of Christ. Am. Com. ] Elsewhere in N T. the word Gospel= the whole doctrine of salvation taught by our Lord and the Apostles (Matt. iv. 23: xi. 35: xxiv. 14: Mk. xiii. 10: xvi. 15: Eph. i. 13: vi. 15: Ro. i. 1, 3). 2. Authob: Matthew: a Galilean Jew, also called Levi (Mk. ii, 14: Lu. v. 27, 29), son of Alphseus (ace. to Lardner not the Alphseus of Matt. x. 3). He resided at Capernaum, where he was a, publican, i.e. collector of customs under the Romans. Publicans were of two classes: (1) General receivers (as Zaccheus, Lu. xix. 2), and (2) collectors of taxes of whom Matthew was one (Lu. V. 27). While thus engaged he was called by our Lord (Matt. ix. 9). His history, subsequent to day of Pentecost, is uncertain. 3. Time: universally admitted to be the earliest written history of Jesus. Exact date cannot be fixed. Probably written between A.D. 50 and 60. The omission of any ref. to destr. of Jerusalem (Titus, a.d. 66), suggestive of its having been written prior to that event; yet some time must have elapsed aft. the events recorded (Matt, xxvii. 8: xxviii. 15). 4. Language: originally believed to have been written in Hebrew (Syro-Chaldaic) : Erasmus was one of the first to hold that it was writ- ten in Greek, an opinion in wh. Alford also concurs. 5. Scope, etc. Matt, wrote primarily for Jews and to prove that Jesus was the Messiah; hence (1) numerous citations fr. O. T.; (2) Jewish customs are not explained, but assumed to be known; (3) Jesus set forth as sent specially to the Jews; (4) Full reports of our Lord's relations to Jewish sects. 6. Pecu- liiARiTEEs: Matt., alone, records (1) The pedigree through Joseph, i. 1—17; (2) The Magi, ii. 1—12; (3) Flight into Egypt, ii. 13—16; (4) Murder of the children, ii. 16—19; (5) Par- able of ten virgins, xxv. 1—13; (6) Dream of Pilate's wife, xxvii. 19; (7) Resurrection of Saints, xxvii. 52, 58; (8) Bribing of Roman guard, xxviii. 11—15. "The inscription over the cross was in three languages: Hebrew, Latin and Greek. These languages represented the three great civilizations which were the final outcome of ancient history — the Jewish, the Roman, the Greek. These three were not like so many nations selected at random, but stood for three leading types of humanity. The Jew was the man of the past. He represented ancient prerogative and privilege, the conservatism of the East. The Roman was the man of the present. He was master of the world. He represented power, prowess, and victory. The Greek was the man of the future. He repre- sented humanity, and the ideal, and all the promise which was afterwards to be realized in the culture of the nations of the West. The Jew was the man of tradition, the Roman the man of energy, the Greek the man of thought. Turning now to the Gospels, we find the wants of each of these three types provided for in a wondrous way. St. Matthew addresses himself especially to the Jew with his Gospel of fulfillment, St. Mark to the Roman with "his brief and terse narrative of a three years' campaign," St. Luke to the Greek with that all-pervading spirit of humanity and catholicity which is so character- istic of his Evangel; while for those who have been gathered from among the Jews and Romans and Greeks— a people who are now no longer Jews or Greeks, but are * ' all one in Christ Jesus," prepared to receive and appreciate the deeper things of Christ— there is a fourth Gospel, issued at a later date, with characteristics specially adapted to them: the mature work of the then venerable John, the apostle of the Christian. " — Expositor's Bible. SYNOPSIS. I. BIKTH AND BOYHOOD OF CHBIST. i. The Genealogy i- 1-17 ii. The Conception 18-25 iii. The Wise Men ii. 1-12 iv. The flight into Egypt l»-23 II. COMMENCEMENT OFMINISTKY OF CHEIST. i. The Baptist iii. 1-12 ii. The Baptism 13-17 iii. The Temptation iv. 1-11 III. WORKS AND WOBDS OF CHRIST. i. Capernaum. 1. CaUof four disc, etc 12-2.5 2. Sermon on the Mt v.-vii. 3. The Leper viii. 1-4 4. The Centurion's Servant 5-13 5. Peter's mo.-in-law, etc 14-22 ii. Sea of Galilee and Gadara. 1. The tempest 23-27 2. The demoniacs 28-34 Iii. Capernaum. 1. The Paralytic ix. 1-3 2. Call of Matt., etc 9-13 3. Fasting 14-17 4. Ruler's daughter, etc 18-26 5. Two blind men 27-31 6. Dumb demoniac 32-34 7. Villages and laborers 35; xi. 1 8. John's message, etc xi. 2-30 9. Ears of corn xii. 1-8 10. Withered hand, etc 9-21 11. Blind and dumb, etc 22-37 12. A sign demanded 38-45 13. True relatives of Christ 46-50 14. Parables xiii. 1-52 iv. Nazareth, etc 53-58 1. Herod hears of Christ xiv. 1, 2 2. Death of the Baptist 3-12 v. Sea of Galilee crossed, etc 13-14 1. Five thousand fed 15-21 2. The return, and storm 22-24 3. Walking on the water 25-33 vi. Gennesareth and the North border- laud. 1 . Miracles 34-36 2. Traditions xv. 1-20 3. Woman of Canaan, etc 21-31 4. Four thousand fed 32-36 5. Polemical teaching xvi. 1-26 6. First prediction of His death 21-28 7. The transfiguration xvii. 1-13 8. A lunatic healed 14-21 9. Second prediction of death 22-23 vii. Capernaum. 1. Question of tribute 24-27 2. On greatness and forgiveness xviii. 1-35 viii. Persea to Jerusalem. 1. GaUlee finaUy left xix. 1, 2 2. Divorce, etc 2-12 3. Little children 13-15 4. The rich ruler and riches 16-30 5. Vineyard laborers xx. 1-16 6. Third prediction of death 17-19 7. Humility 20-29 8. Two blind men 30-34 IV. FINAL EVENTS NEAR AND IN JERUSALEM, i. Sunday (Visan 10 ; April 2). 1. Royal entry xxl. 1-1] 2. Cleansing the Temple 12-17 ii. Monday. 1. The fig-tree 18-23 iii. Tuesday. 1. Teaches in the Temple 23; xxiii. 39 2. Teaches out of the Temple xxiv. xxv Iv. Wednesday. (Jesus at Bethany) . 1. Consultation of priests xxvi. 1-5 2. Simon's feast &-13 3. Judas 14-16 V. Thursday. 1. Passover, Lord's Supper 17-35 2. Gethsemane 36-46 3. The betrayal 47-56 vi. Friday. 1 . Trial before the Sanhedrim 57-68 2. Peter's denial 69-75 3. Trial before PUate xxvii. 1-28 4. The crucifixion 29-56 5. The burial 57-61 vii. Saturday. 1. The Sepiilchre guarded 62-66 \v.i. Sunday. 1. The Resurrection xxviU. 1-10 2. Denied by enemies 11-15 3. Jesus appears to disciples 16-23 Chap. i. 1—7- MATTHEiV. 11 CHAPTER THE FIBST. 1. book of generation."— A LXX. phrase (Ge. ii. 4: v. 1.) = a register of pedigree, record of descent, familj^ tree of His human nature. The term orig. sig. table of genealogy, but as hist, among the Hebs., grew out of genealogical records, it came to mean hist, itself— (Ge. xxv. 19, xxxvii. 2). "Indeed, it should not be forgotten that anc. hist, generally partakes more of a genealogical than of a chrono- logical character. Hence the Heb. phrase for genealogies is used also for history (Ge. vi. 9, X. 1)." Jafui. This ver. applies primarily to immediate context, but its force extends to the whole book, of which the purport is to show Jesus, the Son of David, to be the Christ. JeSUS Christ. Christ = 3Iessiah, i.e. "anointed" {Gfc. Christos). Kings, priests, prophets were anointed.'" Oil is a fig. for grace and gifts of Holy Spirit. <= Jesus anointed with fulness of spirit;"* as a Prophet, to teach;' Priest, to atone ;-^ King, to rule and save.^ Conder. This table a testimony, 1. To His human nature ; 2. To His hereditary right ; 3. To His divine character and destiny.— Jes;;* Christ the sum and substance of all religion: 1. Jesus, the man; Christ, His divine calling and qualification ; 2. Jesus, the Heb. name specially intended for His own people ; Christ, the sacred name indi- cating His designation for the whole world; 3. Jesus, the one Redeemer; Christ the mediator of the triune covenant. — Jesus Christ the son of David: 1. The lowly shepherd; 2. The persecuted fugitive; The warrior and conqueror. Jesus Christ the son of Abraham : 1. Finisher of faith; 2. Fulfiller of the promise.— Prepara- tions for Advent ; by means of, 1. The house of David ; 2. The race of Abraham; 3. The whole course of events. Pious family amid storms of time : 1. It may sink, but not perish ; 2. It endures, because it resists ; 3. Its apparent extinction is its glorification. Lange. ""Starting up here and there like rugged clifls, the genealogies claim more than a sterile grandeur; for bleak and barren though they seem, there is a wellspring at their foot. It is from these dreary crags that the fountain of Christ's manhood takes its rise; and as you follow the stream from Ur of the Chaldees, to the manger of Bethlehem, you find how faithful the Promiser, and how watchful the Providence which through all the eventful centuries kept afloat and guided on the ark of the Advent." Dr. Hamilton. 2. Judas.— In our Eng. Bible, the translators have, in the O. T., followed the Heb. spelling of proper names pretty closely; but in the N. T. they followed the Gk. spelling. Hence many names that end with ' A' in the 0. T., end with 's' in the N. T. Thus Judah = Judas : Jonah == Jonas : Elijah = Elias. But the Gk. Moses {Heb. Mosheh) is used in the 0. T. also. Occasionally the Eng. form difis. greatly fr. both Heb. and Gk. ; as John = Heb. Jochanan ; = Gk. Joannes. 3 — 5. Thamar: Rachab: Ruth. — In this pedigree of Christ four female ancestors are named; two — Rahab and Ruth — Gentiles, and the other two — Tamar and Bathsheba — stained with grievous sins. " We can hardly infer fr. this circum- stance, with Starke, that they were especially mentioned in order to show that Christ was not ashamed of poor sinners, since He derived fr. such His human nature, and had received them as His own people; for it is beyond question that Jesus was conceived by Mary without any taint of sin. It was rather the object of the Evangelist to point out to his Jewish readers a higher righteousness than that external and ceremonial sanctity which the Pharisees extolled." Lange. "1. Grace is not hereditary; bad people have been the sons and daughters of prophets and righteous kings. 2. The accident is mutable, the -purpose changes not. Along the line, whether the links be gold or lead, the great Saving Man comes. 3. Christ's having come through all sorts of characters may be typical of His all-inclusive mission. ' This Man receiveth sinners.' " Tarker. " The humiliation of taking on Him our nature casts into shade all lesser shames and disgraces attaching to the channel through which His descent from Adam flowed." " Yet all these grandmothers to our Saviour; who as He needed not to be ennobled by His stock; so neither was disparaged by His progenitors, but took flesh of these greatest sinners to show that we cannot commit more than He can remit; and that by His purity He washeth ofl" all our spots, like as the sun wasteth and wipeth away all the ill vapors of the earth and air." Tra-pp. 6, 7. wife of Urias, Bathsheba (see above). — "David's best children he had by this wife, the fruit of humiliation, doubtless. The barren women's children are ANTE A.D. 5. descent of Jesus A.M. 4,000. Alex. A.M. 5,498. An- tloch. A.M. 5,488, Con 8 tan. a.m. 5504. Julian. 4709. [Many scholars think all these "A.M." dates quite unreliable. A.] Olym. cxciii. 4. Kome, 749. Year of Augustus, i.e. fr. Actium, 26. The custom of dating by • the year of our Lord ' began in 6th cent, when there was a miscalcu- lation of at least four years. a Lu. lii. 23. b Jud. Ix. 8; Ex. xxviii. 41; 1 K. xix. 16. c 1 Jo. il. 20, 27. d Jo. lii. 34; Is. xlii. 1. e Is. Ixi. 1. / Ps. ex. 4, g Ps. ii. 2, 6. genealogies genealogy : his. of desc. of families. L. Gk. Genea ogia L. genus, birth ; logos, a discourse, Gk. pedigree of Joseph proper names Ch. 11. 4. Ri,!. Iv. 13, 21, 22. Thamar, in O. T. Tamar = Palm- tree, wife of Er and Onan. Ea- ch a b (Kahab.) (He. xi. 31) in O, T. Kahab (Jos. vl.) '23), = spacious. mar. Salmon, prince of Judah ; Buth = female friend. Moabit- ess, mar. Mah- lon, son of Elim- elech of Beth-le- hem- Ju-dah, who was driven by a famine into Moab, where he died, and whence his widow Naomi returned, after an absence of ten years, in com- pany with Ruth, (Bu. 1). 12 MATTHEW. Chap. 1. 8—18. ANTE A.D. 5. Bathsheba =dau- ghter of the oath, dau. of Eliam (2 S. xi. 3), i.e. Am- miel (1 Ch. ill. 5), sonof Ahithophel (2 S. xxiii. 34), said by Jews to have written Pro. X X X i . She be- came the mother of three otlier sons besides Sol- cm on. She is also called Bath- sbua. o 2 Ch. xxl. 17; xxii. 1. b 1 Ch. iil. 11, 12. Joram. contr. form of Jehoram, who mar. Atha- lia. dau. of Ahab and Jezebel. For dif.ln chronology of his reign, see Lrd. A. C. Hervey in Smith's Diet, of Bible, i. 947— 949. Jehosheba, prudent wife of priest Jehoiada, was his dau. (2 K. xi. 2.) OziasiinO.T.TJz- ziah, a contract- ed form of Azari- ah = might of Je- hovah. Began to reign at 16 yrs. of age; reigned 52 yrs., 809— 758 B.C. c Jer.xxiv.l; xxii. 24; 2 K. XXiV. 6, 12, 15. Josias, Gk. form of Josiah = whom Jehovah heals, at acces. 8 years old, reigned 3J years, i.e. 6;i9— 609 B.C. Jechonias, Gk. form of Jeconiah or Jehoiachin, = whom Jehovah has appointed. Son and successor of Jehoiaklm, 598. B.C. He was 18 yrs. old when he began to reign. The eight years of 2 Ch. xxxvi. 9. Is manifestly a copyist's error. dGe XV. 16, cf. 13, and Ex. xli 40. The Asmoneans or Mace abees, were desc.f r. Asa- monsDus, a citi- zen of Jerusalem; called Maccabees Ir. Judas M , the most illustrious. It not the first of the line. Macca- bee prob. fr.Mak- kab = a hammer. For their history see Apocrypha and Prldeaux's Connection, observed to have been the best, as Isaac, Samuel, John Baptist, etc., for like rea- son." Solomon, Roboam. — "Bad men, though unprofitable to themselves while they live, still have not lived in vain, since through them the elect come into being." CriL Eng. Test. Rehoboam — " A child of forty years old, a soft-spirited man; the Scripture notes him easily drawn away by evil council. Green wood will be warp- ing." Trapp, " The moral differences of the race. In this roll of names we recognize some men of distinguished goodness, some pre-eminent for wickedness. This shows that, however potent the influence wh. generations can exert on ea. other, it is not resist- less and absolute. There is a power lodged in ev. man's bosom to prevent the com- bined influence of all past generations fr. moulding his character. This power is the glory of his nature— connects him with moral government — makes him a responsible agent." Thomas. "An illustrious ancestry is to the high-born as the reflector of a lamp is to its wick; for if that be without light, all the science of catoptrics cannot kindle it." 8. Joratn, O^ias. Ahaziah« (= Joahaz), Joash, Amaziah,* are passed over—? to reduce the names to fourteen (v. 17). Matt, passes them over, not fr. ignorance — the whole context proves the contrary; nor on ace. of their impiety— for he names others who are wicked, as Jechonias, and also passes over some good ; nor for fraudulent purpose — the more he named, the stronger his argument, but because they were so universally known. " The process is in accordance with the practice among the Jewish writera, of wh. there are many remarkable instances of equalizing similar things. And this is exactly in conformity with the existing usages of the Arabians, who are careful to preserve the knowledge of their line of descent. They abbreviate their genealogy and a few names suffice to convey the hist, of their descent. From their later ances- tors they select some one eminent person, their descent from whom is undisputed, and who is himself known to have descended fr. another great man of a former age ; and in this compendious manner they go back to the founder of the family. Under this system, the genealogy of the present chap, might even have been stated in some such way as this: — Joseph, the son of Zorobabel, the son of David, the son of Judah, the son of Abraham." Niebuhr iii. 209, quoted by Eitto. II. Josias, Jechonias" = Jehoiachin, or Coniah.— Here, Jehoiaklm is passed over. * Perhaps "Jechoniah and his brethren" {i.e. kindred) = a current phrase understood by the Jews to sig. the last four kings of Judah. The history of the race is but partially told in the records of earth. Kings even, and great men, are not all named. Sacred penmen pass lightly over crowned heads. There is one book in wh. all names are entered ; and in the Book of Life the good alone, prince and peasant, without respect to earthly station. Many Jehoiakims forgotten, many of humbler lineage held in everlasting remembrance. x6, 17. Jesus, who is called Christ.— " Jesus is honey in the mouth, melody in the ear, a song of jubilee in the heart." Bernard. " Yet is not the name of Jesus alone half so sweet as when Christ is added to it, as here. For Jesus Christ betokeneth such a Saviour as is anointed and appointed thereunto by God, consecrated to the oflUce ace. to His Godhead, and qualified for it ace. to His manhood." Trapp. Fourteen generations. — "For memory's sake Matt, summeth up the genealogy of our Saviour into three fourteens ; like as some of the Psalms are, for the same reason, set down in order of the Alphabet," etc. " In the long-lived Patriarchal age a generation seems to have been computed at 100 years ;<* the later reckoning, how- ever, was the same wh. has been adopted by other civilized nations, viz., fr. 30 to 40 yrs." Smith, Bible Dictionary. In the first fourteen generations, the people of Israel were under prophets; in the second, under kings; in the third under the Asmonean princes. IhQ first fourteen brought their kingdom to glory under the reign of David, the second, to misery, in the captivity of Babylon ; and the third, to glory again under the Messiahship of Christ. 18. espoused. Betrothed.— Commonly ab. 10 or 12 mo. bef. marriage. If at close of this period the bridegroom were unwilling to marry the bride, he was bound to give her a bill of divorce, the same as if she had been his wife. If, on the other hand, the bride had been guilty of illicit intercourse during this interval, she was condemned to be stoned, the same as if she had been married. Jahn. Holy- Ghost. The secret influence of the Spirit is more minutely described by Luke. Chap. 1. 19— 23' MATTHEW. 13 «' The most virtuous may be liable to suspicion and to undeserved reproach." " The whole life of Christ was the great Exception of Being." " By the incarnation, God is brought near, 1. To our understanding ; 2. By To our affections." ANTE A.D. 5. Josepli and Mary The present system of betrothal is, I suppose, much the same as in anc. Bible days. It is a kiiid of half-marriage accom. with religious ceremonies, and the settling of the nature and amount of the dower wh. the bridegroom is to give— a custom equally ancient." Thovison. It has been objected that it is not possible that God, having created countless worlds, should select this little obscure corner of the universe as the place where His only Son should become flesh, live and die for the salvation of the inhabitants thereof. But note (1) the opposite aspect of creation. The microscope reveals thousands of living creatures perfectly formed and cared for in a drop of water. Now if God cares for each of these, how much more will He care for the immortal souls He has created. (2) It is altogether probable that the work of redemption for the universe is done in this world ; that here is raging the great battle between good and evil, for all worlds and all times. (3) The sympathy and thought of a family always go forth most freely to the helpless, the sick, the wandering ones. So it is in the great family of God. PeloubeVs Notes, 19, 20. just man, Gk. dikaios, trans, "just" or "righteous" indiscriminately; may mean (!) justice, i.e. giving to all their due (Ro. iii. 8; Col. iv. 1), or (2) con- formity to the whole law, including charity, etc. privily, by privately giving her a written certificate of divorce;" wh. must be in the presence of two witnesses, but no cause need be stated, thought, much perplexed, wishing to be true to himself, and forbearing towards Mary, fear not, that Mary has transgressed, or that your reputation shall sufier. God knows the mental difficulties of good men (suspected virtue can afford to wait). God removes mental diffs. in connection with con- scientious thoughtfulness. He removes their difis. by disclosing His redemptive plan. Thoinas. 21. Jesus. — The Lat. form of the Gk. lesous, for the Heb. Jehoshua, or Joshua," or Jeshua (Ezra iii. 2; Zech. vi. 11.)= "Jehovah (our) Salvation." Joshua was Captain of the Lord's host, Jeshua was Highpriest, Jesus was both. Vincent's Wo7'd Studies. 1. The Compassion of Christ inclines Him to save sinners. 2. The Power of Christ enables Him to save sinners. 3. The Promise of Christ binds Him to save siuners.'= The Rev. John Brown of Haddington, in his last illness, having heard the bells ringing, and understanding it to be the King's birthday, said, "0, blessed be God, however worthy our sovereign be, we have a better King's Birthday to cele- brate. Unto us was born, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord ! On account of that event, the Gospel-bells have been sounding for ages past; and they will ring louder and louder still. 0 a Saviour! — the Son of God, our Saviour! 0 His kindness. His kindness! A Saviour, a husband to sinners, to me! " 22, 23. might he fulfilled.''— -See Topics for Teachers, ii. 192. Im- manuel,* Ut. "God with us." On Is. vii. 14, note. The virgin presented to Ahaz a type of Mary: 1. As it was announced before her marriage that she would give birth to a male child, 2. Strong faith was called into exercise in connec. with this child, by wh. it obtained the name Immaniiel, and became a sign of deliv- erance in a season of trial. 3. Its name was verified in the God-man. 4. All these circumstances served to render its birth peculiarly sacred, and to connect it with the future hope of Israel ; thus strikingly prefiguring the advent of Christ. Lange. "What we need is God brought near and sin taken awaj^ — the very blessings guaranteed in these two precious names of our Lord. As Emmanuel, he brings God near to us, near in His own incarnate person, near in His loving life, near in His perfect sympathy, near in His perpetual presence according to the promise, 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.' As Jesus, He saves us from our sins. . . For He has not only to bring God down to us, but also to lift us up to God; and while the incarnation affects the one, the atonem.ent, followed by the work of the Holy Spirit, is necessary to secure the other. He touches man. the creature, at His cradle ; He reaches down to man, the sinner, at His cross — the end of His descent to us, the beginning of our ascent with Him to God. There we meet Him ; and saved from sin, we know Him as our Jesus ; and reconciled to God, we have Him with us as Emmanuel, God with us, always with us, with us throughout all life's changes, with us in death's agony, with us lathe life to come." Expositor's Bible. Espouse, Fr. epmi- ser ; old Fr. e«- pouser; L. spondes, sponsus, to prom- ise solemnly. Be- ti-oth, A.-S. I e and troth, treowth, = taith, confldence. H. Spirit, so call- ed because He is breathed forth fr. the Father and the Son. The agent of Divine operation . Holy and working ho- liness. Privily, adv. for privately. aDeut. xxiv. 1. 6 Ac. vii. 45 ; Heb. iv. 8. "Thou Shalt call; " thus com- mitting the of- fice of a father to Joseph. Vincent. He is emphatic. "It is He that shall save." Sev. Ver. "God was born of man, that man might be born of God." c 1 Tim. i. 15. Christmas -day first obs. A.D. 98. Held as a solemn fast by Pope Tele- sphorus, ab A.D. 137.' 10th perse- cution began on C.-day, A.D. 303, under Diocle- tian. "spoken by the Lord through the prophet "i?.F. " a virgin " Ut. the virgin. R. V. d Kev. xlx. 10. Ac. X. 43. e Is. vU. 14—16; vlil. 4. No man is the theme of any se- ries of predic- tions ; Christ the subject of all He had His signs he- fm-e, as well as 14 MATTHEW. Chap. il. I— a. ANTE A.D. 5. with Him. An an- cient heresy de- nied the humanity of Christ, as a mod. heresy de- nies his eaceahle; Eobert, famous for counsel ; and William, a help and defence to many. . . 2. that they might be incited to imitate the virtues of those worthy persons who formerly have been owners and bearers of them. IjQtdiW Abi-ahams be faithful, Isaacs, quiet; Jacobs, painful [pains-taking] ; Jbse^jAs, chaste; every io?«s, pious; Edward, confessor of the true faith; William, conqueror over his own cor- ruptions. Let them also carefully avoid those sins for which the bearers of the names stand branded to posterity. Let every Jonah beware of forwardness; Thomas, of distrustfulness ; Martha, of worldliness; Mary, of wantonness." T. Ftcller, CHAPTER THE SECOND. " Since St. Matt, says so little about the childhood of Jesus, why does he speak of the Wise Men, of Herod and of the flight into Egypt? We believe it must have been to show how Christ was received. It seems, in fact, to correspond to that single sentence in the fourth Gospel, ' He came unto His own and His own received Him not'; only St. Matthew gives us a wider and brighter view; he shows us not only how Jerusalem rejected Him, but how the East welcomed Him and Egypt sheltered Him. . . It will be seen then how the second chapter was needed to complete the first, and how the two together give us just sucli a view of the Advent as was most needed by the Jews of the period, while it is most instructive and sug- gestive to men of all countries and of all time. As, then, the last paragraph began with, ' Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise,' we may regard this as begin- ning with, 'Now the reception of Jesus Christ was on this wise.'" Exposito?-'s Bible. 1. Beth. Judsea, to dis. fr. B. of Galilee.* Sometimes called B -judah;<^ also Ephrath,'' or Ephrata;« Beth-lehem = house of bread; Ephrata = fruitful, ab. 6 ni. S. of Jerusalem; known as "the city of David,"f i.e. the native place of his family. Herod, s. of Antipater, an Idumsean, at 25 years of age made gov. of Galilee, b.c. 47, and b.c. 40 King of Judaea. One of the most licentious and cruel monsters of antiquity. Had 9 wives and many children. Put to death (in a fit of jealousy) Mariamne his favorite wife, and 3 of his sons. Died miserably, 5 dys. aft. he had put to death his son Antipater, in 70th yr. of age, and 38th of reign ; and in 750th of Rome = B.C. 4. The birth of Jesus was before the d. of Herod (prob. not long bef.) hence ab. b.c. 4 or 5. Infant Saviour. '1. Concealed, yet well known; 2. Hated and feared, yet longed for and loved; 3. Signally despised, yet marvellously honored; 4. Beset by extreme dangers, yet kept in perfect safety; and 1. Setting everything in motion; 2. Attracting all that was congenial; 3. Repelling all that was hostile." Lange. "Justin Martyr, who was born in Nablus, and educated in Palestine, says expressly that Jesus was born in a grotto at B. He, of course, did not invent, but merely referred to a tradition already established. This carries up the matter very high indeed, nor is there anything to contradict his testimony in subsequent age.s. It must be confessed, however, that Matthew » does not much favor the idea of a grotto." Thomson. 2. King, Jews, star.— Taking together, the old prediction,* the widely spread opinion recorded by classic writers,' and also the prophecy of Daniel,'^ avIi., Chap. 11. 3— rr. MATTHEW. 15 with that of Balaam, would be known in the E., we can be at no loss to see how any remarkable celestial appearance would be interpreted as it was. Alford. Astro- nomical calculations prove that one or two years bef. the birth qf our Lord very remarkable conjunctions of the planets of our system took place. Threefold knowledge of Christ in Gentile world. 1. Information by tradition ; 2. Star in the sky; 3. Influence of Spirit in the heart. Wise men as seekers of the truth — 1. Under impression of its reality ; 2. At the right source; 3. Under Divine direction ; 4. To render it homage. 3. troubled, he had reason, for the Pharisees had foretold the departure of the kingdom fr. Herodian family." city where the Messiah had been expected so long. Prob. their trouble arose fr. apprehensions of wars by wh. temporal kingdom of Messiah should be gained. No man has " troubled " the human heart so much as Christ. His whole course a rebuke of all evil. A babe " troubling " a king ! The good have ever "troubled " the bad. The nefarious bookkeeper is "troubled" by the eye of his honest com- panion. Parker. 4 — 6. scribes, men learned in Scripture, who knew, if any did. If the actual birthplace of Christ did not agree with their Scriptural reply, there would be strong evidence to start with against the claims of Jesus. On the other hand, if it did, the motive to examine his subsequent claims would be strong, had they iDeen sincere. Bethlehem.* This knowledge condemned the Scribes who did not go to Christ, and aided the Magi who did go. Everything replies to question of v. 2 : 1. Scriptm'e; 2. Scribes; 3. Enemies of king himself ; 4. The star; 5. Convictions of the heart. 7, 8. privily. — He would not have either priests, scribes, or people know that he had consulted, or been in league with, these heathen philosophers, wise men, magi or magians, were a sacred caste among anc. Medes and Persians. They were priests, students of the law, and literati. The term magi was aft. applied to those who pretended to knowledge of occult sciences and superhuman powers.* Hence our words "magic," "magician." worship, flattering the magi with the suggestion that they had gained a convert in the Jewish king. Inconsistency of Herod — 1. Believed the letter; 2. Rejected the spirit of Script- ure. Hi/pocrisi/ may be designated the shadow of faith in the world — 1. Accom- panies faith, as the shadow the substance ; 2. Proof of existence of faith, as shadow is of substance; 3. Vanishes before faith, as shadow bef. substance. Devices of hypocrisy — 1. Are mighty bef. the world : 2. Weak bef. power of God. Lange. 9, 10. star . . stood over. — Many explain vss. 2, and 9, as follows : — The attention of the Wise Men was aroused by the well known conjunction of planets 1 or 2 years preceding the birth of Christ. Then later a miraculous star appeared (possibly seen by them only) which started them on their long journey and deter- mined its course. This miraculous star also conducted to the place "where the young child was." When they saw. — So, for some time they had not seen it. The road to Christ always 1. A long journey; 2. Continues the grand question; 3. A path of severe self-denial; 4. Full of dangers; 5. Abounding in obstacles; 6. The only one to the true goal. Lange. II. Gifts. ** There is no ground for supposing the Magi to have been three in number, or to have been kings. The first tradition appears to have arisen fr. the number of their gifts, and the second from the prophecy in Is. Ix. 3. Alford. Our custom of Christmas gifts is said to have grown from those gifts of the Wise Men. " The gifts of the Magi furnished the Holy Family with means for their journey to Egypt." Homage of Wise Men: — I. An outburst of faith, (1) In their beholding Christ, (2) doing obeisance, (3) presenting noblest gifts. II. A picture of genuine faith ; (1) Vision issuing in humiliation, (2) adoration issuing in joy of faith, (3) persever- ance of faith issuing in self-dedication and works of love. ' Lange. " Jesus was born a babe, representing our weakness and helplessness, because He is our strength ; He was born in the night, typical of the moral darkness of the soul, because He is the light of the world ; He was born in a manger, to show the spiritual poverty of man, because in Him is true riches; He divested Himself of the glory which He had with the Father, to show the loveliness of our humility, because He was to exalt us to share the glory which is His at the right hand of the Father." ANTE A.D. 4. ing in the sky for every soul to aim to Christ. If you have lost sight of that star it is be- cause you never lift your eyes above the streets and houses of worldly things to the blue of the eternal above." excitement in Jerusalem a Josephtis, Ant. xviil. 3. 6 Mic. V. 2. shall rule lit. shall be shep- herd of. Comp. John X. 3, 4. Vin- cent. The scribes were like milestones, which point out the way to trav- elers, but them- selves remain motionless. Au- gustinr. The magi were one of the two great sects into wh. the idolatry of world was di- vid. 510 yrs B C. They hated im- ages and wor- shipp'd the Deity under the em- blem of fire. Zo- roaster, ab. 555 B.C. was the great reformer of their religion. "I also." The hoary hypocrite ! Com. Am. c Ac. viil. 9.