The Gospel According to Matthew (NAS)

Chapter Summary: In this chapter, we encounter a very different opening than the travel narratives of Luke or the warm letters of Paul. Matthew writes as a chronicler and a theologian, grounding the story of Jesus in the soil of Israel's history. This genealogy is not just a list of names; it is a legal and prophetic argument intended to prove that Jesus is the legitimate heir to the throne of David. Then Matthew moves from the legal lineage of Jesus to the supernatural circumstances of His birth. While Luke’s Gospel focuses on Mary’s experience, Matthew keeps the lens on Joseph, highlighting his internal struggle between his commitment to the Law and his compassion for Mary.

“Book of the genealogy” (Biblos geneseōs): This phrase deliberately echoes the Septuagint's phrasing in Genesis (“This is the book of the generation (Biblos geneseōs) of heaven and earth” {Gen. 2:4} and “This is the book of the generation (Biblos geneseōs) of men” {Gen. 5:1}.). Now Matthew is saying that with Jesus, this is a “new creation” or that a new beginning for humanity is underway.

“The son of David, the son of Abraham” (v. 1): Matthew places David before Abraham to emphasize the royal, messianic theme. For his Jewish audience, the “Son of David” was the specific title for the King who would restore the kingdom. Abraham is mentioned, not as the start of a race of people, but as a race of believers.

The mention of Women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, “the wife of Uriah”): Genealogies in the ancient world were almost exclusively patrilineal. Matthew’s inclusion of four women—all of whom had “complicated” reputations or were Gentiles—is highly intentional. It subtly prepares the reader for the unusual nature of Mary’s pregnancy and demonstrates that God’s plan of grace incorporates outsiders and the marginalized.

“The wife of Uriah” (tēs tou Ouriou): Matthew conspicuously avoids naming Bathsheba, referring to her instead by her husband's name. This highlights the great sin of David’s reign (the murder of Uriah), showing that even the “ideal” King David was in need of the redemption that the Messiah would bring.

“Deportation” (metoikesias): Literally “a change of dwelling” or “migration.” Matthew uses this term for the Babylonian exile, which was the lowest point in Israel's history—the moment when the Davidic throne seemed to vanish.

“The husband of Mary, by whom was born” (v. 16): Matthew makes a crucial grammatical shift here. For every other name, he uses the active verb egennēsen (“fathered”). But for Jesus, he uses a feminine relative pronoun (ex hēs) and a passive verb (egennēthē). He is legally linking Jesus to Joseph's line while carefully preserving the doctrine of the Virgin Birth—Joseph did not “father” Jesus, but he is the husband of the woman who did.

“Fourteen generations” (v. 17): This is a form of “gematria” (numerical symbolism). In Hebrew, the name David (DVD) adds up to 14 (D=4,V=6,D=4). By structuring the list into three groups of fourteen, Matthew is effectively shouting “David! David! David!” through the numbers, underlining Jesus' royal identity.

“Betrothed” (Mnēsteutheisēs): In first-century Jewish culture, betrothal was a binding legal contract much stronger than a modern engagement. It could only be broken by death or a formal divorce, yet the couple did not yet live together or have sexual relations.

“Before they came together” (prin ē synelthein): This is a delicate euphemism for sexual intimacy. Matthew uses it to emphasize that the pregnancy was not of human origin.

“Righteous” (dikaios): This is the key to Joseph's character. A “righteous” man was expected to follow the Law, which would normally require him to repudiate an unfaithful wife. However, Matthew suggests Joseph's righteousness included a quality of mercy; he sought a middle path (láthra—secretly) that satisfied the Law without destroying Mary's life.

“To disgrace her publicly” (deigmatisai): This word implies making a public example of someone. In a small village, a public divorce for adultery would have carried an immense social stigma and potential legal peril for Mary.

“Conceived” (gennēthen): Literally “that which is begotten” or “generated.” Matthew uses the same root here that he used throughout the genealogy, connecting the biological reality of the pregnancy to the divine source.

“Jesus” (Iēsoun): The name is the Greek form of the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh is Salvation.” The angel provides a direct etymological explanation: He is named Salvation because “He will save” (sōsei).

“Virgin” (parthenos): Matthew quotes the Septuagint (LXX) translation of Isaiah 7:14. While the Hebrew word almah can mean “young woman,” the Greek parthenos specifically denotes a virgin. Matthew clearly intends a miraculous reading.

“Did not know her” (ouk eginōsken): Following Hebrew idiom, “to know” refers to sexual intercourse. The use of the imperfect tense suggests a continuous state: he maintained her virginity throughout the entire duration of the pregnancy.