And his descent]

the son of Matthat, which was the son Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the Son of Joseph, 25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the Son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29 Which was the son of Jose, which was

[traced up to Adam.

the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31 Which was the son

of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which

without morality, both rigid and benevolent. Such is the doctrine of Jesus and his apostles; and no less of Paul than of James and John, as we shall show hereafter.

But what says the Baptist to the soldiers who demanded of him the same question"And what shall we do?" Some Christians, for whom we have a most sincere respect, would have said to these (aud perhaps also to the preceding class), "Give up your profession:" but John says not so; only "Do violence (or injury) to no man; put no man in fear or terror of his life; neither accuse any falsely." By injury and false accusation, we cannot understand what may be called the duties, but rather the abuses of the military profession: for he must mean unauthorized violence, or private injuries, in order to be coupled with false accusation, which was certainly no part of military duty. If it be asked what soldiers these could be? we apprehend not Roman or Pagan soldiers; or, as Dr. Doddridge remarks, John would surely have cautioned them against idolatry ; but

most probably they were Jewish soldiers of Galilee, under Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch, who employed such as his military executioners (Mark vi. 27): or, perhaps of Arche laus, who had lately been deposed and exiled for his cruelty and oppression. The military are most convenient tools for arbitrary princes.

As to war, God forbid we should be its advocates, except only in cases of obvious justice, and necessary self-defence. We regard it in the same light with certain desperate remedies, which are only recurred to in dangers the most alarming.

John's style of preaching, though not accompanied with miracles, was so weighty and authoritative, that the people were ready to hesitate whether, instead of being a forerunner, he were not himself the Christ. Au impostor or a partisan would have cherished such a prejudice; but he, without hesitation, directed them to his Master, whose shoe-latchets, as a disciple, he professed himself unworthy to

unloose.

his genealogy was not that of Mary, but of Joseph, and therefore the legal, and not the natural genea. logy of Christ; which latter is here given through David (in whom both genealogies meet), up to Adam and to God. As these are different genealogies, they must be expected to differ. They also run different ways: that of David is brought down to Joseph; that of Mary runs up to David, and onward to Adam. Many names in the former seem also omitted, for the purpose of compression and memory. See Note on

Matt. i. 17.

Dr. A. Clarke remarks that Matthew, in descending from Abraham to Joseph (the husband of Mary), speaks of sons by natural generation: Abraham begat Isaac, &c. but Luke, in ascending to Adam, speaks of sons either properly or improperly such; as by marriage, by adoption, &c.; on that account he uses an indefinite expression:-" of Joseph,-of Heli-of Matthat," &c. for the word son is not in the original. So Joseph was the son of Jacob, but the son-in-law of Heli; and Salathiel, the son of

Jechonias, but the son-in-law of Neri. Mary, there. fore, was the daughter of Heli (Heliachim, or Joachim), and of the same family with Joseph, both being descended from Zerubbabel and from David, as well as from Abraham and Adam. Mary's name, it may be remarked, is not inserted in either list, but as the wife of Joseph, because the Jews never admit women into their genealogies, but collaterally. So Thamar and Rahab are introduced by Matthew as the mothers of Phares and Boaz, Ruth and Bathsheba as the mothers of Obed and Solomon. Thongh there may be a farther reason for their mention, namely, to show that even" sinners of the Gentiles " had an interest in the Messiah. Another thing which may have thrown some considerable difficulty in the way of reconciling these genealogies is the Hebrew law which obliged men, in certain cases, to marry the widows of their deceased brothers (see Deut. xxv. 5, &c.), to whom their children are therefore reckoned.

was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son

of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. CHAP. IV.

A ND Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered

him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5 And the devil, taking him up into au high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered

and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence : 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus

[by the devil. answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

14 ¶ And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out à fame of him through all the region round about.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is the Scripture fulfilled in

Ver. 36. Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, &c.-This Cainan is not in the Hebrew genealogy (Gen. xi. 12), but is found in the LXX. Whether it was here inserted by Luke, or by some copyist, is not of great importance, since the only question arising from it is, whether Salah was the son or grandson of Arphaxad.

Persons who wish farther to study these genealogies, will find abundant learned discussion in Dr. Clarke's Comm. on Luke iii, and in Mr. Prebend. Townsend's New Test. arranged, vol. ii. p. 51-62, Notes.

CHAP. IV. Ver. 1-13. And Jesus being full, &c. This differs so little from Matt. iv. 1-11, that we refer thither, instead of repeating our remarks. Ver. 5. In a moment - perhaps meaning, "at a glance," or in one view. It is remarkable that this

And

scene from the mountain, which is placed last in Matthew, is here placed second; for which we can give no reason.

Ver. 7. If thou wilt worship-Marg. "Fall down before me."All shall be thine — that is, “All this glory." Camp.

Ver. 8. Get thee behind me, Setan.-This clause is here wanting, not only in some of the best MSS, but several ancient versions. But it occurs Matt. iv. 10. Camp.

Ver. 17. He found the place.-Isa. Ixi. 1—3. Ver. 18. Because-Camp. "Inasmuch as." Ver. 20. The minister Camp. The servant," namely, in waiting upon the readers.

Ver. 22. The gracious words-Doddr. "Grace ful words"-Camp. "Words full of grace"-Gf. "Words of grace;" referring more to the mater than the manner of his discourse.

[at Nazareth.

and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. (I)

(1) Ver. 14-32. Jesus returns, and preaches in the synagogue of Nazareth, — The public reading of the Scriptures was certainly of divine appointment, and the practice of expounding them may be traced up to the time of Ezra. (Neh. viii. 8.) In later times, competent laymen were invited to this office. According to Dr. Gill, seven persons read every sabbath day, namely, a priest, a Levite, and five Is raelites of other tribes. On these occasions the Chazan, or minister, delivered the sacred book to the person who stood up to read, and after reading a suitable portion, he returned the book; and if he proposed to expound or preach, he sat down in the desk wherein he read, as our Lord did in this instance. The people understood this, and immediately on our Lord being seated, "the eyes of all were fastened on him." At first the people were all attention and admiration. They "bare witness" to his ability as a teacher, and even "wondered at the words of grace" which proceeded from his lips; by which phrase we understand, not only his

Ver. 23. Done in Capernaum. · &c.; John ii. 12, &c.

graceful elocution, but also the sweet and savory truths which he delivered; and they exclaimed, "Is not this the Son of Joseph?" adding, if not on this, upon another occasion, "Whence hath this man this wisdom?" (Matt. xiii. 54.) Popularity is not always, however, a proof of success or usefulness. When the address is pleasing, and the truth delivered palatable, the hearers will admire and commend: but our Lord, who could read the heart, knew that among his hearers were many not prepared to receive all the truths that he was commissioned to deliver; many who, pleased as they might appear, were questioning in their hearts his divine authority, and ready to call for miracles to gratify their curiosity, rather than their faith, which, indeed, seems to have been very low; for they brought no sick, no lame, no blind, to receive healing, as had been the case elsewhere. He therefore addresses them on the sovereignty of God's mercy, reminding them that the divine favour could neither be bought nor claimed: that God bestows his blessings according to his own good pleasure. Thus Elijah is

See Mark i. 21,

Ver. 25. Elias-or Elijah. 1 Kings xvii. 9, &c. Ver. 27. Eliseus-or Elisha. 2 Kings v. 8. Ver. 29. The brow (Marg. "edge") of the hill whereon their city was built.-But modern travellers tell us that Nazareth was built in a valley, surrounded by bills. So Dr. Richardson compares it to a delightful bason of earth, surrounded by fifteen mountains. The village, he says, stands on an elevated situation, on the west side of the valley. (Trav. vol. ii. p. 434.) Now it appears by Godwyn (Antiq. bk. v.ch.7), that the law required only an eminence of two cubits high, from which the person stoned

must be thrown down, and such an eminence may be found almost any where. Perhaps the original term (ophrus) may be misunderstood. Polybius uses it for the bank of a river," which is generally sloping. (See Dr. J. Jones's Lex.) The human eye-brow, which seems the origin of the term, is not on the top of the forehead, but on the rise; perhaps, there fore, the true meaning may be, that the city was built on the slope of the hill, from the steepest part of which they meant to precipitate our Lord. Wha is now called the Mount of Precipitation is, how ever, full half a league from the village, and difficul of access, which is therefore very unlikely to be th place to which the Jews meant to drag our Saviour,

Jesus works]

[Omit, and pass to Chap. v.]

33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. 37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. 38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. 39 And he stood

over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. 41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak for they knew that he was Christ. 42 And when it was day, he

[many miracles. departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

CHAP. V.

AND it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their

nets.

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the

sent to the widow of Sarepta, and Elisha to Naaman the Syrian, though doubtless there were widows and lepers enough in Israel. Though God refuses mercy to none who supplicate it in sincerity, he does not hold himself bound to bestow it upon any. This doctrine, as often has been the case, kindled instantly the evil passions of the multitude; and even those who but a few minutes before had been absorbed in admiration, now arise in great wrath, drag him toward the first precipice they could find, to cast him down and stone him: But he passed safely "through the midst of them." It has been supposed that, as upon another occasion (chap. xxiv. 16), their "eyes were holden, that they should not know

him" but we are not sure this was a miracle, for we have heard of persons escaping in a tumult, merely through the noise and confusion of their enemies; and we are not aware of any iustauce, in which Jesus wrought a miracle for either his own rescue or supply. His miracles were all (we believe) on the behalf of others. However, Jesus escaped their malice for the present, and returned to Capernaum, where he wrought a signal miracle, which, as it has been already considered, may be here passed over. There his word was not only admired, but also attended" with power," namely, with that power of the Holy Spirit which alone can give it success; for even miracles are in vain without it.

Ver. 33. A spirit of an unclean devil-that is, demon, who was an unclean spirit: this seems utterly inconsistent with the idea of these demons being diseases.

Ver. 34. Let us alone-Marg, "Away!"

Ver. 41. Not to speak; for they knew, &c.-Marg. "Not to say that they knew," &c. See Note on Mark i. 34.

Ver. 42. When it was day- Mark says, "A great while before day," which may refer to his rising at the first dawn; and when the day advanced, but

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

[draught of fishes.

that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken :

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. (K)

CHAP. V.

(K) Ver. 1-11. Christ preaches from a ship, and then orders Simon to launch out into the sea. - From the simple fact of Jesus, on several occasions, preaching from a vessel at some little distance from the land, we may fairly infer that he was an energetic preacher; not a noisy, bawling speaker; for such often prevent themselves from being heard, by neglecting the due modulation of their voices: besides, the preacher who is uniformly loud, can give no emphasis to his words. 2. From finding our Lord so frequently on the sea, we may reprove the silly weakness of those who dare not venture even upon a river. It is true there are many drowned at sea; but there are far more who die on land. We are every where exposed to danger and to death; but we should remember, that we are every where under the care of the same guardian providence; and to excite our confidence and gratitude, the few accidents we suffer should be compared with

the

many which we escape. 3. We should never neglect the calls of Providence from the suspicion that we may not succeed. Peter had been toiling all night without success, yet when Jesus gives the command, Peter tries again. "Nevertheless (says he) at thy command I will let down the net," and his obedience was well rewarded. Labour is ours; success is God's. 4. Yet even success may produce danger: "the ships began to sink." Many a tradesman has been ruined by prosperity in business. He has succeeded in getting money,

and made shipwreck of his faith. He has gained the world, and lost his soul! Many a preacher has been ruined by popularity. He has been admired and praised, till his devotion has cooled; his zeal become languid, and even his ministerial success destroyed. They alone are well kept whom God keepeth.

But there is something in Peter's_conduct that requires an explanation. Jesus is a Saviour, and a sense of sin should lead us to him, and not drive us from him. Shall the sick man say to the physician, " Depart from me, for I am sick?" There is more inconsistency in our conduct as sinners, than in any other part of human life. But what can Peter mean by requesting the Lord to depart from him? It is evident that a sense of Christ's divinity, and his own unbelief, led him to consider himself as utterly unworthy of his presence. And so did the sons of Zebedee; and who, indeed, does not, who has any true knowledge of God, or of himself?" The answer of Christ speaks always the language of encouragement to those who have been previously humbled: "Fear not; follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Comp. Matt. iv. 19.) Such, indeed, they were, and the book of Acts is the record of their success; but at the day of judgment alone can it be developed fully. Then will idleness and hypocrisy be exposed; then will the humblest services be brought to light, and not "a cup of cold water," charitably given, pass unrewarded. (Matt. xxv. 31, &c.)

Ver. 11. They forsook all and followed him.— "They had followed him before (John i. 43); but not so as to forsake all. Till now they wrought at their ordinary calling." Wesley.

Ver. 12 to 17. And it came to pass.-The cure of the leper bere mentioned is recorded by Matt. chap. viii. 2, 3, where it is noticed by us; also in Mark i. 40-45.