Ver. 1. The Book] That is, a roll or register, catalogue or calendar, a ciphering and summing up. (Genesis 5:1, תדלות רפס חז αυτη η βιβλος γενεξεως.) Of the generations] That is, of the genealogies, as touching his humanity (St Matthew’s main drift), for touching on his divinity (St John’s chief scope and subject), “who can declare his generation?” Isaiah 53:8 “What is his name and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?” Proverbs 30:4. He is without descent or pedigree, as Melchisedec, Hebrews 7:3. Of Jesus Christ] Jesus shows he was God (for “besides me there is no Saviour,” Isaiah 45:21). Christ, that he was man, the anointed; for in respect of his manhood chiefly is this anointing with gifts and graces attributed to Christ. The name of Jesuits, therefore, savoureth of blasphemous arrogance. One of their own gives the reason; -becanse he hath communicated unto us the thing signified by the name Christ, but not by the name Jesus. And yet it is notoriously known (saith Dr Fulke, out of another of their own writers) that the most honourable name of Christians is in Italy and at Rome a name of reproach, and usually abused to signify a fool or a dolt. (Fulke in Rhem. Testara. on Acts xi., sect. 4, out of Christoph. Franch. Col. Jesuit. in fine.) The Son of David] God’s darling, one that observed all his wills, Acts 13:22, and faithfully served out his time, Acts 13:36. The son of Abraham] The friend of God and father of the faithful, reckoned here (for honour’s sake) as the next immediate father of Christ, whose day indeed he saw and rejoiced, John 8:56 (ηγαλλιασατο); he laughed, yea, leapt for joy of this man child to be born into the world. Whose children we are, so long as we walk in the steps of his faith; that Christ, being formed in us, may “see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied,” Isaiah 53:10,11; he may “see his seed, and prolong his days upon earth.” Such honour have all his saints, Psalms 149:9. Rem signatam nomine Christi nobis communicavit, non autem Iesu. Lindwood. David, amatus vel amabilis. Unde Dido Poenis, Hinc Solomon dictus est Iedidiah.
Ver. 2. Abraham begat Isaac] The fruit, not more of his flesh than of his faith, whence he is said to be “born after the spirit,” Galatians 4:29. Isaac begat Jacob] After twenty years’ expectance, and many a hearty prayer put up therewhile, Genesis 25:21. So Adam lived “an hundred and twenty years ere he begat Seth”; whom God set as another seed instead of Abel, Genesis 5:3 cf. 4:25, when Cain’s family flourished and grew great in the earth. God usually stays so long that he hardly finds faith, Luke 18:8, till men have done expecting, and then he doth things that they look not for, Isaiah 64:3. Wait therefore upon him who waits to be gracious; and know this, that he is a God of judgement, Isaiah 30:18, that is, a wise God, one that chooseth his times, and knows best when to deal forth his favours. See Isaiah 49:8 cf. Ps 69:13. Everything is beautiful in its season, saith Solomon, Ecclesiastes 3:11. Jacob begat Judah and his brethren] Brethren in iniquity (the most of them), a part of their father’s punishment, for that three-fold lie in a breath, Genesis 27:19,20. Reuben was the beginning of his strength, “excelling in dignity and power,” Genesis 49:3, that is (saith the Chaldee Paraphrast), in the principality and the priesthood. Both which he forfeited by his foul offence; the former to Judah, the latter to Levi. Howbeit, upon his return to God (though disinherited of the birthright, yet) he had this honour of an elder brother, that he was first provided for. But Judah was he “whom his brethren should praise” (saith Jacob), in allusion to his name and in reference to his privilege, Genesis 49:8; for it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah (ανατεταλκεν), Hebrews 7:14, that branch from on high (ανατολη), Luke 1:78, that Shiloh, which some interpret His son (R. David). Others (Tranquillator, Salvator), the Prosperer, Pacificator, Safe Maker, &c. Others, the son of her secundines, which is the tunicle that wrappeth the child in the womb. Vere fuit Isaac beatae senectutis et emeritae fidei filius. Bucholcer. The Hebrew word is, “to frequent and multiply prayer.” Tranquillator, Salvator, a themate Salah, unde Shalvah, tranquillitas. Unde etiam Lat. Salvere, Salvus, Salvare. Amama. The placenta and other adjuncts of a foetus extruded from the womb after the expulsion of the foetus in parturition; the afterbirth. ŒD A membrane enclosing a bodily organ, ŒD
Ver. 3. And Judah begat Phares and Zarah] Jerome is deceived, that deriveth the pedigree of the Pharisees from this Phares. They took their name either of Pharash, to expound as interpreters of the law, Romans 2:18; or of Pharas, to separate with a—“Stand further off, for I am holier than thou.” Josephus saith, that the Pharisees seemed to outstrip all others both in height of holiness and depth of learning: συνταγμα τι Ιουδαιων ευσεβεστερων τον βιον, και δοκουντωνακριβεστερον των αλλων τον νομον εφηγεισθαι. B. J. i. 4. As for Pharos, he was a breachmaker (whence also he had his name, Genesis 38:29). He violently took the first birthright, and became both a father of the Messiah and a type. For Christ by his strength broke the power of death and hell; he broke down also the partition wall that was between the Jews and Gentiles, who when they shall be fully born, then shall the Jews, typified by Zarah, who thrust forth the hand first, as those that, willing to be justified by their works, and thinking to regenerate themselves, had the scarlet thread of the law’s condemnation bound upon their hands, which therefore they drew back and fell from God,—then shall they, I say, come forth again, Romans 11:11,12,25,26. Of Thamar] A Canaanitess, but probably a proselyte. The Jews say she was Melchisedec’s daughter, the high priest, and was therefore to be burned, Leviticus 21:9. But this may well pass for a Jewish fable: howbeit, that Melchisedec was a Canaanite, but a most righteous king and priest of the most high God, and was therefore not molested or meddled with by Kedarlaomer and his accomplices, I judge not unlikely. This Thamar, out of desire, partly of revenge, and partly of issue, fell into the sin of incest. Rahab was a harlot, Bathsheba an adulteress: yet all these grandmothers to our Saviour; who, because 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 off all our spots, like as the sun wasteth and wipeth away all the ill vapours of the earth and air. And Phares begat Esrom] When he was about fourteen years of age, the year before they went down to Egypt, say some: others view it otherwise. (Pareus in Gen.; Funccius in Chronol. Com., Anno 2273.) Let him that readeth understand as he can. Christ (the Arch-Prophet), when he comes again, shall teach us all things. Esrom begat Aram] While they sojourned in the land of Egypt; a miserable home, where was nothing but bondage and tyranny. And yet in reference to it, Moses (who was likewise born there) calls his son Gershom, or a stranger there, because born in Midian. The sons of Ephraim, about the birth of Moses, sought to break prison before God’s delivery: but this proved a great mischief to themselves, and no small heart break to their aged father, 1 Chronicles 7:21,22 Ps 78:9. Besides that, it gave occasion, likely, to that cruel edict of Pharaoh: “Let us deal wisely” (St Stephen saith sophistically, subtilly, κατασοφισαμενος, Acts 7:19), “lest they multiply and join also to our enemies, and fight against us” (as now they have fought against the Gittites, their own enemies, who detained from them the promised land, till their sins were full), and “so get them up out of the land,” as lately they had essayed to do. “Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens,” Exodus 1:11, and to keep them from spawning so fast, after the manner of fishes (as the word imports), which multiply beyond measure. But God turned their wisdom into folly; they took a wrong course. For who knows not that your labouring men have the most and the strongest children? And notwithstanding this new Pharaoh’s craft and cruelty,