The phrase “genealogy” or “generation(s) of...” occurs fourteen times in the whole Bible, eleven times in Genesis, twice more in the Old Testament, and finally this, as might be expected, the fourteenth time: Matthew 1:17.
True to his main purpose in writing (which is to portray Jesus as the king of the Jews and the hope of Israel), Matthew offers first an abbreviated genealogy (“the son of David, the son of Abraham”) which stresses Jesus as the heir of David’s throne and the individual “seed” of Abraham through whom all nations will be blessed. The foundation verse of the New Testament thus establishes unbreakable and essential links with the Old. Unless the reader understands the great thematic promises made to Abraham and the patriarchs and to David, he cannot hope to understand the mission of Jesus. And if the reader of Scripture is ever disposed to dismiss these genealogies as nothing more than “dull” lists of names, let him try to imagine how Abraham the “father” of believers and David the “man after God’s own heart” would have thrilled to read such “dull” lists (John 8:56; Matthew 22:43).
At least four generations are skipped by Matthew. Three are between Joram and Uzziah (Matthew 1:8). These (Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah) are probably passed over because they are also the seed of the wicked Athaliah, daughter of Jezebel, and because they proved true to their heritage. It is not surprising that each of these three also died a violent death: Ahaziah was slain by the avenging Jehu (2 Kings 9:27), while conspirators killed Joash (2 Kings 12:20) and Amaziah (2 Kings 14:19). A fourth exclusion is Jehoiakim, who fits between Josiah and Jeconiah (Matthew 1:11); perhaps he is omitted because he was appointed king by the king of Egypt and not by God.
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Author: George Booker
Keywords: Genealogy of Jesus, Christ's genealogy, Jesus' genealogy, Jesus's genealogy, Genealogy of Christ, Mary's genealogy, Joseph's genealogy, Genealogies of Jesus, Son of Joseph
Bible reference(s): Matthew 1:1-17
Source: “Matthew’s Genealogy,” The Agora.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.