John Chrysostom, On Matthew

To many this discourse seems to be easy, but the things of the prophets have difficulty. But this too is a mark of those who are ignorant of the depth of the meanings laid up in it. Therefore I beseech you, 57.21 to follow us with much diligence, so that we may enter into the very sea of the things that have been written, with Christ leading us in this entrance. And that the discourse may become easier to learn, we ask and beseech you (as we have also done in the case of the other Scriptures), to read beforehand the passage of Scripture which we are about to expound, so that the reading may prepare the way for the knowledge, which also happened in the case of the eunuch, and may provide great ease for us. For the questions are many and successive. See, for instance, right at the beginning of his Gospel, how many questions one might raise. First, for what reason is Joseph's genealogy given, since he was not the father of Christ. Second, how will it be clear to us that Mary, from whom He was born, traces her lineage from David, since her ancestors are unknown; for the Virgin's genealogy was not given. Third, for what reason is Joseph, who contributed nothing to the birth, given a genealogy; while the Virgin, who actually became the mother, is not shown of what fathers and grandfathers and ancestors she is. Along with these, it is worth asking that too, why on earth, while tracing the genealogy through the men, he also mentioned women. And since he decided to do this, he did not include all the women, but passing over the reputable ones, such as Sarah, Rebecca, and all such, he brought into the middle only those who were notorious for wickedness; for instance, if one was a prostitute and an adulteress, if one was from an unlawful marriage, if one was a foreigner and a barbarian. For he mentioned the wife of Uriah, and Tamar, and Rahab, and Ruth; of whom one was a foreigner, one a prostitute, one had intercourse with her father-in-law; and not even by the law of marriage, but stealing the union, and putting on the mask of a prostitute for herself; and as for the wife of Uriah, no one is ignorant of her because of the notoriety of the deed. But nevertheless, the evangelist, leaving aside all the others, inserted these alone into the genealogy. And yet if it was necessary to mention women, it should have been all of them; but if not all, but some, it should have been those renowned for virtue, not for sins. You see how much attention we need right at the beginnings. And yet the introduction seems to be clearer than the others, and perhaps to many even superfluous, because it is only a list of names. After this it is also worth asking, for what reason he passed over three kings. For if he kept silent their name because they were exceedingly impious, he ought not to have mentioned the others of that kind either. For this too is another question. For having said fourteen generations, in the third section he did not preserve the number. And for what reason did Luke mention other names, and not only not all the same ones, but also many more; while Matthew mentioned fewer, and different ones, although he too ended with Joseph, with whom Luke also concluded. You see how much vigilance we need, not only to solve, but also to learn what needs to be solved. 57.22 For this is no small thing, to be able to find the points of difficulty; for that too is a difficulty, how Elizabeth, being from the Levitical tribe, was a kinswoman of Mary. 7. But so that we may not overwhelm your memory by stringing many things together, let us stop the discourse here for now. For it is enough for you to be roused and to learn just the questions. But if you also desire the solution, you are masters of this even before our words. For if I see you roused and desiring to learn, I will try to supply the solution as well; but if I see you yawning and not paying attention, I will hide both the questions and the solution, obeying a divine law; For, it says, 'Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet.' And who is it that tramples? The one who does not consider these things precious and venerable. And who is so wretched, one might say, as not to consider these things venerable and more precious than all else? He who does not even grant them as much leisure as he does to harlots in the satanic

πολλοῖς εὔκολος ὁ λόγος οὗτος εἶναι δοκεῖ, τὰ δὲ τῶν προφητῶν δυσκολίαν ἔχειν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ἀγνοούντων ἐστὶ τὸ βάθος τῶν ἐναποκειμένων αὐτῷ νοημάτων. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ, 57.21 μετὰ πολλῆς ἡμῖν ἕπεσθαι τῆς σπουδῆς, ὥστε εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ πέλαγος τῶν γεγραμμένων εἰσελθεῖν, τοῦ Χριστοῦ προηγουμένου ταύτης ἡμῖν τῆς εἰσόδου. Ὥστε δὲ εὐμαθέστερον γενέσθαι τὸν λόγον, δεόμεθα καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν (ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων Γραφῶν πεποιήκαμεν), προλαμβάνειν τὴν περικοπὴν τῆς Γραφῆς, ἢν ἂν μέλλωμεν ἐξηγεῖσθαι, ἵνα τῇ γνώσει ἡ ἀνάγνωσις προοδοποιοῦσα ᾖ, ὃ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ εὐνούχου γέγονε, καὶ πολλὴν παράσχῃ τὴν εὐκολίαν ἡμῖν. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ ζητούμενα πολλὰ καὶ ἐπάλληλα. Ὅρα γοῦν εὐθέως ἐν προοιμίοις τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου αὐτοῦ, πόσα ἄν τις ἐπαπορήσειε. Πρῶτον μὲν, τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ Ἰωσὴφ γενεαλογεῖται, οὐκ ὢν τοῦ Χριστοῦ πατήρ. ∆εύτερον δὲ, πόθεν ἔσται δῆλος ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ κατάγων τὸ γένος, τῆς Μαρίας, ἀφ' ἧς ἐτέχθη, τῶν προγόνων ἀγνοουμένων· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγενεαλογήθη ἡ Παρθένος. Τρίτον, τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ μὲν Ἰωσὴφ, ὁ μηδὲν συντελῶν πρὸς τὴν γέννησιν, γενεαλογεῖται· ἡ δὲ Παρθένος, ἡ καὶ μήτηρ γενομένη, οὐ δείκνυται τίνων πατέρων καὶ πάππων καὶ προγόνων ἐστί. Μετὰ τούτων ἄξιον κἀκεῖνο ζητῆσαι, τί δήποτε διὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν προάγων τὴν γενεαλογίαν, ἐμνήσθη καὶ γυναικῶν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο αὐτῷ ἔδοξεν, οὐδὲ πάσας τέθεικε τὰς γυναῖκας, ἀλλὰ τὰς εὐδοκίμους παραδραμὼν, οἷον τὴν Σάῤῥαν, τὴν Ῥεβέκκαν, καὶ ὅσαι τοιαῦται, τὰς ἐπὶ κακίᾳ βεβοημένας, ταύτας εἰς μέσον ἤγαγε μόνον· οἷον εἴ τις πόρνη καὶ μοιχαλὶς, εἴ τις ἐκ παρανόμων γάμων, εἴ τις ἀλλόφυλος καὶ βάρβαρος ἦν. Καὶ γὰρ τῆς τοῦ Οὐρίου, καὶ τῆς Θάμαρ, καὶ τῆς Ῥαὰβ, καὶ τῆς Ῥοὺθ ἐμνημόνευσεν· ὧν ἡ μὲν ἀλλογενὴς ἦν, ἡ δὲ πόρνη, ἡ δὲ τῷ κηδεστῇ προσεφθάρη· καὶ οὐδὲ τούτῳ νόμῳ γάμου, ἀλλὰ κλέψασα τὴν μίξιν, καὶ πόρνης περιθεμένη προσωπεῖον ἑαυτῇ· καὶ τὴν τοῦ Οὐρίου δὲ οὐδεὶς ἀγνοεῖ διὰ τὴν περιφάνειαν τοῦ τολμήματος. Ἀλλ' ὅμως πάσας τὰς ἄλλας ἀφεὶς ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, ταύτας ἐνέθηκε τῇ γενεαλογίᾳ μόνας. Καίτοι εἰ μνησθῆναι γυναικῶν ἔδει, πασῶν ἐχρῆν· εἰ δὲ μὴ πασῶν, ἀλλ' ἐνίων, τῶν ἐν ἀρετῇ, οὐ τῶν ἐν ἁμαρτήμασι βεβοημένων. Εἴδετε πόσης ἡμῖν δεῖ προσοχῆς ἐν τοῖς προοιμίοις εὐθέως. Καίτοιγε δοκεῖ σαφέστερον εἶναι τῶν ἄλλων τὸ προοίμιον, τάχα δὲ πολλοῖς καὶ περισσὸν, διὰ τὸ ὀνομάτων ἀριθμὸν εἶναι μόνον. Μετὰ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο ἄξιον ζητῆσαι, τίνος ἕνεκεν τρεῖς παρέδραμε βασιλεῖς. Εἰ γὰρ ὡς σφόδρα ἀσεβῶν ἀπεσιώπησε τὴν προσηγορίαν, οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων μνησθῆναι ἔδει. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἕτερόν ἐστι ζήτημα. ∆εκατέσσαρας γὰρ εἰπὼν γενεὰς, ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ μερίδι τὸν ἀριθμὸν οὐ διέσωσε. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ μὲν Λουκᾶς ἑτέρων ἐμνημόνευσεν ὀνομάτων, καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν ἁπάντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλειόνων· ὁ δὲ Ματθαῖος, καὶ ἐλαττόνων, καὶ ἑτέρων, καίτοιγε εἰς τὸν Ἰωσὴφ καὶ αὐτὸς τελευτήσας, εἰς ὃν καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς κατέληξεν. Ὁρᾶτε ὅσης ἀγρυπνίας ἡμῖν χρεία, οὐκ εἰς τὸ λῦσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ μαθεῖν, τίνα χρὴ λῦσαι. 57.22 Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦτο μικρὸν, τὸ τὰ διαπορούμενα δυνηθῆναι εὑρεῖν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνο ἄπορον, πῶς ἡ Ἐλισάβετ ἀπὸ τῆς Λευϊτικῆς φυλῆς οὖσα, συγγενὴς ἦν τῆς Μαρίας. ζʹ. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ καταχώσωμεν ὑμῶν τὴν μνήμην πολλὰ συνείροντες, ἐνταῦθα τέως τὸν λόγον στήσωμεν. Ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ὑμῖν εἰς τὸ διεγερθῆναι καὶ τὸ τὰ ζητούμενα μόνον μαθεῖν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τῆς λύσεως ἐρᾶτε, καὶ τούτου πρὸ τῶν λόγων τῶν ἡμετέρων ὑμεῖς κύριοι. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἴδω διεγερθέντας καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦντας μαθεῖν, πειράσομαι καὶ τὴν λύσιν ἐπαγαγεῖν· ἂν δὲ χασμωμένους καὶ μὴ προσέχοντας, ἀποκρύψομαι καὶ τὰ ζητήματα καὶ τὴν λύσιν, θείῳ νόμῳ πειθόμενος· Μὴ δῶτε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσὶ, μηδὲ ῥίψητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων, ἵνα μὴ καταπατήσωσι τοῖς ποσὶν αὑτῶν. Τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ καταπατῶν; Ὁ μὴ τίμια ταῦτα ἡγούμενος καὶ σεμνά. Καὶ τίς οὕτως ἄθλιος, φησὶν, ὡς μὴ σεμνὰ ταῦτα καὶ πάντων ἡγεῖσθαι τιμιώτερα; Ὁ μηδὲ τοσαύτην παρέχων αὐτοῖς σχολὴν, ὅσην ταῖς πόρναις γυναιξὶν ἐν τοῖς σατανικοῖς