βιβλος 976 N-NSF γενεσεως 1078 N-GSF ιησου 2424 N-GSM χριστου 5547 N-GSM υιου 5207 N-GSM δαβιδ 1138 N-PRI υιου 5207 N-GSM αβρααμ 11 N-PRI
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Christ (Cristov). Properly an adjective, not a noun, and meaning anointed (criw, to anoint). It is a translation of the Hebrew Messiah, the king and spiritual ruler from David's race, promised under that name in the Old Testament (Ps. ii. 2; Dan. ix. 25, 26). Hence Andrew says to Simon, "We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, Christ (John i. 41; compare Acts iv. 27; x. 38; xix. 28). To us "Christ" has become a proper name, and is therefore written without the definite article; but, in the body of the gospel narratives, since the identity of Jesus with the promised Messiah is still in question with the people, the article is habitually used, and the name should therefore be translated "the Christ." After the resurrection, when the recognition of Jesus as Messiah has become general, we find the word beginning to be used as a proper name, with or without the article. In this passage it omits the article, because it occurs in the heading of the chapter, and expresses the evangelist's own faith in Jesus as the Messiah.Anointing was applied to kings (1 Sam. ix. 16; x. 1), to prophets (1 Kings xix. 16), and to priests (Exod. xxix. 29; xl. 15; Lev. xvi. 32) at their inauguration. "The Lord's anointed" was a common title of the king (1 Sam. xii. 3, 5; 2 Sam. i. 14, 16). Prophets are called "Messiahs," or anointed one (1 Chron. xvi. 22; Ps. cv. 15). Cyrus is also called "the Lord's Anointed," because called to the throne to deliver the Jews out of captivity (Isa. xlv. 1). Hence the word "Christ" was representative of our Lord, who united in himself the offices of king, prophet, and priest.
It is interesting to see how anointing attaches to our Lord in other and minor particulars. Anointing was an act of hospitality and a sign of festivity and cheerfulness. Jesus was anointed by the woman when a guest in the house of Simon the Pharisee, and rebuked his host for omitting this mark of respect toward him (Luke vii. 35, 46). In the Epistle to the Hebrews (i. 8, 9), the words of the Messianic psalm (xlv. 7) are applied to Jesus, "God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."
Anointing was practiced upon the sick (Mark vi. 13; Luke x. 34; James v. 14). Jesus, "the Great Physician," is described by Isaiah (lxi. 1, 2; compare Luke iv. 18) as anointed by God to bind up the broken-hearted, and to give the mournful the oil of joy for mourning. He himself anointed the eyes of the blind man (John ix. 6, 11); and the twelve, in his name, "anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them" (Mark vi. 13).
Anointing was practiced upon the dead. Of her who brake the alabaster upon his head at Bethany, Jesus said, "She hath anointed my body aforehand for the burying" (Mark xiv. 8; see, also, Luke xxiii. 56).
The Son (uiov). The word teknon (child) is often used interchangeably with uiJov (son), but is never applied to Christ. (For teknon, see on 1 John iii. 1.) While in teknon there is commonly implied the passive or dependent relation of the children to the parents, uiJov fixes the thought on the person himself rather than on the dependence upon his parents. It suggests individuality rather than descent; or, if descent, mainly to bring out the fact that the son was worthy of his parent. Hence the word marks the filial relation as carrying with it privilege, dignity, and freedom, and is, therefore, the only appropriate term to express Christ's sonship. (See John i. 18; iii. 16; Rom. viii. 29; Col. i. 13, 15.) Through Christ the dignity of sons is bestowed on believers, so that the same word is appropriate to Christians, sons of God. (See Rom. viii. 14; ix. 26; Galatians iii. 26; iv. 5, 6, 7.)
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:1 {The Book} (biblos). There is no article in the Greek, but the following genitives make it definite. It is our word Bible that is here used, _the_ Book as Sir Walter Scott called it as he lay dying. The usual word for book is a diminutive form (biblion), a little book or roll such as we have in #Lu 4:17, "The roll of the prophet Isaiah." The pieces of papyrus (papuros), our paper, were pasted together to make a roll of varying lengths according to one's needs. Matthew, of course, is not applying the word book to the Old Testament, probably not to his own book, but to "the genealogical table of Jesus Christ" (biblos genesews iesou cristou), "the birth roll of Jesus Christ" Moffatt translates it. We have no means of knowing where the writer obtained the data for this genealogy. It differs radically from that in #Lu 3:23-38. One can only give his own theory of the difference. Apparently in Matthew we have the actual genealogy of Joseph which would be the legal pedigree of Jesus according to Jewish custom. In Luke we apparently have the actual genealogy of Mary which would be the real line of Jesus which Luke naturally gives as he is writing for the Gentiles.
{Jesus Christ}. Both words are used. The first is the name (iesous) given by the angel to Mary (#Mt 1:21) which describes the mission of the child. The second was originally a verbal adjective (cristos) meaning anointed from the verb to anoint (criw). It was used often in the Septuagint as an adjective like "the anointed priest" (#1Ki 2:10) and qen as a substantive to translate the Hebrew word "Messiah" (messias). So Andrew said to Simon: "We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, Christ" (#Joh 1:41). In the Gospels it is sometimes "the Anointed One,"the Messiah," but finally just a proper name as here, Jesus Christ. Paul in his later Epistles usually has it "Christ Jesus."
{The Son of David, the son of Abraham} (huiou daueid huiou abraam). Matthew proposes to show that Jesus Christ is on the human side the son of David, as the Messiah was to be, and the son of Abraham, not merely a real Jew and the heir of the promises, but the promise made to Abraham. So Matthew begins his line with Abraham while Luke traces his line back to Adam. The Hebrew and Aramaic often used the word son (ben) for the quality or character, but here the idea is descent. Christians are called sons of God because Christ has bestowed this dignity upon us (#Ro 8:14; 9:26; Ga 3:26; 4:5-7). Verse 1 is the description of the list in verses #2-17. The names are given in three groups, Abraham to David (#2-6), David to Babylon Removal (#6-11), Jechoniah to Jesus (#12-16). The removal to Babylon (metoikesias babulwnos) occurs at the end of verse #11, the beginning of verse #12, and twice in the resume in verse #17. this great event is used to mark off the two last divisions from each other. It is a good illustration of the genitive as the case of genus or kind. The Babylon removal could mean either to Babylon or from Babylon or, indeed, the removal of Babylon. But the readers would know the facts from the Old Testament, the removal of the Jews to Babylon. qen verse #17 makes a summary of the three lists, fourteen in each by counting David twice and omitting several, a sort of mnemonic device that is common enough. Matthew does not mean to say that there were only fourteen in actual genealogy. The names of the women (Thamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba the wife of Uriah) are likewise not counted. But it is a most interesting list.
