Matthew 2:1-23

What is the theme of this chapter?

The adoration and advancement of the boy King.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 1-2

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

  
Additional observations/questions:


 

Matthew 2:13-23

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.


to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” - "Hosea 11:1 relates this to the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage.  Matthew, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, applies it to Christ." (Ryrie)

"Israel's history beginning with Egypt, has been a history of sin, disobedience, apostasy and shame.  Therefore the true One had to come, the true servant of the Lord in obedience—obedience unto death.  He had to go through the history of His people.  This is the reason why He had to go down to Egypt, the house of bondage.  Of course, there was no bondage for Him.  And when He is called out of Egypt, He comes to pass through the wilderness to be tested and tried, going the long journey through all the spirit of holiness without sin, far different from that which Israel was.  How blessedly He became identified with all." (Gaebelein)

"Matthew said this incident was anticipated in an Old Testament prophecy.  God said in Hosea 11:1, 'I called my son out of Egypt' (ASV).  An examination of Hosea's prophecy discloses that this was reference to Israel's historical deliverance out of Egypt under Moses and not specifically a prophecy of the return of Jesus Egypt.  How then could Matthew say that this return 'fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet' (Matt 2:14)?  Matthew saw Israel's history as a type of God's future dealing with His people.  An Old Testament type is a prophecy, and Matthew used the historical incident as a prophetic type of what God would do in return His exiled Son to the Land of Promise." (Pentecost)

what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah - "A quotation of Jer. 31:15, which depicts the wailing at the time of Israel's exile.  That calamity and Herod's new atrocity are viewed as part of the same broad picture." (Ryrie)

"In introducing the Old Testament quotation, Matthew said, 'What was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled; (Matt 2:17).  An examination of the prophecy of Jeremiah indicates he was writing of the sorrow and suffering inflicted on Judah through the desolations brought by Nebuchadnezzar when he conquered that land; the prophet did not refer to Herod's slaughter.  However, Matthew saw this passage as a prophecy with a double reference.  Nebuchadnezzar was only the first despot to spoil Jerusalem and desolate the people to bring sorrow and suffering on the nation.  This would occur many times throughout Judah's history.  What Herod did on this occasion was included in the prophecy of Jeremiah, and thus Matthew called it to our attention.  Matthew was noting that every incident that took place in the life of Christ was in keeping with the Old Testament prophetic Scriptures.  This was true whether the incident fulfilled a direct prophecy, such as concerning the place of His birth, whether it fulfilled a prophetic type, or whether it fulfilled a prophecy according to the principle of double reference.  All took place in accordance with the revealed program of God." (Pentecost)

when Herod died - "Herod died of a loathsome disease in 4 B.C., a short time after the perpetration of this terrible crime.  He had sought relief for a little while in the mineral baths of Callirhoe.  There he attempted suicide which was prevented.  At the same time, he ordered thousands of the most prominent Jews to be shut up in the circus of Jericho, to be executed at the hour of his death, that there might be no lack of lamentation in the land.  But Salome to whom he entrusted the bloody order, when his death was announced set the prisoners free." (Pentecost)

"The ancient texts describe the symptoms Herod experienced in his final days: painful intestinal problems, convulsions in every limb, intense itching, breathlessness, and gangrene of the genitalia. Josephus wrote that Herod’s final illness―sometimes called “Herod’s Evil”―was excruciating. It has generally been thought that King Herod died at 69 years of age from complications of gonorrhea. Dr. Jan Hirschmann, a physician at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, decided to explore further, and presented his diagnosis at the Historical Clinical Pathologic Conference (CPC). Dr. Hirschmann said he decided to focus on the symptom of itching. “At first, I considered Hodgkin’s disease and some diseases of the liver.” Chronic kidney disease covered all of Herod’s symptoms except gangrene of the genitalia. Dr. Hirschmann figured that the most probable cause of King Herod’s death was chronic kidney disease complicated by Fournier’s gangrene, which is an unusual infection affecting the male genitalia. Such historical medical sleuthing is a part of the CPC Conference, which is sponsored by the VA Maryland Health Care System and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and was conceived by Dr. Philip Mackowiak. Every year, the CPC re-examines the death of a famous person from the past who died from causes that remain murky or not fully explained." (www.themedicalbag.com; cf. (National Geographic News, January 28, 2002)

Archelaus - "On the death of Herod the Great, Romans divided his kingdom among his sons: Archelaus (Judah and Samaria), Antipas (Galilee and Perea), and Philip (NE Palestine).  Archelaus was a bloody king and, worse in the eyes of Rome, ineffective.  He was removed by Caesar Augustus in A.D. 6 and banished to Gaul." (Ryrie)

he would be called a Nazarene - "Based on the sense of several OT prophecies (notice the plural prophets).  Nazarene is probably a synonym for 'contemptible' or 'despised' since Nazareth was a most unlikely place for the residence of the Messiah (cf. Isa 53:3; Ps 22:6)." (Ryrie)

"Galilee was despised by Jerusalem, and the town of Nazareth was especially contemptible (John 1:46).  It was Joseph's native place; and there he plied his trade as a carpenter.  'Spoken by the prophets' (v. 23).  They all predicted that the Messiah, in His first Advent, would be despised; that is, He would be a Nazarene; and so it came to pass." (Walker)

Matthew 2:1-12

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.


Jesus was born - "It is clear that Christ was born before Herod the Great's death and after the census.  In looking at the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke one would need to conclude that Christ was born of Mary within a year or two of Herod's death.  In looking to some of the other chronological notations in the Gospels, the evidence led to the conclusion that Christ was born in the winter of 5/4 B.C.  Although the exact date of Christ's birth cannot be known, either December, 5 B.C. or January, 4 B.C., is most reasonable." (Pentecost)

Bethlehem - "The town is five mi (eight km) S of Jerusalem." (Ryrie)

Herod the king - "This was Herod the Great, whose family, though nominally Jewish, was in reality Edomite.  He was king, with Roman help, from 37 to 4 B.C.  He built the Temple in Jerusalem that Christ knew." (Ryrie)

"In the next scene of the wonderful drama appears the savage murderous face of the monster Herod.  He was greatly troubled and filled with alarm when he heard the report of the Magi.  The 'whole city was disturbed with him.'  The reason for this agitation of the people was not far to seek.  Only a little while before this, filled with rage of family rivalries and jealous of anyone who might supplant him on the throne of Palestine which he an Idumean had usurped, he had secured the murder of his own beautiful princess of the Asmonean line and his two favorite sons Alexander and Aristobulus.  Though he had sought by every means to secure the favor of the Roman Emperor, Augustus about this time had said he would prefer to be Herod's hog (hus) than to be his son (huios), for he would then have a better chance of life.  They city feared now the revenge of this cruel and cunning king, who had in the beginning of his reign destroyed the Sanhedrin, and now in the last years of his bloody reign, might seize and execute the chief Jews." (Shepard)

wise men - "These wise men from the east were experts in the study of the stars.  Tradition says that there were three and that they were kings, but we do not know that for certain." (Ryrie)

"In portraying Jesus as the King, Matthew included the visit of the Magi from the East." (Pentecost)

"There was a messianic expectation abroad at this time.  Farrar notes: 'We are informed by Tacitus, by Suetonius, and by Josephus, that there prevailed throughout the entire East at this time an intense conviction, derived from ancient prophecies, that ere long a powerful monarch would arise in Judaea, and gain dominion over the world.  It has, indeed, be conjectured that the Roman historians may simply be echoing an assertion, for which Josephus was in reality their sole authority; but even if we accept this uncertain supposition, there is still ample proof, both in Jewish and in Pagan writing, that a guilty and weary world was dimly expecting the advent of its Deliverer." (Pentecost)

scribes - "...who belonged mainly to the party of the Pharisees, functioned as members of a highly  honored profession.  They were professional students and defenders of the law (scriptural and traditional), gathering around them pupils who they instructed in the law.  They were also referred to as lawyers because they were entrusted with the administration of the law as judges in the Sanhedrin (cf. Matt 22:35)." (Ryrie)

a ruler - "See Micah 5:2.  An earthly king, though a supernatural one, is meant." (Ryrie)

the star - "The start reappeared and led them to the exact house in Bethlehem." (Ryrie)

"While there seems adequate astronomical support for the appearance of a heavenly light of such proportions as to indicate to these searchers the birth of the King of the Jews, this scarcely seems to be an adequate interpretation.  This was not a natural phenomenon but a supernatural one.  If these men were astronomers, they would have been familiar with such a phenomenon and would have explained it naturally.  It would have required more than a natural phenomenon to send them on such a journey.  This star is better explained as a manifestation of the shining glory of God that He reveals to those who are recipients of revelation.  There seems to be a parallel in the case of Abraham, a wise, powerful man from the East to whom God appeared and revealed His glory (Acts 7:2).  This revelation of God's glory moved Abraham out of his home and country." (Pentecost)

"'When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy' (vs. 9 and 10).  This statement makes it clear that the star did not precede them in their journey to Jerusalem, as is popularly supposed..." (Walker)

into the house ... the child - "These words need not indicate that the wise men came some time after the birth of Christ.  The family would naturally have moved into a house as quickly as possible after Jesus was born, and 'child' can mean a newborn (John 16:21).  We do not know how many wise men there were." (Ryrie)

"The question has been raised, Where did they find the child?  In Luke we read, 'And when they had performed all these things according to the law of the Lord, they returned unto Galilee, their own city Nazareth' (Luke 2:39).  Now if the wise men came about a year later, did they find the child in Bethlehem or were they guided all the way up to Nazareth?  We think they were guided by the star to Bethlehem in fulfillment of the word they had heard.  Bethlehem is in a southern direction from Jerusalem and Nazareth directly north.  They were put without question on the right road by Herod, when the star appeared again.  But if the parents were in Bethlehem a year later with the child, why did they go there?  The Gospel of Luke gives the answer.  'Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.  And when He was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast' (Luke 2:41-42).  This brings out that they were a year after again Jerusalem for the feast, and were therefore not in Nazareth.  Bethlehem was truly their city, and the very short journey was made there from Jerusalem, where the wise men now found the young child with Mary His mother." (Gaebelein)

"The Lord was presented in the Temple forty-one days after His birth (Luke 2:21 with Lev 12:3-4), and thence returned to Nazareth (Luke 2:39).  The events in this chapter, therefore, occurred later, i.e., between Luke 2:39 and Luke 2:40." (Walker)

gold and frankincense and myrrh -  "These gifts worthy of a king.  The early church Fathers understood the gold to be symbolic of Christ's deity, the frankincense of His purity, and the myrrh of His death (since it was used for embalming)." (Ryrie)

"In this paragraph, then, Matthew presented the One who one day will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords.  He will be recognized as Sovereign by the nations of the earth just as He was recognized by the Magi, subsequent to His birth, as the One who has the right to rule.  On previous occasions in the New Testament, Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon, Anna, and the shepherds had received a message directly from God which they believed and upon which they acted.  Now for the first time in the New Testament, Gentiles, having received a message from God, accepted it and responded to it in faith." (Pentecost)

Matthew 1:1-25

What is the theme of this chapter?

The genealogy and birth of the King.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 20-23

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us).

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

  
Additional observations/questions:

 

Matthew 1:1-25

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.


Jesus Christ - "The name 'Jesus' is from the Greek (and Latin) for the Hebrew Jeshua (Joshua), which means 'the Lord is salvation.'  'Christ' is Greek for 'anointed one.'" (Ryrie)

"From the days of Daniel, the title Son of Man was considered by the Jews to be a messianic title.  Luke no less than Matthew presented Jesus as the Messiah but, while Matthew was concerned with Messiah in relation to Israel, Luke was concerned with Messiah in relation to the entire human race.  According to the Old Testament, Messiah would not only rule over Israel but over all nations.  He was to be the world's Messiah as well as Israel's.  In keeping with his theme, then, Luke traced the genealogy of Jesus to Adam, the head of the human race." (Pentecost)

"It is significant that Matthew should mention the names of Abraham and David in his introduction.  These were two to whom God had given certain unconditional, eternal covenants that determined the course of the history of the nation Israel.  In Genesis 12:2-3, 7, and again in 13:14-17, God had given promises to Abraham concerning a land that was to be the possession of his physical descendants, to whom God would send One who would bless them.  In Genesis 15:18 that which had been given to Abraham as a promise was ratified by a blood covenant in which God covenanted to give Abraham's physical descendants a land that would be their possession forever.  This covenant was reaffirmed to Abraham in Genesis 17:6-8, and on other occasions in the Book of Genesis it was reaffirmed to Isaac and to Jacob, Abraham's descendants.  In 2 Samuel 7:16 God gave a covenant to David, promising that David's house, his kingdom, and his throne would be established forever.  This covenant was reaffirmed in Psalm 89:1-4.  According to this covenant, one of David's sons was sit on David's throne and rule forever over David's house, that is, David's people or kingdom.  Matthew, therefore, was called our attention to the fact that Jesus Christ came to fulfill the covenant that God had made with the nation's forebears." (Pentecost)

"Zechariah said further that God was remembering the covenant, that is, 'the oath He swore to our father Abraham' (Luke 1:73).  Here Zechariah referred to the foundational covenant recorded in Genesis 12-13, 15, 17 that was the basis of God's program for Israel and the foundation of Israel's hope for the coming of the Messiah.  When the Messiah came in fulfillment of the covenants made with Abraham and David, Zechariah said, God would rescue them from the hand of their enemies (v,. 74).  This was the promise of deliverance from Gentile bondage.  But, further, God would also enable them 'to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days' (vv. 74-75).  This was a reference to what was promised and covenanted in Jeremiah 31:31-34 where God promised Israel that He would forgive their sins, cleanse them, give them a new heart, and enable them to serve Him in righteousness.  This is often referred to as the new covenant.  Ezekiel 36:24-27 enlarges on the covenant that was given in Jeremiah 31.  Zechariah was anticipating the fulfillment of this new covenant in which a redeemed people, reinstalled in their own land, would serve God with a pure heart as His set-apart people.  Let us observe that Zechariah recalled the promises of God found in the Old Testament Scriptures.  Zechariah directed our attention to the covenants God made through Abraham, David, and Jeremiah to deliver Israel from her enemies and from bondage to sin so that they might serve Him." (Pentecost)

"Concerning His work, the angel said, 'He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High' (v. 32).  This One, the eternal Son of the eternal God, would receive a body of flesh in the Virgin's womb.  Concerning His work, the angel said, 'The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end' (Luke 1:32-33).  It is noteworthy that the angel uses the three significant words— 'throne,' 'house,' and 'kingdom'—found in the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:16.  This was an announcement as clear as it was possible to make it that Mary's Son would come into this world to fulfill the promise given to David that one of David's sons would sit on David's throne and rule over David's kingdom.  Jesus would come not only to be the Savior but to be the Sovereign." (Pentecost)

the son of David - "...was a highly popular messianic title of the times.  The genealogy is here traced through Joseph, Jesus' legal (though not natural) father, and it established His claim and right to the throne of David (Matt 1:6).  The genealogy in Luke 3:23-28 is evidently that of Mary, though some believe it is also Joseph's, by assuming that Matthan (Matt 1:15) and Matthat (Luke 3:24) were the same person and Jacob (Matt 1:16) and Eli (Luke 3:23) were brother (one being Joseph's father and other his uncle." (Ryrie)

"David alone has the title, the king (verse 6).  Solomon's name is there, but there is no kingship attached to it.  The unbelieving Jew, as he tries to reject prophecies concerning the Messiah, has always made a strong point of this, that the promises given to David concerning a son were all fulfilled in Solomon.  Solomon according to them is king, and higher than David in his rule and dominion.  How striking then that the Holy Spirit gives the name simply Solomon without adding, the king, to it.  David is the king and no other can have the title, till his son come: even He who came and whom David called Lord (Ps 110:1)." (Gaebelein)

"The Davidic descent of Jesus was never questioned; His claim to be the Messiah was never contested on the ground that His descent from David was doubtful (Matt 12:23; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15).  Those who did not accept the Virgin Birth would know that Jesus' title was determined by Joseph's line, and those who did accept the Virgin Birth must have had some reason for believing that Mary was of Davidic ascent." (Scroggie)

"It is significant to note that, when Jesus offered Himself to Israel as the Messiah, His claim to David descent was never challenged.  The Jews must have consulted the records to see whether the One who made such claims for Himself had the right to make those claims.  Had they found any flaw in His descent, they would have been quick to accuse Him of being an impostor.  Even though the nation rejected Him, it was not because He was outside the Davidic line and therefore ineligible to claim the Davidic throne." (Pentecost)

"In this pedigree the names Ahaziah Joash, Amaziah and Jehoiakim are omitted according to the law of Deut. 29:20; the first three because of being the third and fourth generation of Ahab, and the remaining one because Jehoiakim was not an independent king, and because of Jeremiah 36:23.  These four names were blotted out of God's Book of remembrance." (Walker)

"When Israel entered Canaan, the land was distributed among the tribes and the families equally.  The daughters of Zelophehad were without an inheritance because their father had had no son.  In response to their petition, it was decided that a father's inheritance could be transmitted to a daughter who would then transmit it to her son with the provision that she marry within the bloodline.  If she married outside her own tribe, the inheritance could not be transmitted to her descendants (Num 36:6-7).  Thus, from the Old Testament we see that a mother could transmit inheritance to her son.  It would seem, then that in Luke the genealogy was traced from Adam through Abraham, David, Nathan, a younger son of David, to Heli who died leaving only a daughter, the Virgin Mary.  By the law of succession promulgated in Numbers 27:8, the rights of inheritance could be transmitted through Mary to her Son, Jesus.  Mary, therefore, like Joseph, was of the tribe of Judah and, consequently, the lines through both Joseph and Mary converge in Jesus Christ.  Since it was not according to Jewish custom—even though permitted—to name women in direct line of descent, the name of Mary's husband, Joseph, was substituted for hers.  But Jesus' right to the throne of David was clearly through His mother, according to Luke's genealogy, as well as through His father Joseph." (Pentecost)

"The Pedigree of Luke 3:23 is that of Mary, and shows her descent from David and Adam through Nathan, Solomon's elder brother. Matthew's Pedigree is that of Joseph as regal heir begotten of Solomon and David.  Mary was daughter of Eli and cousin to Joseph.  Both Joseph and Mary were of the House of David.  Jesus, therefore, united in His Person the two only claims to the Throne of Israel; and as He still lives there can be no other claimant." (Walker)

"Not every generation needs to be listed in a genealogy, as is the case here.  Why the division into three groups of 14?  Possibly because the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew letters in the name David (the focal point of this genealogy) equals 14.  The repetition of Jeconiah in verse 12 makes the fourteenth name in the last grouping." (Ryrie)

"This genealogy includes four OT women (plus Mary, v. 16); Tamar (v. 3), Rahab (v. 5), Ruth (v. 5), and Bathsheba, Solomon's mother (v. 6)." (Ryrie)

"Tamar is the first.  Her shameful history of fornication is recorded in Genesis 38.  What a dark story it is, full of the evil deeds of the flesh.  Sin in its blackness is seen there.  But how did she get into the genealogy?  The answer is, by her sin.  It was her shameful sin that puts her here in the genealogy of Him who has come to save that which is lost, the Saviour of men.  The Holy Spirit has put her name in and shows by it that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners.  He has come to save the vilest and the lowest.  And the second one is Rahab.  Who was she?  A Canaanitess.  Unclean and outcast, a harlot full of abomination.  Yet here is her name too linked with Salmon (meaning clothed) and Boaz, her son, which means, 'In strength.'  She had believed the messengers as they had come, and the scarlet thread, the sign of her deliverance from the doomed city, was in her window.  'By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace' (Heb 11:31).  It was faith by which she came into line ... Ruth, the third woman mentioned, is an exception, for there is no stain upon her character.  She was a Moabitess.  The law was against her and cursed her.  It is written, 'An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever' (Deut 23:3).  But in faith too she enters into the congregation with her children, and the third after her, her grandson, is King David himself.  The law which had pronounced the curse is completely set aside in her case." (Gaebelein)

Jechoniah - "Jehoiachin, king of Judah, who was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C.  In the Heb., Jeremiah contracted 'Jeconiah' to 'Coniah' (Jer 22:24, 28; 37:1).  A curse was pronounced on Coniah that none of his descendants would prosper sitting on the throne of David.  Had our Lord been the natural son of Joseph, He could not have been successful on the throne of David because of this curse.  But since He came through Mary's lineage, He was not affected by this curse." (Ryrie)

was the father of Shealtiel - "In Matthew's pedigree Salathiel (Shealtiel) is said to be the son of Jechonias (Jehoiachin), but in Luke, the son of Neria.  No error can be demonstrated here, for there is a possible explanation.  In Jer. 22:24-30, it is predicted that Coniah (Jehoiachin) would be childless, therefore he could not have been the father of Salathiel, but it is possible and probably that he adopted the seven sons of Neri, the twentieth from David in the line of Nathan.  This seems to be intimated in Zech 12:12, where we read of 'the family of Nathan apart,' as well as 'the family of David apart.'  If this were so, Salathiel would be the posterity of Jechonias by an adoption in the line of Nathan." (Pentecost)

Joseph the husband of Mary - "Although Joseph and Mary were not yet married, so sacred was the year of engagement, or betrothal, that they were by custom considered as if married (cf. Gen 29:21; Deut 22:23-30).  Consequently, Joseph's only recourse seemed to be to 'send her away' [Matt 1:19], which meant to give her a bill of divorce, a certificate saying, in effect, 'This woman is not my wife; I am not her husband' (see Hos 2:2)." (Ryrie)

of whom - "The word is feminine singular, indicating clearly that Jesus was born of Mary only and not of Mary and Joseph.  It is one of the strongest evidences for Jesus' virgin birth." (Ryrie)

"If Matthew 1:1-17 were all that could be said of His birth, He might then have had a legal right to the throne, but He could never have been He who was to redeem and save from sin.  But the second half before us shows Him to be truly the long promised One, the One of whom Moses and the prophets spake, to whom all the past manifestations of God in the earth and the types, pointed.  To accomplish the work of salvation, to suffer the penalty of sin and to put away sin He had to be divine and human." (Gaebelein)

and you shall call his name Jesus - "The name that had been revealed to Mary was now repeated to Joseph.  This name was to be given 'because he will save his people from their sin' (v. 21).  The phrase 'his people' must refer to the nation Israel to whom God had given promises in Jeremiah 31:31-34 that Messiah would come to grant forgiveness of sin.  Matthew called to our attention the fact that this miracle which had been announced to him had been promised to Israel in Isaiah 7:14, the great prophecy of the virgin birth.  In the context of that passage, the kingdom of Judah was being threatened by a coalition of Israel and Syria.  God sent Isaiah to bring king Ahaz of Judah a message of comfort.  Isaiah promised that this coalition would fail and Judah would survive.  The message was so important that God offered to confirm this promise to Ahaz.  Isaiah asked  Ahaz to seek a sign that God would fulfill His promise.  However, Ahaz refused to permit God to give him a sign.  This was not because Ahaz trusted God but because he refused to permit God to demonstrate His authority ad power.  Ahaz did not want to be obligated to submit to God, for he was a rebel against Him.  Isaiah gave Ahaz a sign, nevertheless.  It was the sign of the virgin birth.   This prophecy had a double reference.  The word for 'virgin' in Isaiah 7:14 is a broad word that refers to any young woman of marriageable age.  The prophecy was intended to convey to Ahaz the promise that before a young woman of marriageable age could be married, conceive, bear a son, and wean that son, Judah would be rid of her enemies.  Thus within about three years Ahaz would see the fulfillment of God's promise to him that the powers allied against Judah would fail.  But the prophecy went far beyond the immediate reference to Ahaz, for it was a prophecy concerning the virgin birth of Christ.  When the New Testament referred to this prophecy, it selected the restrictive word for a virgin rather than interpreting it in a broader sense to mean simply a young woman.  As Matthew wrote the interpreted prophecy, he told us that Isaiah had in mind the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The definite article 'the' used with virgin shows that Isaiah had one virgin in mind—Mary herself ... Such was the revelation given to Joseph.  Joseph's response was one of implicit faith and obedience.  He did not ask for confirmation.  He did not ask for explanation.  He accepted the fact that Isaiah's prophecy concerning the virgin birth was the true explanation of Mary's pregnancy, and he obeyed the command of the angel and 'took Mary home as his wife' (Matt 1:24).  Joseph demonstrated a remarkable restraint in that 'he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son' (v. 25).  Thus Christ was truly born of a virgin." (Pentecost)

"Jesus' siblings (Matt 13:55-56) were half brothers and sisters, since Mary had no sexual relations with Joseph until after Jesus' birth." (Ryrie)

Matthew - Introduction

"Date written: 50s or 60s.  Although the gospel has sometimes been dated in the 80s or 90s, the fact that the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 is viewed as an event yet future (Matt 24:2) seems to require an earlier date.  Some feel that this was the first of the Gospels to be written (about A.D. 50), while others think it was not the first and that it was written in the 60s." (Ryrie)

"The instrument chosen by the Holy Spirit to write this Gospel was Matthew.  He was a Jew.  However, he did not belong to the religious, educated class, to the scribes; but he belonged to the class which was most bitterly hatted.  He was a publican, that is a tax gatherer.  The Roman government had appointed officials whose duty it was to have the legal tax gathered, and these officials, mostly, if not all Gentiles, appointed the actual collectors, who were generally Jews.  Only the most unscrupulous among the Jews would hire themselves out for the sake of gain to the avowed enemy of Jerusalem.  Wherever there was still a ray of hope for Messiah's coming, the Jew would naturally shrink from being associated with the Gentiles, who were to be swept away from the land with the coming of the King.  For this reason the tax gatherers, being Roman employees, were hated by the Jews even more bitterly than the Gentiles themselves.  Such a hated tax gatherer was the writer of the first Gospel ... Internal evidences seem to show that most likely originally Matthew wrote the Gospel in Aramaeic, the Semitic dialect then spoken in Palestine.  The Gospel was later translated into Greek.  This, however, is certain, that the Gospel of Matthew is pre-eminently the Jewish Gospel." (Gaebelein)

"Matthew, was surnamed Levi (Mark 2:14), was a Jewish tax-gatherer (publican) for the Roman government (Matt 9:9).  Because he collaborated with the Romans, who were hated by the Jews as overlords of their country, Matthew (and all tax collectors) was despised by fellow Jews.  Nevertheless, Matthew responded to Christ's simple call to follow Him.  After the account of the banquet he gave for his colleagues so that they too could meet Jesus, he is not mentioned again except in the list of the Twelve (Matt 10:3; see also Acts 1:13).  Tradition says that he preached in Palestine for a dozen years after the resurrection of Christ and then went to other lands, but there is no certainty of this." (Ryrie)

"Matthew was written to Jews to answer their questions about Jesus of Nazareth who claimed to be their Messiah.  Was He in fact the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament?" (Ryrie)

Four hundred years intervene between Malachi and Matthew; and four hundred and fifty years after Ezra 1:1, as predicted in Daniel 9:25, the Messiah was born.  In this First Gospel He is presented as the King of Israel (Jer 23:5-6;33:15; Zech 9:9).  Hence His pedigree is given from Abraham and David, and He is portrayed as The Branch, The King.  In the other three Gospels He is presented as The Branch, The Servant (Mark); The Branch, The Man (Luke); and The Branch, Jehovah (John) ... This Gospels sets forth the Messiah's claim as king.  Events in His ministry are therefore recorded and emphasized which do not appear in the other Gospels." (Williams)