[The genealogy is one of the most important subjects in the gospels; let no teacher or [6] pupil be discouraged by the apparent difficulty of understanding it.]

      Repeat the first verse of this chapter.

      Is this the title of the whole book of Matthew, or only of this list of names? Ans.--Of the list of names; for the whole book is much more than a "book of the generation of Jesus."

      Why call so short a list of names a book? Ans.--In ancient times any written document, however small, was called a book.

      From whom does Matthew assert that Jesus descended?

      How far apart did Abraham, David and Jesus live? Ans.--From Abraham to David was about 900 years, and from David to Jesus about 1,100 years.

      What division of the list does Matthew make? See 17.

      Where did he find the names from Abraham to David? He found those of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Pharez and Hezron in Genesis, and the other eight in Ruth iv: 18-22. They are also found in I Chron. i-ii.

      What class of men were they? Ans.--They were all patriarchs, and David was also a king, the first king in the list.

      What two women are mentioned in the list? 5.

      Of what nations were they? See Josh. ii: 1; Ruth i: 4.

      Did Jesus, then, have any Gentile blood?

      How many years were covered by these fourteen generations? See answer above.

      Where did Matthew find these names? [7] Ans.--They are found in the first and second books of Kings, and also in Second Chronicles. These books are filled up with the histories of these men.

      What class of men are they? Ans.--They were all kings who reigned over the kingdom of Judah.

      With what king and what event does this division take place? 11.

      Note.--The history of Jechonias' captivity is found in II Kings xxiv: 10-17, where he is called Jehoiachin. He was not the last king of Judah, for his uncle Zedekiah reigned eleven years after him, (II Kings xxiv: 17, 18) but he was the last in the direct line of David's offspring.

      Does Matthew, in this division, give the names of all the kings in the line from David to Jechonias? Ans.--No. He omits four; three between Joram and Ozias, or Uzziah, as he is called in the Old Testament (verse 8), and one between Josias and Jechonias (verse 11). The names of the three are Ahaziah, Joash and Amaziah, whose history is found in II Chron. chapters 22-25; and the name of the fourth is Jehoiakim, whose history is found in II Chron. xxxvi: 1-18.

      Why did Matthew omit these? Ans.--In proving that one man is descended from another, it matters not how many names are omitted, provided those you give are correct. For example, if I wish to prove myself a descendant of Christopher Columbus, and can prove that my grandfather and his grandfather and his grandfather were descended from Columbus, I have gained my point, although I have left out half the names. So Matthew, desiring to quote only fourteen names in this division, to make it even with the first, leaves out four of the eighteen names found in the Old Testament. [8]

      As Matthew leaves out three names between Joram and Uzziah, how can he say, Joram begat Uzziah? Ans.--In Jewish usage words of relationship were used in a wider sense than by us. For example, Leah is said to have borne to Jacob her sons, her grandsons, and her great grandsons (Gen. xlvi: 8-15); and all the sons, grandsons and great grandsons of Jacob, are said to have "come out of the loins of Jacob." Uncles, nephews and cousins were called brothers, and instead of grandfather or ancestor, they used father. If we were to use such language, it would be untrue, but it was strictly true with the Jews, because they used the words in a different sense from what we do, and they understood each other in that sense.

[FBL 6-9]