Matthew 1

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1

Anno Mundi, or year of the World, 4000. In this chapter we have, (1,) The genealogy of Christ, in the line of Joseph, showing him to be descended from David and Abraham, in forty-two generations, divided into three fourteens, Matthew 1:1-17 . (2,) An account of the circumstances of his birth, as far as was necessary to show that he was born of a virgin, according to the prediction of the Prophet Isaiah, (chap. Matthew 7:14 ,) 18-25. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:1

Matthew 1:1. The book That is, This is the book, the verb being elegantly omitted, according to the custom of the Hebrews, and also of the Greeks and Romans; of the generation Or, as the Syriac expresses it, The writing, narrative, or account of the generation, or birth of Jesus, &c. The word γενεσις , indeed, here rendered generation, sometimes signifies the history of a person’s life, yet it is much more frequently used for genealogy, or birth; and it seems to be... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:2

Matthew 1:2. Abraham begat Isaac “The evangelist here opens his history with our Lord’s genealogy by Joseph, his supposed father. Luke gives another genealogy of him, thought by many to be Joseph’s also, but without foundation; for the two genealogies are entirely different, from David and downward. It is true, some have attempted to reconcile them by alleging, that they exhibit Joseph’s pedigree, the one by his natural, the other by his legal father. But, had that been the case, the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:3

Matthew 1:3. And Judas begat Phares and Zara Some have observed that these sons of Judah are mentioned together because they were twins born at the same time: but if this had been a reason for assigning Zara the honour of being named in this genealogy, Esau, the twin brother of Jacob, ought to have obtained it likewise. He seems rather to be mentioned to prevent any mistake. For if he had not, considering the infamy of Pharez’s birth, we might have been apt to imagine that not the Pharez... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:4

Matthew 1:4. And Aram begat Aminadab Of these, to Jesse, little is said in Scripture, for either they lived in slavery in Egypt, or in trouble in the wilderness, or in obscurity in Canaan before the kingdom was settled. Naasson, as we learn Numbers 1:7, was head of the house of Judah, not, as some through mistake have affirmed, when the Israelites entered Canaan, but when they were numbered and marshalled in the wilderness of Sinai, in the second year after they were come out of Egypt.... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:5

Matthew 1:5 . Salmon begat Booz of Rachab Viz., after their settlement in Canaan. It is not exact said that this woman was Rahab of Jericho, commonly called the harlot, but it is highly probable she was; for that Rahab was contemporary with Salmon, and a remarkable person, and there was no other of that name, especially of that age, of whom the compiler of the table could possibly suppose his reader to have any knowledge. It is true she was of one of those idolatrous nations with which the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:6

Matthew 1:6. And Jesse begat David the king David has the title of king given him in this genealogy, because he was the first king of his family, and because he had the kingdom entailed upon his children; in which respect he had greatly the advantage of Saul, from whose family the kingdom was taken away almost as soon as it was conferred. It is true, ten of the twelve tribes revolted from David’s grandson. Nevertheless, the promise of God remained sure, for whereas an end was soon put to... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:7

Matthew 1:7. And Solomon begat Roboam From whose government ten of the tribes revolting, chose Jeroboam for their king, who, to prevent them from returning to their subjection to the house of David, introduced the worship of the golden calves, and led the whole nation into the dreadful crime of gross idolatry; a crime from which they were never totally reclaimed, and which was the chief source of their misery and ruin, bringing down the divine vengeance upon them in repeated punishments,... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:8

Matthew 1:8. And Joram begat Ozias By Ozias, Uzziah is intended, and it is certain from the history of the Kings and Chronicles that he was the son of Amaziah, 2 Chronicles 26:1; Amaziah, of Joash, ch. Matthew 24:27; Joash, of Ahaziah, ch. Matthew 22:11; and Ahaziah, of Jehoram. But, according to the language of the Hebrews, the children of children are reputed the sons or daughters, not only of their immediate parents, but of their ancestors, and these ancestors are said to beget those... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:11

Matthew 1:11. Josias begat Jechonias According to the Bodleian and other MSS., (of which notice is taken in the margin of our Bibles,) we must read Josiah begat Jehoiakim, and Jehoiakim begat Jechoniah. And this indeed seems absolutely necessary to keep up the number of fourteen generations; unless we suppose, with Dr. Whitby, that the Jechoniah here is a different person from that Jechoniah mentioned in the next verse, which seems a very unreasonable supposition, since it is certain... read more

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:1

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:2

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:3

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:4

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:5

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:6

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:7

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:8

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 1:11

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