The
book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram. Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon.
Matthew 1:1-4
Matthew 1 [1.] The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram. Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon. Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse. Jesse became the father of King David. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa. Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah.
Matthew 1 [10.] Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor. Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud. Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.
Meaning:
The New Testament opens with a list of names. To modern readers this can look like a dry start, but for Matthew’s first readers it was the most powerful way to begin. A genealogy told them who a person was, where he belonged and what right he had to a title. In one sentence Matthew names Jesus as the Christ, the son of David and the son of Abraham, and then traces his line from Abraham down to Salmon. The list continues through King David (Matthew 1:5-6) and on to the exile and to Jesus himself (Matthew 1:7-17).
- “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ”
The phrase echoes the first book of the Bible: “This is the book of the generations of Adam” (Genesis 5:1). Matthew is signalling that a new beginning has come. As Genesis traced the human family from Adam, Matthew traces the family line that leads to the one who will make all things new. “Christ” is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Messiah”, meaning “Anointed One”. From the first line Matthew declares who Jesus is: the anointed King whom Israel had long awaited.
- “the son of David”
God had promised David, “I will set up your offspring after you, who will proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom” and “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13). The prophets kept this hope alive, speaking of a righteous Branch from David’s line (Jeremiah 23:5). By the time of Jesus, “son of David” had become a title for the Messiah. Blind Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus using this very title (Mark 10:46-48). Matthew places this title first because his Gospel will present Jesus as the true King.
- “the son of Abraham”
God promised Abraham, “All the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). Calling Jesus the son of Abraham reminds us that Israel’s Messiah was always meant to bring blessing to the whole world. Paul calls this promise the Good News announced beforehand to Abraham (Galatians 3:8). Matthew’s Gospel ends with Jesus sending his disciples to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The son of Abraham fulfils the promise made to Abraham.
- “Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar”
Genealogies usually listed only fathers, yet Matthew names four women before Mary: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and “her who had been Uriah’s wife”. Tamar’s story in Genesis 38 is one of injustice and scandal within Judah’s own family. Yet God worked through that troubled history to continue the line of promise. The names that follow, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon and Salmon, cover the years in Egypt and the wilderness. Nahshon led the tribe of Judah during the wilderness journey, and Salmon’s son Boaz would marry Ruth the Moabite (Ruth 1:16). The family tree of the Messiah includes outsiders and people with painful pasts.
The Significance of Matthew 1:1-4
- God keeps his promises
Two thousand years separated Abraham from the birth of Jesus, and about a thousand years separated David from it. Through slavery, wandering, war and exile, God did not forget what he had promised. The genealogy invites us to trust that he is still faithful to his word.
- Grace in a family history
Matthew could have hidden the uncomfortable parts of the story. Instead he highlights them. No one is too broken or too much of an outsider to be part of God’s plan. Jesus came from a real human family, with all its failures, in order to save sinners (Matthew 1:21).
- A blessing for every nation
Because Jesus is the son of Abraham, the Good News is not for one people only. Whoever belongs to Christ is counted among Abraham’s children and shares in his blessing.
Cross-References:
2 Samuel 7:12-13: "I will set up your offspring after you, who will proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom." The promise to David fulfilled in Jesus.
Genesis 12:3: "All the families of the earth will be blessed through you." The promise to Abraham.
Galatians 3:8: "In you all the nations will be blessed." Paul on the Good News announced to Abraham.
Genesis 5:1: "This is the book of the generations of Adam." The opening phrase Matthew echoes.
Conclusion: Matthew 1:1-4 introduces Jesus as the Christ, the son of David and the son of Abraham. By tracing his line from Abraham through Judah, Tamar’s sons and the generations of the wilderness, Matthew shows that Jesus is the long-promised King of Israel and the one through whom all nations will be blessed. God’s faithfulness runs through every generation of the list.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible