Matthew1
New American Standard
1The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers.
3Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram.
4Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon.
5Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.
6Jesse fathered David the king. David fathered Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
7Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered Asa.
8Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah.
9Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah.
10Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah.
11Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel.
13Zerubbabel fathered Abihud, Abihud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor.
14Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud.
15Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob.
16Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
18Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
19And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
20But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled:
23“Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
24And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife,
25but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he named Him Jesus.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Matthew 1.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The genealogy of Jesus. (1–17). An angel appears to Joseph. (18–25).
vv1-17
Concerning this genealogy of our Saviour, observe the chief intention. It is not a needless genealogy. It is not a vain-glorious one, as those of great men often are. It proves that our Lord Jesus is of the nation and family out of which the Messiah was to arise. The promise of the blessing was made to Abraham and his seed; of the dominion, to David and his seed. It was promised to Abraham that Christ should descend from him, Ge 12:3; 22:18; and to David that he should descend from him, 2Sa 7:12; Ps 89:3, etc.; 132:11; and, therefore, unless Jesus is a son of David, and a son of Abraham, he is not the Messiah. Now this is here proved from well-known records. When the Son of God was pleased to take our nature, he came near to us, in our fallen, wretched condition; but he was perfectly free from sin: and while we read the names in his genealogy, we should not forget how low the Lord of glory stooped to save the human race.
vv18-25
Let us look to the circumstances under which the Son of God entered into this lower world, till we learn to despise the vain honours of this world, when compared with piety and holiness. The mystery of Christ's becoming man is to be adored, not curiously inquired into. It was so ordered that Christ should partake of our nature, yet that he should be pure from the defilement of original sin, which has been communicated to all the race of Adam. Observe, it is the thoughtful, not the unthinking, whom God will guide. God's time to come with instruction to his people, is when they are at a loss. Divine comforts most delight the soul when under the pressure of perplexed thoughts. Joseph is told that Mary should bring forth the Saviour of the world. He was to call his name Jesus, a Saviour. Jesus is the same name with Joshua. And the reason of that name is clear, for those whom Christ saves, he saves from their sins; from the guilt of sin by the merit of his death, and from the power of sin by the Spirit of his grace. In saving them from sin, he saves them from wrath and the curse, and all misery, here and hereafter. Christ came to save his people, not in their sins, but from their sins; and so to redeem them from among men, to himself, who is separate from sinners. Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, speedily, without delay, and cheerfully, without dispute. By applying the general rules of the written word, we should in all the steps of our lives, particularly the great turns of them, take direction from God, and we shall find this safe and comfortable.
Key Words
βίβλος (bíblos): book
γένεσις (génesis): nativity; figuratively, nature
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs): Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites
Χριστός (Christós): anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus
υἱός (huiós): a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship
Δαβίδ (Dabíd): Dabid (i.e. David), the Israelite king
Ἀβραάμ (Abraám): Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch
γεννάω (gennáō): to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate
Ἰσαάκ (Isaák): Isaac (i.e. Jitschak), the son of Abraham
δέ (dé): but, and, etc.
Cross References
Matthew 1Directly quoted as the prophetic fulfillment of the virgin birth of Immanuel.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
The foundational covenant promise to Abraham that in his seed all nations would be blessed.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
God's sworn oath to David to set his descendant upon his eternal royal throne.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Jacob's dying prophecy identifying the tribe of Judah as the royal line of Shiloh.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The Mosaic law regarding betrothed virgins, governing Joseph's legal dilemma and righteous response.
Supported by John Calvin
Parallels the angelic explanation of Mary's supernatural conception by the Holy Spirit.
Supported by John Calvin
The Hebrew idiom 'book of the generation' echoes the primeval registers of Genesis.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Luke's maternal lineage of Jesus contrasts with Matthew's legal, royal line through Joseph.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The miraculous, promised birth of Isaac which begins the formal genealogical lineage.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Old Testament pedigree of Josiah's descendants during the Babylonian captivity.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Highlights the preservation of Rahab the Gentile, who is surprisingly included in Jesus' lineage.
Supported by JFB
God's choice of David the king, a pivotal transition point in the genealogy.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Establishes the post-exilic lineage of Zerubbabel, connecting the royal line to the return.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Messianic prophecy of ending transgression and bringing everlasting righteousness, matching Jesus' name.
Supported by Matthew Poole