ESV Study Bible | English Standard Version
Matthew 1:1-16
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
1 a The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, b the son of David, c the son of Abraham.
2 d Abraham was the father of Isaac, and e Isaac the father of Jacob, and f Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and g Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, [1] 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by h Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and i Jesse the father of David the king.
And j David was the father of Solomon by k the wife of Uriah, 7 and l Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, [2] 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, m and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, [3] and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and n Josiah the father of o Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12 And after the deportation to Babylon: p Jechoniah was the father of q Shealtiel, [4] and r Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of s Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
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Matt. 1:1–2:23 The Arrival in History of Jesus the Messiah. Matthew's introduction echoes the language of Genesis. The word rendered “genealogy” (1:1) is Greek genesis (“beginning, origin, birth, genealogy”), and this is also the title of the Greek translation of Genesis, implying that it is a book of “beginnings.” “The book of the genealogy” appears to function not only as a heading for the genealogy itself (1:2–17) but also as a title for the entire story to follow: a new beginning with the arrival of Jesus the Messiah and the kingdom of God (cf. note on Gen. 2:4).
Matt. 1:1–17 The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah. Jews kept extensive genealogies to establish a person's heritage, inheritance, legitimacy, and rights (cf. Josephus, Life of Josephus 1–6). Matthew likely draws on the genealogies of the OT, with some omissions (see note on Matt. 1:17). He demonstrates Jesus' legal claim to the throne of David, emphasizing Jesus' legal descent from David and Abraham, while Luke's genealogical record (Luke 3:23–38) emphasizes Jesus' biological descent from David and Adam.
Matt. 1:1 The book of the genealogy. The Gospel's opening words carried special significance for a Jewish audience, whose ancestry was inseparably intertwined with the covenants God made with Israel. Jesus (Gk. Iēsous) was the historical, everyday name, and is Yeshua‘/Yehoshua‘ (Joshua) in Hebrew, meaning “Yahweh saves” (Neh. 7:7; cf. Matt. 1:21). Christ (Gk. Christos, from Hb. mashiakh, “anointed”) points back to David as the anointed king of Israel. The designation “Messiah” came to summarize several strands of OT expectation, especially the promise of an “anointed one” who would righteously rule God's people (2 Sam. 7:11b–16). Son of David evoked images of a Messiah with a royal lineage who would reestablish the throne in Jerusalem and the kingdom of Israel. son of Abraham. God's covenant with Abraham established Israel as a chosen people and also affirmed that the whole world would be blessed through his line (Gen. 12:1–3; 22:18).
Matt. 1:2–6a The four generations between Perez and Amminadab encompass approximately 450 years. The six generations from Nahshon to the rise of the monarchy with David total about 400 more.
Matt. 1:3 Tamar. The inclusion of five women in Jesus' genealogy—Tamar, Rahab (v. 5), Ruth (v. 5), Bathsheba (“the wife of Uriah,” v. 6), and Mary (v. 16)—is unusual, since descent was usually traced through men as the head of the family. Rahab and Ruth were Gentiles, and Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba were women of questionable character. The lineage is comprised of men, women, adulterers, prostitutes, heroes, and Gentiles—and Jesus will be Savior of all.
Matt. 1:6b–11 Matthew may have drawn from 1 Chron. 3:10–14, since both genealogies omit several kings found in the narrative of Kings and Chronicles. Omitting names in a genealogy was common to make for ease of memorization. One is struck in this section by the alternately godly and wicked kings who ruled Israel.
Matt. 1:12–13 Zerubbabel led the first group given permission to return to Israel from the exile.
Matt. 1:12 The evil of Jechoniah (2 Kings 24:8–9) was so great that his line was cursed (Jer. 22:30). While a natural, biological son could not therefore inherit the throne, the legal claim could still come through Jechoniah's line.
Matt. 1:16–17 Jesus is the rightful legal heir to the covenant promises associated with the Davidic throne (v. 6) as well as the rightful legal heir to the covenant promises related to the Abrahamic seed and land (vv. 1–2).
