What class of men are named in this list? Ans.--As they all sprang from Jechonias, the last king in David's line, they were heirs of the throne; but they did not reign, because they were deprived of their inheritance.

      How many of these names are found in the Old Testament? I Chron. iii: 17-19; Neh. xxi: 1.

      Note.--Shealtiel and Zerubabel are the same as Salathiel and Zorobabel, being different forms of the same names.

      Why are only these two found in the Old Testament? Ans.--Because Old Testament history closed in the days of Zerubabel, Nehemiah, the latest of the Old Testament historians, being cotemporary with him.

      How many of these names were personally known to Matthew? Ans.--He knew Jesus and Joseph, and must have known also the [9] name of Joseph's father, Jacob: verse 16. How many, then, did he find in some other way? This question is answered by counting the names between Zorobabel, verse 12, and Jacob, verse 15.

      Where did he find these eight names? Ans.--The Jews kept the genealogies of all their principal families in the cities to which they belonged. We learn this from the Jewish historian Josephus. (Life of Josephus, Sec. 1, Against Appion, Book I., Sec. 7.) From the records of the family of David, Matthew got these names.

      Why were such genealogies kept? Ans.--They were kept by the priests and Levites, because none of these were allowed to hold office who could not prove themselves of the right tribe and family. They were kept by others, because lands when sold came back to the heirs every fiftieth year, and it was necessary for them to show their genealogy in order to get their property. (See Nu. xxvii: 1-11; xxxvi: 1-12; Lev. xxv: 23-28.)

      How does Matthew make fourteen names in this division of the list? Ans.--If we count the names it will be seen that Jechonias, who was counted as the last in the second division (verse 11), has to be counted as the first in the third list, in order to make the fourteen; and Matthew repeats his name (verse 12), to show that he counts him twice.

      Are there any omissions in this division? Ans.--There cannot be; for if there had been other names to make up the fourteen, Matthew would not have repeated the name of Jechonias for this purpose.

      Repeat Matthew's statement of the divisions of his list. 17. [10]

      Why does he say all the generations in the second division are fourteen, when we see that he leaves out four? Ans.--He means that all the generations which he has mentioned are fourteen; and this is true.

      Does this genealogy trace the blood of David to Jesus? To whom does it trace the blood of David? Does it prove, then, that Jesus was by blood a son of David? What, then, does it prove for Jesus? Ans.--It proves that he was a son of David in point of law, and the heir of David's throne. How does it prove this? Ans.--As he was born after Joseph had married his mother, (24, 25) this made him legally the son of Joseph and the heir of Joseph; and as Joseph was heir to David's throne, Jesus was the next heir after him.

      Why was it important to prove this? Ans. Because the Christ was to sit on David's throne, and Jesus must be the heir of David in order to be the Christ. Acts ii: 29, 30.

      Does this genealogy prove that Jesus is the Christ? Ans.--No; it only proves that he was of the right lineage to be the Christ. Without this lineage he could not be the Christ; with it he might be, and Matthew proves in other parts of his book that he is.

      Why are the names in this list so different in form from the same names in the Old Testament? Ans.--Chiefly because the New Testament was written in Greek, which language lacks some of the Hebrew letters or sounds, and requires a different spelling and pronunciation of Hebrew names.

[FBL 9-11]