Gen 13:33; 1Kgs 1; Ps 131
1:1Lk 3:31
1:2 Gen 21:25,29,38
1:3 1Chron 2:5; Ruth 4:18
1:6 2Sm 12:24
1:7 1 Chron 3:10
1:11 2Kgs 24; 2Chron 36; 1Chron 3; Ezra 3
1:19 Deut 24:1
1:23 Is 4:14
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The pedigree of Jesus, to show that he is Christ, promised to *Abraham and David. 18 That he was conceived and born of a Virgin, as Isaiah prophesied of him.
1 THE book of the *generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 *Abraham begat Isaac, And Isaac begat Jacob. And Jacob begat Judas and his brethren:
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zaram of Thamar. *And Phares begat Esron. And Esron begat Aram.
4 And Aram begat Aminadab. And Aminadab begat Naasson. And Naasson begat Salmon.
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Raab. And Booz begat Obed of Ruth. And Obed begat Jesse.
6 And Jesse begat *David the King. And David the King begat Salomon of her that was the wife of Urias.
7 And *Salomon begat Roboam. And Roboam begat Abia. And Abia begat Asa.
8 And Asa begat Josaphat. And Josaphat begat Joram. And Joram begat Ozias.
9 And Ozias begat Joatham. And Joatham begat Achaz. And Achaz begat Ezechias.
10 And Ezechias begat Manasses. And Manasses begat Amon. And Amon begat Josias.
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren in the Transmigration of Babylon.
12 And after the *Transmigration of Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel. And Salathiel begat Zorobabel.
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud. And Abiud begat Eliacim. And Eliacim begat Azor.
14 And Azor begat Sadoc. And Sadoc begat Achim. And Achim begat Ehud.
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar. And Eleazar begat Mathan. And Mathan begat Jacob.
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary: of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17
Therefore all the generations from Abraham unto David, fourteen
generations. And from David to the Transmigration of Babylon, fourteen
generations. And from the Transmigration of Babylon unto Christ,
fourteen generations.
18 And the generation of Christ was in
this wise. When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came
together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Ghost.
19 Whereupon Joseph, for that he was a just man, and would not *put her to open shame: was minded secretly to dismiss her.
20
But as he was thus thinking, behold the Angel of our Lord appeared to
him in sleep saying: Joseph son of David, fear not to take Mary your
wife, for that which is born in her, is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son: and you shall call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins.
22 And all this was done that it might be fulfilled which our Lord spoke by the Prophet saying.
23 *Behold a Virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the Angel of our Lord commanded him, and took his wife.
25 And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son: and called his name Jesus.
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The first part of this Gospel, of the Infancy of our Savior Christ.
1:1 The book: This Gospel is most solemnly sung in holy Church at Matins upon Christmas day. As also it is the Gospel of the Conception and Nativity of our Blessed Lady: because here is declared the pedigree of her also.
1:21 Jesus a Hebrew word, in English means Savior.
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COMMENTARY
3. Thamar. Christ abhorred not to take flesh of some who were ill, as he chose Judas among his apostles. Let us not disdain to receive our spiritual birth and sustenance of such as be not always good.
16. Joseph. Joseph marrying our Lady, as near of kin (for so was the law) by his pedigree shows hers, and consequently Christ's pedigree from David.
Husband. True and perfect marriage, and continual living in the same, without carnal copulation. (Aug. Lib. 2. Consen. Evang. c. i.)
20. Born in her. The triple good or perfection of marriage accomplished in the parents of Christ, to wit, issue, fidelity, Sacrament. (Aug. de nup. & cone. li. c. 11.)
23. A virgin. Our Savior born in marriage, but yet of a virgin, would honor both states: and withal teaches us against Jovinian, the old heretic, and these of our time, that virginity and the continent life are preferred before marriage that has carnal copulation. (See St. Jerome adv. Jovin. and St. Greg. Nazianz. Ser. 2D. de Studio in pauperes in initio.)
A virgin. As our Lady, both a virgin and a mother, brought forth Christ, the head, corporeally; so the Church, a virgin and a mother, brings forth the members of this head spiritually. (Aug. li. de virg. c. 2.)
And bring forth. The heretic Jovinian is here refuted, holding that her virginity was corrupted in bringing forth Christ. (Aug. haer. 28. li. 1. con. Julian, c. 2.)
24. Till first born. Helvidius of old abused these words, till and first born, against the perpetual virginity of our Blessed Lady, (Jerome. cont. Helv.); which truth, though not expressed in Scripture, yet our adversaries also grant, and Helvidius for denial thereof was condemned for an heretic by tradition only. (Aug. haer. 84.)
25. Till she brought forth her first born Son. From these words Helvidius and other heretics most impiously inferred that the blessed Virgin Mary had other children besides Christ. But St. Jerome shows by divers examples, that this expression of the Evangelist was a manner of speaking usual among the Hebrews to denote by the word 'until' only what is done, without any regard to the future: Thus it is said, Gen. chap. 8:6 and 7, that Noah sent forth a raven, which went forth, and did not return until the waters were dried up on the earth; that is, did not return any more. Also, Isaiah 46:4, God says, I am until you grow old. Who dare infer that God should then cease to be? Also, in the first book of Maccabees, ver. 24, And they went up to Mount Sion with joy and gladness, and offered holocausts, because not one of them was slain until they had returned in peace; that is, not one was slain before or after they had returned. God said to his divine Son, Sit on my right hand until I make your enemies your foot stool. Shall he sit no longer after his enemies are subdued? Yea, and for all eternity. St. Jerome also proves by Scripture examples, that an only begotten son was also called first-born, or first begotten; because, according to the law, the first-born males were to be consecrated to God: Sanctify unto me, says the Lord, every first born that opens the womb among the children of Israel, &c. Exod. chap. xiii. v. 2.
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