Part 59 (1/2)

”That Mary, like Joseph, was a descendant of David, is not indeed elsewhere expressly said in the New Testament. Yet a very strong presumption to that effect is to be drawn from the address of the angel in Luke 1, 32; as also from the language of Luke 2, 5, where Joseph, as one of the posterity of David, is said to have gone up to Bethlehem, to _enroll himself with Mary his espoused wife_. The ground and circ.u.mstances of Mary's enrolment must obviously have been the same as in the case of Joseph himself. Whether all this arose from her having been an only child and heiress, as some suppose, so that she was espoused to Joseph in accordance with Num.

36, 8, 9, it is not necessary here to inquire. See Michaelis 'Commentaries on the Laws of Moses,' Part II. -- 78.

”It is indeed objected, that it was not customary among the Jews to trace back descent through the female line, that is, on the mother's side. There are, however, examples to show that this was sometimes done; and in the case of Jesus, as we have seen, there was a sufficient reason for it. Thus in 1 Chr. 2, 22, Jair is enumerated among the posterity of Judah by regular descent. But the grandfather of Jair had married the daughter of Machir, one of the heads of Mana.s.seh, 1 Chr. 2, 21. 7, 14; and therefore in Num. 32, 40. 41, Jair is called the son (descendant) of Mana.s.seh. In like manner, in Ezra, 2, 61, and Neh. 7, 63, a certain family is spoken of as 'the children of Barzillai;' because their ancestor 'took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.'

”3. A question is raised as to the ident.i.ty, in the two genealogies, of the Salathiel and Zorobabel named as father and son, Matth. 1, 12. Luke 3, 27. The Zorobabel of Matthew is no doubt the chief, who led back the first band of captives from Babylon, and rebuilt the temple, Ezra c. 2-6. He is also called the son of Salathiel in Ezra 3, 2. Neb. 12, 1. Hagg. 1, 1. 2, 2. 23. Were then the Salathiel and Zorobabel of Luke the same persons? Those who a.s.sume this, must rest solely on the ident.i.ty of the names; for there is no other possible evidence to prove, either that they were contemporary, or that they were not different persons. On the other hand, there are one or two considerations, of some force, which go to show that they were probably not the same persons.

”First, if Salathiel and Zorobabel are indeed the same in both genealogies, then Salathiel who, according to Matthew, was the son of Jechoniah by natural descent, must have been called the son of Neri in Luke either from adoption or marriage. In that case, his connection with David through Nathan, as given by Luke, was not his own personal genealogy. It is difficult, therefore, to see Luke, after tracing back the descent of Jesus to Salathiel, should abandon the true personal lineage in the royal line of kings, and turn aside again to a merely collateral and humbler line. If the mother of Jesus was in fact descended from the Zorobabel and Salathiel of Matthew, she, like them, was descended also from David through the royal line. Why rob her of this dignity, and ascribe to her only a descent through an inferior lineage? See Spanheim Dubia Evangel. I.

p. 108, sq.

”Again, the mere ident.i.ty of names under these circ.u.mstances, affords no proof; for nothing is more common even among contemporaries. Thus we have two Ezras; one in Neh. 12, 1. 13, 33; from whom Ezra the scribe is expressly distinguished in v. 36. We have likewise two Nehemiahs; one who went up with Zorobabel, Ezra 2, 2; and the other the governor who went later to Jerusalem, Neh. 2, 9, sq. So too, as contemporaries, Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, and Joram (Jehoram,) son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; 2 K. 8, 16, coll. v. 23, 24. Also Joash king of Judah, and Joash king of Israel; 2 K. 13, 9, 10. Further, we find in succession among the descendants of Cain the following names: Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, Methusael, Lamech, Gen. 4, 17, 18; and later among the descendants of Seth these similar ones: Enoch, Methusalah, Lamech, Gen. 5, 21-25.” See Dr. Robinson's Greek Harmony of the Gospels, pp. 183-187.

102 Mal. iii. 1; Is. xl. 3.

103 In the New Testament, the same word is used for _the high priests_, and the chief priests, who were the heads of the twenty-four courses. So that the two persons whom the Roman governor considered as the chief of the priests, and whose names stood as such in those public registers which seem here referred to, may be intended. An irregularity had arisen out of the confusion of the times: and the ruler or prince under the Romans, though a chief priest, was a distinct person from the high priest: Annas being the one, and Caiaphas the other. Scott, _in loc._ See also Campbell, _in loc._

104 Is. xl. 3, seq.

105 Deut. viii. 3.

106 Deut. vi. 16.

107 Ps. xci. 11.

108 Deut. vi. 13.

109 There is a seeming discrepancy between Matthew and Luke, in the order of the temptations; but Luke does not affirm the order; whereas Matthew uses particles, in v. 2 and 8, which seem to fix it as he has written. NEWCOME.

110 John means that he was not really Elias risen from the dead. But when Jesus says, (Matth. xvii. 12, and xi. 14,) that Elias was come already, he means that John had appeared _in the spirit and power of Elias_. Luke i. 17. Thus likewise, John here denies that he is one of the ancient prophets again appearing on earth: see Luke ix 19; with which our Lord's a.s.sertion that he was an eminent prophet, Luke vii. 28, seems perfectly consistent. Newcome.

111 Is. xl. 3.

112 Kings and princes very often changed the names of those who held offices under them, particularly when they first attracted their notice and were taken into their employ; and when subsequently they were elevated to some new station, and crowned with additional honours. Gen. xli. 45; and xvii. 5; and x.x.xii. 28; and x.x.xv. 10; 2 Kin. xxiii. 34, 35; and xxiv. 17; Dan. i. 6. Hence a name (_a new name_) occurs topically, as a token of honour, in Phil. ii. 9; Heb.

i. 4; Rev. ii. 17. See also Mark iii. 17. Jahn's Archaeol. -- 164.

_ 113 Nathanael_. This apostle is supposed to be the same with _Bartholomew_, of whom John says nothing; and the others make no mention of _Nathanael_. This seems to have been his proper name; since the name of _Bartholomew_ is not a proper name, but only signifies _the son of Ptolomy_. _Nathanael_ is also ranked among the Apostles to whom Jesus showed himself. _John_ xxi. 2-4. A. Clarke, _in loc_.

114 Gen. xxviii. 12.

115 Ps. lxix. 9.

116 Numb. xxi. 8, seq.

117 Is. ix. 1.

118 Is. lxi. 1, and lviii. 6.

119 This word denotes only a subordinate officer, who attended the minister and obeyed his orders in what concerned the more servile part of the work. Among other things he had charge of the sacred books, and delivered them to those to whom he was commanded by his superiors to deliver them. After the reading was over, he deposited them in their proper place. CAMPBELL, _in loc_.

120 The service of the synagogue consisted of reading the scriptures, prayer, and preaching. The posture in which the latter was performed, whether in the synagogue or elsewhere, (see _Matth_. v.

1; _Luke_ v. 3,) was sitting. Accordingly when our Saviour had read the portion of scripture, in the synagogue at Nazareth, of which he was a member, having been brought up in that city, and then, instead of retiring to his place, _sat down_ in the desk or pulpit, it is said ”the eyes of all that were present were fastened upon him,”

because they perceived, by this posture, that he was about to preach to them. See also Acts xiii. 14, 15. JENNINGS, Ant. 375.