take advantage of the formula uc, Ivopifyro, as was supposed, and in an exquisite manner to conclude the whole series with God. — 6 Xfyoptvos Xpieros, who is called Christ) St Matthew is dealing with the Jewish reader, who is to be convinced that Jesus is the Christ, by such means as His genealogy. And accordingly he here and there [throughout his Gospel] expresses and establishes what the other Evangelists take for granted. The force of the name Christ recalls especially the promise given to David con cerning the Kingdom of the Messiah : and the force of the name Jesus recalls especially the promise given to Abraham concern ing the Blessing.1
17. Haffai ovv at yivsai, x.r.X., So all the generations, etc.) An important summing up (ingens symperasma),2 the force of which we exhibit by the following positions.
I. St Matthew introduced this clause with the most deliberate design.
The Messiah was really descended from David through Nathan : the genealogy, however, in Matthew, descends from David through Solomon to Joseph. Therefore, those who already knew that Jesus was not the Son of Joseph, paid little heed to Joseph's pedigree ; St Matthew, therefore, traces this genealogy in such a manner as to be serviceable to all who either believed that Jesus was the Son of Mary, but not of Joseph, or thought that He was the Son of Joseph also, and so to lead both classes to Christ, the Son of David.
II. St Matthew makes three fourteens. We exhibit them in the following table :
1. Abraham.
David.
Jechoniah.
2. Isaac.
Solomon.
Salathiel.
3. Jacob.
Rehoboam.
Zorobabel.
4. Judah.
Abijam.
Abiud.
1 The Greek X/B/OTO'?, and the Hebrew ITBS, means Anointed, i.e., King. Jesus is the proper name of our Lord : [the] Christ is a surname [cog nomen], implying His office. The ancients were expecting the Christ, before the birth of Jesus : when Jesus had been born, a demonstrative proof was given that this very Jesus is the Christ ; and when that demonstration of His being the Christ was subsequently made more widely known, the appellation, Jesus Christ, became the prevalent one. — Vers. Germ.
2 See Appendix on the figure Symperasma. — Eo.