Matthew 1
The family line of Jesus
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 the king 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. 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.
Matthew opens with a family tree tracing Jesus' ancestry from Abraham, through King David and the kings of Judah, through the exile to Babylon, down to Joseph, the husband of Mary.
What does this mean?
'Christ' is a title, not a surname: the Greek translation of the Hebrew 'Messiah', both meaning 'anointed one', used of the king many Jews expected from David's family. The KJV's 'begat' means 'became the father of'. Verse 16 breaks the pattern: it says Jesus was born of Mary, rather than that Joseph became his father, preparing for the next passage.
Historical context
Genealogies established identity, inheritance and standing. Matthew's list differs from Luke's (Luke 3) between David and Joseph, and the two have been explained in various ways since ancient times. Matthew also leaves out several kings known from 1–2 Kings and 1 Chronicles, so the three sets of fourteen are a deliberate arrangement rather than a complete record. Some scholars note that the Hebrew letters of David's name add up to fourteen.
Why does it matter?
Four women besides Mary are named: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and 'the wife of Uriah' (Bathsheba). Interpreters often observe that several were foreigners or had irregular unions, perhaps anticipating Mary's situation and the Gospel's reach beyond Israel.
Editorial notes, not scripture.