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TABLES.

Money mentioned in the New Testament reduced to Federal Currency.

A Mite, (Leptum, Mark xii. 42, Luke xii. 59)

A Farthing, (Quadrans, Matt. v. 26, Mark xii. 42)

A Farthing, (Assarium, Matt. x. 29, Luke xii. 6)
A Penny, (Denarius, Matt. xx. 2, Mark xiv. 5)

A Piece of Silver, (Drachm, Luke xv. 8)

Tribute Money, (Didrachm, or half-shekel, Matt. xvii. 24)-
A Piece of Silver, (Stater, or shekel, Matt. xxvi. 15)

A Pound, (Roman Mina, Luke xix. 13)

A Talent of Silver, (Matt. xxv. 15) about

A Talent of Gold, about

Measures of Length mentioned in the New Testament.

A Cubit, (John xxi. 8) about

A Fathom, (Acts xxvii. 28) about

dolls. c.m

4

15

140

140

280

560

13888

1,500 00 0 24,000l0olo

miles. rds. ft. i.

16

74

A Furlong, (Luke xxiv. 13, John xi. 18) about

44 37

292 150

A Sabbath Day's Journey, (Acts i. 12) about

3-4 000 000

20 to 30 000 000

A Jewish Mile, (Matt. v. 41) about

A Day's Journey, (Luke ii. 44)

Measures of Capacity mentioned in the New Testament.

A Firkin, (Metretes, John ii. 6) probably about 7 1-2 gallons, though some say 9 gallons.

A Measure, (Satum, Matt. xiii. 33) 1 peck, 4 quarts.

A Roman Bushel, (Modius, Matt. v. 15) 1 peck.

A Cor, (Corus, or homer, Luke xvi. 7) about 14 bushels.

A Pot, (Sextarius, Mark vii. 4) about 1 1-2 pint.

A Bath, (Batus, Luke xvi. 6) 7 1-2 gallons.

A Measure, (Chœnix, Rev. vi. 6) about 1 quart.

Seasons of the Year in Palestine.

1. Seed Time, corresponding to our October and November.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW.

MATTHEW, or Levi, the son of Alpheus, was probably a native of Galilee. Little is recorded of him in the New Testament. He was called by our Lord to be one of his twelve apostles, as he sat at the receipt of custom in Capernaum, in the discharge of his duties as a publican, or tax-gatherer. He immediately left all, and followed the Messiah. Those who collected the Roman revenues in Palestine were held in great odium and ignominy by the Jews, and loaded with every opprobrious name. But Jesus hesitated not to mingle with this abhorred class, and even to choose one as his apostle, as if the better to demonstrate his reliance upon a power more than human, which could employ the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

The period of Matthew's discipleship and remaining life appears to have passed without note. Uncertain traditions existed in early times that he preached the Gospel in Parthia and Ethiopia, and fell as a martyr at Naddaber, in the latter country. But the single illustrious monument that remains of him is the following work. This towers simple and majestic over the ruins of time, and bears the name of the once despised publican down to the latest posterity.

His character, as we gather it from the brief data of history, and the style, structure, and spirit of his Gospel, was marked by decision, sterling honesty, and straight-forwardness. He showed his meekness in recording himself as one of a hated and ignominious calling; and his modesty in forbearing to state that the feast which took place after he was called by Jesus, was due to his hospitality. The marks of his unswerving truth and honest independence are traceable throughout his work.

He is generally supposed to have written his Gospel before the others, and hence it has always been placed first. At what exact period it was composed is unknown. Some critics assign it to A. D. 38 or 41, while others, with more probability, conjecture it to have been written as late as A. D. 61 or 64. The great authority of Lardner is in favor of the last date. Matthew is believed to have used the Hebrew language in the original composition of his Gospel; or rather a mixed dialect termed Aramean, or Syro-Chaldaic, made up of Hebrew, Chaldaic, and Syriac,-our Saviour's vernacular tongue. According to Eusebius, it is stated by Papias, who lived about A. D. 100, that "Matthew composed his history in the Hebrew dialect, and every one translated it as he could ;" and by Irenæus, A. D. 190, that “Matthew, then among the Hebrews, published a Gospel in their own language; whilst Peter and Paul were preaching the Gospel, and founding a church at Rome." Eusebius himself says, that "Matthew,

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INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW.

having first proclaimed the Gospel in Hebrew, when on the point of going to other nations, committed it to writing in his native tongue, and thus supplied the want of his presence to them by his writings." No copy of this Gospel, however, is now extant in the Aramean, or SyroChaldaic language. All existing manuscripts are in Greek. The translator of the work from the original into Greek is unknown.

The Gospel of Matthew was written and circulated particularly in Palestine, and was designed by its author to exhibit Jesus to the Jews as their Messiah, who had been so long predicted, and so eagerly expected. Hence he often quotes from their sacred books in the way of illustration, and to show the fulfilment of ancient prophecies, thus enlisting in the cause of the Gospel their national feelings and religious associations. As he wrote for the Jews, he takes less pains than Mark, who wrote for the Latin Christians, to explain the manners, customs, opinions, ceremonies, and geography of the country.

"The Gospel of Matthew," says Dr. Carpenter, " from the Temptation to the Last Journey to Jerusalem, is essentially Galilean. During that interval, he gives no intimation of occurrences in any part of Palestine, but Galilee and its borders."

"Great brevity in the relation of facts, and detail in the record of discourses, are two of the characteristics of St. Matthew's Gospel. His manner is calmly earnest throughout; and it has the impress of deep conviction and certain knowledge. He gives a clear, but compressed summary of the transactions which he relates; entering but little into the circumstances of each; yet tracing the main fact distinctly and forcibly. For this style of composition, his official duties had, it is probable, peculiarly qualified him; that it is his style is not to be disputed."

The writer above quoted considers Matthew's order of events, in respect to chronological arrangement, as preferable to that of the other evangelists, though there are exceptions in some places. The devotion of thirty years, with more or less application, to the study of the Four Gospels, entitles his opinions to a candid attention.

The first two chapters of Matthew, the passage contained in chap. xxvii. verses 3—10 inclusive, and the latter clause of verse 52 and the whole of verse 53, in the same chapter, are deemed by some critics, chiefly out of respect to the internal evidence as weighed in their judgments, to be interpolations. But the external evidence from manuscripts, versions, and the early fathers, was not of such a nature as to lead Griesbach to reject either of the passages from the text, or to place it under a mark of inferior authority. And his decisions, so far as that kind of testimony is concerned, have been admitted with great unanimity by almost all critics of every denomination.

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GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW.

CHAPTER I.

The Genealogy and Birth of Jesus Christ.

HE book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the

This

1. The book of the generation. The table of the genealogy, or the catalogue of the ancestors. This is probably not the title of the whole Gospel, but the heading of the first chapter, or, more likely, of the first seventeen verses. See Gen. v. 1. xi. 10. Ruth iv. 18.. The Jews were very careful to preserve their genealogies. Copies of them were kept at Jerusalem, and handed down thousands of years. was done, in addition to the desire common to all men of knowing their ancestry, in order to distinguish the tribes and families from each other, to secure the fulfilment of the laws respecting marriage, and the rights of succession to offices and estates, and to afford the means of ascertaining in what tribe the Messiah was born. Priests who had not kept their lineage accurately were degraded from their office. Ezra ii. 62. Neh. vii. 64. Eusebius, the earliest ecclesiastical historian, mentions, on the authority of Africanus, a tradition that Herod the Great committed the Hebrew genealogies kept in the public archives to the flames, that he might conceal his ignoble extraction, but that they were restored either by recollection, or by private copies. The public documents were utterly destroyed in the sack of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the nation by the Romans, A. D. 70. Other nations have prided themselves upon their genealogies. The Welsh pretend to carry theirs back to Adam.

oem begat Isaq, und Isaac

Jesus. Saviour; the same as Joshua. Jesus is the Greek, and Joshua is the Hebrew form of the word. Joshua is called Jesus in Acts vii. 45. Heb. iv. 8.-Christ. Anointed. The same in Greek as Messiah in Hebrew. Dan. ix. 25. Priests, Prophets, and Kings were anointed as a sign of induction into their respective offices. Exodus xl. 15. 1 Kings xix. 16. It was usual among the Orientals to give significant names to their children. Our Lord was a Saviour to the world, as he came to rescue and preserve men from sin, and a Messiah, or Christ, an Anointed one, to the Jews, as succeeding in some sense to their Kings, Priests, and Prophets, combining their offices in his commission, and fulfilling the old prophecies.-Son of David, &c. Descendant of David and Abraham. It was essential that the Messiah should be able to trace his ancestry to these distinguished persons, so venerable to the Jewish mind. Matthew was writing to Jewish converts, and he writes in accordance with their feelings. It is generally supposed that he gives the descent of Joseph, the reputed father of Jesus. Whilst Luke, writing for Gentiles, traces the pedigree of Jesus from Mary through her father Heli, through Nathan, David, and Abraham, back to Adam, the ancestor of both Jews and Gentiles. Luke iii. 23-38. Their lists are different, but not contradictory. They drew them no doubt from the

cob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren. And Judas begat 3 Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; and Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naas- 4 son; and Naasson begat Salmon; and Salmon begat Booz of Ra- 5 chab. And Booz begat Obed of Ruth. And Obed begat Jesse; and 6 Jesse begat David the king. And David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias. And Solomon begat Roboam; 7 and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; and Asa begat Jo- 8 saphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; and 9 Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; and Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; 10 and Amon begat Josias; and Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, 11 about the time they were carried away to Babylon.—And after they 12 were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; and Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Elia- 13 kim; and Eliakim begat Azor; and Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc 14 begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; and Eliud begat Eleazar; 15 and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; and Jacob 16 begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is

same archives at Jerusalem. If then the genealogies are inaccurate, wha h is improbable, for they were never impugned in early times, the error is chargeable upon the original records, not upon the Evangelists who copied them.

2. Judas and his brethren. His brethren are mentioned because they with Judah were the heads of the twelve tribes. In this genealogy some names are altered from the Hebrew to the Greek orthography, as Judah to Judas, Hesron to Esrom, Azariah to Ozias.

3. Phares and Zara. The latter introduced because he was a twin. Gen. xxxviii. 27. The names of several women are mentioned on account of remarkable events in their lives, by which their posterity are identified.

8. Joram begat Ozias. Three names, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, 1 Chron. iii. 11, 12, are here omitted, perhaps to make the num

ber between David and the Babylonish captivity just fourteen, and thus render the list more convenient to remember, or because there was

a

curse denounced against the house of Ahab, to which these princes belonged; Ozias, therefore, was the great-grandson of Joram.

11. Between Josias and Jechonias came Jehoiakim. 1 Chron. iii. 15.

13. Zorobabel. Here terminates the line as recorded in the Old Testament. The rest was drawn from later tables, or tradition.

16. Of whom. This pronoun is in the feminine gender in Greek, referring then not to Joseph, but to Mary. Jesus was the actual son of Mary, but only the reputed, or legal son of Joseph, and in that way the descendant of Joseph's ancestry.Called Christ. This was added in the public record to distinguish him from others of the same name. Col. iv. 11.

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