Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Luke
Whatever the difficulties attending the genealogies may be, it is evident that they arise from our imperfect knowledge of the laws, usages, and idiom of the Jews, from our ignorance of the true method of reconciling the seeming inconsistencies, or from some corruptions that in process of time may possibly have crept into the text. The silence of the enemies of the gospel, both heathen and Jewish, during even the first century, is itself a sufficient proof, that neither inconsistency nor corruption could be then alleged against this part of the evangelical history. If the lineal descent of Jesus from David were not indisputable, he could not possess the character essential to the Messias, nor any right to the Jewish throne. We may confidently then assert, that his regular lineal descent from David could not be disproved, since it was not even disputed at a time when alone it could have been done so successfully; and by those persons who were so deeply interested in falsifying the first Christian authorities.
Ver. 36. Who was of Cainan. Notwithstanding the veneration due to the Latin Vulgate, which is to be esteemed authentic, Cornelius a Lapide calls it a chronological problem, whether the word Cainan be the true reading, or whether it hath slipt into the text. It is true Cainan is found in the Septuagint Genesis x. 24., Genesis xi. 44., and 1 Paralipomenon i. 18; though, in this last place, Cornelius a Lapide says, it is wanting in one edition of the Septuagint by Sixtus V.; at least it is not read in all those places, neither in the Hebrew, nor Latin Vulgate. Some say that here in St. Luke's text, is found Cainan, because his citations are conformable to the Septuagint. Others conjecture that Cainan and Sale were only different names of one and the same person, so that the sense may be, who was of Sale, who is also Cainan. Qui fuit Sale, qui & Cainan. (Witham)
Ver. 38. What could be more beautiful, than that this holy race should begin from the Son of God, and be continued up to the Son of God; that the creature might go before in figure, and the Son of God might follow after in reality; that he who was made after the image of God, might first appear, that the true image of his eternal Father may descend from his glory. Thus did St. Luke mean to refer the origin of Christ to God, of whom he was the true and eternal Son. To shew this still more evidently, the evangelist had before introduced the Almighty speaking from heaven: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (St. Ambrose)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
John's mission and preaching. Christ is baptized by him.
1 Now in the fifteenth year* of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip, his brother, tetrarch of Iturea, and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilina,
2 *Under the high priests, Annas and Caiphas: The word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zachary, in the desert.
3 *And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins,
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaias, the prophet: *A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make his paths straight:
5 Every valley shall be filled: and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain:
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7 He said, therefore, to the multitudes that came forth to be baptized by him: *Ye offspring of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of penance, and do not begin to say: We have Abraham for our father. For I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
9 For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying: What then shall we do?
11 And he answering, said to them: *He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none: and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner.
12 And the publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him: Master, what shall we do?
13 But he said to them: Do nothing more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers also asked him, saying: And what shall we do? And he said to them: Do violence to no man: neither calumniate any man: and be content with your pay.
15 And as the people were of opinion, and all were thinking in their hearts of John, that perhaps he might be the Christ:
16 John answered, saying to them all: *I indeed baptize you with water: but there shall come one mightier that I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: **he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
18 And many other things, exhorting, did he preach to the people.
19 *But Herod, the tetrarch, when he was reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20 He added this also above all, and shut up John in prison.
21 *Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, heaven was opened:
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him: and a voice came from heaven: *Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.
23 And Jesus himself was beginning about the age of thirty years: being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph, who was of Heli, who was of Mathat,
24 Who was of Levi, who was of Melchi, who was of Janne, who was of Joseph,
25 Who was of Mathathias, who was of Amos, who was of Nahum, who was of Hesli, who was of Nagge,
26 Who was of Mahath, who was of Mathathias, who was of Semei, who was of Joseph, who was of Juda,
27 Who was of Joanna, who was of Reza, who was of Zorobabel, who was of Salathiel, who was of Neri,
28 Who was of Melchi, who was of Addi, who was of Cosan, who was of Elmadan, who was of Her,
29 Who was of Jesus, who was of Eliezer, who was of Jorim, who was of Mathat, who was of Levi,
30 Who was of Simeon, who was of Judas, who was of Joseph, who was of Jona, who was of Eliakim,
31 Who was of Melea, who was of Menna, who was of Mathatha, who was of Nathan, who was of David,
32 Who was of Jesse, who was of Obed, who was of Booz, who was of Salmon, who was of Naasson,
33 Who was of Aminadab, who was of Aram, who was of Esron, who was of Phares, who was of Judas,
34 Who was of Jacob, who was of Isaac, who was of Abraham, who was of Thare, who was of Nachor,
35 Who was of Sarug, who was of Ragau, who was of Phaleg, who was of Heber, who was of Sale,
36 Who was of Cainan, who was of Arphaxad, who was of Sem, who was of Noe, who was of Lamech,
37 Who was of Mathusale, who was of Henoch, who was of Jared, who was of Malaleel, who was of Cainan,
38 Who was of Henos, who was of Seth, who was of Adam, who was of God.
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*
1: about the year A.D. 28, according to the Vulgate.
2: Acts iv. 6.
3: Matthew iii. 1.; Mark i. 4.
4: Isaias xl. 3.; John i. 23.
7: Matthew iii. 7. and xxiii. 33.
11: James ii. 15.; 1 John iii. 17.
16: Matthew iii. 11.; Mark i. 8.; John i. 26. --- ** Matthew iii. 11.; Acts i. 5. and xi. 16. and xix. 4.
19: Matthew xiv. 4.; Mark vi. 17.
21: Matthew iii. 16.; Mark i. 10.; John i. 32.
22: Matthew iii. 17. and xvii. 5.; Luke ix. 35.; 2 Peter i. 17.