The Gospels · New Testament

Matthew 1

Matthew 1: the generations counted and Joseph's dream

General context

The chapter opens as a book of generation and runs a list of fathers and sons from Abraham through David to the deportation to Babylon and on to Christ. Four women appear inside the chain of fathers: Thamar, Rachab, Ruth, and her that had been the wife of Urias. The list reaches Jacob, who begat Joseph the husband of Mary, and the narrator counts the whole as three sets of fourteen generations. The birth account follows. Mary is espoused to Joseph and is found with child of the Holy Ghost before they come together. Joseph plans to put her away privily. An angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream, tells him not to fear to take Mary, says the child is of the Holy Ghost, and gives the name JESUS with a reason. The narrator adds a prophetic quotation about a virgin and the name Emmanuel. Joseph wakes, takes his wife, and calls the child JESUS.

Cited passages: Matthew 1:1, Matthew 1:2, Matthew 1:3, Matthew 1:5, Matthew 1:6, Matthew 1:11, Matthew 1:12, Matthew 1:16, Matthew 1:17, Matthew 1:18, Matthew 1:19, Matthew 1:20, Matthew 1:21, Matthew 1:22, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 1:24, Matthew 1:25

Matthew 1 (KJV)

¹The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

²Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

³And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

⁴And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

⁵And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

⁶And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

⁷And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

⁸And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

⁹And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

¹⁰And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

¹¹And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

¹²And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

¹³And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

¹⁴And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

¹⁵And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

¹⁶And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

¹⁷So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

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Historical context

The list traces descent through Joseph, yet the verb changes at the end: Jacob begat Joseph, and Joseph is called the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus. The angel addresses Joseph as thou son of David, which matches the opening line calling Jesus the son of David. The chapter gives no dates and no reign lengths; the one time marker is the carrying away to Babylon. The prophet quoted at verse 22 is not named. Matthew prints the quotation as Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, while Isaiah 7:14 reads Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel: the verbs and the spelling of the name differ, and Matthew supplies the rendering God with us. Twice the list mentions brothers without naming them, at Judas and his brethren and at Jechonias and his brethren. Nothing in the chapter states who wrote it.

Cited passages: Matthew 1:1, Matthew 1:2, Matthew 1:6, Matthew 1:11, Matthew 1:16, Matthew 1:17, Matthew 1:20, Matthew 1:22, Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14

Literary context

The first half is built on one repeated verb. Abraham begat Isaac, and the same construction carries the line forward until verse 16, where Matthew writes that Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus. The chain of fathers stops short of naming Joseph as father. Verse 17 then steps back and counts the list as three spans of fourteen, using the deportation to Babylon as the hinge. The second half turns from list to scene, and the scene is carried by a dream and an order obeyed. The angel's words supply the name and the reason for it, and the narrator's quotation supplies a second name, Emmanuel. The chapter closes by reporting that Joseph did what he was told, so the naming in verse 25 answers the command in verse 21.

Cited passages: Matthew 1:2, Matthew 1:7, Matthew 1:15, Matthew 1:16, Matthew 1:17, Matthew 1:20, Matthew 1:21, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 1:24, Matthew 1:25

Key moments

The opening line (Matthew 1:1). The chapter announces a book of generation and names Jesus as son of David and son of Abraham.
The line reaches Joseph (Matthew 1:16). Jacob begets Joseph, who is called the husband of Mary.
Three sets of fourteen (Matthew 1:17). The narrator counts the generations in three spans divided by David and the deportation.
Joseph's plan (Matthew 1:19). Joseph intends to put Mary away privately rather than make her a public example.
The angel in a dream (Matthew 1:20). An angel of the Lord tells Joseph not to fear to take Mary as his wife.
Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23). The narrator quotes a prophecy of a virgin bearing a son called Emmanuel.
Joseph names the child (Matthew 1:25). Joseph calls the child JESUS, as the angel directed.

For reflection

The list moves by one verb, begat, until verse 16 changes it. What does the reader notice about a family record that ends by naming a husband rather than a father?