Matthew 1

Matthew 1:1-17

Chapter 1 The Genealogy of Christ “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.” Matthew 1:1-17 The New Testament begins with the history of the earthly life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is given four times, by four different men (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), from four points of view. Yet, in these four narratives there is one complete story, without a single contradiction. Four distinct gospel narratives tell the blessed story of Christ’s doing and dying as the sinners’ Substitute. Four times we read of his precious words, works, and worth as our God-man Mediator. How thankful we ought to be for the four gospels!

Each one compliments and reinforces the others. “To know Christ is life eternal. To believe Christ is to have peace with God. To follow Christ is to be a true Christian. To be with Christ is heaven itself. We can never hear too much about the Lord Jesus Christ” (J.C. Ryle).

God’s Word The verses in this study are the opening lines of the New Testament, the beginning of the story of the Lord Jesus Christ. At first glance it may appear to be just a list of names. But it is much, much more. These lines are given, not by the pen of men alone, but by the direct arrangement and inspiration of God the Holy Spirit. Read them with serious thought. What we have before us is “not the word of man, but of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16).

Let us cherish the Book of God. It is “The Holy Bible!” We should, each of us, constantly give thanks to God that he has given us his Word in our native tongue. This Book is able to make us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). This Book is able to thoroughly furnish us for every good work in this world (2 Timothy 3:17). It is our responsibility to search, and study, and seek to understand the message of this Book, and to govern our lives by it (John 5:39; 2 Timothy 2:15). In the last day we will be judged out of this Book and required to give account to God for our use or neglect of the light he has given us. Wise they are who follow the counsel of J. C. Ryle–“Read the Bible reverently and diligently, with an honest determination to believe and practice all we find in it. It is no light matter how we use this Book. Above all, let us never read the Bible without praying for the teaching of the Holy Spirit. He alone can apply truth to our hearts, and make us profit by what we read.” Why Four Gospels?People sometimes wonder why we have four gospel narratives. The reason is really very simple. ¯ Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John show us our Savior’s full character, his full person and work from four angles. They do not give us four different pictures, but four different views of the same picture. Really, they present the Lord Jesus like a statue, each allowing us to view the statue from a different side. I say that because in some ways a statue is better than a picture. A statue allows us to see the image it represents from all sides. The four gospels have been compared to the four cherubim of Ezekiel and Revelation.Matthew shows Christ as the King, as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who has come to save his people from their sins. Mark presents him as Jehovah’s Servant, who has come to fulfil his Father’s will, the ox ready to serve and ready to be sacrificed upon the altar. Luke, the beloved Physician, presents him as the Son of Man, full of human sympathy and tenderness, as the cherub with the face of a man suggests. John, like the eagle soaring into the heavens, sets the Savior before us as the Son of God, with a majesty that transcends all our thought and imagination. The Gospel of Matthew is thought by some to have been written as early as within eight years after our Lord’s ascension. Others think it was written later, 15 to 20 years after the ascension. It was written by Matthew, whose name means, “gift of the Lord.” Here he proves that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of God by giving us his genealogy and, at the same time, shows us that the Son of God has graciously identified himself with the people he came to save. The passage now before us (Matthew 1:1-7) contains the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the time of Joseph his reputed father, tracing his genealogy through Joseph. Luke’s genealogy differs from Matthew’s simply because Luke traces the Savior’s genealogy through his mother, Mary. Frequently, when reading the genealogical records of Scripture, there is a tendency to neglect them because many fail to see any meaning or value in them. That should never be the case. Clearly, there are five lessons to be learned from these seventeen verses. The Importance of The Genealogy ItselfFirst, let us recognize the importance of this genealogical record. Matthew was directed by the Holy Spirit to begin his Gospel with a long list of names. Sixteen verses are taken up with tracing out the family tree of the Lord Jesus Christ as a man, from Abraham to David, from David to Jechonias, and from Jechonias to Joseph. The seventeenth verse divides the genealogy into three groups of fourteen generations. Do not foolishly imagine that these verses are useless. Nothing in God’s creation is useless; and nothing in God’s Word is useless.

These lines were not written by a man alone, but by a man who wrote as he was inspired by God the Holy Spirit. They are to be read with serious thought. We have before us a very important document, a record of monumental significance. Robert Hawker shows the importance of this record in his comments on the opening verse, — “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Hawker wrote… “The Old Testament begins with the account of the Creation. The New Testament begins with the account of Him, by whom all things were created (Hebrews 1:1-2). The great design of this pedigree concerning Christ after the flesh, is to prove Christ’s lineal descent from Abraham. For unless this be proved, the evidence that Christ is the promised seed, would be wanting. “For to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not to seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ. Compare Galatians 3:16. with Genesis 12:3. and Genesis 22:18.

Hence, therefore, the importance of this pedigree is evident. And the correctness of the one here given, is striking…Perhaps it were a thing impossible in any other instance, but in the genealogy of Christ, to find among all the pedigrees of the Jews, from the days of our Lord to this hour, a correct genealogy of any one house, or tribe, or family, even for fourteen generations together. Whereas in this of Christ, we have three times fourteen. What can more decidedly manifest the overruling providence and watchfulness of God!” This genealogical record is important because it is an irrefutable proof that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ of God, the Son of David, the promised Seed of Abraham. The Jews, from the very beginning of their history, kept precise genealogical records. The Scribes and Pharisees studied those records with great care. They constantly raised questions about “endless genealogies” (1 Timothy 1:4). If they could have disproved his genealogy, that alone would have been sufficient ground for their rejection of Jesus as the Christ; but they could not do it. Though the Jews argued about many things and constantly accused the Lord Jesus of horribly evil deeds, they never once brought up his ancestry.

In fact, to this day, though religious heretics abound who try to undermine our faith in Christ, I know of none who have ever attempted to discredit his genealogy. The reason should be obvious to anyone.

It is flawless! Though Luke’s record of the genealogy gives additional details and omits others, there is not a single point of disagreement between the two.God’s Faithfulness to His WordSecond, in this long list of names we are made to see that God is faithful to his Word. He always keeps his Word. He promised long ago that all the nations of the earth would be blessed in the Seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:3); and Jesus Christ is Abraham’s Seed in whom all nations are blessed (Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:13-16). God promised that he would raise up One out of the family of David to be the Savior of his people (Isaiah 11:1); and Jesus Christ is David’s great Son and his Lord (Matthew 1:1; Acts 2:25-36).These seventeen verses are a demonstration of the fact that God always keeps his Word. Let every thoughtless scoffer remember this and tremble!

Though men imagine that because God does not immediately punish sin he will never punish sin, it is not so. The righteous Lord, because he loves righteousness, will destroy the wicked with his everlasting wrath (Psalms 7:11; Psalms 11:5-7).

Let every believer remember this and be comforted! Our heavenly Father will be true to all his promises. “He is not a man, that he should lie” (Numbers 23:19). “He abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). “God, who cannot lie” (Titus 1:2), has made some promises to his people; and all his promises in Christ Jesus are yea and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20). He has promised saving grace to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31), sufficient grace to his tried saints (2 Corinthians 12:9), sustaining grace to those who are tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13), strengthening grace to those who are weak (Isaiah 41:10), restoring grace to those who are fallen (Psalms 37:24; Proverbs 24:16), dying grace at the time appointed (Exodus 15:16; Hebrews 2:15), and crowning grace to all who enter into heaven’s glory (2 Timothy 1:12; James 1:12). And what he has promised he will perform. The Sinfulness and Corruption of ManThird, our Savior’s genealogy is one of many almost incidental revelations of the universal depravity of our race. It is humbling, but instructive for us to observe how many in this list of names were godly parents who had wicked and ungodly sons.

Roboam, Joram, Amon, and Jechonias were all terribly wicked men, though they had believing, godly fathers. Two lessons are obvious.Grace does not run in blood lines (John 1:13).

Salvation is not inherited. There are some families in which several are the objects of grace, many families in which none are the objects of grace, and very few families in which all are the objects of grace. But in all cases salvation comes to chosen sinners according to God’s sovereign prerogative (Romans 9:11-24).Fathers are responsible to train their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; but they are not responsible for the salvation of their children, or even for their behavior beyond childhood. David was a good father. He loved his children and trained them in the fear of God. However, for the most part, his children did not heed his instruction.

David was not required for that reason to relinquish his calling, either as the king of Israel or as the prophet of God.The simple fact is it takes more than a good example, good instruction, and faithful training to save our sons and daughters. It takes the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

It takes the Father’s sovereign election (2 Thessalonians 2:13), the Son’s blood atonement (Hebrews 9:22), and the Holy Spirit’s effectual call (Psalms 65:4).Christ’s Great CompassionFourth, we see here something of the great mercy, grace, compassion, and condescension of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the genealogy of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the people from whom our Lord descended according to the flesh. Wonder of wonders, the eternal Son of God, the infinite, the almighty, the incomprehensible God assumed our nature! God took humanity into union with himself and identified himself with the people he came to save — sinners! Some of the names in this genealogy remind us of some of the saddest, most shameful events in history. Some of those here named are mentioned nowhere else in the Bible.

But the last name in the list is the name of our Savior, Christ. So that he might save fallen men, the Son of God became a man (Philippians 2:6-8; 2 Corinthians 8:9). — “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!”It is worthy of observation that in the genealogy of Christ four of the five women mentioned were women with a reputation or a blemish that most would like to hide from their family tree.

Our Savior chose to be numbered with transgressors, even in his genealogy. Tamar was guilty of incest. Rahab was a harlot. Ruth was a Moabitess, a child of a cursed race. And Bathsheba was the adulteress wife of Uriah. We know that the Lord Jesus was made “sin for us, who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He who was made in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3) was also made “a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). But here, as the New Testament opens, the Spirit of God tells us that our holy Savior came into this world through such channels of sin and uncleanness as none could ever have imagined.

He who was “holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners” and “made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26) came into the world through a family of sinners. What humiliation! Truly, he of whom this genealogy speaks is the Friend of sinners! He came into the world to save sinners! Notice this, too. Two of the women named in our Lord’s earthly lineage were Gentiles. Ruth was from Moab and Rahab was from Jericho. Yet, they were as much a part of our Savior’s family as Abraham and David. Surely, this is intended to show that it was ever the purpose of God that the Israel of God, his holy nation, the church of Christ was to be made up of Jew and Gentile (Isaiah 49:6; Galatians 3:28). Divine SovereigntyThe fifth thing we see in this record is the great sovereignty of God’s saving grace in Christ. No one can read this genealogical record and fail to see God’s sovereignty, unless he just does not want to see it. Most families and nations were passed over; but Abraham was chosen. Isaac was chosen, but not Abraham’s other son, Ishmael. Jacob was chosen, but not Esau. Among all the families of Israel, the house of Jesse was chosen.

From among all Jesse’s sons, David was chosen. Even Manasses is named in the line of those who were chosen of God and called. Therefore, it must be concluded that no human being is beyond the reach of Christ’s saving arm or sympathetic heart. Our sins may have been as many and as vile as any who are here named; but they shall never be remembered against us by God if we trust him who is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 1:18-25

Chapter 2 “The Birth of Jesus Christ” “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” Matthew 1:18-25 The subject of this passage is “the birth of Jesus Christ,” the Messiah, the King, our Savior. In these verses Matthew, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, declares the deepest, most profound truths of sacred theology in simple, unmistakable terms. He tells us that Jesus Christ; the man who was born at Bethlehem, reared in Nazareth, and crucified at Calvary two thousand years ago is God. He tells us that this One who is God assumed our nature and became a man in a most remarkable way, by a miraculous, supernatural birth. His mother was a virgin! These are holy, mysterious things, noble objects of holy, reverent faith and adoration. They are things that can be defiled only by speculative curiosity. Those who deny either the deity of Jesus Christ or his miraculous virgin birth do not know God and cannot be persuaded by human reason to believe that which they will not receive as a matter of divine revelation. Consequently, nothing can be gained by the feeble, though well intended, efforts of men to prove these glorious and essential truths of Holy Scripture. We believe that which is recorded here. We adore it. We rejoice in it. We proclaim it. And we sing about it. But, we will not try to prove it. No man knows the way of the Spirit in the formation of any ordinary human being in the womb (Ecclesiastes 11:5). How then can we expect to understand and explain the virgin birth of Jesus Christ? It is enough for the believing heart to know that nothing is impossible with our God. It is enough for us to simply be informed that we may admire the wonderful works of our God. Like Moses of old, as he stood before the burning bush, when we read Matthew 1:18-25, we have entered upon holy ground. Let us put off the shoes of carnal curiosity and seek to hear what God the Lord will say. Here the Holy Spirit tells us how Christ came into this world and why: He came by divine incarnation through the womb of the virgin Mary, to save his people from their sins. Every word in these verses needs to be carefully studied. Each line is worthy of diligent, prayerful study. Mary’s Pregnancy“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:18). — God the Holy Spirit prepared in the womb of the virgin Mary a body for the Son of God (Hebrews 10:5). His human nature was conceived in the womb of the chosen virgin by the Holy Spirit, without the aid of a man (Luke 1:35). There was no other way for the Christ to come into this world. He must be born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit. Had he been conceived by the seed of a fallen, sinful father, he could not have been a sinless substitute of sinners. “He was born of a woman that he might be human; but not by man, that he might not be sinful” (C.H. Spurgeon). Our Lord Jesus was born of a virgin that he might be brought into this world as one “made of a woman” (Galatians 4:4), but of an espoused, or lawfully betrothed virgin, so that he might both show the sanctity of marriage and protect the honor of his mother’s name. “Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4). Only those whose doctrine is the doctrine of devils prohibit men from marriage (1 Timothy 4:1-4). At the same time, he took care to protect Mary’s name. Though he was born of a virgin, she was a married virgin. Mary’s Son was also her Savior and he took care to protect her reputation, justifying her pregnancy in the eyes of the world. Matthew Henry suggests that three lessons are to be drawn from this verse. Those in whom Christ is formed will show it; and it will be found to be a work of God, which he will own (Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 2:8-10). After great and high advancements, lest we be puffed up with them, we must expect something or other to humble us, some reproach, as a thorn in the flesh. Those who take care to keep a good conscience may cheerfully trust God with the keeping of their good names, and have reason to hope that he will clear up, not only their integrity, but their honor, as the sun at noon day. You can imagine what a problem Mary’s pregnancy presented to Joseph. Here he was engaged to a woman who showed up pregnant; and he knew with certainty that he was not the father of her child. What will he do? Joseph’s Behavior “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily” (Matthew 1:19). — Joseph’s behavior exemplifies godliness, wisdom, and compassion. He saw in Mary what appeared to be a horribly evil thing. But he did not behave rashly. He patiently weighed his options as a man who sought to glorify God and do his will in all things. According to the law he could do any of three things: (1.) He could privately give her a bill of divorcement before two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 24:1). (2.) He could make a public example of her and have her stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). Or (3.) He could go ahead with his plans and marry her.

No doubt, Joseph weighed the matter carefully with much prayer before the Lord. “Being a just man,” a man who sought always to do what was right, Joseph chose not to expose what he thought to be sin in his espoused wife. Though he felt he could not marry her, he chose to put her away quietly. C.H. Spurgeon wrote, “When we have to do a severe thing, let us choose the tenderest manner. Maybe we shall not have to do it at all.” What an example Joseph is to us in his behavior. Having been forgiven, he was willing to forgive. Having reason to suspect the worst of Mary, his love for her compelled him to cover and refuse to expose what he thought to be sin in her. As Shem and Japheth covered their father’s sin, Joseph was determined to cover that which he thought was Mary’s sin. May God give us grace to behave like Joseph in our dealings with others, especially in our dealings with his people. In all things be as lenient as possible with others. Always be ready to forgive the faults of others (Matthew 6:14), and seek what is best for the fallen, erring brother or sister. No matter the fault, seek restoration, not retribution (Galatians 6:1-12). In all things show love and grace, not judgment and condemnation. The Angel’s Message “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21). — Joseph’s patience was abundantly rewarded. He sought God’s will and found it. He sought divine direction and he received it. The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and gave him a message directly from God regarding the thing that troubled him. Blessed are they who wait on the Lord, who cast their cares upon him in the prayer of faith, and wait for him to direct their paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6).

God sent his angel to speak to his servant in a dream. The angel of the Lord assured Joseph that Mary had not sinned, but had been highly favored of God and reminded him of his royal descent as a “son of David.” What comfort the angel’s words must have brought to Joseph. The Lord’s “fear not” was a matter of great relief to him. He was a man appointed by God to be the foster-father of the Son of God who, as the Son of Man, would come into this world through the womb of Mary. Thus, it became his privilege and honor, as well as his duty, to take Mary into his home and lovingly care for her. No doubt, Mary had great apprehensions. Would her story of the angelic visitation be believed? It certainly seemed improbable. No doubt, her faith sustained her. But she had a great trial for her faith. How relieved she must have been when Joseph told her of the angel’s message to him. Jesus More importantly, the angel’s message to Joseph was a message of grace, redemption, and salvation to sinners. The Lord of glory came into this world as the Son of Man. As the Son of God he was not born but given. As the Son of Man he was born through the womb of a chosen virgin (Isaiah 9:6). By God’s command he was named, “JESUS”, the Savior, because he was sent of God to save his people from their sins. What he is called, that he is — Jesus, our Savior. The Lord Jesus came into the world to save “his people” from their sins. Those he came to save were his people before he came to save them, his by eternal election. There are some people in this world, an elect multitude, chosen in him before the world began, who are peculiarly and distinctively his people, chosen in him unto salvation (Ephesians 1:2-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) and given to him as sheep to the shepherd (John 6:39). It is the office, work, and responsibility of Christ, the Son of God, as the God-man our Mediator, as the Surety of his people, and as Jehovah’s righteous Servant to save all who were given to him in the covenant of grace (John 10:16-18). And save them he shall. The Lord Jesus Christ is an almighty, effectual Savior. The angel said to Joseph, “He shall save his people from their sins!” He saves his people from the penalty of their sins by his blood atonement (Romans 3:24-26), from the dominion of their sins by his regenerating Spirit (John 3:5-8; Romans 6:18), from the being of their sins when he takes them out of this world (John 14:1-3; Romans 7:25), and from all the evil consequences of their sins in resurrection glory (1 Corinthians 15:51-56). It is written of him, “He shall not fail!” “He shall save his people from their sins!” “Jesus” is our Savior’s Mediatorial name. It is the same as Joshua in the Old Testament. Jesus is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Deliverer, our Salvation. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “The name of Jesus is so sweet, I love its music to repeat; It makes my joys full and complete, The precious name of Jesus! ‘Jesus,’ O how sweet the name, ‘Jesus,’ everyday the same; ‘Jesus,’ let all saints proclaim Its worthy praise forever!’ “Jesus” is the name of encouragement and hope for guilty, heavy-laden sinners. Sinners may draw near and come to God, with confident hope of finding mercy, grace, and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17). “Jesus” is the name of him who is peculiarly sweet and precious to believers (1 Peter 2:7). “Thy name is as ointment poured forth” (Son 1:3). We breathe our Savior’s name in prayer, trusting his blood, his righteousness, his grace, his power, and his intercession (Trusting him!), and have peace with God. Calling on his name we are saved, justified, forgiven of all sin, and forever accepted with God. “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear!” Prophecy Fulfilled“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:22-23). — Who would ever have imagined that the prophecy found in Isaiah 7:14 had reference to the Lord Jesus Christ? We are so spiritually dull in this body of flesh that, before we are capable of understanding prophecy, we must see it fulfilled. When we know even as we are known, we will see how that all the Scriptures speak of him whose name is Emmanuel (Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44). This name, “Emmanuel”, is only found three times in the Word of God (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 8:8; and Matthew 1:23). But it is a name full of instruction and comfort to believing hearts. Emmanuel is God with us. Emmanuel declares the union of two natures in the Person of our Savior. He is both God and man in one glorious Person, as perfectly God as though he were not man, and as completely man as though he were not God. We must never lose sight of this great, foundation truth of the gospel. Jesus Christ is a man, just like us, only without sin. Yet, he “is over all, God blessed forever” (Romans 9:5), “God manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). He must be both God and man, or he could not be our Savior. Someone said, “God could not suffer, and man could not satisfy; but the God-man both suffered and satisfied.” Our Savior is a man. Therefore he is sympathetic with us. But he is not at all limited by his humanity. “In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Therefore he is able to save all who trust him. Joseph’s Obedience“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS” (Matthew 1:24-25). — Having received instruction from the Lord, Joseph was immediately obedient. He took Mary into his home as his wife, but refrained himself from all the privileges of their conjugal relationship until after “she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” Thus the Son of God came into this world and became one of us, that he might be our Savior. “The word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, that he might redeem us. Now, he has ascended up to heaven again and is seated upon the throne of grace that he might “save his people from their sins.” — “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!”