Matthew 1
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Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
GENEALOGY OF CHRIST. ( = Luke 3:23-38). (Mat. 1:1-17) The book of the generation--an expression purely Jewish; meaning, "table of the genealogy." In Gen 5:1 the same expression occurs in this sense. We have here, then, the title, not of this whole Gospel of Matthew, but only of the first seventeen verses. of Jesus Christ--For the meaning of these glorious words, see on Mat 1:16; Mat 1:21. "Jesus," the name given to our Lord at His circumcision (Luk 2:21), was that by which He was familiarly known while on earth. The word "Christ"--though applied to Him as a proper name by the angel who announced His birth to the shepherds (Luk 2:11), and once or twice used in this sense by our Lord Himself (Mat 23:8, Mat 23:10; Mar 9:41) --only began to be so used by others about the very close of His earthly career (Mat 26:68; Mat 27:17). The full form, "Jesus Christ," though once used by Himself in His Intercessory Prayer (Joh 17:3), was never used by others till after His ascension and the formation of churches in His name. Its use, then, in the opening words of this Gospel (and in Mat 1:17-18) is in the style of the late period when our Evangelist wrote, rather than of the events he was going to record. the son of David, the son of Abraham--As Abraham was the first from whose family it was predicted that Messiah should spring (Gen 22:18), so David was the last. To a Jewish reader, accordingly, these behooved to be the two great starting-points of any true genealogy of the promised Messiah; and thus this opening verse, as it stamps the first Gospel as one peculiarly Jewish, would at once tend to conciliate the writer's people. From the nearest of those two fathers came that familiar name of the promised Messiah, "the son of David" (Luk 20:41), which was applied to Jesus, either in de…
Open source ↗Matthew 1:1 mat 1:1 mat 1:1 mat 1:1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ,.... This is the genuine title of the book, which was put to it by the Evangelist himself; for the former seems to be done by another hand. This book is an account, not of the divine, but human generation of Christ; and not merely of his birth, which lies in a very little compass; nor of his genealogy, which is contained in this chapter; but also of his whole life and actions, of what was said, done, and suffered by him. It is an Hebrew way of speaking, much like that in Gen 5:1 and which the Septuagint render by the same phrase as here; and as that was the book of the generation of the first Adam; this is the book of the generation of the second Adam. The Jews call their blasphemous history of the life of Jesus, "The book of the generations of Jesus" (o). This account of Christ begins with the name of the Messiah, well known to the Jews, the son of David; not only to the Scribes and Pharisees, the more learned part of the nation, but to the common people, even to persons of the meanest rank and figure among them. See Mat 9:27. Nothing is more common in the Jewish writings, than for "the son of David" to stand alone for the Messiah; it would be endless to cite or refer to all the testimonies of this kind; only take the following (p), "R. Jochanan says, in the generation in which "the son of David" comes, the disciples of the wise men shall be lessened, and the rest, their eyes shall fail with grief and sorrow, and many calamities and severe decrees shall be renewed; when the first visitation is gone, a second will hasten to come. It is a tradition of the Rabbins (about) the week (of years) in which "the son of David" comes, that in the first year this scripture will be fulfilled, Amo 4:7. "I w…
Open source ↗Concerning this genealogy of our Saviour, observe, I. The title of it. It is the book (or the account, as the Hebrew word sepher, a book, sometimes signifies) of the generation of Jesus Christ, of his ancestors according to the flesh; or, It is the narrative of his birth. It is Biblos Geneseōs - a book of Genesis. The Old Testament begins with the book of the generation of the world, and it is its glory that it does so; but the glory of the New Testament herein excelleth, that it begins with the book of the generation of him that made the world. As God, his outgoings were of old, from everlasting (Mic 5:2), and none can declare that generation; but, as man, he was sent forth in the fulness of time, born of a woman, and it is that generation which is here declared. II. The principal intention of it. It is not an endless or needless genealogy; it is not a vain-glorious one, as those of great men commonly are. Stemmata, quid faciunt? - Of what avail are ancient pedigrees? It is like a pedigree given in evidence, to prove a title, and make out a claim; the design is to prove that our Lord Jesus is the son of David, and the son of Abraham, and therefore of that nation and family out of which the Messiah was to arise. Abraham and David were, in their day, the great trustees of the promise relating to the Messiah. The promise of the blessing was made to Abraham and his seed, of the dominion to David and his seed; and they who would have an interest in Christ, as the son of Abraham, in whom all the families of the earth are to be blessed, must be faithful, loyal subjects to him as the son of David, by whom all the families of the earth are to be ruled. It was promised to Abraham that Christ should descend from him (Gen 12:3; Gen 22:18), and to David that he should descend from…
Open source ↗1:1–2:23 This account demonstrates that Jesus’ lineage and birth (ch 1), as well as the geography of his early years (ch 2), fulfilled Old Testament expectations, and that attempts to thwart God’s will do not succeed (2:1-15; see also 27:62-66). 1:1 The phrase a record of the ancestors introduces 1:1-17. A similar phrase is used in Genesis to introduce each section of that book. • Jesus . . . David . . . Abraham: These names are repeated in reverse order in the genealogy, an example of a literary form known as chiasm (arrangement of elements in mirror-image). Being identified as a descendant of David introduces Jesus as Messiah (see Matt 12:23; 22:42-45), while the connection to Abraham emphasizes God’s covenant with Israel and the extension of that covenant to include all nations (see Matt 28:16-20; Gen 12:3).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
βίβλος (bíblos, G976) γένεσις (génesis, G1078) — nativity; figuratively, nature Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs, G2424) — Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites Χριστός (Christós, G5547) — anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus υἱός (huiós, G5207) — a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively,… Δαβίδ (Dabíd, G1138) — Dabid (i.e. David), the Israelite king Ἀβραάμ (Abraám, G11) — Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch
Open source ↗Ἀβραάμ (Abraám, G11) — Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Ἰσαάκ (Isaák, G2464) — Isaac (i.e. Jitschak), the son of Abraham δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb, G2384) — Jacob (i.e. Ja`akob), the progenitor of the Israelites Ἰούδας (Ioúdas, G2455) — Judas (i.e. Jehudah), the name of ten Israelites; also of the posterity of one of them… καί (kaí, G2532) — and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other… αὐτός (autós, G846) — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the… ἀδελφός (adelphós, G80) — a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like G1 (Α))
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ἰούδας (Ioúdas, G2455) — Judas (i.e. Jehudah), the name of ten Israelites; also of the posterity of one of them… γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Φάρες (Pháres, G5329) — Phares (i.e. Perets), an Israelite καί (kaí, G2532) — and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other… Ζαρά (Zará, G2196) — Zara, (i.e. Zerach), an Israelite ἐκ (ek, G1537) — literal or figurative; direct or remote) Θάμαρ (Thámar, G2283) — Thamar (i.e. Tamar), an Israelitess Ἐσρώμ (Esrṓm, G2074) — Esrom (i.e. Chetsron), an Israelite Ἀράμ (Arám, G689) — Aram (i.e. Ram), an Israelite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ἀράμ (Arám, G689) — Aram (i.e. Ram), an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Ἀμιναδάβ (Aminadáb, G284) — Aminadab, an Israelite Ναασσών (Naassṓn, G3476) — Naasson (i.e. Nachshon), an Israelite Σαλμών (Salmṓn, G4533) — Salmon, an Israelite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Σαλμών (Salmṓn, G4533) — Salmon, an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Βοόζ (Boóz, G1003) — Booz, (i.e. Boaz), an Israelite ἐκ (ek, G1537) — literal or figurative; direct or remote) Ῥαχάβ (Rhacháb, G4477) — Rachab, a Canaanitess Ὠβήδ (Ōbḗd, G5601) — Obed, an Israelite Ῥούθ (Rhoúth, G4503) — Ruth, a Moabitess Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí, G2421) — Jessæ (i.e. Jishai), an Israelite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí, G2421) — Jessæ (i.e. Jishai), an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Δαβίδ (Dabíd, G1138) — Dabid (i.e. David), the Israelite king βασιλεύς (basileús, G935) — a sovereign (abstractly, relatively, or figuratively) Σολομών (Solomṓn, G4672) — Solomon (i.e. Shelomoh), the son of David ἐκ (ek, G1537) — literal or figurative; direct or remote) ὁ (ho, G3588) — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) Οὐρίας (Ourías, G3774) — Urias (i.e. Urijah), a Hittite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Σολομών (Solomṓn, G4672) — Solomon (i.e. Shelomoh), the son of David γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Ῥοβοάμ (Rhoboám, G4497) — Roboam (i.e. Rechobam), an Israelite Ἀβιά (Abiá, G7) — Abijah, the name of two Israelites Ἀσά (Asá, G760) — Asa, an Israelite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ἀσά (Asá, G760) — Asa, an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Ἰωσαφάτ (Iōsaphát, G2498) — Josaphat (i.e. Jehoshaphat), an Israelite Ἰωράμ (Iōrám, G2496) — Joram, an Israelite Ὀζίας (Ozías, G3604) — Ozias (i.e. Uzzijah), an Israelite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ὀζίας (Ozías, G3604) — Ozias (i.e. Uzzijah), an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Ἰωάθαμ (Iōátham, G2488) — Joatham (i.e. Jotham), an Israelite Ἀχάζ (Acház, G881) — Achaz, an Israelite Ἐζεκίας (Ezekías, G1478) — Ezekias (i.e. Hezekeiah), an Israelite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ἐζεκίας (Ezekías, G1478) — Ezekias (i.e. Hezekeiah), an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Μανασσῆς (Manassēs, G3128) — Mannasses (i.e. Menashsheh), an Israelite Ἀμών (Amṓn, G300) — Amon, an Israelite Ἰωσίας (Iōsías, G2502) — Josias (i.e. Joshiah), an Israelite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ἰωσίας (Iōsías, G2502) — Josias (i.e. Joshiah), an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Ἰεχονίας (Iechonías, G2423) — Jechonias (i.e. Jekonjah), an Israelite καί (kaí, G2532) — and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other… αὐτός (autós, G846) — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the… ἀδελφός (adelphós, G80) — a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like G1 (Α)) ἐπί (epí, G1909) — properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of… μετοικεσία (metoikesía, G3350) — a change of abode, i.e. (specially), expatriation Βαβυλών (Babylṓn, G897) — Babylon, the capitol of Chaldæa (literally or figuratively (as a type of tyranny))
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. μετά (metá, G3326) — properly, denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according… μετοικεσία (metoikesía, G3350) — a change of abode, i.e. (specially), expatriation Βαβυλών (Babylṓn, G897) — Babylon, the capitol of Chaldæa (literally or figuratively (as a type of tyranny)) Ἰεχονίας (Iechonías, G2423) — Jechonias (i.e. Jekonjah), an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Σαλαθιήλ (Salathiḗl, G4528) — Salathiel (i.e. Shealtiel), an Israelite Ζοροβάβελ (Zorobábel, G2216) — Zorobabel (i.e. Zerubbabel), an Israelite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ζοροβάβελ (Zorobábel, G2216) — Zorobabel (i.e. Zerubbabel), an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Ἀβιούδ (Abioúd, G10) — Abihud, an Israelite Ἐλιακείμ (Eliakeím, G1662) — Eliakim, an Israelite Ἀζώρ (Azṓr, G107) — Azor, an Israelite
Open source ↗δέ (dé, G1161) — but, and, etc. Ἀζώρ (Azṓr, G107) — Azor, an Israelite γεννάω (gennáō, G1080) — to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to… Σαδώκ (Sadṓk, G4524) — Sadoc (i.e. Tsadok), an Israelite Ἀχείμ (Acheím, G885) — Achim, an Israelite Ἐλιούδ (Elioúd, G1664) — God of majesty; Eliud, an Israelite
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh,
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne.