Matthew 1:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,

NIV: Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

NASB: Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.

CSB: Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse,

NLT: Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.

KJV: And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

NKJV: Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,

Matthew has followed the line of Jesus from Abraham to a man named Salmon. Salmon fathered a man named Boaz by a woman named Rahab. This is the second woman mentioned in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. She was also, remarkably, a Gentile. Her famous story is told in Joshua 2. Rahab was a prostitute living in the town of Jericho who protected Israel's spies because of her confidence in Israel's God. In exchange, Joshua spared her life when the Israelites destroyed Jericho and he allowed her to live among the people of Israel after they had occupied the Promised Land (Joshua 6:25). Though Rahab was known as "Rahab the prostitute," she is also praised in both Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 for her faith in God.

Matthew is clearly not interested in protecting the reputation of Jesus' human ancestry. In fact, he seems to go out of his way to show that Jesus is a true son of Israel—from the most to least reputable among them. Though Jesus never sinned, the Bible never suggests the human line He was born into was any more or less sinful than the rest of humanity. Jesus came to die for sinners (Hebrews 4:15–16).

Salmon and Rahab had a son named Boaz, who married another Gentile, a Moabite woman named Ruth. Their much-loved romantic story is told in the book of Ruth. Their son Obed became the father of Jesse, the father of Israel's beloved King David.

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.