Matthew1
New International Version
1This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,
4Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,
6and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
8Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,
11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,
14Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud,
15Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,
16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
17Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
25But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name 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