Matthew 1:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,

NIV: Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,

NASB: Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram.

CSB: Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram,

NLT: Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram.

KJV: And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

NKJV: Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.

Matthew is establishing the line of Jesus from Abraham. This establishes that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's covenant with Israel to bless all the nations. It also proves He is the fulfillment of God's promise to David that his descendants would always sit on the throne of Israel. Matthew began in familiar territory for all Jewish people. Abraham was the father of Isaac, who was the father of Jacob, who was the father of twelve sons, the fourth-born of which was Judah.

Now Matthew follows the line through Judah, who was the father of twin boys named Perez and Zerah (Genesis 38:27–30). These boys were born to him as the result of a sordid sexual encounter with his daughter-in-law Tamar, described in Genesis 38. Judah failed to follow through on providing the widowed Tamar with a husband, according to the levirate marriage custom. So she disguised herself as a prostitute and became pregnant with Judah's child.

Tamar is the first of five women mentioned in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus and not nearly the only person connected to questionable moral choices. This is significant. First, genealogies did not require the mention of any women, at all, since the line was passed through male descendants. Matthew goes out of his way to mention these women, including a conception under questionable circumstances

However, this fits into the focus of Matthew's book: Jesus, who came to offer grace and forgiveness from God to humanity through His own life and death and resurrection. It also fits with the counter-cultural way in which Jesus honored and esteemed women during His ministry on earth. As someone once involved in a profession considered despicable—a tax collector for the Romans—Matthew would have appreciated God's ability to use sinners to accomplish His will.

Matthew continues following the line from Judah's son Perez to his son Hezron (Genesis 46:12) and to his son Ram (1 Chronicles 2:9).

Matthew 1:1–17 begins the apostle Matthew's long Gospel with a short genealogy of Jesus Christ, beginning with Abraham. Matthew does not include every generation, but instead creates three groups of fourteen names: Abraham to King David; David to Josiah; and Jechoniah to Jesus. Matthew shows that Jesus is the direct descendant of both Abraham and David, qualifying His legal right to sit on Israel's throne. Matthew would not need to have listed the women, blatant sinners, or evil kings that he does, but the point of his Gospel is that Jesus has come to save His people from their sins. As a former tax-collector, hated by fellow Jews, this idea would have resonated strongly with Matthew.

The apostle Matthew begins his telling of Jesus' life with a genealogy. This is meant to show that Jesus is directly descended from both Abraham and King David, making Him a legal heir to the throne of Israel. He then tells the story of Jesus' birth from the perspective of Joseph, Mary's husband. Joseph had planned to divorce the woman he was betrothed to marry, once he found out she was carrying a child that wasn't his. God interrupts this plan. An angel tells Joseph in a dream that the child is from the Holy Spirit and commands Joseph to name Him Jesus, since He will save His people from their sins. Joseph obeys.

One of the original twelve disciples, Matthew begins his telling of Jesus' life with a genealogy and Jesus' birth. The listing of Jesus' ancestors shows how Jesus is directly descended from both Abraham and King David, but it also includes then-unlikely inclusions, such as women, blatant sinners, and evil kings. Instead of divorcing Mary, Joseph obeys God and takes her home. Isaiah's prophecy of the virgin birth of Immanuel, a term meaning ''God with us,'' is fulfilled. This sets the stage for pivotal events in Jesus' infancy, such as the arrival of wise men and the family's escape into Egypt.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.