^{page 97 note 3} Friederich Spanheim (1600–1649), in his Dubia Evangelica (1639), deals with no less than twenty-six such problems in Matt. 1,1–17, at a length of 215 solid and solidly learned pages.

^{page 98 note 2} Similarly Theophylact in loc., quoted by Spanheim, Dubium xv. (Cur Matthaeus cap. 1. 17 partiatur Genealogiam Christi in certas tessaradecades, et quidem in tres: et cur eas per ἀνακεϕαλαίωσιν peculiarem collectas Lectori proponat?)

^{page 98 note 3} Corn. Jansen, Comm. in suam Concordiam, etc., c. 6 (Louvain 1576, p. 49): “Ideo autem in tres quaterdenas Christi genealogiam Matthaeus dividit, ut ostendat sicut ab Abraham usque ad transmigrationem Babylonis bis mutatus est status Judaeorum, binis quaterdenis completis: ita et tertiam illam mutationem status Judaeorum, quae ab eis post transmigrationem expectabatur futura per Messiam convenienter factam post tertiam ab Abraham tesseradecadem, ipsumque Messiam tune nasci debuisse, ac sic Jesum Mariae filium, qui finis est tertiae tesseradecadis, esse expectatum Messiam magis credibile faciat. Deinde ut ostenderet, sicut fuerunt quatuordecim generationes ab Abraham usque ad David, in quo coepit stabile et liberum Judaeorum regnum, et deinde rursum quatuordecim generationes a Davide usque ad deliquium regni, hoc est, exilium Babylonicum: ita ab hoc rursum tantae usque ad novam regni Davidis restaurationem fuisse quatuordecim generationes. Ex quibus constat quare et Davidem regem vocat, et mentionem faciat transmigrations Babylonicae.”

^{page 98 note 4} Pesikta (ed. Buber) f. 53a.

^{page 99 note 5} See also 2 Chron. 22, 10–26, 23.

^{page 99 note 6} 2 Kings 23, 34–24, 6; Jer. 36.

^{page 99 note 6a} A genealogy of the Messiah is given in Tanchuma, Toledoth c. 20, ed. Buber, f. 70 a–b. The royal line is followed from David through Zerubbabel. From that point on the genealogy in Chronicles is transcribed, leading to Anani (the eloud man, 1 Chron. 3, 24), who is the Messiah according to Dan. 7, 13.

^{page 100 note 7} Dan. 9, 24 ff.

^{page 100 note 8} In the so-called apocalypse of the ten weeks (Enoch 93; 91, 12–17), which divides the history of the world, past and future, from the creation to the last Judgment, into ten “weeks,” the weeks are probably periods of 490 years. A golden age (the eighth week) follows the apostasy of the seventh (coming down to the Hellenistic age). The close of the tenth brings the great judgment. The three last (8–10) lie in the author's future.

^{page 101 note 9} The older interpretations in this sense — Hippolytus, Julius Africanus, Clement, Origen, Tertullian, Eusebius — are quoted at length by Jerome in his commentary on Dan. 9. To these may be added Jerome himself, Chrysostom (Adv. Judaeos ii), and Aphraates (Demonstratio 23). A “futurist” interpretation seems to have been first proposed by Apollinarius of Laodicea (quoted by Jerome, u. s.).

^{page 101 note 10} Another estimate, thirty years, based on physiological considerations is ascribed by Plutarch to Heraclitus, and later became common. The same reasons for it are set forth by Porphyry, Quaest. Homer. 14 (on Iliad i, 250), quoted by Wettstein on Matt. 1, 17.

^{page 102 note 11} A mediaeval Jewish interpreter, Isaac ibn Jasos, inferred that wherever a generation is spoken of in the Bible, it is to be taken as thirty-five years, for which hasty generalization he is castigated by Ibn Ezra.

^{page 102 note 12} Exod 12, 40 gives (in the present Hebrew text) 430 years to the sojourn in Egypt; Gen. 15, 33 a round 400. Cf. Gal. 3, 17, Acts 7, 6.

^{page 103 note 13} In our chronology 516 B.C.

^{page 103 note 14} Or the destruction of Jerusalem, or even the war under Hadrian.

^{page 103 note 15} In our dates, 586 B.C. to 70 A.D.

^{page 103 note 16} In a later chapter (30) the Seder Olam specifies: for the duration of Persian rule after the restoration of the temple 34 years; for the dominion of the Greeks, 180; Asmonaeans 103; Herod and his successors 103, or 420 years in all; which with the 70 of the exile make 490.