Lectio 4
Lecture 4
Transmigratio Babylonis ad Christum
Babylonian exile to Christ
1:12 Et post transmigrationem Babylonis Iechonias genuit Salathihel. Salathihel autem genuit Zorobabel. [n. 80]
1:12 And after the transmigration of Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel. [n. 80]
1:13 Zorobabel autem genuit Abiud. Abiud autem genuit Eliacim. Eliacim autem genuit Azor. [n. 84]
1:13 And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor. [n. 84]
1:14 Azor autem genuit Sadoch. Sadoch autem genuit Achim. Achim autem genuit Eliud. [n. 85]
1:14 And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud. [n. 85]
1:15 Eliud autem genuit Eleazar. Eleazar autem genuit Mathan. Mathan autem genuit Iacob. [n. 86]
1:15 And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob. [n. 86]
1:16 Iacob autem genuit Ioseph virum Mariae, de qua natus est Iesus, qui vocatur Christus. [n. 92]
1:16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. [n. 92]
1:17 Omnes itaque generationes ab Abraham usque ad David generationes quatuordecim, et a David usque ad transmigrationem Babylonis generationes quatuordecim, et a transmigratione Babylonis usque ad Christum generationes quatuordecim. [n. 98]
1:17 So all the generations, from Abraham to David, are fourteen generations. And from David to the transmigration of Babylon are fourteen generations: and from the transmigration of Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations. [n. 98]
1:18 Christi autem generatio sic erat. Cum esset desponsata mater eius Maria Ioseph antequam convenirent, inventa est in utero habens de Spiritu Sancto. [n. 102]
1:18 But the generation of Christ was thus: when his mother, Mary, was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Spirit. [n. 102]
1:19 Ioseph autem vir eius, cum esset iustus, et nollet eam traducere, voluit occulte dimittere eam. [n. 114]
1:19 Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to expose her publicly, wanted to put her away privately. [n. 114]
1:20 Haec autem eo cogitante, ecce angelus Domini in somnis apparuit ei dicens: Ioseph fili David noli timere accipere Mariam coniugem tuam; quod enim in ea natum est, de Spiritu Sancto est. [n. 119]
1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take unto you Mary your wife, for he who is born in her, is of the Holy Spirit. [n. 119]
1:21 Pariet autem filium, et vocabis nomen eius Iesum. Ipse enim salvum faciet populum suum a peccatis eorum. [n. 134]
1:21 And she will bring forth a son: and you will call his name Jesus. For he will save his people from their sins. [n. 134]
80. Hic ponitur tertius quaterdenarius generationis Christi, qui procedit per personas privatas.
80. Here he sets out the third fourteen of Christ’s generation, which proceeds through private persons.
De isto Iechonia, sicut dictum est supra, fuit duplex opinio. Hieronymus enim et Ambrosius volunt quod alter fuerit ille qui ponitur in fine primi quaterdenarii et vocatus est Ioakim; alter vero qui dictus est Ioachim. Secundum vero Augustinum, ut supra.
As was said above, there are two opinions about this man Jechonias. For Jerome and Ambrose would have it that there is one man who is placed in the end of the first fourteen and is called Joakim, and another who is called Joachim. According to Augustine, however, see above.
Ista enim transmigratio filiorum Israel significat translationem fidei ad gentes; Act. XIII, v. 46: vobis oportebat primum loqui verbum Dei. In illa transmigratione facta est quasi quaedam reflexio Iudaeorum ad gentes. Unde quasi quidam constituitur angulus; et ideo Iechonias iste significat Christum, qui factus est lapis angularis, in seipso utrumque copulans populum, Iudaeorum et gentium; Ps. CXVII, v. 22: lapidem quem reprobaverunt aedificantes, hic factus est in caput anguli.
For the transmigration of the sons of Israel signifies the transfer of the faith to the gentiles; to you it behoved us first to speak the word of God (Acts 13:46). In the transmigration there happened so to speak a certain return of the Jews to the gentiles. Hence it was established as a certain corner, so to speak; and for this reason, this man Jechonias signifies Christ, who was made the cornerstone, joining in himself both peoples, the Jews and the gentiles; the stone which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner (Ps 117:22).
81. Sed hic quaeritur, Ier. XXII, 30 dicitur: scribe virum istum, Sedeciam, virum sterilem, qui in diebus suis non prosperabitur; nec enim erit qui sedeat de semine eius super solium David. Quomodo ergo dicitur Christus descendisse a David per Sedeciam, cum de Christo scripserit sic Is. IX, 2: super solium David, et super regnum eius sedebit?
81. But there is a question here: write this man, Sedecias, barren, a man that will not prosper in his days: for there will not be a man of his seed that will sit upon the throne of David (Jer 22:30). So how is Christ said to have descended from David through Sedecias, since it is written of Christ: he will sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom? (Isa 9:2)
Et dicendum, secundum Ambrosium, quod cum Christus dicitur sedere super solium, intelligitur de regno spirituali, non corporali, nisi inquantum per regnum David corporale significatur spirituale.
And one should say, according to Ambrose, that since Christ is said to sit above the throne, this is understood as concerning a spiritual kingdom, not a corporeal one, except insofar as the spiritual is signified through the corporeal kingdom of David.
82. Salathiel autem genuit Zorobabel. Contra: I Paralipom. III, 17 dicitur, quod filii Iechoniae fuerunt Asir, Salathiel, et Melchiram, et Phadaia. Phadaia autem filios habuit Zorobabel, et Semei; de Abiud autem nulla prorsus fit ibi mentio. Ergo videtur, quod male dicit Evangelista, quod Salathiel genuit Zorobabel, et quod Zorobabel genuit Abiud.
82. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel. On the contrary: it is said that the sons of Jechonias were Asir, Salathiel, and Melchiram, and Phadaia (1 Chr 3:17). And Phadaia had sons, Zorobabel and Semei; but of Abiud no mention is made at all. So it seems that the Evangelist speaks badly, saying that Salathiel begot Zorobabel, and that Zorobabel begot Abiud.
Ad hoc tripliciter respondetur in Glossa. Una responsio, quod in libro Paralipomenon multa depravata sunt vitio scriptorum, praecipue de his quae pertinent ad numerum et ad nomina. Unde istis generationibus vitiatis prohibet Apostolus intendere, quae magis quaestionem quam utilitatem inducunt, I Tim. I, 4.
The Gloss responds to this in three ways. One response is that in the book of Chronicles many things are corrupted by the fault of the scribes, and principally in those things which pertain to numbers and names. Hence the Apostle forbids any attention being given to those corrupted generations, which bring in more questions than usefulness (1 Tim 1:4).
Alia est responsio, quod Salathiel binomius fuit: vocatus est enim Salathiel, et Caphadara; et ideo liber Paralipomenon dicit Zorobabel filium Capha, Evangelista vero filium Salathiel. Nulla est ergo contrarietas.
There is another response, that Salathiel had two names; for he was called Salathiel and Caphadara; and hence the book of Chronicles calls Zorobabel the son of Capha, and the Evangelist calls him the son of Salathiel. Therefore there is no contrariety.
Tertia est responsio, et verior, quod Salathiel, et Caphadara fuerunt fratres, sicut dicit liber Paralipomenon. Caphadara autem genuit filium quem vocavit eodem nomine, scilicet Zorobabel, et iste genuit Abiud. Dicendum etiam quod liber Paralipomenon narrat genealogiam ipsius Capha; Evangelista generationem Salathiel, quia de eo erat Christus nasciturus.
There is a third response, and a truer one, that Salathiel and Caphadara were brothers, as is said in the book of Chronicles. Now, Caphadara begot a son whom he named by the same name, i.e., Zorobabel, and this man begot Abiud. It should also be said that the Book of Chronicles tells the genealogy of this Capha; the Evangelist tells the generation of Salathiel, because Christ was to be born from him.
83. Notandum autem quod de illis qui fuerunt ab Abiud usque ad Ioseph, nulla fit mentio in libris Sacrae Scripturae, sed ex annalibus Hebraeorum, quos Herodes pro magna parte comburi fecit ut occultaretur ignobilitas sui generis, accepta sunt. Patet littera.
83. Now it should be noted that no mention is made in the books of Sacred Scripture of those who were from Abiud to Joseph, but they were taken from the annals of the Hebrews, which for the most part Herod burned to hide the ignobility of his own ancestry. The meaning of the letter is clear here.
84. Sensum mysticum prosequamur.
84. Let us pursue the mystical sense.
Nota ergo quod in hac parte genealogiae ponuntur tres ordines. Primus est ordo doctorum, et continet quatuor generationes.
Note then that in this part of the genealogy three orders are placed. The first is the order of teachers, and it contains four generations.
Ante orationem enim requiritur praeparatio, secundum illud Eccli. XVIII, 23: ante orationem praepara animam tuam; et ideo de Iechonia, qui interpretatur ‘praeparatio Domini,’ sequitur Salathiel, qui interpretatur ‘petitio mea’; et designant Christum, qui in omnibus exauditus est pro sua reverentia, Hebr. V, 7.
For preparation is required before prayer: before prayer prepare your soul (Sir 18:23); and hence from Jechonias, who is interpreted as ‘the preparation of the Lord’, comes Salathiel, who is interpreted as ‘my prayer’; and he indicates Christ, who in all things was heard because of his reverence (Heb 5:7).
Oratio autem debet praecedere doctrinam, secundum illud ad Eph. VI, 19: orate, ut detur sermo in apertione oris mei; et ideo Salathiel sequitur Zorobabel, qui interpretatur ‘magister Babel,’ idest ‘confusionis’; quia per doctrinam et praedicationem apostolorum revocatae sunt gentes ad Deum verum, et hoc fuit ad confusionem idololatriae; et hoc competit principaliter Christo, qui dicit: vocatis me, magister, et domine, et bene dicitis, Io. XIII, v. 13.
Now prayer ought to precede teaching: and pray for me, that speech may be given me, that I may open my mouth with confidence (Eph 6:19); and so Salathiel is followed by Zorobabel, who is interpreted ‘the teacher of Babel’, i.e., ‘of confusion’; because through the doctrine and preaching of the apostles the nations were called back to the true God, and this was to the confusion of idolatry; and this belongs principally to Christ, who says: you call me Master, and Lord; and you say well, for so I am (John 13:13).
Per doctrinam autem, et praedicationem acquirit homo patris dignitatem; unde patres dicuntur eorum qui instruuntur spiritualiter; I Cor. IV, 15: nam et si decem millia paedagogorum habeatis in Christo, sed non multos patres: in Christo enim Iesu per Evangelium filii sumus. Et ideo sequitur Zorobabel autem genuit Abiud, qui interpretatur ‘pater meus iste’; et hoc competit Christo; Ps. LXXXVIII, 27: ipse invocabit me, pater meus es tu.
Further, through teaching and preaching a man acquires the dignity of a father; hence they are called fathers of those who are spiritually instructed: for if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the Gospel, we are sons (1 Cor 4:15). And so there follows Zorobabel begot Abiud, who is interpreted as ‘my father’; and this belongs to Christ; he will cry out to me: you are my father (Ps 88:27).
85. Abiud autem genuit Eliacim. Hic designatur ordo incipientium, scilicet auditorum.
85. And Abiud begot Eliacim. Here the order of beginners, i.e., of listeners, is indicated.
Primum autem quod fit per praedicationem in auditore, et quod debet praedicator intendere, est quod resurgat a vitiis ad virtutes, secundum illud Eph. V, 4: surge qui dormis; et ideo Abiud genuit Eliacim, qui interpretatur ‘resurrectio’; et competit Christo, qui dicit, Io. XI, 26: omnis qui credit in me, habet vitam aeternam.
Now the first thing which comes about in the listener through preaching, and that at which the preacher should aim, is that he rise again from vices to virtues: rise you who sleep (Eph 5:14); and so Abiud begot Eliacim, who is interpreted as ‘the resurrection’; and this belongs to Christ, who says, he who believes in me, has everlasting life (John 6:47).
Non autem resurgens potest pervenire ad statum iustitiae nisi per auxilium Dei: et ideo, postquam resurrexit, indiget homo auxilio Dei, secundum illud Ps. CXX, 2: auxilium meum a Domino; et ideo sequitur Eliacim autem genuit Azor, qui interpretatur ‘adiutus.’ Et hoc etiam competit Christo, de quo in Ps. XXVI, 9: adiutor meus esto, Domine. Et per hoc auxilium devenitur ad iustitiam: unde Azor genuit Sadoch, qui interpretatur ‘iustus’; Rom. III, v. 22: iustitia Dei per fidem Iesu Christi in omnes, et super omnes qui credunt in eum.
Now, the one rising again cannot attain to the state of justice except through the help of God; and therefore, after he has risen, a man needs the help of God: my help is from the Lord (Ps 120:2); and so there follows Eliacim begot Azor, who is interpreted as ‘one helped’. And this also belongs to Christ, of whom it is said: be my helper . . . O God my Savior (Ps 26:9). And through this help one comes to justice; hence Azor begot Sadoc, who is interpreted as ‘the just’; the justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe in him (Rom 3:22).
Consummatio autem iustitiae sive finis, est caritas: finis iustitiae Christus, finis praecepti est caritas, I Tim. I, 5. Tantum sunt duo praecepta, scilicet dilectio Dei, et proximi; I Io. c. IV, 21: et hoc mandatum habemus a Deo, ut qui diligit Deum, diligat et fratrem suum. Et ideo Sadoch sequitur Achim, et Achim Eliud. Achim interpretatur ‘frater meus’: unde signat dilectionem proximi; Ps. CXXXII, 1: ecce quam bonum et quam iucundum habitare fratres in unum. Hoc competit Christo, qui caro, et frater noster est. Et quia dilectio proximi non potest esse sine dilectione Dei, ideo sequitur Achim autem genuit Eliud. Eliud interpretatur ‘Deus meus’; Ps. XVII, 2: diligam te, Domine: et hoc competit Christo; Ps. XXX, v. 15: Deus meus es tu.
Further, the consummation of justice, or the end, is charity: the end of justice is Christ; the end of the commandment is charity (1 Tim 1:5). There are only two commandments, namely the love of God and the love of neighbor; and this commandment we have from God, that he, who loves God, love also his brother (1 John 4:21). And therefore Sadoc is followed by Achim, and Achim by Eliud. Achim is interpreted as ‘my brother’; hence he signifies love of neighbor; behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity (Ps 132:1). This belongs to Christ, who is our flesh and our brother. And because love of neighbor cannot be without love of God, there follows Achim begot Eliud. Eliud is interpreted as ‘my God’; I will love you, O Lord (Ps 17:2); and this belongs to Christ: you are my God (Ps 30:15).
86. Eliud autem genuit Eleazar. Hic designatur ordo proficientium.
86. Eliud begot Eleazar. Here the order of proficients is indicated.
Non potest autem profici sine auxilio divino, unde primum quod requiritur ad proficiendum est auxilium divinum; et ideo Eliud recte sequitur Eleazar, qui interpretatur ‘Deus meus adiutor’; Ps. LXXXIII, 6: beatus vir cuius est auxilium abs te. Sed quia Deus multis modis potest iuvare ad salutem, ut removendo prohibentia et dando occasiones, potissimum adiutorium est per donum gratiae suae; I Cor. c. XV, 10: gratia Dei sum id quod sum. Et ideo Eleazar, idest adiutorium Dei, sequitur Mathan, qui interpretatur ‘donum,’ scilicet gratiae divinae: et hoc competit Christo, qui est etiam donans; Io. III, 16: sic Deus dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret; Eph. IV, 8: dedit dona hominibus. Sed quia homo posset tantum confidere de dono gratiae, quod ipse incideret in negligentiam, non cooperando per liberum arbitrium gratiae, ideo sequitur Iacob, qui interpretatur ‘luctator’; propter hoc I Cor. XV, 10: gratia Dei sum id quod sum, et sequitur: et gratia eius in me vacua non fuit; II Cor. VI, 1: hortamur vos ne in vacuum gratiam Dei recipiatis. Nunc autem sequitur Ioseph, idest ‘augmentum,’ quia per gratiam, et liberi arbitrii conatum venit homo ad augmentum; Prov. IV, 8: iustorum semita quasi lux splendens procedit, et crescit usque ad perfectam diem. Unde Iacob genuit Ioseph virum Mariae.
Now, one cannot advance without the help of God; hence the first thing required for advancing is the help of God; and so Eliud is rightly followed by Eleazar, who is interpreted ‘God my helper’; blessed is the man whose help is from you (Ps 83:6). But since God can help one toward health in many ways, as by removing obstacles and providing occasions, the most powerful of helps is through the gift of his grace; but by the grace of God, I am what I am (1 Cor 15:10). And so Eleazar, i.e., the help of God, is followed by Mathan, who is interpreted as ‘gift’, namely the gift of divine grace; and this belongs to Christ, who is also one who gives; for God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son (John 3:16); he gave gifts to men (Eph 4:8). But because a man can have so much confidence in the gift of grace that he falls into negligence, by not cooperating with grace through free judgment, there follows Jacob, who is interpreted as ‘wrestler’; on account of this it is said: but by the grace of God, I am what I am, and then follows, his grace in me has not been void (1 Cor 15:10); and we helping do exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain (2 Cor 6:1). Further, there now follows Joseph, i.e., ‘increase’, because a man comes to increase through grace and the effort of the free judgment; but the path of the just, as a shining light, goes forwards and increases even to perfect day (Prov 4:18). Hence Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary.
87. Sed hic oritur duplex quaestio. Primo enim quaeritur de contrarietate quae videtur esse inter Lucam et Matthaeum: Lucas enim dicit quod Ioseph fuit Heli, qui fuit Mathat; Matthaeus autem dicit quod fuit Iacob: ergo videtur esse contrarietas inter eos.
87. But here there arises a twofold question. For first, there is a question about a seeming contrariety between Luke and Matthew; for Luke says that Joseph was of Heli, who was of Mathat (Luke 3:23); but Matthew says that he was of Jacob; so there seems to be a contrariety between them.
Sed dicendum est ad hoc, quod duo fuerunt de eadem stirpe, sed non de eadem familia, scilicet Mathan et Mathat. Fuerunt enim de stirpe David; sed unus descendit de stirpe David per Salomonem, scilicet Mathan; alius per Nathan, scilicet Mathat. Accepit ergo Mathan uxorem Hesta nomine, ex qua genuit Iacob; mortuo autem Mathan, quia lex non prohibebat viduam nubere, nupsit fratri eius Mathat, qui genuit de ea Heli. Unde Iacob et Heli fuerunt fratres de eadem matre, sed non de eodem patre. Accepit autem Heli uxorem, et mortuus est sine liberis; unde Iacob, ut suscitaret semen fratri suo, accepit eamdem uxorem, et genuit Ioseph. Unde Ioseph fuit filius Iacob secundum carnem, sed filius Heli secundum adoptionem. Et ideo Matthaeus, qui ponit in genealogia Christi solum patres carnales, dicit Ioseph filium Iacob; Lucas autem, qui ponit multos qui non fuerunt patres carnales, dicit eum filium Heli. Ratio autem huius diversitatis dicta est superius.
But to this it should be said that there were two of the same root, but not of the same family, namely Mathan and Mathat. For they were from the root of David, but one descended from the root of David through Solomon, namely Mathan; the other descended through Nathan, namely Mathat. So Mathan took a wife by the name of Hesta, out of whom he begot Jacob; Mathan having died, since the law did not prohibit a widow from marrying, she married his cousin Mathat, who begot Heli from her. Hence Jacob and Heli were brothers from the same mother, but not from the same father. Now, Heli took a wife, and died without children; hence Jacob, that he might raise up seed for his brother, took the same wife, and begot Joseph. Hence Joseph was the son of Jacob according to the flesh, but the son of Heli according to adoption. And so Matthew, who places in the genealogy of Christ only the fathers according to the flesh, says that Joseph was the son of Jacob; but Luke, who places many in the genealogy who were not fathers according to the flesh, says that he was the son of Heli. The reason for this difference was stated above.
88. Notandum autem quod quando frater accipiebat uxorem fratris, ut suscitaret nomen eius, non est ita intelligendum quod filius ille qui generabatur, vocaretur nomine fratris defuncti: Booz enim qui accepit Ruth, ut suscitaret semen Elimelech, genuit filium, quem non vocavit Elimelech, sed Obed; sed pro tanto dicitur suscitare nomen eius, quia filius ille ei adscribebatur secundum legem: nec est hoc inconveniens, quia, sicut dicitur in Ecclesiastica historia, ipsi apostoli et evangelistae fuerunt instructi a proximis parentibus Christi de genealogia Christi, qui eam partim memoria, partim ex dictis libris Paralipom. corde tenebant.
88. But it should be noted that when a brother took the wife of his brother to sustain his name, it should not be taken in such a way that the son who was begotten would be called by the name of the dead brother; for Booz who took Ruth, that he might raise up seed for Elimelech, begot a son who was not called Elimelech, but Obed; but he is said to sustain his name to this extent, that the son is attributed to him according to law. Nor is this unfitting, because, as is said in Church History, the apostles and evangelists themselves were taught by the immediate parents of Christ about the genealogy of Christ, who held it in their hearts partly by memory, and partly from the aforementioned books of the Chronicles.