Jesus was the son of abraham

JESUS WAS THE SON OF ABRAHAM
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Matthew 1:1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the
Messiahthe son of David, the son of Abraham:
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
GenealogicalLessons
Matthew 1:1
W.F. Adeney
We are tempted to pass by the string of names with which the New Testament
opens, as though it had no moral significance, as thoughit were only a relic of
Jewishdomestic annals. But even the genealogies in Genesis are eloquentin
lessons onhuman life - its brevity, its changes, its succession, its unity in the
midst of diversity; and the genealogyofour Lord has its own peculiar
importance, reminding us of many facts.
I. CHRIST IS TRULY HUMAN. It will be a great mistake if we so conceive of
his Divinity as in any way to diminish our idea of his humanity. He was as true
a man as if he had not been more than a man. The Divinity in him overflows
the humanity, fills it and surrounds it, but does not destroy it. Christ is not a

demi-god - half-way betweenman and God. Perfectlyone with his Father on
the Divine side of his nature, he is equally one with us on the human.
II. CHRIST HAS CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER MEN. He does
not descendout of the sky like an angel, or suddenly appear at our tent-door
as the "three men" appearedto Abraham (Genesis 18:2). He comes in the line
of a known household, and takes his place in the family tree. This family tree
suggestskinship. A family is more than a collectionofmen, women, and
children, more or less closelyassociatedtogetherlike the grains of sand on the
seashore. There is blood-relationship in it The solidarity of the human race
makes one man to be the brother of all men. But the family relationship is
even closer. Our Lord extends his own closestkinship to all who do the will of
God (Matthew 12:50).
III. THE PAST LEADS UP TO CHRIST. He has his roots in the ages. Those
dim, sorrowful years did not come and go in vain. They were all laying the
foundation on which, in the fulness of time, God would build his glorious
temple. Yet the men whose names are immortalized in this list knew not of
their high destiny. We live for a future that is beyond our vision.
IV. CHRIST IS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR BY HIS ANCESTRY. Some people
are proud of a noble pedigree. Yet it is possible to be the worthless scionof a
glorious house, for families often degenerate.On the other hand, many of the
best men have emergedout of obscurity. We may believe in "blood" to a
certain extent, but heredity will not explain the most striking phenomena of
human life. Mostassuredlyit will not explain the marvellous nature and
characterof Christ. "Who can bring a cleanthing out of an unclean?" (Job
14:4). Christ is not the product of such lives as those of his ancestors here
given. His unique glory is not of this world, as a comparisonof his life with his
genealogyshouldshow us.
V. CHRIST SUMS UP THE GLORIES OF THE PAST. All that is great and
goodin his ancestors is containedin Christ and surpassedby him.
1. The Jewishfaith. Christ's pedigree goes back to Abraham, the friend of
God; and in Christ Abraham's faith and piety are perfected, and the promises
to Abraham are fulfilled.

2. The Jewishthrone. Christ is David's heir. He inherits David's kingship anti
he exceeds it, realizing in fact what David imperfectly foreshadowedin type. -
W.F.A.
Biblical Illustrator
The book of the generation.
Matthew 1:1-15
The lessons ofChrist's genealogy
G. Brooks.
1. It is a proof of the reality of Christ's humanity.
2. It suggeststhe relation of Christ's work to the whole human race.
3. It marks the importance of the birth of Christ as a historicalepoch. Let it
remind us also
(1)Of the shortness ofhuman life;

(2)Of the subserviencyof persons of every class andcharacterto the purposes
of God's moral government.
(G. Brooks.)
The double use of genealogies
R. Ward.
1. A profane use for ostentation.
2. A holy use
(1)Forthe observing of judicial laws;
(2)Forthe distinguishing the church from those without;
(3)Forthe setting forth the pedigree of the Messiah, lestit should be thought
that he were some obscure or secretperson.
(R. Ward.)
The old and new in Jesus
W. H. Davison.
The first recordis the book of the generationof Jesus Christ. What does this
signify?
1. A man's beginnings, a man's ancestors, have something to do with both his
characterand his life.
2. Christ was the sacredheir of all the ancient world.
3. The genealogyreminds us how all the past was preparing for Jesus.
4. But more than all, the generations ofJesus Christ show us the birth of the
new world, and the new time, and the new institutions, which are to end in the
perfect glory of the Fatherand the perfectblessednessofthe race.

(W. H. Davison.)
The genealogyof Christ
1. There is much in goodlineage.
2. Sin has tainted the blood of the best races of men, and frequently makes
itself manifest.
3. God's grace canflow through very crookedhuman channels.
4. No man stands alone.
Lessons ofChrist's genealogy
J. B. Owen, M. A.
1. This table of our Lord's genealogy, insertedin the beginning of the gospel,
invests the book with an air of naturalness and reality, which probably
nothing else could have done so well. No man writing fiction would have
ventured to preface it with a dry list of obscure names.
2. It connects Jesus andHis teachings with all God's revelations and promises
which had been given before. It binds up, as in one sheaf, all generations of
the church in one uniform moral system.
3. The Lord's ancestralroll serves to identify Him in closerconnectionand
sympathy with the race whom, as their God, lie came to redeem.
4. The accountof those who were Christ's ancestrybefore His first advent
suggestthe anxious inquiry, whether our names are written in the Book of
Life as members of His spiritual family.
(J. B. Owen, M. A.)
Very man

Dr. Bonar., W. Edwards.
1. He is a man.
2. He is a Jew.
3. He is a king.
(1)God's purpose is to bless by a man;
(2)To teachby a man;
(3)To judge by a man;
(4)To rule by a man;
(5)To link earth and heaven togetherby a man.
(Dr. Bonar.)The text appears at first sight like a valley of dry bones without
any life or fertility, or a rugged pass that leads to greenpastures.
Nevertheless,there are important lessons in it respecting the human race and
its relation to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I. It shows THE COMMON ORIGIN OF THE RACE. St. Luke traces the
ancestryof Jesus to Adam — the head of the race.
II. THE PHYSICAL CONNECTION OF THE RACE. Having sprung from a
common head, there must be a physical connectionbetweenthe various
members.
(1)War seems doubly barbarous and unnatural.
(2)Men ought to sympathize with and promote one another's welfare apart
from Christianity, etc.
III. THE COMMON SAVIOUR OF THE RACE.
IV. THE MORAL DISTINCTION OF THE RACE. What a mixture of good
and bad there is in the genealogy!
(W. Edwards.)

COMMENTARIES
Matthew 1:1 The book of the generationofJesus Christ, the son of David, the
son of Abraham.
EXPOSITORY(ENGLISHBIBLE)
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(1) The book of the generation.—The opening words of the Gospelshow that
it is written by a Jew for Jewishreaders. Theyare an essentiallyHebrew
formula (as in Genesis 5:1), and were applied chiefly though not exclusively
(Genesis 37:2)to genealogies suchas that which follows here.
Jesus Christ.—The collocationofnames was not so much a thing of course
when St. Matthew wrote as it now seems to us. There were many who bore the
name of Jesus—e.g.,Jesus the sonor Sirach, Jesus surnamed Justus
(Colossians4:11), possibly even Jesus Bar-abbas (Matthew 27:17). It was
necessaryto state that the genealogythatfollowedwas that of Jesus the
Messiah, the true “anointed” of the Lord.
The sonof David.—This, of course, was addedas the most popular of all the
names of the expectedChrist, ownedalike by scribes and Rabbis (Matthew
22:42), by children (Matthew 21:9), and by the poor (Matthew 15:22;
Matthew 20:30).
The sonof Abraham.—There is no reasonto think that this was ever a
speciallyMessianic title. If there is any specialsignificance in its occurrence
here, it is as emphasising that which the Messiahhad in common with other
Israelites. He was thus as a brother to them all, even to the despised publican
(Luke 19:9), as being the seedof Abraham, in whom all the nations of the
earth were to be blessed(Genesis 22:18). The former thought appears in

another book speciallywritten, like this Gospel, for Hebrews—“Onthe seedof
Abraham he layeth hold” (Hebrews 2:16).
(1) Nothing can be inferred directly from St. Matthew’s phrase “till she had
brought forth” as to what followedafter the birth. The writer’s purpose is
obviously to emphasise the absence ofall that might interfere with the
absolutely supernatural characterof the birth itself. (2) Nothing canbe
inferred with certainty from the mention of our Lord’s “brethren” in
Matthew 12:46 (see Note there), and elsewhere.Theymay have been children
of Josephby a former marriage, or by what was knownas a levirate marriage
with the widow of a deceasedbrother, under the law of Deuteronomy 25:5,
Matthew 22:24, or children by adoption, or cousins included under the
generalname of brethren. (3) The fact that the mother of our Lord found a
home with the beloved disciple (John 19:27)and not with any of the
“brethren” points, as far as it goes, to their not being her own children, but it
does not go far enough to warrant any positive assertion. Scripture therefore
supplies no data for any decisionon either side, nor does any tradition that
can really be called primitive. The reverence for virginity as comparedwith
marriage in the patristic and mediæval Church made the “ever-virgin” to be
one of the received titles of the mother of the Lord. The reactionof natural
feeling againstthat reverence led men in earlier and later times to assertthe
opposite. Every commentator is influenced consciouslyor unconsciouslyby
his leanings in this or that direction. And so the matter must rest.
BensonCommentary
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 expressesit, The writing,
narrative, or accountof 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, orbirth; and
it seems to be intended to be takenin this restrained sense here. Dr.
Macknightrenders the phrase, The table of the genealogyofJesus:observing

that the word Βιβλος, book, is used in this limited sense Mark 10:4, where a
bill of divorce is so called: and Jeremiah 32:12, where a deed of conveyance is
termed ‫,רפס‬ a book. Indeed, the Jews, andalso the Greeks,calledall writings
books, whethershort or long. Of Jesus Christ — Jesus is his proper name,
given him by God, his true Father, Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31; Luke 2:21.
Christ is, as it were, a surname, descriptive of his unction to the prophetic,
priestly, and kingly offices. To the name Christ, that of Jesus is often
superadded in the New Testament, not only that Christ might be pointed out
for the Saviour, as the word Jesus signifies, but that Jesus might be shown to
be the true Messiah, orChrist, in opposition to the unbelief of the Jews. The
son of David, the sonof Abraham — i.e., a descendantof David and
Abraham; the word son, in the language ofthe Hebrews, being put for any
descendant, howeverremote. Here the evangelistproposes whathe is going to
prove; viz, that Jesus Christ, whose history he is about to give, was the son of
David and Abraham, which it was necessaryhe should show because the
grand prophetical characterof the Messiahwas,that he was to spring from
Abraham and David. The sense of the latter clause, indeed, the son of
Abraham, is ambiguous: it may mean either that David was the son of
Abraham, or, which seems the more probable sense, thatChrist, who was the
son of David, was also the son of Abraham. This sense accords betterboth
with the following words, and with the design of the evangelist, whichwas to
show, that Christ was descendedfrom both these renownedpatriarchs, and
that in him was fulfilled the promises made to both. David is first named, 1.
That the catalogue, to begin from Abraham, might proceedregularly, without
the repetition of his name; 2. Becausethe memory of David was more fresh
upon the minds of the Jews, andhis name in greaterrepute than that of
Abraham, especiallywhen the discourse relatedto the Messiah, John7:42;
more plain and explicit promises of him being made to David, and the
prophets having spokenof Christ under the name of David. Add to this, that
David was both a prophet and a king, and therefore a more manifest type of
the Messiah, who sustains both of these offices, as well as that of a priest.
Hence those who had entertained higher conceptions ofChrist than others,
termed him the son of David, as appears from many passagesin the gospels.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:1-17 Concerning this genealogyofour Saviour, observe the chief intention.
It is not a needless genealogy. It is not a vain-glorious one, as those of great
men often are. It proves that our Lord Jesus is of the nation and family out of
which the Messiahwas to arise. The promise of the blessing was made to
Abraham and his seed;of the dominion, to David and his seed. It was
promised to Abraham that Christ should descendfrom him, Ge 12:3; 22:18;
and to David that he should descendfrom him, 2Sa 7:12; Ps 89:3, &c.; 132:11;
and, therefore, unless Jesus is a son of David, and a son of Abraham, he is not
the Messiah. Now this is here proved from well-knownrecords. When the Son
of God was pleasedto take our nature, he came near to us, in our fallen,
wretchedcondition; but he was perfectly free from sin: and while we read the
names in his genealogy, we should not forgethow low the Lord of glory
stoopedto save the human race.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
The book of the generation - This is the proper title of the chapter. It is the
same as to say, "the accountof the ancestryor family, or the genealogical
table of Jesus Christ." The phrase is common in Jewishwritings. Compare
Genesis 5:1. "This is the book of the generations ofAdam," i. e., the
genealogicaltable of the family or descendants ofAdam. See also Genesis 6:9.
The Jews, moreover, as we do, kept such tables of their own families. and it is
probable that this was copiedfrom the recordof the family of Joseph.
Jesus - See the notes at Matthew 1:21.
Christ - The word "Christ" is a Greek word, Χριστός Christos, signifying
"anointed." The Hebrew word, ‫חיׁשמ‬ mâshı̂yach, signifying the same is
"Messiah." Hence, Jesus is calledeither the Messiah, orthe Christ, meaning
the same thing. The Jews speak ofthe Messiah;Christians speak of him as the
Christ. In ancient times, when kings and priests were setapart to their office,
they were anointed with oil, Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 6:20; Exodus 28:41;
Exodus 29:7; 1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Samuel 15:1; 2 Samuel 23:1. To anoint,
therefore, means often the same as to consecrate,orto setapart to an office.
Hence, those thus set apart are said to be anointed, or to be the anointed of
God. It is for this reasonthat the name is given to the Lord Jesus. Compare

the notes at Daniel 9:24. He was setapart by God to be the King, and High
Priest, and Prophet of his people. Anointing with oil was, moreover, supposed
to be emblematic of the influences of the Holy Spirit; and since God gave him
the Spirit without measure John 3:34, so he is especiallycalled"the Anointed
of God."
The Son of David - The word "son" among the Jews hada great variety of
significations. It means literally a son; then a grandson;a descendant:an
adopted son; a disciple, or one who is an objectof tender affectionone who is
to us as a son. In this place it means a descendantof David; or one who was of
the family of David. It was important to trace the genealogyofJesus up to
David, because the promise had been made that the Messiahshould be of his
family, and all the Jews expectedthat it would be so. It would be impossible,
therefore, to convince a Jew that Jesus was the Messiah, unless it could be
shown that he was descendedfrom David. See Jeremiah23:5; Psalm 132:10-
11, compared with Acts 13:23, and John 7:42.
The sonof Abraham - The descendantof Abraham. The promise was made to
Abraham also. See Genesis 12:3;Genesis 21:12;compare Hebrews 11:13;
Galatians 3:16. The Jews expectedthat the Messiahwould be descendedfrom
him; and it was important, therefore, to trace the genealogyup to him also.
Though Jesus was ofhumble birth, yet he was descendedfrom most illustrious
ancestors.Abraham, the father of the faithful - "the beauteous model of an
Easternprince," and David, the sweetpsalmistof Israel, the conqueror, the
magnificent and victorious leader of the people of God, were both among his
ancestors.Fromthese two persons, the most eminent for piety, and the most
renowned for their excellenciesofall the people of antiquity, sacredor
profane, the Lord Jesus was descended;and though his birth and life were
humble, yet they who regardan illustrious descentas of value, may find here
all that is to be admired in piety, purity, patriotism, splendor, dignity, and
renown.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
The New Testament

THE GOSPELACCORDING TO MATTHEW Commentary by David
Brown
INTRODUCTION
The author of this Gospelwas a publican or tax gatherer, residing at
Capernaum, on the westernshore of the Sea of Galilee. As to his identity with
the "Levi" of the secondand third Gospels, andother particulars, see on
[1198]Mt9:9. Hardly anything is knownof his apostolic labors. That, after
preaching to his countrymen in Palestine, he went to the East, is the general
testimony of antiquity; but the precise scene or scenesofhis ministry cannot
be determined. That he died a natural death may be concludedfrom the belief
of the best-informed of the Fathers—thatof the apostles only three, James the
Greater, Peter, and Paul, suffered martyrdom. That the first Gospelwas
written by this apostle is the testimony of all antiquity.
For the date of this Gospel we have only internal evidence, and that far from
decisive. Accordingly, opinion is much divided. That it was the first issuedof
all the Gospels was universally believed. Hence, although in the order of the
Gospels, those by the two apostles were placed first in the oldestmanuscripts
of the Old Latin version, while in all the Greek manuscripts, with scarcelyan
exception, the order is the same as in our Bibles, the Gospelaccording to
Matthew is in every case placedfirst. And as this Gospelis of all the four the
one which bears the most evident marks of having been prepared and
constructedwith a specialview to the Jews—who certainlyfirst required a
written Gospel, and would be the first to make use of it—there canbe no
doubt that it was issued before any of the others. That it was written before
the destructionof Jerusalemis equally certain; for as Hug observes
[Introduction to the New Testament, p. 316, Fosdick'stranslation], when he
reports our Lord's prophecy of that awful event, on coming to the warning
about "the abomination of desolation" whichthey should "see standing in the
holy place," he interposes (contrary to his invariable practice, which is to
relate without remark) a call to his readers to read intelligently—"Whoso
readeth, let him understand" (Mt 24:15)—a callto attend to the divine signal
for flight which could be intended only for those who lived before the event.
But how long before that event this Gospelwas written is not so clear. Some

internal evidences seemto imply a very early date. Since the JewishChristians
were, for five or six years, exposedto persecutionfrom their own
countrymen—until the Jews, being persecutedby the Romans, had to look to
themselves—itis not likely (it is argued) that they should be left so long
without some written Gospelto reassure and sustainthem, and Matthew's
Gospelwas eminently fitted for that purpose. But the digests to which Luke
refers in his Introduction (see on [1199]Lu1:1) would be sufficient for a time,
especiallyas the living voice of the "eye-witnesses andministers of the Word"
was yet sounding abroad. Other considerations in favor of a very early date—
such as the tender way in which the author seems studiously to speak of
Herod Antipas, as if still reigning, and his writing of Pilate apparently as if
still in power—seemto have no foundation in fact, and cannot therefore be
made the ground of reasoning as to the date of this Gospel. Its Hebraic
structure and hue, though they prove, as we think, that this Gospelmust have
been published at a period considerably anterior to the destruction of
Jerusalem, are no evidence in favor of so early a date as A.D. 37 or 38—
according to some of the Fathers, and, of the moderns, Tillemont, Townson,
Owen, Birks, Tregelles.Onthe other hand, the date suggestedby the
statementof Irenæus [Against Heresies, 3.1], thatMatthew put forth his
Gospelwhile Peterand Paul were at Rome preaching and founding the
Church—or after A.D. 60—thoughprobably the majority of critics are in
favor of it, would seemrather too late, especiallyas the secondand third
Gospels, whichwere doubtless published, as well as this one, before the
destruction of Jerusalem, had still to be issued. Certainly, such statements as
the following, "Wherefore that field is calledthe field of blood unto this day"
(Mt 27:8); "And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this
day" (Mt 28:15), bespeak a date considerablylater than the events recorded.
We incline, therefore, to a date intermediate betweenthe earlierand the later
dates assignedto this Gospel, without pretending to greaterprecision.
We have adverted to the strikingly Jewishcharacterand coloring of this
Gospel. The facts which it selects, the points to which it gives prominence, the
castof thought and phraseology, allbespeak the Jewishpoint of view from
which it was written and to which it was directed. This has been noticedfrom
the beginning, and is universally acknowledged. It is of the greatest

consequence to the right interpretation of it; but the tendency among some
even of the best of the Germans to infer, from this specialdesign of the first
Gospel, a certain laxity on the part of the Evangelistin the treatment of his
facts, must be guarded against.
But by far the most interesting and important point connectedwith this
Gospelis the language in which it was written. It is believed by a formidable
number of critics that this Gospelwas originally written in what is loosely
calledHebrew, but more correctlyAramaic, or Syro-Chaldaic, the native
tongue of the country at the time of our Lord; and that the Greek Matthew
which we now possessis a translationof that work, either by the Evangelist
himself or some unknown hand. The evidence on which this opinion is
grounded is wholly external, but it has been deemed conclusive by Grotius,
Michaelis (and his translator), Marsh, Townson, Campbell, Olshausen,
Creswell, Meyer, Ebrard, Lange, Davidson, Cureton, Tregelles, Websterand
Wilkinson, &c. The evidence referred to cannotbe given here, but will be
found, with remarks on its unsatisfactorycharacter, in the Introduction to the
Gospels prefixed to our largerCommentary, pp. 28-31.
But how stand the facts as to our Greek Gospel?We have not a tittle of
historicalevidence that it is a translation, either by Matthew himself or
anyone else. All antiquity refers to it as the work of Matthew the publican and
apostle, just as the other Gospels are ascribedto their respective authors. This
Greek Gospelwas from the first receivedby the Church as an integral part of
the one quadriform Gospel. And while the Fathers often advert to the two
Gospels whichwe have from apostles, andthe two which we have from men
not apostles—inorderto show that as that of Mark leans so entirely on Peter,
and that of Luke on Paul, these are really no less apostolicalthan the other
two—thoughwe attachless weight to this circumstance than they did, we
cannot but think it striking that, in thus speaking, they never drop a hint that
the full apostolic authority of the Greek Matthew had ever been questioned on
the ground of its not being the original. Further, not a trace can be discovered
in this Gospelitself of its being a translation. Michaelis tried to detect, and
fancied that he had succeededin detecting, one or two such. Other Germans
since, and Davidsonand Cureton among ourselves, have made the same
attempt. But the entire failure of all such attempts is now generallyadmitted,

and candid advocates ofa Hebrew original are quite ready to own that none
such are to be found, and that but for external testimony no one would have
imagined that the Greek was not the original. This they regardas showing
how perfectly the translationhas been executed; but those who know best
what translating from one language into another is will be the readiestto own
that this is tantamount to giving up the question. This Gospelproclaims its
own originality in a number of striking points; such as its manner of quoting
from the Old Testament, and its phraseologyin some peculiar cases. Butthe
close verbal coincidencesofour Greek Matthew with the next two Gospels
must not be quite passedover. There are but two possible ways of explaining
this. Either the translator, sacrificing verbal fidelity in his version,
intentionally conformed certain parts of his author's work to the secondand
third Gospels—inwhich case it canhardly be called Matthew's Gospelat
all—or our Greek Matthew is itself the original.
Moved by these considerations, some advocates ofa Hebrew original have
adopted the theory of a double original; the external testimony, they think,
requiring us to believe in a Hebrew original, while internal evidence is decisive
in favor of the originality of the Greek. This theory is espousedby Guericks,
Olshausen, Thiersch, Townson, Tregelles, &c. But, besides that this looks too
like an artificial theory, invented to solve a difficulty, it is utterly void of
historicalsupport. There is not a vestige of testimony to support it in
Christian antiquity. This ought to be decisive againstit.
It remains, then, that our Greek Matthew is the original of that Gospel, and
that no other original ever existed. It is greatlyto the credit of DeanAlford,
that after maintaining, in the first edition of his Greek Testamentthe theory
of a Hebrew original, he thus expresses himselfin the secondand subsequent
editions: "On the whole, then, I find myself constrainedto abandon the view
maintained in my first edition, and to adopt that of a Greek original."
One argument has been adduced on the other side, on which not a little
reliance has been placed;but the determination of the main question does not,
in our opinion, depend upon the point which it raises. It has been very
confidently affirmed that the Greek language was not sufficiently understood
by the Jews ofPalestine when Matthew published his Gospelto make it at all

probable that he would write a Gospel, for their benefit in the first instance, in
that language. Now, as this merely alleges the improbability of a Greek
original, it is enough to place againstit the evidence already adduced, which is
positive, in favor of the sole originality of our Greek Matthew. It is indeed a
question how far the Greek language was understoodin Palestine atthe time
referred to. But we advise the reader not to be drawn into that question as
essentialto the settlementof the other one. It is an element in it, no doubt, but
not an essentialelement. There are extremes on both sides of it. The old idea,
that our Lord hardly ever spoke anything but Syro-Chaldaic, is now pretty
nearly exploded. Many, however, will not go the length, on the other side, of
Hug (in his Introduction to the New Testament, pp. 326, &c.)and Roberts
("Discussions ofthe Gospels," &c., pp. 25, &c.). For ourselves, though we
believe that our Lord, in all the more public scenes ofHis ministry, spoke in
Greek, all we think it necessaryhere to sayis that there is no ground to
believe that Greek was so little understood in Palestine as to make it
improbable that Matthew would write his Gospelexclusively in that
language—soimprobable as to outweighthe evidence that he did so. And
when we think of the number of digests or short narratives of the principal
facts of our Lord's history which we know from Luke (Lu 1:1-4) were floating
about for some time before he wrote his Gospel, ofwhich he speaks by no
means disrespectfully, and nearly all of which would be in the mother tongue,
we can have no doubt that the JewishChristians and the Jews ofPalestine
generallywould have from the first reliable written matter sufficient to supply
every necessaryrequirement until the publican-apostle should leisurely draw
up the first of the four Gospels in a language to them not a strange tongue,
while to the rest of the world it was the language in which the entire
quadriform Gospelwas to be for all time enshrined. The following among
others hold to this view of the sole originality of the Greek Matthew:Erasmus,
Calvin, Beza, Lightfoot, Wetstein, Lardner, Hug, Fritzsche, Credner, De
Wette, Stuart, Da Costa, Fairbairn, Roberts.
On two other questions regarding this Gospelit would have been desirable to
say something, had not our available space been alreadyexhausted: The
characteristics, bothin language and matter, by which it is distinguished from
the other three, and its relation to the secondand third Gospels. Onthe latter

of these topics—whetherone or more of the Evangelists made use of the
materials of the other Gospels, and, if so, which of the Evangelists drew from
which—the opinions are just as numerous as the possibilities of the case, every
conceivable wayof it having one or more who plead for it. The most popular
opinion until recently—and perhaps the most popular still—is that the second
Evangelistavailedhimself more or less of the materials of the first Gospel,
and the third of the materials of both the first and secondGospels. Here we
can but state our own belief, that eachof the first three Evangelists wrote
independently of both the others;while the fourth, familiar with the first
three, wrote to supplement them, and, even where he travels along the same
line, wrote quite independently of them. This judgment we express, with all
deference for those who think otherwise, as the result of a close study of each
of the Gospels in immediate juxtaposition and comparisonwith the others. On
the former of the two topics noticed, the linguistic peculiarities of eachof the
Gospels have been handled most closelyand ably by Credner [Einleitung
(Introduction to the New Testament)], of whose results a goodsummary will
be found in Davidson's Introduction to the New Testament. The other
peculiarities of the Gospels have been most felicitously and beautifully
brought out by Da Costa in his Four Witnesses,to which we must simply refer
the reader, though it contains a few things in which we cannot concur.
CHAPTER 1
Mt 1:1-17. Genealogyof Christ. ( = Lu 3:23-38).
1. The book of the generation—anexpressionpurely Jewish;meaning, "table
of the genealogy." In Ge 5:1 the same expressionoccurs in this sense. We have
here, then, the title, not of this whole Gospelof Matthew, but only of the first
seventeenverses.
of Jesus Christ—Forthe meaning of these glorious words, see on [1200]Mt
1:16; [1201]Mt1:21. "Jesus,"the name given to our Lord at His circumcision
(Lu 2:21), was that by which He was familiarly knownwhile on earth. The
word "Christ"—thoughapplied to Him as a proper name by the angelwho
announced His birth to the shepherds (Lu 2:11), and once or twice used in this
sense by our Lord Himself (Mt 23:8, 10;Mr 9:41)—only beganto be so used

by others about the very close ofHis earthly career(Mt 26:68;27:17). The full
form, "Jesus Christ," though once used by Himself in His IntercessoryPrayer
(Joh 17:3), was never used by others till after His ascensionand the formation
of churches in His name. Its use, then, in the opening words of this Gospel
(and in Mt 1:17, 18) is in the style of the late period when our Evangelist
wrote, rather than of the events he was going to record.
the sonof David, the son of Abraham—As Abraham was the first from whose
family it was predicted that Messiahshouldspring (Ge 22:18), so David was
the last. To a Jewishreader, accordingly, these behoovedto be the two great
starting-points of any true genealogyofthe promised Messiah;and thus this
opening verse, as it stamps the first Gospelas one peculiarly Jewish, would at
once tend to conciliate the writer's people. From the nearestof those two
fathers came that familiar name of the promised Messiah, "the sonof David"
(Lu 20:41), which was applied to Jesus, eitherin devout acknowledgmentof
His rightful claim to it (Mt 9:27; 20:31), or in the way of insinuating inquiry
whether such were the case (see on[1202]Joh4:29;Mt 12:23).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Matthew CHAPTER 1 Summary
Mat 1:1-17 The genealogyofChrist from Abraham to Joseph.
Mat 1:18-25 The miraculous conceptionof Mary: Joseph's doubts are
satisfiedby an angel, who declareththe name and
office of Christ: Jesus is born.
Chapter Introduction

The book of the generationsignifieth no more than the writing containing the
genealogyorpedigree;for the Jews calledall writings books. Thus, Jer
32:10,11, the evidences ofa purchase are called the book. So Isa 1:1 Mar10:4,
the writings calleda bill of divorce are both in the Hebrew and the Greek
calleda book of divorce. Thus in ecclesiasticalcourts still, the term libel
(which signifieth a little book)is used. So as these words are not to be looked
upon as the title to the whole Gospelaccording to St. Matthew, but only to the
following pedigree of our Saviour's ancestors.
Of Jesus Christ; of that person to whom the name of Jesus was givenby the
angel, as we shall hear further, Mat 1:20,21, becausehe should save his people
from their sins (for Jesus, as also Joshua,signifies a saviour or deliverer); and
who also was the Christ, or the Messiah, prophesiedof by Daniel, Dan 9:25,26,
expectedby the Jews, as doth appear from Joh 1:41 (for Messiahand Christ
denoted the same person, Joh 4:25); only Messiahwas a Hebrew word, and
Christ of Greek extraction, both signifying Anointed, and so God's
designationof a person to the office of a priest, a prophet, or a king. The
Christ signifieth a designationto all three.
The Son of David, the son of Abraham: not the immediate Son of either, but,
by a long traduction, lineally descendedfrom both. Abraham was long before
David, but is here put after him, either because he was a king, or because the
Jews expectedMessiahwas to be the Son of David; or because the evangelist's
design was to begin the pedigree from Abraham, whom he therefore last
mentions. Both are named, because both were concernedin the promise of
Christ. It was made to Abraham, Gen 12:3 22:18: and to David renewed and
enlarged, Psa 89:36,37. Hence it appeareth that the Jews lookedthat Christ
should be the Sonof David, Mat22:42 Mar 12:35. Hence the evangelistputs
David in the front. From Abraham the Jews derived themselves, they usually
gloried they had Abraham to their father. The evangelist, by proving Christ to
have descendedfrom Abraham by Isaac, provethhim an Hebrew of the

Hebrews, and to be descendedfrom the seedto whom the promise was made;
and by proving him the Son of David, he proves him David's righteous
Branch, or Branch of righteousness,mentioned Jer23:5,6 Jer 33:15, and so to
have descendedfrom the royal family.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
The book of the generationof Jesus Christ,.... This is the genuine title of the
book, which was put to it by the Evangelisthimself; for the former seems to be
done by another hand. This book is an account, not of the divine, but human
generationof Christ; and not merely of his birth, which lies in a very little
compass;nor of his genealogy, whichis contained in this chapter; but also of
his whole life and actions, of what was said, done, and suffered by him. It is an
Hebrew way of speaking, much like that in Genesis 5:1 and which the
Septuagint render by the same phrase as here; and as that was the book of the
generationof the first Adam; this is the book of the generationof the second
Adam. The Jews calltheir blasphemous history of the life of Jesus, "The book
of the generations ofJesus" (o). This accountof Christ begins with the name
of the Messiah, wellknownto the Jews,
the sonof David; not only to the Scribes and Pharisees,the more learned part
of the nation, but to the common people, even to persons of the meanestrank
and figure among them. See Matthew 9:27. Nothing is more common in the
Jewishwritings, than for "the sonof David" to stand alone for the Messiah;it
would be endless to cite or refer to all the testimonies of this kind; only take
the following (p),
"R. Jochanansays, in the generationin which "the son of David" comes, the
disciples of the wise men shall be lessened, and the rest, their eyes shallfail
with grief and sorrow, and many calamities and severe decrees shallbe
renewed;when the first visitation is gone, a secondwill hasten to come. It is a
tradition of the Rabbins (about) the week (of years)in which "the son of
David" comes, that in the first year this scripture will be fulfilled, Amos 4:7.
"I will rain upon one city", &c. in the second, arrows of famine will be sent
forth; in the third there will be a greatfamine, and men, women and children,
holy men and men of business will die, and the law will be forgottenby those

who learn it; in the fourth there will be plenty and not plenty; in the fifth
there will be greatplenty, and they shall eat and drink and rejoice, and the
law shall return to them that learn it; in the sixth there will be voices (or
thunders;) in the sevenththere will be wars;and in the going out of the
seventh the "sonof David" comes. The tradition of R. Judah says, In the
generationin which "the son of David" comes, the house of the congregation
(the schoolor synagogue)shallbecome a brothel house, Galilee shall be
destroyed, and Gabalene shallbecome desolate;and the men of Gabul (or the
border) shall go about from city to city, and shall find no mercy; and the
wisdom of the scribes shallstink; and they that are afraid to sin shall be
despised;and the face of that generationshallbe as the face of a dog, and
truth shall fail, as it is said, Isaiah 59:15 --The tradition of R. Nehoraisays, In
the generationin which "the son of David" comes, young men shall make
ashamedthe faces ofold men, and old men shall stand before young men, the
daughter shall rise up againsther mother, and the daughter-in-law against
her mother-in-law; nor will a son reverence his father. The tradition of R.
Nehemiah says, In the generationin which "the son of David" comes,
impudence will increase, andthe honourable will deal wickedly, and the whole
kingdom will return to the opinion of the Sadducees, andthere will be no
reproof. --It is a tradition of the Rabbins, that "the sonof David" will not
come, until traitorous practices are increased, or the disciples are lessenedor
until the smallestpiece of money fails from the purse, or until redemption is
despairedof.''
In which passage, besidesthe proof for which it is cited, may be observed, how
exactly the description of the age of the Messiah, as given by the Jews
themselves, agreeswith the generationin which Jesus the true Messiahcame;
who as he was promised to David, and it was expectedhe should descendfrom
him, so he did according to the flesh; God raised him up of his seed, Romans
1:3 it follows,
The sonof Abraham. Abraham was the first to whom a particular promise
was made, that the Messiahshould spring from, Genesis 22:18. The first
promise in Genesis 3:15 only signified that he should be the seedof the
woman; and it would have been sufficient for the fulfilment of it, if he had
been born of any woman, in whatsoevernation, tribe, or family; but by the

promise made to Abraham he was to descendfrom him, as Jesus did; who
took upon him the seedof Abraham, Hebrews 2:16 or assumedan human
nature which sprung from him, and is therefore truly the son of Abraham.
The reasonwhy Christ is first calledthe sonof David, and then the son of
Abraham, is partly because the former was a more knownname of the
Messiah;and partly that the transition to the genealogyofChrist might be
more easyand natural, beginning with Abraham, whom the Jews call(q) the
"headof the genealogy", and the root and foundation of it, as Matthew here
makes him to be; wherefore a Jew cannotbe displeasedwith the Evangelist
for beginning the genealogyofour Lord at, Abraham.
(o) Apud Wagenseil. Tela Ignea. (p) T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 97. 1. Shir
Hashirim Rabba, fol. 11. 4. (q) Juchasin, fol. 8. 1. Tzeror Hammor. fol. 29. 3.
& 154. 4.
Geneva Study Bible
The {1} {a} book of the {b} generationof Jesus Christ, the son of David, the
{c} sonof Abraham.
(1) Jesus Christ came of Abraham of the tribe of Judah, and of the family of
David as God promised.
(a) Rehearsal:as the Hebrews used to speak;see Ge 5:1, the book of the
generations.
(b) Of the ancestors from whom Christ came.
(c) Christ is also the son of Abraham.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Matthew 1:1. Βίβλος γενέσεως] Book of origin; ‫פֵמ‬ ֶ‫ּתֵר‬ ‫ר‬ְ‫פ‬ ‫,חֹו‬ Genesis 2:4;
Genesis 5:1, LXX.; comp. Genesis 6:9; Genesis 11:10. The first verse contains
the title of the genealogywhichfollows in Matthew 1:2-16, which contains the
origin of Christ from the Messianic line that runs on from the time of
Abraham (genitive of contents). So Beza, Calvin, Grotius, Bengel, Wetstein,

Paulus, Kuinoel, Gratz, de Wette, Baumgarten-Crusius, and others. The
evangelist adopted the genealogicalpiece of writing (βίβλος), and which “velut
extra corpus historiae prominet” (Grotius), without alteration, as he found it,
and with its title also. Others (Bede, Maldonatus, Schleussner)take γένεσις as
meaning life, and regard the words as a superscription to the entire Gospel:
commentarius de vita Jesu. Contrary to the usage ofthe language;for in Jdt
12:18, and Wis 7:5, γένεσις denotes the origin, the commencing point of life; in
Plato, Phaedr. p. 252 D, it means existence;in Hierocles, p. 298, the creation,
or that which is created;and in Jam 3:6, τροχὸς τῆς γενέσεως is the τροχός
which begins with birth. And if we were to suppose, with Olearius (comp.
Hammond and Vitringa, also Euthym. Zigabenus), that the superscription
liber de originibus JesuChristi was selectedfirst with reference to the
commencementof the history, to which the further history was then appended
with a distinctive designation(comp. Catonis CensoriiOrigines), as ‫פֵמ‬ ֶ‫ּתֵר‬ also
confessedlydoes not always announce a mere genealogy(Genesis 5:1 ff;
Genesis 11:27 ff.), nay, may even stand without any genealogicallist following
it (Genesis 2:4; Genesis 37:2 ff.),—so the immediate connectionin which
βίβλος … Χριστοῦ stands with υἱοῦ Δαυ., υἱοῦ Ἀβρ., here necessitatesus to
think from the very beginning, in harmony with the context, of the genealogy
merely; and the commencementof Matthew 1:18, where the γένεσις in the
narrowersense, the actualorigination, is now related, separates the section
Matthew 1:18-25 distinctly from the preceding genealogicallist, so that the
first words of chap. 2, τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος, connectthemselves, as
carrying on the narrative, with Matthew 1:18-25, where the origin of Jesus,
down to His actual birth, is related. This is, at the same time, in answerto
Fritzsche, who translates it as volumen de J. Christi originibus, and, appealing
to the words in the beginning of ch. 2, regards βίβλος γενέσεως, κ.τ.λ., as the
superscription of the first chapter (so also Delitzsch), as well as to Olshausen
(see also Ewaldand Bleek), who takes it as the superscription of the two first
chapters.
If the Israelite seta high value, in his own individual instance, upon a series of
ancestors ofunexceptionable pedigree (Romans 11:1; Php 3:5; Josephus,c.

Ap. ii. 7; Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. p. 178), how much more must such be found to
be the case onthe side of the Messiah!
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ] The name ְ‫עֵיֹוה‬ֶ‫ׁש‬ (Exodus 24:13;Numbers 13:16), or, after
the exile, ְ‫ֹויֹוה‬‫ׁש‬ (Nehemiah7:7), ‫ܢܢܢܢܢܢ‬ was verycommon,[350]and
denotes Jehovahis helper. This meaning, contained in the name Jesus (comp.
Sir 46:1), came to full personalmanifestation in Christ, see Matthew 1:21.
Χριστός corresponds to the Hebrew ְ‫ׁשמ‬ ‫י‬‫י‬‫,ח‬ anointed, which was used partly of
priests, Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 5:16; Leviticus 6:15, Psalm105:15;partly of
kings, 1 Samuel 24:7; 1 Samuel 24:11, Psalm2:2, Isaiah 45:1, comp. Daniel
9:25-26;as a prophet also, according to 1 Kings 19:16, might be an anointed
person. From the time of the Book ofDaniel—forthroughout the whole later
period also, downto the time of Christ, the Messianic idea was a living one
amongstthe people[351]—this theocraticname, and that as a king’s name,
was applied, according to the Messianicexplanationof the secondPsalm, to
the king of David’s race, whose coming, according to the predictions of the
prophets, was ever more ardently lookedfor, but with hopes that became ever
purer, who was to raise the nation to its theocratic consummation, to restore
the kingdom to its highest power and glory, and extend his blessings to the
heathen as well, while, as a necessarycondition to all this, He was, in a
religious and moral respect, to work out the true spiritual government of God,
and bring it to a victorious termination. See on the development of the idea
and hope of the Messiah, especiallyEwald, Gesch. Christ. p. 133 ff., ed. 3 [E.
T. by Glover, p. 140 ff.]; Bertheauin d. Jahrb. f. D. Th. IV. p. 595 ff., V. p. 486
ff.; Riehm in d. Stud. u. Kritik. 1865, I. and III. [E. T., Clark, Edinburgh,
1876]. According to B. Bauer(comp. Volkmar, Rel. Jesu, p. 113), Jesus is said
to have first developed the Messianic idea out of His own consciousness, the
community to have clothed it in figures, and then to have found these figures
also in the Old Testament, while the Jews firstreceivedthe idea from the
Christians! In answerto this view, which frivolously inverts the historical
relation, see Ebrard, Kritik. d. evang. Gesch., ed. 3, § 120 ff. [E. T. 2d ed.,
Clark, Edinburgh, p. 485 f.]; and on the Messianic ideas ofthe Jews atthe
time of Christ, especiallyHilgenfeld, MessiasJudaeorumlibris eorum paulo
ante et paulo post Christum natum conscriptis illustratus, 1869;also

Holtzmann in d. Jahrb. f. D. Theol. 1867, p. 389 ff., according to whom,
however, the original self-consciousnessofthe Lord had been matured at an
earlier date, before He found[352] for it, in His confessionofHimself as the
Messiah, a name that might be uttered before His contemporaries, and an
objective representationthat was conceivable forHimself.
The officialname Χριστός, for Jesus, soonpassedoverin the language of the
Christians into a nomen proprium, in which shape it appears almost
universally in the Epistles and in the Acts of the Apostles, with or without the
article, after the nature of proper names in general. In the Gospels, Χριστός
stands as a proper name only in Matthew 1:1; Matthew 1:16-18;Mark 1:1;
John 1:17; and appropriately, because not congruous to the development of
the history and its connection, but spokenfrom the standpoint of the much
later period of its composition, in which ἸΗΣΟῦς ΧΡΙΣΤΌς had been already
long establishedas a customary name in the language ofChristians; as here
also (comp. Mark 1:1) in the superscription, the whole of the greatname
Ἰησοῦς Χριστός is highly appropriate, nay, necessary.
Further, Jesus couldbe the bearer of the idea of Messiah, for the realization
of which He knew from the beginning that He was sent, in no other way than
in its national definiteness, therefore also without the exclusionof its political
element, the thought of which, however,—andthis appears most fully in
John,—was transfiguredby Him into the idea of the highest and universal
spiritual government of God, so that the religious and moral task of the
Messiahwas His clear aim from the very outset, in striving after and attaining
which He had to prepare the way for the Messiah’s kingdom, and finally had
to lay its indestructible, necessaryfoundation (founding of the new covenant)
by His atoning death, while He pointed to the future, which, according to all
the evangelists,was viewedby Himself as near at hand, for the final
establishment, glory, and powerof the kingdom, when He will solemnly
appear (Parousia)as the Messiahwho is Judge and Ruler.

υἱοῦ Δαυείδ] for, according to prophetic promise, He must be a descendantof
David, otherwise He would not have been the Messiah, John 7:42; Romans
1:3; Acts 13:22 f.; the Messiahis called pre-eminently ‫פ‬ ‫ןי‬‫ד‬ ‫ו‬ְ‫,ד‬ Matthew 12:23;
Matthew 21:9; Matthew 22:42;
Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 1:1. βίβλος γενέσεως κ.τ.λ. How much does this heading cover: the
whole Gospel, the two first chapters, the whole of the first chapter, or only
Matthew 1:1-17? All these views have been held. The first by Euthy. Zigab.,
who argued: the birth of the God-man was the important point, and involved
all the rest; therefore the title covers the whole history named from the most
important part (ἀπὸ τοῦ κυριωτέρου μέρους). Some moderns (Ebrard, Keil,
etc.)have defended the view on the ground that the corresponding title in O.
T. (Genesis 6:9; Genesis 11:27, etc.)denotes notmerely a genealogicallist, but
a history of the persons whose genealogyis given. Thus the expressionis taken
to mean a book on the life of Christ (liber de vita Christi, Maldon.). Against
the secondview and the third Weiss-Meyerremarks that at Matthew 1:18 a
new beginning is made, while Matthew 2:1 runs on as if continuing the same
story. The most probable and most generallyacceptedopinion is that of
Calvin, Beza, and Grotius that the expressionapplies only to Matthew 1:1-17.
(Non est haec inscriptio totius libri, sedparticulae primae quae velut extra
corpus historiae prominet. Grotius.)
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Christ here is not an appellative but a proper name, in
accordancewith the usage of the Apostolic age. In the body of the evangelistic
history the word is not thus used; only in the introductory parts. (vide Mark
1:1; John 1:17.)
υἱοῦ Δ., υἱοῦ Α. Of David first, because with his name was associatedthe more
specific promise of a Messianic king;of Abraham also, because he was the
patriarch of the race and first recipient of the promise. The genealogygoesno
further back, because the Gospelis written for the Jews. Euthy. Zig. suggests

that David is placed first because he was the better known, as the less remote,
as a greatprophet and a renowned king. (ἀπὸ τοῦ γνωριμωτέρου μᾶλλον
ἀρξάμενος, ἐπὶ τὸν παλαιότερονἀνῆλθεν.) The word υἱοῦ in both cases applies
to Christ. It canrefer grammatically to David, as many take it, but the other
reference is demanded by the fact that Matthew 1:1 forms the superscription
of the following genealogy. So Weiss-Meyer.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ch. Matthew 1:1-17. The Lineage of the King. The Genealogy. Luke 3:23-381.
The book of the generation]i. e. the pedigree extractedfrom the public
archives which were carefully preservedand placed under the specialcare of
the Sanhedrin. The expressionrecalls, perhaps designedly, Genesis 5:1 : The
book of the Generations ofAdam.
(1) The genealogyis an answerto the question which would be askedby every
Jew of any one who claimed to be the Messiah, “Is he of the house of David?”
for by no name was the Messiahmore frequently spokenof by Jews and by
foreigners (see ch. Matthew 15:22), and designatedin the Talmud, than by
that of the Sonof David.
(2) Both this genealogyand that in St Luke’s Gospeltrace Joseph’s descent.
But see below, Matthew 1:16.
(3) St Matthew proves that Jesus is the Son of David and of Abraham; St
Luke, true to the scope of his Gospel, traces the pedigree from the common
Father of Jew and Gentile.
(4) St Matthew traces the royal succession, StLuke, the family lineage. This
accounts for many variations in names.

(5) This genealogydescends from father to son, and is therefore probably the
most exacttranscript of the originaldocument. St Luke’s ascends from sonto
father.
Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 1:1. Βιβλος Γενέσεως—the Book, orRoll, of the Generation)A
phrase employed by the LXX. in Genesis 2:4; Genesis 5:1. The books ofthe
New Testament, however, being written at so early a period, abound with
Hebraisms: and the Divine Wisdom provided, that the Greek version of the
Old Testamentshould prepare the language, whichwould be the fittest vehicle
for the teaching of the New. This title, however, the genealogy,[1]refers,
strictly speaking, to what immediately follows (as appears from the remainder
of the first verse), though it applies also to the whole book, the object of which
is to prove that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of David, etc., [in whom, as being
the promised Messiah, the prophecies of the Old Testamenthave received
their fulfilment. Hence it is that from time to time the evangelistfrequently
repeats the formula, “Thatit might be fulfilled.”—Vers. Germ.] See Matthew
1:20, and ch. Matthew 9:27, etc. For Scripture is wont to combine with
genealogiesthe reasons for introducing them. See Genesis 5:1;Genesis 6:9.—
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, of Jesus Christ) The compound appellation, JESUS-CHRIST,
or CHRIST-JESUS, orthe simple one of CHRIST, employed by
antonomasia,[2]came into use after the Pentecostaldescentof the Holy Spirit.
The four Gospels, therefore, have it only at their commencements and
conclusions, the other writings everywhere.—SeeNotesonRomans 3:24 and
Galatians 2:16. Comp. Matthew 1:16 below.—υἱοῦ Δαυὶδ,[3]υἱοῦʼΑβραάμ,
the Sonof David, the Son of Abraham) Our Lord is calledthe Son of David
and the Son of Abraham, because He was promised to both. Abraham was the
first, David the last of men to whom that promise was made; whence He is
calledthe Son of David, as though David had been His immediate
progenitor.—(See Rhenferd[4]Opera Philologica, p. 715.)Both of these
patriarchs receivedthe announcement with faith and joy (See John 8:56; and
Matthew 22:43). Each of those mentioned in the following list was acquainted
with the names of those who preceded, but not of those who came after him.
Oh, with what delight would they have read this genealogy, inwhich we take
so little interest! An allusion is here made by anticipation to the three

Fourteens (afterwards mentioned in the 17th verse), of which the first is
distinguished by the name of Abraham, the secondby that of David, whilst the
third, commencing, not like the others with a proper name, but with the
Babylonian Captivity, is crownedwith the name of Jesus Christ Himself: for
the first and the secondFourteencontainthe promise, the third its fulfilment.
The narration, however, in the first verse goes backwardfrom Christ to
David, from David to Abraham. And so much the more conveniently is
Abraham put here in the secondplace, because he comes onthe scene
immediately againin the following verse. St Mark, however, in the opening of
his Gospel, calls Jesusthe Son, not of David, but of GOD, because he begins
his narration with the baptism of John, by whom our Lord was pointed out as
the Sonof God. Thus eachof these evangelists declares the scope ofhis work
in the title. The former part of this verse contains the sum of the New
Testament—the latterpart, the recapitulationof the Old.
[1] Recensio Ortûs. Tabulæ recensionis was anexpressionapplied to the
Censor’s Register. Ortus signifies both origin by descentand birth.—(I. B.)
[2] See Appendix on this figure. The substitution of an appellative term of
designation, insteadof a proper name.—ED.
[3] E. M. Δαβὶδ.—This variationoccurs all through, and will not therefore be
noticed again. Bengelalwaywrites Δαυὶδ.—The ExemplarMillianum always
has Δαβὶδ.—Tregellesand Tischendorfprefer Δαυὶδ.—LachmannΔαυέιδ.—
Wordsworthalso writes the word Δαυὶδ.—(I. B.)
[4] James Rhenferd, a celebratedOriental scholar, born at Mulheim, in
Westphalia, 1654. Educatedatthe College ofMeurs, in the Duchy of Cleves.
Rectorof the Latin College in Francker, 1658;removed to Amsterdam 1680.
Professorof Oriental languages atFrancker, 1683.Died1712.—(I. B.)

Pulpit Commentary
Verse 1. - The book of the generation. As St. Matthew was writing only for
Jews, andthey, by reasonof their Old Testamentprophecies, lookedforthe
Messiahto be born of a certain family, he begins his Gospelwith a pedigree of
Jesus. In this he mentions, by wayof introduction, the two points to which his
countrymen would have specialregard - the descentof Jesus from David, the
founder of the royal line, him in whose descendants the Ruler of Israelmust
necessarily(2 Samuel 7:13-16)be lookedfor; and also from Abraham, who
was the head of the covenantnation, and to whom the promise had been given
that in his seedall the nations of the earth should bless themselves (Genesis
22:18;Genesis 12:3). After this he proceeds to fill up the intervening steps in
the genealogy. The spelling of the names in the Authorized Version accords
with the Greek, andso varies from the Old Testamentorthography; but for
the sake ofthe English reader it is certainly advisable to do what has been
done in the RevisedVersion, viz. to conform the spelling to that of the Old
Testament, and, where the Greek varies much, to put that form in the margin.
It is better to write Rahab than Raehab, and Shealtielthan Salathiel. Those
who read the Greek Gospels whenthese were first written read also the Old
Testamentin Greek, and so were in no confusion. The first verse of the Gospel
is doubtless intended as a preface to what is contained in vers. 2-17. It is,
indeed, true that the phrase, "the book of the generation" (βίβλος γενέσεως,
equivalent to sephertoledoth, Genesis 5.1), might in itself point rather to
events and works connectedwith the active life of him whose name it precedes
(cf. the use of toledoth in Genesis 5:1;Genesis 6:9; Genesis 10:1;even Genesis
2:4, et al.) , and thus might refer to the whole of ch. 1. (Kubel), or even the
whole of the First Gospel(Keil); yet the addition of the Son of David, the Son
of Abraham, by summarizing the genealogy, limits the reference ofver. 1 to
this alone. Observe
(1) that the same word (γένεσις) recurs in ver. 18; but being without βίβλος,
has a slightly different meaning;

(2) that the word translated" generation" in ver. 17 is γενέα, and means a
single stratum of human life. The evangelistuses the name Jesus Christ here
as a proper name, customary in later Christian circles (cf. John 1:17, and
especiallythe traces of development from 1 Corinthians 12:3 and Romans
10:9 to Philippians 2:11). "Christ" is not used in its signification of
"Messiah," or"Anointed," till ver. 17, where it would be better rendered "the
Christ."
Vincent's Word Studies
Christ (Χριστός)
Properly an adjective, not a noun, and meaning anointed (Χρίω, to anoint). It
is a translation of the Hebrew Messiah, the king and spiritual ruler from
David's race, promised under that name in the Old Testament(Psalm2:2;
Daniel 9:25, Daniel 9:26). Hence Andrew says to Simon, "We have found the
Messiah, whichis, being interpreted, Christ (John 1:41; compare Acts 4:27;
Acts 10:38;Acts 19:28). To us "Christ "has become a proper name, and is
therefore written without the definite article; but, in the body of the gospel
narratives, since the identity of Jesus with the promised Messiahis still in
question with the people, the article is habitually used, and the name should
therefore be translated"the Christ." After the resurrection, when the
recognitionof Jesus as Messiahhas become general, we find the word
beginning to be used as a proper name, with or without the article. In this
passageit omits the article, because it occurs in the heading of the chapter,
and expressesthe evangelist's ownfaith in Jesus as the Messiah.
Anointing was applied to kings (1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Samuel 10:1), to prophets (1
Kings 19:16), and to priests (Exodus 29:29; Exodus 40:15; Leviticus 16:32) at
their inauguration. "The Lord's anointed" was a common title of the king (1
Samuel 12:3, 1 Samuel 12:5; 2 Samuel 1:14, 2 Samuel 1:16). Prophets are
called"Messiahs,"oranointed ones (1 Chronicles 16:22;Psalm105:15).
Cyrus is also called"the Lord's Anointed," because calledto the throne to
deliver the Jews out of captivity (Isaiah 45:1). Hence the word" Christ" was
representative of our Lord, who united in himself the offices of king, prophet,
and priest.

It is interesting to see how anointing attaches to our Lord in other and minor
particulars. Anointing was an act of hospitality and a signof festivity and
cheerfulness. Jesuswas anointedby the woman when a guestin the house of
Simon the Pharisee, and rebuked his host for omitting this mark of respect
toward hint (Luke 7:35, Luke 7:46). In the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews
1:8, Hebrews 1:9), the words of the Messianic psalm(Psalm45:7) are applied
to Jesus, "God, eventhy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness
above thy fellows."
Anointing was practisedupon the sick (Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34 :; James 5:14).
Jesus, "the GreatPhysician," is describedby Isaiah(Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah 61:2;
compare Luke 4:18) as anointed by God to bind up the broken-hearted, and
to give the mournful the oil of joy for mourning. He himself anointed the eyes
of the blind man (John 9:6, John 9:11); and the twelve, in his name, "anointed
with oil many that were sick, and healedthem" (Mark 6:13).
Anointing was practisedupon the dead. Of her who brake the alabasterupon
his head at Bethany, Jesus said, "She hath anointed my body aforehand for
the burying" (Mark 14:8; see, also, Luke 23:56).
The Son (υἱός)
The word τέκνον (child) is often used interchangeably with υἱός (son), but is
never applied to Christ. (For τέκνον, see on 1 John 3:1.) While in τέκνον there
is commonly implied the passive or dependent relation of the children to the
parents, υἱός fixes the thought on the person himself rather than on the
dependence upon his parents. It suggests individuality rather than descent;or,
if descent, mainly to bring out the fact that the son was worthy of his parent.
Hence the word marks the filial relation as carrying with it privilege, dignity,
and freedom, and is, therefore, the only appropriate term to express Christ's
sonship. (See John 1:18; John 3:16; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:13, Colossians
1:15.) Through Christ the dignity of sons is bestowedon believers, so that the
same word is appropriate to Christians, sons of God. (See Romans 8:14;
Romans 9:26; Galatians 3:26; Galatians 4:5, Galatians 4:6, Galatians 4:7.)
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES

Jesus Christ the Son of Abraham
by PastorJ. C. O'Hair
For more articles by PastorJ. C. O'Hair, visit the J. C. O'Hair Online
Library.
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“THE BOOK OF THE GENERATION OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF
DAVID, THE SON OF ABRAHAM.” Matthew 1:1.
“Forverily He took not on Him the nature of angels;but He took on Him
THE SEED OF ABRAHAM. Wherefore in all things it behoovedHim to be
made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high
priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliationfor the sins of the
people.’; Hebrews 2:16 and 17.
“Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Which was made of THE SEED
OF DAVID according to the flesh; And declaredto be the Son of God with
power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrectionfrom the dead.”
Romans 1:3 and 4.
Jesus Christ was the Son of David, the sonof Abraham. Notice the first
question, in Matthew:“Where is He that is born King of the Jews?”Matthew
2:2.
The Jews came from Abraham. God’s Jewishkings came from David. Note
God’s promise concerning the Man to take David’s throne: “Forthus saith
the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of
Israel.” “Thus saith the Lord; If My covenantbe not with day and night, and
if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, Then will I cast
awaythe seedof Jacob, and David My servant, so that I will not take any of
his seedto be rulers over the seedof Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:for I will
cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.” Jeremiah33:17, 25
and 26.

Now read carefully Jeremiah23:5 and 6 and Jeremiah33:15 and 16.
“‘Behold, the days come, saiththe Lord, that I will raise unto David a
righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute
judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel
shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE
LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
“In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to
grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the
land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalemshalldwell safely;
and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our
righteousness.”
God’s covenant with David is recordedin II Samuel 7:13 to 16:“He shall
build an house for My name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for
ever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commit iniquity, I will
chastenhim with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
But My mercy shall not depart awayfrom him, as I took it from Saul, whom I
put awaybefore thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established
for everbefore thee; thy throne shall be establishedfor ever.”
More than 800 years before Godmade this covenant with David, and
concerning his Seedand kingdom, God made a covenant with Abraham.
“NEITHER SHALL THY NAME ANY MORE BE CALLED ABRAM, BUT
THY NAME SHALL BE ABRAHAM; FOR A FATHER OF MANY
NATIONS HAVE I MADE THEE. AND I WILL MAKE THEE
EXCEEDING FRUITFUL, AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE, AND
KINGS SHALL COME OUT OF THEE. AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY
COVENANT BETWEENME AND THEE AND THY SEED AFTER THEE
IN THEIR GENERATIONSFOR AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, TO BE
A GOD UNTO THEE, AND TO THY SEED AFTER THEE AND I WILL
GIVE UNTO THEE, AND TO THY SEED AFTER THEE, THE LAND
WHEREIN THOU ART A STRANGER,ALL THE LAND OF CANAAN,
FOR AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION;AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD.”
Genesis 17:5 to 8.

THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION
“And He gave THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION;and so Abraham
begatIsaac, and circumcisedhim the eighth day; and Isaac begatJacob;and
Jacobbegatthe twelve patriarchs.” Acts 7:8.
Note the covenantin Genesis 17:10, 14 and 24— Genesis 21:2 to 5.
“This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, betweenMe and you and thy seed
after thee; Every man child among you SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED.”
“And the uncircumcised man child whose fleshof his foreskinis not
circumcised, that soulshall be cut off from his people; he hath brokenMy
covenant.”
“And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcisedin
the flesh of his foreskin.”
“Sarahconceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of
which God had spokento him. And Abraham calledthe name of his sonthat
was born unto him, whom Sarahbare to him, Isaac. And Abraham
circumcisedhis sonIsaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto
him.”
Then note God’s word to Jacob, who was Abraham’s grandson
“And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob:thy name shall not be calledany
more Jacob, BUT ISRAEL SHALL BE THY NAME: and HE CALLED HIS
NAME ISRAEL. And Godsaid unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and
multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall
come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I
will give it, and to thy seedafter thee will I give the land.” Genesis 35:10 to 12.
JESUS CHRIST THE MINISTER OF THE CIRCUMCISION
In the Book ofMatthew Jesus Christ the Son of David, the Son of Abraham,
presents Himself as the promised Seedof Abraham, the promised King of the
Jews.

Of course, as we compare Hebrews 2:16 and 17 and Hebrews 2:9 with Luke
1:29 to 33, we ask the question, “did Jesus Christcome to Israel the first time
to be a living King on David’s throne, or did He come to be a dying Saviour on
Calvary’s tree?” We have quoted Hebrews 2:16 and 17. We quote Hebrews
2:9: “But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lowerthan the angels for the
suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of
God should taste death for every man.”
Readthis statementwith the words of Christ in Luke 24:45 to 47 “Then
opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures,
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved’ Christ to suffer,
and to rise from the dead the third day And that repentance and remission of
sins should be preachedin His name among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem.”
Here we learn, as we learn in Acts 2:23, Acts 4:27, Acts 13:29, I Corinthians
15:3 and 4 and Hebrews 9:26 that Jesus Christ came to put awaysin by the
sacrifice ofHimself, and thus become the Saviour of the world.
But as we read the first chapter of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we learn that
Jesus Christ was born in the house of David, in the city of David, of the seedof
David, to take the throne of David and deliver Israel from Gentile
subjugation.
“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and
shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be calledthe Son of
the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His, father
David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His
kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:31 to 33.
“Blessedbe the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His
people, And hath raised up an horn of salvationfor us in the house of His
servant David; As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have
been since the world began: That we should be savedfrom our enemies, and
from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our
fathers, and to remember His holy covenant;The oath which He sware to our

father Abraham, That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of
the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear.” Luke 1:68 to 74.
After Christ had presented Himself to Israelas their promised King,
Delivererand Messiah, and they had rejectedHim, He said, “O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, which killestthe prophets, and stonestthem that are sentunto
thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth
gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is
left unto you desolate;and verily I sayunto you, Ye shall not see Me, until the
time come when ye shall say, Blessedis He that cometh in the name of the
Lord.” Luke 13:34 and 35. Now note these significant words of Christ in Luke
19:41 to 44:
“AND WHEN HE WAS COME NEAR, HE BEHELD THE CITY, AND
WEPT OVER IT, SAYING, IF THOU HADST KNOWN, EVEN THOU, AT
LEAST IN THIS THY DAY, THE THINGS WHICH BELONG UNTO THY
PEACE BUT NOW THEY ARE HID FROM THINE EYES. BECAUSE
THOU KNEWEST NOT THE TIME OF THY VISITATION.”
Israelknew not. They knew not the time of their visitation. They knew not the
things that belonged to their peace. Whenwill Israelsee their King and
Messiahagain? Whenthey say, “Blessedis He that cometh in the name of the
Lord.”
THE KING IS COMING AGAIN
“Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also
which pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because ofHim.
Even so, Amen.” Revelation1:7.
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon
Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth
for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one that is in bitterness
for his firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10.
“And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto JacobMy servant,
wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein; even they, and

their children, and their children’s children for ever: and My servant David
shall be their prince for ever.” Ezekiel37:25.
God has not abandoned His “kingdom” program guaranteedin the
Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. No;God has postponed the earthly
kingdom promised to His earthly people. But let us believe II Peter1:19: “We
have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the
day star arise in your hearts.”
Note Christ’s own words in Matthew 25:31 and Matthew 19:28: “Whenthe
Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then
shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.”
“Jesus saidunto them, Verily, I say unto you, That ye which have followed
Me, in the regenerationwhen the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His
glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel.”
Surely we know that the Lord Jesus was not, in any way, referring to the
Church, which He calls the Body of Christ, when He spoke of the throne of
His glory.
Those who are in Christ’s Body also belong to Christ’s kingdom: “Who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translatedus into the
kingdom of His dear Son; In Whom we have redemption through His blood,
even the forgiveness ofsins.” Colossians1:13 and 14.
“Forthe kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness,and peace,
and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17.
“And Jesus, which is calledJustus, who are of the circumcision. These only
are my fellowworkersunto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort,
unto me.” Colossians 4:11.
But here we have a different phase or department of the kingdom of God.
THE KINGDOM—THE BODY

Compare Matthew 10:5 to 8 and Matthew 10:23 with Titus 2:11 and 13.
“These twelve Jesus sentforth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the
way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go
rather to the lost sheepof the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying,
“The kingdom of heavenis at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the
dead, castout devils; freely ye have received, freely give.”“Butwhen they
persecute you in this city, flee ye into another; for verily I say unto you, Ye
shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Sonof man be come.”
“Forthe grace of God that bringeth salvationhath appeared to all men.”
“Looking for that blessedhope, and the glorious appearing of the greatGod
and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”
The kingdom of heaven at hand for Jews, a messageandprogram by Christ’s
apostles in the cities of Israel, is quite different from the “grace ofGod at
hand for all men”. Strictly speaking, Christis the Head of the Body rather
than the King of the Body. The kingdom that was at hand in Matthew 10:7 is
in abeyance. The Body of Christ is not that kingdom of heaven.
We will study Matthew in severalother lessons, but we have learned that the
Lord Jesus, in that Book, is fulfilling covenants which God made with
Abraham and David for Israel.
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
We shall study in another messageGalatians 3:6 to 8 and Romans 4:3 to 11
and shall learn that Abram, the Gentile, was declaredrighteous in
uncircumcision, just as uncircumcised Gentiles are now justified by faith
without religion or gooddeeds. The Scripture foresaw this when God
preachedthe gospelto Abram 430 years before the law was given. Galatians
3:8 and Galatians 3:16 and 17.
Therefore when we say that there has been an interruption of the Abrahamic
covenantit is not concerning the justification of believing sinners but
concerning God’s guarantees as to Israel’s land and kingdom.

Jesus is…
The Son of Abraham
This is the genealogyofJesus the Messiahthe sonof David, the son of
Abraham
SIGNIFICANCE:The LORD JESUS CHRIST is the promised Jew to bless all
people.
DearFather, I praise You that Jesus Christ is the Son of Abraham (and the
Son of David). It is exciting to know that Abraham was the first Jewishleader
(the greatancient prophet and priest) from whom it was prophesiedthat the
Messiahwoulddescend, according to Genesis 22:15-18, “The angelofthe
LORD calledto Abraham from heavena secondtime and said, ‘I swearby
myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not
withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your
descendants as numerous as the stars in the skyand as the sand on the
seashore. Your descendants will take possessionof the cities of their enemies,
and through your offspring all nations on the earth will be blessed, because
you have obeyedme.’” Hallelujah, that Jesus is that offspring Who would
“bless all nations on the earth,” as Messiahand Savior. I thank You for the
perfect plan You and He had before Abraham was born, before the beginning
of time, to sow the seedof the God-Man into the royal line of the Jewish
nation, then to fulfill Your plan through His life, death, resurrectionand
ascensionmany generations later. I devote myself totally to Him and to His
advancing kingdom. May His followers of our day eagerlyknow Him more,
love Him with all our hearts, speak ofHis greatness withone another, and
worship Him without ceasing. Iask these things in the name of the blessedSon
of Abraham. Amen.

For Christ's Kingdom!
The writing ministry of PeterBringe, pastor at Covenant Family Church
(Wentzville, MO)
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What is Christ's Kingdom?

Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Jesus:the Son of Abraham and Son of David
"The book of the genealogyofJesus Christ, the sonof David, the son of
Abraham." (Matthew 1:1)
This past Sunday, I began preaching on the Gospelof Matthew. Matthew
begins with the genealogyofJesus Christ (1:1-17). While the purpose of this
genealogymight not be evident at first glance, a closerlook will show that

Matthew is emphasizing that Jesus is the heir of David and of Abraham,
reviving the hopes that seemeddashedby the Babylonian deportation. You
can listen to the sermonhere, but in summary, here are four implications for
our understanding of Jesus.
First, as the promised heir of Abraham, God’s blessings and curses are based
on your relation to Jesus. Theyare not basedon your relationto the modern
state of Israel. Rather, just as the Father said to Abraham, “I will bless those
who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3), so He
promises this to Jesus. By extension, this can apply to the church, those united
to Jesus - to persecute them is to persecute Christ - but the main point is that
your relation to Jesus as the Savior, whether you receive Him or rejectHim,
determines whether you are favored by God or cursed.
So align yourselfwith Jesus by faith, so that you might be blessed. Woe to
those who rejectHim. Galatians 3:25-29 says that those who believe in Jesus,
those who have put Him on in baptism, become Abraham’s offspring and
inherit his promised blessing.
Second, as the heir of Abraham and David, Jesus brings God’s blessing to the
nations (Gen. 12:1-3, 22:18, Ps. 72:17). He accomplishes redemption and sends
out His disciples to bring this blessing to all nations. Notonly does this
redemption save people from death and judgment, but it also teaches them
true righteousness andgives them a heart to practice it.
Just as it was the missionof the old covenantpeople to bring God's blessing to
the nations, so it is our mission today. Yet the source of blessing is not
ourselves, but Jesus. We do not proclaim ourselves - we proclaim Christ! We
bring this blessing to the nations both as a city on a hill, living distinctly as

Christ’s disciples in a way that attracts unbelievers (Matt. 5:13-16), as well as
disciples sent out into the world to brings others in (Matt. 28:18-20).
Third, Jesus is the Davidic king who rules over God’s people. He delivers
them, establishes righteousnessand peace, and subdues His enemies (2 Sam. 7,
Ps. 2, 72, 110). This is how He brings blessing to the nations, expanding the
kingdom to the ends of the earth. “All authority” is basic to “go therefore.” In
Matthew, the gospelis calledthe “gospelofthe kingdom,” the glad tidings of
the blessedreignof goodKing Jesus.
So rejoice in these tidings, declare them, and joyfully serve your king. Find
security knowing that Jesus is a powerful king, a merciful king, and your
king.
Fourth, as the Davidic king, Jesus builds God’s house (2 Sam. 7:12-13). But
He does not build a temple building like Solomon. Rather, he builds the
temple of the Holy Spirit, the church. He comes as Immanuel, God with us
(Matt. 1:22-23), and at the end of this Gospel, Jesus says He will be with us,
even to the end of the age (Matt. 18:20). So the church is the dwelling place of
God. And it is in Matthew 16:18 that Jesus says “onthis rock I will build my
church, and the gates ofhell shall not prevail againstit.”
So do not fear for the church. Jesus is with us yet, and the gates ofhell cannot
thwart Him. He is gathering His church, building it up by His grace, teaching
and training it by His word.
Those Who Have Faith Are the Sons of Abraham

Resource by John Piper
Scripture: Galatians 3:6–9 Topic:Adoption
Thus Abraham "believedGod, and it was reckonedto him as righteousness."
So you see that it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the
scripture, foreseeing thatGod would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached
the gospelbeforehandto Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be
blessed." So then, those who are men of faith are blessedwith Abraham who
had faith.
Can You Be a Child of Abraham?
The Word of God from this text for us today is that anyone—Jew orGentile,
rich or poor, male or female, white or black or brown, quick-witted or slow,
old or young—anyone can be a child of Abraham and inherit the blessings
promised to Abraham's children, if you live by faith.
The structure of the text is simple. The main point is stated in two different
ways, once in verse 7 and once in verse 9. And eachof these is preceded by its
Old Testamentsupport. Verse 6 quotes Genesis 15:6, "Abraham 'believed
God, and it was reckonedto him as righteousness.'" And verse 7 draws out of
that verse togetherwith verse 5 a generalinference:"So (or: therefore)you
see that it is those of faith who are sons of Abraham." The thing that makes a
person a "sonof Abraham" is faith. Then verse 8 quotes Genesis 12:3 (and
18:18), "In you shall all the nations be blessed." And verse 9 draws out the
inference, "So then, those who are of faith are blessedwith Abraham who had
faith." The thing that qualifies a person to inherit Abraham's blessing is faith.
So the main point—the Word of God for us today (expressedin verses 7 and
9)—is that anyone of us who lives by faith is a child of Abraham and will
inherit Abraham's blessing.

I can think of at leasttwo reasons why most modern people would simply
shrug their shoulders at this announcement. One reasonis that they have no
idea what it means to be a son of Abraham and no sense ofthe stupendous
value of the blessing promised to Abraham's children. And the other reasonis
that they can't see how a 20th century American who doesn't have a Jewish
cell in his body can be calleda son of Abraham. In other words, if this
promise in Galatians 3:6–9 is going to strengthenour faith and increase our
joy, we have to dig in and see whatit means and how it is grounded in the Old
Testament. And that's my aim: the advancementand joy of your faith
(Philippians 1:25), because I know that genuine faith works itselfout in love
(Galatians 5:6), and when people see the sacrificiallove of God's people, many
are gripped and give glory to him (Matthew 5:16). So for the sake ofour faith,
our love, and ultimately, of God's glory, let's see how Paul gets verses 7 and 9
out of the Old Testament, and what they mean for us today.
Not Dependent on PhysicalDescent
A greatdeal in this passagehangs on what it means to be a son of Abraham.
So let's try to answerthat question first. The first thing that needs to be said is
that Paul thinks sonship does not depend on physical descent. Forexample, in
3:28, 29 he says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor
free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ. And if you
are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the
promise." So the first thing to be saidis that Jews and non-Jews canbe
offspring or children or sons of Abraham. Sonship does not depend on
physical descent. Romans 9:6, 7 confirm this: "Notall who are descended
from Israelbelong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham just because
they are descendants."
But we don't even have to go beyond our text to see this. Aren't verses 7 and 9
referring to the same group of people? Verse 7 says that "those offaith are
sons of Abraham." And verse 9 says that "those of faith are blessedwith
Abraham." Surely, these are the same people: sons of Abraham, who will,
therefore, enjoy the blessings promisedto Abraham and his children. But it is

clearfrom the connectionbetweenverses 8 and 9 that these people include
Gentiles. Verse 8 quotes Genesis 12:3, "In you shall all the nations (i.e.,
Gentiles)be blessed"—notjust Jews. And from that Paul infers verse 9: "So
then, those of faith are blessed." So the believers of verse 9 must include
Gentiles, and since these are the same as the believers in verse 7 who are
calledsons of Abraham, the sons of Abraham must include Gentiles. That's
the first thing about being a son of Abraham: it does not depend on physical
descentfrom Abraham.
I know it sounds strange to us, but it is very close to the heart of the gospel:
white, Anglo-Saxonprotestants can become sons of Abraham; Hispanics and
Laotians and Cambodians can become sons of Abraham; black African
Muslims can become sons of Abraham; anti-semitic, redneck Nazi vigilantes
can become sons of Abraham; Hitler could have become a sonof Abraham.
Was Paul's View Biblical?
Before we ask what that sonshipinvolves and why it is goodnews, we need to
ask whether Paul's view of Abrahamic sonship is the same as the Old
Testament's view. It is no good telling our Jewishfriends that we are sons of
Abraham if they can simply point to the Torahand show us that Paul has
distorted what Moses taught. Turn with me to Genesis 12:1–3.Here is the
foundational promise of the Jewishpeople. "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go
from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that
I will show you. And I will make of you a greatnation, and I will bless you and
make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who
bless you, and him who curses you I will curse, and in you shall all the families
of the earth be blessed.'" When God chose Abram to found a new nation, he
made sure that Abram knew that the Jewishpeople were being createdfor the
world. Their mission is to "be a blessing." Their destiny is to serve all the
nations. (Genesis 18:18 says the same thing, and uses "nations," i.e., Gentiles,
instead of "families.")This is the text Paul quotes in Galatians 3:8, "In you
shall all the nations be blessed."

But is this blessing which the nations get the same as sonship? Is there any
clue in Genesis that the nations would be blessedin Abraham because they
would become his sons? Yes, there is in Genesis 17. Here God spells out the
terms of his covenantwith Abraham and says in verses 4, 5, "Behold, my
covenantis with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No
longershall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I
have made you the father of a multitude of nations." Some have tried to refer
the "nations" here to the Ishmaelites and Edomites, who can trace their
physical descentto Abraham. But surely the word "multitude" in Genesis
17:4, 5 means more than two. Surely God has in view here the same nations
that will be blessedin Genesis 12:3 and 18:18, namely, "all the families
(nations) of the earth."
In other words, Genesis 17:4 explains how the nations of Genesis 12:3 and
18:18 are going to be blessed. Theyare going to be blessedbecause Abraham
will become their father. They are going to be blessedby becoming sons of
Abraham. So it does not look as though Paul has distorted the Old Testament
when he teaches thatGentiles can be sons of Abraham. That's the first thing
we need to see about Abraham's children—they include more than Jews. They
can include you and me. (See Romans 4:16 and 17 to confirm that Genesis
17:4 lies behind Paul's thinking about Gentile sonship.)
Must Be Like Abraham
The secondthing to notice about being a child of Abraham is that it means
being like Abraham. In John 8:39 the Jews defend themselves againstJesus'
criticisms by saying, "'Abraham is our father.' Jesus saidto them, 'If you
were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did.'" Jesus shows us
two things in this response. First, he shows us that they are not Abraham's
children, even though they are Jews—andso he confirms our first point, that
being a child of Abraham is not the same as Jewishness. And the secondthing
he shows us is that being a child of Abraham means being like Abraham—
doing what he does:"If you were Abraham's children you would do what
Abraham did." In Galatians 3:6 what Abraham did was believe God.

"Abraham believed God and it was reckonedto him as righteousness"
(Genesis 15:6). Then Paul infers from this in verse 7, "So you see, it is those of
faith who are sons of Abraham." Abraham was a man of faith, so if you do
what he did, if you have faith, you will be his child.
So the first thing we said about being sons of Abraham is that it's not the same
as being a physical descendant. Anyone here can become a child of Abraham.
Now the secondthing we've saidis that being a sonof Abraham involves
doing what he did—not in every particular, of course, but in the essential
thing, namely, believing God's promises. Abraham believed God; therefore,
those of faith are sons of Abraham.
Heirs of Blessing of Abraham
The third thing to say about sons of Abraham is that they are heirs of the
blessing to Abraham and his descendants. Galatians 3:29 makes this especially
clear:"If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according
to the promise." Remember, this comes right after verse 28 which shows that
Paul has in mind here male and female, slave and free, Jew and Greek. The
most astonishing thing assertedhere is that Greeks—uncircumcised
Gentiles!—are heirs of the promises made to Abraham. You and I can become
beneficiaries of God's promises to Abraham if we have the faith of Abraham
and belong to Jesus Christ. (Romans 4:16, 17 also shows that Gentiles are
made heirs of "the promise" because offaith. See also Galatians 3:14 and
4:30.)
Those are the three things I wanted to say about being children of Abraham:
1) It is not the same thing as being Jewish—Gentiles canbe included; 2) it
means being like Abraham, especiallytrusting the promises of God like
Abraham did; 3) it means inheriting the blessings promised to Abraham.
So the question that begs to be answerednow is: What are those blessings? Is
there anything in this inheritance that should interest a 20th century
American businessman, housewife, student, professional, laborer, teenager,
seniorcitizen? I think there is. I'll mention two of them—two things that you
inherit if you are a child of Abraham. And eachof these is promised in order

to take awaya fear that you have (or ought to have): 1) The fear of meeting an
infinitely holy God loaded with all your sin; and 2) the fear of death.
The Promise of Justification
First, if you are a child of Abraham, part of your guaranteedinheritance is
the bequestof justification. And only justification can take awayyour fear of
meeting God loadedwith your sin. Notice Galatians 3:8, "And the scripture,
foreseeing thatGod would justify the Gentiles by faith, preachedthe gospel
beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed.'" This
verse teaches that the reasonthe Scripture promises blessing to the nations
through Abraham is that God intended to justify people from every nation.
"Since the Scripture saw Godjustifying the Gentiles . . . therefore the
Scripture promised blessing to the Gentiles through Abraham." So the
promised blessing of Abraham must involve justification. And you recall from
the connectionbetweenGenesis 12:3 and 17:4 that the reasonthe nations will
be blessedis because Abraham becomes their father. They become his sons.
Therefore, justificationis part of our inheritance as children of Abraham. If
you are his child, then, and only then, you are justified.
Which means that in spite of all your sins, God reckons you to be righteous. If
you are a child of Abraham, all the things you have done wrong or ever will
do wrong are forgiven because ofChrist, and God does not hold your sins
againstyou. I don't know of any cultural, intellectual, or technological
changes overthe past two thousand years that makes this inheritance any less
needed or less desirable today than it was for the Galatians. This and this
alone can take awaythe fearof meeting an infinitely holy God loaded with our
sin. So the first thing we inherit from God as children of Abraham is
justification, acquittal of all our sin. (And this is the basis for all the other
blessings!)
The Promise of the Spirit

Second, if you are a child of Abraham, part of your guaranteedinheritance is
the Spirit of God who seals you for eternal life. Only the Spirit can take away
the fearof death and hell and replace it with the hope of eternallife. Notice
two keytexts from Galatians which make this plain. Galatians 3:14 says that
Christ became a curse for us "that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham
might come upon the Gentiles, in order that we might receive the promise of
the Spirit through faith." This verse teaches that part of Abraham's blessing
which we Gentiles can inherit is the gift of the Spirit. One of the marks of the
children of Abraham is that they are indwelt by the Spirit of Christ (2:20; 4:6,
29).
The connectionbetweenthis and eternal life is then brought out in Galatians
6:8, "He who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but he
who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternallife." The only ground
out of which eternal life can be harvested is the ground of the Spirit. If you
plant your life in the flesh, if you count on what you canachieve and enjoy in
this world, then the harvest you will getis corruption, death, and hell, for that
is an immeasurable insult to God who offers himself to you in the Spirit. But if
you plant your life in the Spirit and count on what he cando through you and
for you, the harvest you will getis eternal life. So when Galatians 3:14 says
that the Spirit is a part of our inheritance as children of Abraham, it implies
that only the children of Abraham will enjoy eternal life. And that takes away
the fearof death and hell, which is just as realand terrible in the 20th century
as it was in the first. (Note: the Spirit is not explicitly promised to Abraham in
Genesis. It is promised to God's people in Joel2 and Ezekiel36. Paul's
assumption is that whatevergoes into making the children of Abraham what
they ought to be is a fulfillment of God's intention in the promise to Abraham.
See Genesis 17:7.)
In summary, we have seenfive things about what it means to be children of
Abraham. 1) It is not the same as physical descentfrom Abraham. Even 20th
century Gentiles can be Abraham's sons. 2) It implies being like Abraham, a
chip off the old block, as it were, especiallyin his life of faith. 3) If you are a
child of Abraham, you inherit the blessing of Abraham. You become the
beneficiary of the promises God made to his children. That means 4) you are
justified, acquitted by God of all your sins on the basis of Christ's death in

your place. And finally, 5) if you are Abraham's child, you have the Spirit who
will lead you into eternal life.
Faith and Sonship
Therefore, it is surely no overstatementthis morning to say that the most
important concernof your life is to make sure that you are a child of
Abraham. So I close with an observationfrom our text and an illustration.
The text makes plain that the only wayto be a child of Abraham is to live by
faith. Literally, Galatians 3:7 says, "Know therefore that those of faith, these
are the sons of Abraham." The testof whether you are of faith is not whether
you once made a decisionsomewhere in the past, but whether your life is a life
of faith. The child of Abraham cansay without insincerity, "I am crucified
with Christ, it is no longerI who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life I
now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me." We are children of Abraham if we live by faith in the
promises of God summed up in Christ.
I end with an illustration. Picture heaven as Orchestra Hall and the music of
the symphony as the glory of God. Everybody here knows that faith is the
precondition for entering that hall and enjoying that music. But some of you, I
fear, have gotten the notion that trusting in Christ is like buying a ticketto
Orchestra Hall once for all, and that you can put this ticket awayin your
pocketas the guarantee of your admission someday, even though the
affections of your life are captured by the music of this world. That is not a
biblical view of saving faith. It's a delusion.
Faith is a precondition for enjoying the symphony of God's glory not in the
sense ofgetting a ticket, but in the sense of getting an earfor heaven's music.
The real precondition of enjoying the music of heaven throughout eternity is a
new heart which delights in the things of God, not a decisioncard which you
carry in your pocketto ease your consciencewhile your mind is captivated by
the delights of this world.

Jesus was the son of abraham

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