Numbers And Generations

Omnes ergo generationes ab Abraham usque David generationes quatuordecim. Cum potuisset evangelista breviter numerum generationum explicare, dicens: Ab Abraham usque ad Christum generationes sunt quadraginta duae: qua ratione ter generationes praedicit, et in tres partes divisit per generationes quatuordecim? Quia ter completis quatuordecim generationibus mutatus est in Judaeis hominum status. Ab Abraham enim usque ad David fuerunt sub judicibus: a David usque ad transmigrationem, sub regibus: a transmigratione usque ad Christum, sub pontificibus. Hoc ergo vult demonstrare, quoniam sicut semper ter completis quatuordecim generationibus, mutatus est hominum status: sic completis quatuordecim generationibus a transmigratione usque as Christum, necesse est a Christo mutari similiter hominum statum: quod et factum est. Post Christum enim jam non sub judicibus multis, nec sub regibus multis, nec sub pontificibus multis fuerunt; sed omnes generationes sub uno Christo, et judice, et rege, et pontifice factae sunt: quia trium illorum statuum solus habuit dignitatem. Unde quoniam et judices, et reges, et pontifices, tres Christi dignitates praefigurabant, semper principia eorum in figura Christi. Primus judicum Josue: primus regum David; primus pontificum, Jesus filius Josedech. Hos in figura Christi fuisse dubitat nemo. Forte ideo quatuordecim generationes ponuntur, id est, quater decem, hoc est quater Christus. Iota enim litera Christi mysterium habet. Ideo ergo quatuordecim, quoniam ter quidem figuratus Christus ostensus, quarto autem verus Christus apparuit. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia Prima Source: Migne PG 56.629-630

Thus all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations. 1 When the Evangelist was able briefly to declare the number of the generations, saying: 'From Abraham to Christ there were forty two generations,' for what reason did he speak of the generations three times, dividing them into three groups of fourteen? Because three times with each fourteenth generation there was a change among the Jews regarding the state of man. From Abraham to David they were under judges, from David to the exile they were under kings, from the exile until Christ they were under high priests. Thus he wishes to demonstrate this: that with the each of the three fourteen generations there was always a change in the state of men, and so with the passing of the fourteen generations from the exile to Christ it is necessary by Christ to similarly change the state of men, which was done. For after Christ they were not under various judges, nor under various kings, nor under various high priests, but all the generations were under one Christ, who was judge and king and priest, because He alone had the dignity for all those three states. Whence because the judges and kings and high priests prefigured the three dignities of Christ, the beginning of each one is a figure of Christ. The first judge was Joshua, the first king was David, the first high priest was Joshua son of Jehozadak. That these were a figure of Christ no one doubts. Perhaps, then, the fourteen generations are given, that is, the four plus ten, as a four times Christ. For the 'iota' of Christ contains a mystery. 2 Therefore they are fourteen, because three times Christ was shown prefigured, and the fourth time the true Christ appeared Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from The First Homily 1 Mt 1.1-17 2 Iota in Greek = 10