1This is the scroll of the genealogy # 1:1 Or “The book of the origin (genesis) of Jesus Christ.” The Greek text has no definite article (“This is the”) and is most likely to be considered as a caption or title. The Son of God is eternal and had no beginning (John 1:1; 1 John 1:1). The entire book of Matthew presents the beginning of the glorious story of Jesus, God’s Anointed One. The genealogy given by Matthew presents the legal claim of Jesus to be King through the lineage of David from Joseph all the way back to the promises given to Abraham. Some believe Luke’s account gives the genealogy of Jesus from Mary’s lineage through David all the way back to Adam. of Jesus, # 1:1 The Hebrew name for Jesus is Yeshua and means “Yahweh is salvation.” the Anointed One, the son of David and descendant of Abraham.

2Abraham had a son named Isaac, who had a son named Jacob, who had a son named Judah (he and his brothers became the tribes of Israel).

3Judah and Tamar # 1:3 Matthew includes four women in this genealogy: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. had twin sons, Perez and Zerah. Perez had a son named Hezron, who had a son named Ram, 4who had a son named Amminadab, who had a son named Nashon, 5who had a son named Salmon, who, along with Rahab, had a son named Boaz. Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse had a son named David, who became the king.

7Then David and Bathsheba # 1:7 Or “the wife of Uriah.” had a son named Solomon, who had a son named Rehoboam, who had a son named Abijah, who had a son named Asa, 8who had a son named Jehoshaphat, who had a son named Joram, who had a son named Uzziah, 9who had a son named Jotham, who had a son named Ahaz, who had a son named Hezekiah, 10who had a son named Manasseh, who had a son named Amos, # 1:10 Or “Amon.” who had a son named Josiah, 11who was the father of Jeconiah. # 1:11 In Jer. 22:24–30 God pronounced a curse on Jeconiah’s family line, declaring that they were ineligible to sit on the throne as kings. However, Luke’s genealogy goes through David to Mary via Nathan, not Solomon, thus bypassing the curse of Jeconiah’s lineage. Matthew’s genealogy is meant to establish the legal right of Jesus Christ to be king. So Joseph, as Jesus’ adoptive father, passes the right of David’s throne legally to Jesus and avoids the curse of Jeconiah through Mary’s ancestry. Jesus is the Son of God paternally, and the Son of David maternally through Heli, Mary’s father. See footnote at Luke 3:23–38. From the beginning God said that the coming Savior would be the “seed of the woman.” See Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4.

It was during the days of Jeconiah and his brothers that Israel was taken captive and deported to Babylon. 12About the time of their captivity in Babylon, Jeconiah had a son named Shealtiel, who had a son named Zerubbabel, 13who had a son named Abiud, who had a son named Eliakim, 14who had a son named Azor, who had a son named Zadok, who had a son named Achim, who had a son named Eliud, 15who had a son named Eleazar, who had a son named Matthan, who had a son named Jacob, 16who was the father of Joseph, the husband # 1:16 Notice that Joseph is named the husband of Mary, not the father of Jesus. of Mary the mother of Jesus, who is called “the Anointed One.”

17So from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the Babylonian captivity, fourteen generations, and from the Babylonian captivity to Christ, fourteen generations. # 1:17 This would make a total of forty-two generations from Abraham to Christ. However, when the names are counted, there are only forty-one. There is a missing generation. What could this mean? Jesus gave birth to the forty-second generation when he died on the cross, for out of his side blood and water flowed. Blood and water come forth at birth. The first Adam “birthed” his wife out of his side, and so Jesus gave birth to his bride from his wounded side. Jesus wants to reproduce himself in us. His last name is not Christ. Christ is the title that explains who he is. He is the Anointed One. “Christ” is also now a corporate body, the body of Christ. We, as the body of Christ, are also anointed ones (Christians). See 1 Cor. 12:12.

An Angel Comes to Joseph

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place.

His mother, Mary, had promised Joseph to be his wife, # 1:18 In the Jewish culture the engagement was a prenuptial contract (ketubah), which was entered into before witnesses, that gave legal rights over the girl to the bridegroom. This agreement could only be nullified by going through the formal divorce process. Since the girl still lived with her family, sexual relations were prohibited until after the second event of the public marriage ceremony. This engagement period was usually entered into when the girl turned thirteen. Mary was just a teenager when she gave birth to Jesus. but while she was still a virgin # 1:18 Or “without them being united (sexually).” she became pregnant through the power # 1:18 Implied in the text. Although it is the genitive of source, not agency, “the power of the Holy Spirit” is supplied for clarity. See Deut. 20:7. of the Holy Spirit. # 1:18 The “Holy Spirit” can also be translated “the Sacred Breath (Spirit-Wind)” or “the Spirit of Holiness.” 19Her fiancé, # 1:19 Or “Her husband.” The Hebrew culture makes no distinction between a fiancé and a husband. The engagement period was a vital part of the marriage custom. See Deut. 22:23–28. Joseph, was a righteous man full of integrity and he didn’t want to disgrace her, but when he learned of her pregnancy he secretly planned to break the engagement. # 1:19 Or “divorce her.” The Jewish custom of breaking off an engagement was tantamount to a divorce. 20While he was still debating with himself about what to do, # 1:20 Or “during his inward passion about these things.” he fell asleep and had a supernatural dream. An angel from the Lord appeared to him and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t hesitate to take Mary into your home as your wife, # 1:20 Or “take Miriam your wife.” Once again, the Jewish culture considered the betrothal period as part of the marriage custom. because the power of the Holy Spirit has conceived a child in her womb. 21She will give birth to a son and you are to name him ‘Savior,’ # 1:21 Or “Jesus.” The Hebrew name for Jesus is Yeshua (or Y’hoshua) and means “Yahweh is salvation, restoration, and deliverance.” Implied in the text is that Hebrew (Aramaic) speakers would obviously understand how the name Yeshua and salvation were linked, reinforcing the theory that Matthew was originally written in Hebrew. This is lost in the Greek word Iesous (Jesus). for he is destined to give his life # 1:21 As translated from the Aramaic. to save his people from their sins.”

22This happened to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through his prophet:

23Listen! A virgin # 1:23 See also v. 25, which clarifies that Mary was indeed a virgin. will be pregnant,

she will give birth to a Son,

and he will be known as “Emmanuel,”

which means in Hebrew,

“God became one of us.” # 1:23 Or “God with us” or “God among us”; that is, God incarnated. See Isa. 7:14; 8:8, 10 (LXX).

24When Joseph woke from his dream, he did all that the angel of the Lord instructed him to do. He took Mary to be his wife, 25but they refrained from having sex until she gave birth to her firstborn son, whom they named “Jesus.”

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Matthew 1

The Genealogy of Jesus

(Ruth 4:18–22; Luke 3:23–38)

1This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

3Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

and Hezron the father of Ram.#1:3 Greek Aram, a variant of Ram; also in verse 4; see 1 Chronicles 2:9–10.

4Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

and Nahshon the father of Salmon.

5Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

6and Jesse the father of David the king.

David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,

7Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

and Abijah the father of Asa.#1:7 Greek Asaph, a variant of Asa; also in verse 8; see 1 Chronicles 3:10.

8Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

and Joram the father of Uzziah.

9Uzziah was the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.

10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,#1:10 Greek Amōs, a variant spelling of Amon; twice in this verse; see 1 Chronicles 3:14.

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 Abiud,

Abiud the father of Eliakim,

and Eliakim the father of Azor.

14Azor was the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Achim,

and Achim the father of Eliud.

15Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,

of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

The Birth of Jesus

(Isaiah 7:10–16; Luke 2:1–7)

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus,#1:21 Jesus means The Lord saves. because He will save His people from their sins.”

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23“Behold, the virgin will be with child

and will give birth to a son,

and they will call Him Immanuel”#1:23 Literally they will call His name Immanuel; Isaiah 7:14 (see also DSS)

(which means, “God with us”#1:23 See Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 8:8, and Isaiah 8:10.).

24When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and embraced Mary as his wife. 25But he had no union with her #1:25 Literally he did not know her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.

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Matthew 1

Matthew 1