Matthew 1:7-11

| Matt 1 |

7 and l Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, [1] 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, [2] 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.

Translation Notes

[1] 1:7 Asaph is probably an alternate spelling for Asa; some manuscripts read Asa; also verse 8
[2] 1:10 Amos is probably an alternate spelling for Amon; some manuscripts read Amon; twice in this verse

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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. 1:6b–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.