The answer to this is not difficult; for, to succeed in the name of the brother that is dead, doth not signify, to be called by the very name with which he was called, but to be denominated his son, as if begotten by him. And this is evident from Ruth 4: Here are divers objections made to this last part of the genealogy, and in a great measure caused from the difference between Matthew and Luke; but I shall not attempt any reconciliation of those differences till I come to Luke 3: There is no Abiud reckoned amongst the sons of Zorobabel, 1 Chronicles 3: From the time of Jehoiakim were above five hundred years to the birth of Christ, of which seventy were spent in the captivity of Babylon.

Zorobabel was alive at the end of the captivity, Ezra 5: That Matthew in what he wrote was guided by the unerring Spirit, and that he had rolls of pedigrees which we want, we have reason to believe. This is enough for us Christians, who own the books of the New as well as the Old Testament to be wrote by persons Divinely inspired; so, as to them, we have nothing to do but to reconcile Matthew and Luke, both whom we own to have had the same infallible inspiration and direction.

If Jews or pagans argue from any other topic than this, it is enough to tell them, that the Jews kept exact genealogies, and more especially as to the descents in the tribes of Judah and Levi, that they might never be at loss as to the Messiah, whom they expected as the Son of David, nor yet as to the true high priest.

How Luke cometh to make Joseph the son of Heli we shall inquire if God please when we come to his third chapter: How, or wherefore, the evangelist, in deriving the pedigree of Christ, bringeth the line down to Joseph, from whom our Saviour did not descend, being no flesh of his flesh. Christ being the promised Messias, the prophecy, Isaiah 7: Now if Joseph were not the true, but only the legal or supposed, father of Christ, what had the evangelist to do with his genealogy?

Many answers are given to this. But then the Holy Spirit must have attempted to have proved a conclusion true from a medium that was false, which must by no means be allowed. Others therefore say that amongst the Jews the genealogies of women use not to be reckoned. How universally true that is I cannot tell; generally it is, very probably , it being usual almost with all nations to reckon descents from the males. It is granted by most that Luke derives the descent of Mary.

In the present case, it seemeth of high concern that the genealogy both of Joseph and Mary should be counted. So that by the reckoning of the generation of two persons, both of which were lineally descended from David, he was proved to be the Son of David, both to the generality of the Jews, who could not deny but Joseph was so, and to all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, to whom God should give to believe the mystery of the incarnation by the conception of the Holy Ghost.

Whereas some say that Mary was of the tribe of Levi, and think to prove it by her being cousin to Elisabeth, who is expressly called a daughter of Aaron, Luke 1: So as that kindred might easily be, though Mary was not of the tribe of Levi, but of Judah, as indeed she was. But leaving this question, let us come to the words of the verse. And Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary; that is, the espoused husband of Mary. Espousals make a marriage before God: And he was soon after the legal, actual husband of Mary. Of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ; that person who was called Jesus is by the direction of the angel, as we shall by and by see, who was also called Christ, which, as we said, signifieth Anointed, and the same with Messiah.

It is observed by some that the name Christ was given to kings of Judah because of their anointing before the captivity, but to none after, till he came who was the Christ; God by that providence if the Jews would have understood it pointing out to them, that the person was now come who was promised them under the notion of the Messiah, Daniel 9: In the second, he leaveth out three kings descended from the daughter of Ahab. In the third, which was from the captivity to Christ, there were doubtless more; Luke reckoneth up twenty-four, taking in Christ for one , and agreeth in very few with Matthew, who was forced to leave out some to keep to this number of fourteen.

Nor doth Matthew speak any thing false, or contradictious to Luke, in saying there were fourteen though there were more. Besides, there might be many more progenitors of Mary than of Joseph, whose pedigree Matthew deriveth. Now the birth or Jesus Christ was on this wise; not in the ordinary course and manner in which children are conceived and brought forth into the world with child of the Holy Ghost Luke 1: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph. Betrothing, or espousing, was nothing else but a solemn promise of marriage made by two persons each to other, at such a distance of time as they agreed upon.

It was a decent usage, approved of if not ordained by God, as appears by Deuteronomy That we are obliged still to use it I dare not say; it might be a prudential order and constitution of that state. There was nothing in it typical, nothing to bring it under the notion of a carnal ordinance, as the apostle calls some of their ordinances relating to the worship of God. It seemeth equitable, that the parties to be married might have some convenient time to think seriously of the great change they are soon to make in their lives, and more solemnly seek unto God for his blessing upon them; as also that they might more freely discourse together about their household affairs, and the settlement of their families, than the modesty of the virgins of that age would otherwise have allowed them.

It made them man and wife before God, though they came not together for some time after. The distance of time seemeth to have been left to the agreement of parties and parents. In this case we cannot certainly assert the distance, but it appeareth to have been such as that she was. Mary knew what the evangelist here asserts, that it was by. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. It cannot be doubted but that she revealed this to some of her friends, but how it came to be found, or who found it, we are not told. Joseph as yet had no such revelation.

For the fulfilling of the promise, Isaiah 7: Of the Holy Ghost, that the womb of the virgin being sanctified by the Spirit of holiness, there might be no traduction of original sin. It was found she was with child, possibly herself or some of her friends told it to Joseph her espoused husband; it is plain from this text he came to the knowledge of it, for upon it, the evangelist saith, he. Had Joseph at this time heard and believed that the Holy Ghost had come upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her, being a good man, he would not have entertained thoughts of putting her away.

But though she had before received this revelation, and might possibly have communicated it to some of her friends, yet it is manifest that her husband Joseph had not heard it, or at least was not easy to believe a thing of so unusual and extraordinary a nature. That she was with child was evident, how she came to be so was as yet hidden from him in nature, and so incredible a thing, as it had argued too much of easiness of belief for him to have believed, had not Joseph had as afterward he had a Divine revelation for it: Their being betrothed was a thing publicly taken notice of, and he could not put her away so privately but there must be witnesses of it; the meaning therefore must be, as privately as the nature of the thing would bear.

Joseph in this case had the choice of three things:. He might, notwithstanding this, have taken her to his house as his wife, for the law of divorce, or putting away, was but a law giving a liberty in case of a discerned uncleanness to put away the wife, it did not lay any under an obligation so to do. He might give her a bill of divorce, and leave her with her friends. Now those skilled in the Jewish writings tell us this might be done, either more privately before two or three witnesses, putting a writing of that import into her bosom; or more openly and publicly before the magistrate.

He might, according to the law, Deuteronomy If it was done with her consent, she was by the law to be stoned. Of these Joseph, in his first thoughts upon the matter, and before he rightly did understand the thing, chooseth the second and the milder part, and resolves to put her away, but in the most private manner the law would in that case allow him. He did this saith the evangelist because he was.

Supposing she had been with child by man, yet if she had been forced the man only was to die, Deuteronomy A kind and equitable man always presumes the best, especially in a case where life is concerned; besides that, no doubt Mary had by this time told Joseph the truth, and what the angel had said to her, to which it being so incredible a thing as not to be believed but upon a Divine revelation though Joseph was not obliged, having as yet no such revelation, to give a present easy faith, yet he might reasonably give so much credit as to resolve upon the mildest course he could take, though he was willing also to avoid the blot upon himself by taking her to him for his wife according to his contract.

God will not leave so good a man long unresolved what to do. What we have in this verse assures us, that Joseph was not only inclined, by the kindness and benignity of his own natural temper, and by his charity, to that moderate resolution he had taken up, but also more immediately influenced by God, who was now sending a messenger to him to tell him what he would have him to do in this case.

Whether this angel was the angel Gabriel, who Luke tells us, Luke 1: He appeareth to Joseph while he was asleep, and in and by a dream. By dreams was one way by which God revealed his mind to people formerly, Hebrews 1: Dreams are either natural, or supernatural, or preternatural. How to distinguish the former from the two latter is not my work in this place, and possibly a difficult task, especially in our times, when God, having spoken to us by his Son, and given us his word as a perfect rule, hath left off ordinary speaking to his prophets by dreams and visions, though not limited himself but that he may sometimes so speak.

We are assured of the truth of a Divine revelation to Joseph by this way of dreams, while his head was full of thoughts what he was to do in this case. God thinks of us when we sleep, and one way or other will not be wanting to our inquisition in sincerity to know his will, in the difficult cases of our lives. The angel saith unto Joseph,. Joseph, thou son of David; by which compellation he lets him know he was to be the supposed and legal, though not the natural, father of the Messias, who was by the confession of all men to be the Son of David. Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; she that is thy betrothed wife, and so thy wife in my sight; thou hast espoused her, and called me to witness that thou wilt consummate this marriage with her in a due time, and take her to thine house.

I see what hath happened which troubleth thy thoughts; possibly thou art afraid lest thou shouldest offend me, marrying one who appeareth unto thee to be defiled; or thou art afraid of bringing a blot upon thyself if thou shouldest consummate this marriage; but do not fear any of these things, but go on, and consummate thy marriage. She is not, as you supposeth, or mayest fear, defiled by man,. That holy thing, as Luke speaks , that human body which is in her womb, is created in her, and is of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost, by his almighty creating power, hath supplied what is wanting from the help of the creature, as to ordinary productions of this nature. He shall not be thy natural son, but he shall be her son, not begot by thee, but brought forth by her, so flesh of her flesh. His name shall be called Jesus by thee, or by his mother. It is the will of God thou shouldest give him that name. For he shall save his people from their sins. This name was given by God, expressing the mercy of God to his people in giving them this child;. Jesus comes from a Hebrew word, which signifies salvation.

Joshua had his name from the same word, because he was to be a temporal saviour to save the Jews, the whole body of the Jews, from the Canaanites their enemies. This Jesus was to save his people, all that should believe in his name, whether Jews or Gentiles, from their sins.

The Works Of Matthew Poole, Annotations Upon The Holy Bible, Puritan Fathers

Hereby the angel hints the mistake of the Jews, in thinking the Messias should be a temporal saviour, who should save the Jews from their enemies, minding them that he was to save them, not from their bodily, but spiritual enemies, from their sins; the guilt of them, and the power of them, and from the eternal danger of them: By these great acts of Divine Providence, that which was spoken and prophesied of by Isaiah, Isaiah 7: Though things are said in the evangelists to be fulfilled when the types have had their accomplishment in the antitype, and when something cometh to pass much like, or bearing some proportion to, something which before happened in the world, as I shall show hereafter , yet I take the sense of being fulfilled here to be literally fulfilled; believing so much of that prophecy as is here quoted did literally concern Christ, and none but him.

But the Jews have so much clamouring against the application of that text Isaiah 7: To which I know of but two prejudices:. That it could be no relief to Ahaz, nor to the Jews, against their sense and fear of their present danger, to tell them that Christ should be born of a virgin eight hundred years after.

That whereas it is added, Isaiah 7: Supposing those two kings to be Pekah king of Israel and Rezin king of Syria, who were at that time joined in a siege against Jerusalem, or at least preparing for it, and the child mentioned Isaiah 7: Let us therefore first consider the history to which that prophecy related. And it was told the house of David, that is, Ahaz , saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. This conjunction with idolaters was what the Lord had forbidden, and had often declared his abhorrence of.

To prevent it, he sends his prophet Isaiah to him: Ahaz knew not how to believe this. Isaiah offereth him from God to ask a sign for the confirmation of his word, either in the depth, or in the height. Ahaz refuseth it under pretence that he would not tempt the Lord, as if it had been a tempting God to have asked a sign at his command. There was nothing more ordinary in the prophets than to comfort the people of God amongst the Jews in their distresses with the promise of the Messias; this we find they often did with reference to the captivity of Babylon, and in other causes of distress and trouble.

And certainly that is the design of the prophet here, in these words: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. Well, saith the prophet , God shall give you that fear him a sign, he shall in his own time send you the Messias, whose name shall be called Emmanuel, and he shall be born of a virgin. Nor yet doth he leave Ahaz and his people comfortless, as to their present distress, for saith he, Isaiah 7: The Hebrew is rekh which I think were better translated this child, than the child , for h seems not to be a relative, referring to the child, mentioned in Isaiah 7: Here is a little child whom God hath commanded me to bring with me; before this child be much older, this land which thou art so much afraid of shall be quitted of both those kings who have now some possession of it; for at this time Rezin had taken Elath, a city of Judah, 2 Kings And indeed, if this be not the sense, it is very hard to conceive to what purpose God commanded Isaiah to take Shearjashub with him when he went upon this errand.

So that Isaiah 7: This will appear a much more probable sense than theirs, who think that Mahershalalhashbaz is the son mentioned Isaiah 7: Nor had this been any relief to Ahaz, as to his present distress, for this virgin if she were such was yet to be married, to conceive, and bear a son; so that, according to that notion, we must allow three or four years before Ahaz could have expected relief.

Item Preview

This is further advantaged by that passage, Isaiah 8: For the Jewish interpretation of it concerning Hezekiah, born fifteen years after , it is too ridiculous to be mentioned. The will of God as we heard was revealed to Joseph in a dream. It is God that giveth a power to sleep, and a power to awake; therefore it is said, being raised from sleep, he showed both his faith and obedience; his faith in the Divine revelation, a certainty of which he had doubtless by some extraordinary Divine impression, and his obedience to the Divine precept.

Some make a great stir in determining whether he knew her afterwards, yea or no. Some of the ancients were stiff in their opinion that he did not, so are the popish writers, and many protestant interpreters. Calvin I think determines best, that none will move such a question, but such as are unwarrantably curious; nor contend for either part, but such as are unreasonably quarrelsome.

For as, on the one side, none can conclude that she had more children from the word. We read of the brother of our Lord, Galatians 1: We know he knew her not till Christ was born, whether he did afterward or no we are willingly ignorant because God hath not told us. And he called his name Jesus: We shall meet with more circumstances relating to the birth of Christ when we come to the two first chapters of Luke. Copyright Statement These files are public domain.

Text Courtesy of BibleSupport. Lexicon Search Greek Hebrew Aramaic. Before Christ Edersheim Flavius Josephus more. The Quotation Archive Add a Quotation. Tozer Charles Spurgeon Voice of the Lord more. Finding the new version too difficult to understand?

Joseph's doubts are satisfied by an angel, who declareth the name and office of Christ: Chapter Introduction The book of the generation signifieth no more than the writing containing the genealogy or pedigree; for the Jews called all writings books. Verse 2 The evangelist reckoneth the genealogy of our Saviour by three periods, reckoning thrice fourteen descents.

That Phares begat Ezrom appeareth from Ruth 4: This Thamar, the mother of Phares and Zara, was blotted with incest, and Phares was one of the children begot in that incest. But we ought to consider: Verse 4 This exactly agreeth with the Old Testament, Ruth 4: Verse 5 See Poole on " Matthew 1: Verse 7 This exactly agrees with the history of the Old Testament, 1 Kings Verse 8 Jehoshaphat, here called Josaphat, in the Greek, they having no letter to express the Hebrew h by , was the son of Asa, a good son of a good father, 2 Chronicles Jehoram, here called Joram, succeeded him in his kingdom: But here ariseth another difficulty from what is said, Joram begat Ozias.

Verse 9 That Jotham succeeded his father Uzziah, and reigned sixteen years, agreeth with 2 Chronicles Verse 10 All this exactly agreeth with the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Verse 11 In this Jechonias 1 Chronicles 3: Verse 12 This Jechonias 1 Chronicles 3: But how Salathiel is here said to have begat Zorobabel is yet a greater difficulty; for, 1 Chronicles 3: Verse 13 See Poole on " Matthew 1: Verse 14 See Poole on " Matthew 1: God herein gives a great encouragement to prayer, and fulfils his promises made of old to his people in this behalf, Leviticus It shall come to pass, before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear.

The Lord is quick in hearing and helping his people. The angel was made. Or, to fly with flight, Habakkuk 1: The time of the evening sacrifice was a solemn and set time of devotion. Then God heard Elijah and did wonders, 1 Kings The commandment came forth: Yet was this but a type of the time of grace which was to follow after by the coming of Christ. Upon thy people, and upon thy holy city. Thine because thou dost own them, and art so tender of them, and so zealous for them. To finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity.

The angel discovers first the disease, in three several words, havh Nwe evk which contain all sorts of sin, which the Messiah should free us from by his full redemption, see Exodus The angel shows us also the cure of this disease in three words, le callee, le chatem, le capper:.

To bring in everlasting righteousness, i. Christ brings this in,. To seal up the vision and prophecy; to abrogate the former dispensation of the laws, and to fulfil it, and the prophecies relating to Christ, and to confirm and ratify the new testament or gospel covenant of grace. The Talmud saith, all the prophecies of the prophets related to Christ. To anoint the most Holy; by which alluding to the holy of holies, which was anointed, Exodus This typified the church, which is called anointed, 2 Corinthians 1: He received the Spirit. His human nature is therefore called the temple, John 2: All these were anointed and holy: Christ was anointed at his first conception and personal union, Luke 1: Know therefore and understand, i.

Seven weeks from the publication of the edict, whether of Cyrus or Darius, to restore and to build, we shall see anon. Even in troublous times; noting the enemy should create them much trouble in the building and reparations of the wall, city, and temple, which they did many ways, as we read in Nehemiah, which the Spirit of God doth premonish them of, lest they should think this their chief deliverance and redemption.

These seven weeks are therefore mentioned by themselves, and repeated no more, because they contained the time of building the wall, city, and temple of Jerusalem, at the end of which seem to begin the sixty-two weeks. After the threescore and two weeks. Shall Messiah be cut off; which word trk signifies cutting off, or cutting down, as a tree, Isaiah Secondly, it is used for cutting off by capital punishment, Exodus This foreshows that the death of Christ should be as of a condemned malefactor sentenced to death, and that justly.

Yea, God himself charged sin upon him and the curse, Isaiah But not for himself; wl Nyaw which being abrupt, is variously rendered and read; some referring it to Christ, and some to the people: There was none to succour him; or that they would none of him for their Messiah; they set him at nought, and would not have him live, and therefore he would not own them for his people, but cast them off, for thus dying is expressed in short, not to be.

Thus Enoch, Genesis 5: But our English translation seems to hit the truest sense, i. He was innocent and guiltless, he died for others, not for himself, but for our sakes and for our salvation. The people of the prince that shall come; the Romans under the conduct of Titus Vespantianus. Desolations are determined ; God hath decreed to destroy that place and people by the miseries and desolations of war, i. All this is signified by.

But some will query, why the angel who was sent to comfort Daniel should insert here this tragical business of destruction and desolation, being beyond the space of seventy weeks? That Daniel might be informed of the judgments of God upon that place and people, and the reasons of it, viz.

I say then with Graser, Mede, and others, that this he is the Messiah, and the covenant he confirms is the new testament or covenant, called therefore the covenant of the people, Isaiah Of angels, Luke 2: By the saints then living, Luke 1: Pharisees, as Nicodemus, John 3: Shall confirm the covenant; rybgh he shall corroborate it, as if it began before his coming to fail and be invalid. With many; noting hereby the paucity of the Jewish church and nation, compared with the great increase and enlargement by believing Gentiles throughout all nations and ages of the world, Isaiah With many Jews first and last, and with many more of the nations, yea, with the many whom the rabbins and Pharisees despise as the rabble, the common people, Isaiah For one week; by a figure, take the greater part of the whole, he shall, though rejected by the chief and bulk of the Jewish nation, yet make the new testament prevail with many in that time, i.

The sacrifice and the oblation to cease; zebach and mincha, bloody and unbloody, to cease. Yet is there more in it than this, viz. For the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate; desolate. This abomination was the Roman army with their eagles, and with their superstitious rites in approaching to besiege and subdue any place; and this is executed by Christ upon them, Matthew Even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate: This word shomen notes that this people were bewitched, sottishly superstitious, wanderers, banished, the astonishment and scorn of the world; all which did justly and dreadfully befall them, and they verify it to this day.

Read also Joseph Med. This scripture shows the coming of the Messiah so clearly, his sufferings, and the wrath of God so severely upon the Jews for it, that it thoroughly confutes their unbelief; and fully confirms our faith in Jesus Christ. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.

Lexicon Search Greek Hebrew Aramaic. Before Christ Edersheim Flavius Josephus more. The Quotation Archive Add a Quotation.

Psalms 1 Commentary - English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Tozer Charles Spurgeon Voice of the Lord more. Finding the new version too difficult to understand? Verse 2 Understood by books; by sacred books, both of Jeremiah the prophet, Jeremiah Verse 3 Observe two things: Verse 4 By this it appeared he prayed in faith, to the true God, and his God. Verse 5 As if he had said, We are not only sinners, but our sin is wickedness aggravated to the height: And this shows, 1. Verse 9 How did God show himself merciful, when he punished them so severely? Because it was less than their sin deserved, for it was rebellion.

Verse 10 To be large in, 1. It shows the sinfulness and heinousness of sin, the breach of it. Verse 12 He hath confirmed his words which he spake against us: Verse 13 As it is written in the law of Moses: Verse 14 Therefore hath the Lord watched: Verse 15 Daniel mentions this deliverance now, that God would please to put forth the same power in this deliverance out of Babylon, according to his promise, Psalms How he would deliver them, as once out of Egypt.


  • Bible Study Tools.
  • Searching Through Shadows.
  • Daniel 9 Commentary - English Annotations on the Holy Bible.

Verse 16 As if he had said, Lord, according to thy righteousness thou hast punished thy people, as they justly deserved; now also, according to thy mercies, which is the other part of thy righteousness, save thy people, though they deserve it not. Here the prophet is most concerned for the sanctuary, and place of worship, a type not only of the church, and the worship of God, but also of Christ; because in all these the Lord is greatly concerned in honour, especially considering, 2. The plurality of persons is expressed thus. Verse 18 Observe here, 1. Verse 19 Here, 1.


  • Bible Commentaries.
  • Facing Fear: Handling Constant Vivid Fear of Soft Bipolar, Agoraphobia, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder!
  • Index of ./Matthew Poole/Annotations - Files by Bible Book/!
  • Remembering Survival: Inside a Nazi Slave-Labor Camp!
  • !
  • Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1 in C-sharp minor.
  • Original Language Tools.

The Lord allows and loves importunity in prayer. By this we see Daniel used vocal prayer, pouring out his soul. The angel was made to fly swiftly, even unto weariness, as some translate it. Verse 23 The commandment came forth: Verse 24 Seventy weeks: Because they were his by nation, blood, laws, and profession.