Matthew 1:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah,

NIV: Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

NASB: Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah.

CSB: Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah,

NLT: Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram. Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.

KJV: And Asa begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

NKJV: Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah.

As Matthew builds his listing of the line of Jesus from Abraham to Joseph, he does not include every link in the chain of fathers and sons. Some may have been omitted simply for the sake of space and time. This was apparently common practice in ancient genealogies.

Matthew has come to the line of kings that followed from Solomon. Matthew's listing is very similar to that given in 1 Chronicles 3:10–14, except that Matthew leaves some of the names out. In this verse, he mentions Asaph—also spelled as Asa—who fathered Jehoshaphat, who fathered Joram. Joram was an ancestor to Uzziah, who was also known as Azariah.

Matthew omits three kings between Joram and Uzziah: Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. Perhaps he does so because of their wickedness and connection to the wicked Athaliah, Ahab, and Jezebel (2 Kings 8:26–27). We don't know this for sure, since Matthew does include other wicked, disobedient kings from Jesus' line. Perhaps these were both wicked and irrelevant, for the purposes of Matthew's genealogy.

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.

Accessed 9/7/2024 8:10:49 PM