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Matthew CHAPTER 1 Summary
Mat_1:1-17 The genealogy of Christ from Abraham to Joseph.
Mat_1:18-25 The miraculous conception of Mary: Joseph's doubts are
satisfied by an angel, who declareth the name and
office of Christ: Jesus is born.
Chapter Introduction
The book of the generation signifieth no more than the writing containing the genealogy or pedigree; for the Jews called all writings books. Thus, Jer_32:10,11, the evidences of a purchase are called the book. So Isa_1:1 Mar_10:4, the writings called a bill of divorce are both in the Hebrew and the Greek called a book of divorce. Thus in ecclesiastical courts 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 Gospel according 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 given by the angel, as we shall hear further, Mat_1:20,21, because he 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, prophesied of by Daniel, Dan_9:25,26, expected by the Jews, as doth appear from Joh_1:41 (for Messiah and Christ denoted the same person, Joh_4:25); only Messiah was a Hebrew word, and Christ of Greek extraction, both signifying Anointed, and so God's designation of a person to the office of a priest, a prophet, or a king. The Christ signifieth a designation to all three.
The Son of David, the son of Abraham: not the immediate Son of either, but, by a long traduction, lineally descended from both. Abraham was long before David, but is here put after him, either because he was a king, or because the Jews expected Messiah was 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 concerned in 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 looked that Christ should be the Son of David, Mat_22:42 Mar_12:35. Hence the evangelist puts 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 descended from Abraham by Isaac, proveth him an Hebrew of the Hebrews, and to be descended from the seed to 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 Jer_23:5,6 Jer 33:15, and so to have descended from the royal family.