brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them,

vation of God.1

7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

9 And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?2

II He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.3

12 Then came also publicans' to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appoint

ed you.

1 Ps. 98: 2; Isa. 40:5; 49:6; 52:10; Rom. 10:12, 18. Acts 2:37. Ch. 11:41; 1 Jno.

3:17.

5. Every valley. This entire passage is figurative, derived from the stately progress of a monarch preceded by his herald.

10. What shall we do? i. e. what are the fruits meet for repentance which we are to bring forth?

12. The publicans were proverbial for their extortion and injustice.

14. The soldiers. Who these were is not stated. They may have been small

cuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he was the Christ, or not;

16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

17 Whose fan is in his hand,' and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.9

8

18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

64. THE IMPRISONMENT OF JOHN.

Matt. 14:1-12; Mark 6: 14-29.

19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

4 Matt. 21:32; ch. 7:29. Ex, 23:1; Lev. 19:11. 1 Tim. 6:8. 7 Jer. 15:7. 8 Mic. 4:12; Matt. 13:30. 9 Mark 9:44, 48.

detachments appointed on police duty, or troops in the service of Herod Antipas, stationed on the borders of his territory east of the Jordan.

18. Preached he; in the original, With many other exhortations, also, he proclaimed the good news unto them.

SECTION 64.-19, 20. These two verses are inserted parenthetically, as if suggested by what had just been said of

14. THE BAPTISM OF JESUS.

Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11. 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

7. THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS.

1 Chron. chs. 1-8.

23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,

25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,

the boldness of John's preaching. ch. 14:7-9.

=

See

SECTION 14.- -21. Praying. Luke alone mentions the circumstance that Jesus was praying when the Spirit descended upon him. Probably it was a silent mental prayer, since the baptism seems to have been public, and the divine manifestation visible, at least, to the Baptist. Jno. 1:33.

22. In a bodily shape; i. e. perhaps in a wing-like flame, or "tongue" of light. Acts 2:3. The resemblance must not be pressed too minutely. - Thou art. So in Mark. Matthew has, "This is my beloved Son." This is just such a varíation in form but agreement in substance as two truthful but independent witnesses habitually exhibit.

SECTION 7.-23. Began to be; literally, "Jesus himself was about thirty

26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Judah,

27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,

28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,

29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,

30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Judah, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,

31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was

years of age when he began ;" i. e. his public life.-Supposed; commonly reckoned. -Joseph. Many commentators regard the genealogy which follows as that of Mary, assuming that she was the daughter of Heli, and that Joseph, therefore, was his son-in-law. Others, we think with greater probability, regard it as the natural genealogy of Joseph, that in Matthew showing his line as a legal heir to the throne of David. Note Matt. I I. Those who hold this view regard Mary as the daughter of Jacob, and own cousin to Joseph, who was therefore strictly the son-in-law, and so the heir and legal son of the latter. Smith's Dict. On this theory, Christ, through his mother literally, and Joseph legally, was descended from the royal line as given by Matthew, while more remotely yet truly from the line of David by his reputed father, as given by Luke.

the son of Nathan,' which was the son of David,

32 Which was the son of Jesse, | which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,

33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Judah,

34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,

35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,

36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which |

12 Sam. 5:14. 2 Gen. 5:25.

27. Salathiel. Note Matt. I : 12. 32. Jesse. Note Matt. 1:5, 6. 36. Cainan. This name is not contained in the record in Genesis II: 12, and is supposed to have erroneously crept into the text.

PRACTICAL THOUGHTS.

1, 2. The particularity with which the evangelist records names and dates is a striking evidence of his truthfulness. He writes like an honest man who knows that his statements accord with authentic records. Even the subordinate points which occasion perplexity strengthen our conviction, since they manifestly allude to facts once well known, and obscure to us only from their remoteness. Jews and pagans alike conceded their accuracy in the earliest times, and made themselves incontestable because unwilling witnesses to the historic verity of the gospel.

The characters and history of these ancient rulers afford suggestive comments on the folly of selfish ambition and

|

crime. A brief career of guilty pleasure, a disgraceful death, and an immortality of infamy, how poor a result of opportunities which might have blessed the world, and won the grateful esteem of mankind!

14. John had no words of condemna. tion for the profession of a soldier as such. A good man can serve God, when his country requires, as acceptably in this as in any other calling.

17. The preaching of the gospel involves the utterance of God's threatenings as well as promises.

23-38. The Bible reveals the unity of the human race. From whatever inIdividual we set forth, his line of ancestry will be found to have the same beginning, -"the son of Adam, the son of God."

3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.1

5 And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me,2 and to whomsoever I will, I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

1 Deut. 8:3. 2 Jno. 12:31; 14: 30; Eph. 2:2;

Rev. 13:2, 7. 3 Deut. 6:13. 4 Ps. 91: II.

SECTION 25.-14. Immediately after the temptation occurred all those events recorded in the first three chapters of John. During this journey Christ held the conversation with the woman of Samaria. Jno. 4: 4-42. - Power of the Spirit; i. e. working miracles. One of them was the healing of the nobleman's son at Capernaum. Jno. 4: 47–54. — A fame. Jno. 4:45.

15. Tanght. See the parallel passages.

11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.*

12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

25. TEACHING IN GALILEE. Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15; John 4: 43-46.

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

27. CHRIST'S REJECTION At Naza

RETH.

Matt. 4:13-16.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day,' and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

5 Deut. 6: 16. 6 Heb. 2: 17, 18; 4:15. 7 Matt. 13:54; Jno. 18: 20; Acts 13:14; 17:2.

his first public teaching there, but as it was generally wherever he went. — The synagogue. The institution of the synagogue is supposed to date from the captivity. The temple, the national house of worship, being now destroyed, the pious Jews gathered on the Sabbath for devotion in local assemblages, called synagogues, literally, meetings. The service in these consisted in reading appointed portions of the Scriptures, expositions or exhortations, and prayer, closing with a benediction from a priest. The officers were, I, the "Ruler of the Synagogue," who had the chief direction of all its affairs; 2, the "Elders" (Mati.

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say unto

1 Ps. 45:2; Matt. 13: 54. 2 Jno. 6:42.

26: 3), who, with the ruler as president, exercised the government and discipline; 3, the "Reader," called also the "Angel" (Rev 1:20), who conducted the religious services; and, 4, the " Minister," i. e. servant, or sexton, who had charge of the building and furniture. Often the ruler of the synagogue called upon any devout man present, especially strangers (Acts 13:15), to expound the passages read, or to exhort. This gave an excellent opportunity for the introduction of new doctrines; and it was very frequently used, both by Christ and the apostles, for making known the truths of the gospel. Stood up for to read; doubtless at the invitation of the ruler.

17. Book; or roll. Ancient books were written, generally, on skins, and rolled around sticks for the convenience

18. Anointed; Gr. echrisen, from which comes the word Christ, the Anointed

them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.' And they said, Is not this Joseph's son ??

23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.3

25 But I tell you of a truth, many

3 Matt. 13:57: Jno. 4:44.

19. Acceptable year; the year of jubilee. Lev. 25:8-17. That year was typical of the Messiah's reign, and of the blessings it was to bring. It was called acceptable, as the appointed or accepted time in which God was to be gracious.

20. To the minister; i. e. the sexton, or person who had the care of the rolls. Note ver. 16.-Sat down. It was customary to read standing, but to expound in a sitting posture.

21. Began to say; i. e. began a discourse of which this was the theme or substance.

22. Gracious; referring not merely to the doctrine advanced, but to the mild and winning manner of speaking, as contrasted with the imperious and dogmatizing manner of the scribes.

23. Heal thyself; meaning here, not himself personally, but his own people; his old neighbors and townsmen. It is worthy of notice that this use of the proverb is recorded only by Luke, the physician. In Capernaum; referring