Matthew 1:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor,

NIV: Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,

NASB: Zerubbabel fathered Abihud, Abihud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor.

CSB: Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, Abiud fathered Eliakim, Eliakim fathered Azor,

NLT: Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor.

KJV: And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

NKJV: Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.

Matthew's listing of the genealogy of Jesus has followed His line from Abraham through David through the kings to the exile of Israel in Babylon. Now the line has travelled back to Israel with Zerubbabel, who became the governor of the still conquered region. The descendants of Zerubbabel through nine generations are not otherwise known in Scripture. They may have been on record and available for verification by Matthew's first-century readers, however. It's possible that Matthew skipped some generations in this section as he likely did in others. This was considered a normal and proper practice in building genealogies in his day.

Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud fathered Eliakim. Eliakim fathered Azor.

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 5/2/2024 2:20:20 AM