The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, 6 Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. 8 Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.
12 After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.
17 Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
Matthew includes the genealogy of Jesus to present Him as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. By tracing Jesus' lineage to Abraham, Matthew highlights the Abrahamic Covenant, wherein God promised that "all the nations of the earth will find blessing" through Abraham's descendants (Gen. 22:18). This promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who brings salvation not only to Israel but to the entire world (cf. Gal. 3:14-16). By tracing Jesus' lineage to David, Matthew connects Him to the Davidic Covenant, where God promised David an eternal kingdom (2 Sam. 7:12-16). This promise is fulfilled in Jesus, who is the "Son of David," a Messianic title affirming His royal and eternal kingship (cf. Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 23:5-6). By structuring the genealogy into three sections—Abraham to David, David to the Babylonian Exile, and the Exile to Jesus—Matthew highlights the continuity of salvation history, showing that Jesus is the culmination of God’s covenantal promises across different eras of Israel’s story.
David and Solomon anchor the genealogy in Israel's monarchy symbolizing the height of Israel’s earthly kingdom and the covenantal promises made to David. The reference to "the wife of Uriah" (Bathsheba) subtly underscores David’s grave sin (2 Sam. 11), highlighting the complexity of salvation history, where God’s plan unfolds even through human failure. The failure of Israel’s kings began with David’s sin and continued through his descendants.
Though Solomon was known for his wisdom, he fell into idolatry through his foreign wives (1 Kings 11:1-8), setting a pattern of unfaithfulness. Subsequent kings, such as Rehoboam, Ahaz, and Manasseh, are remembered for their apostasy, oppression, or idolatry (cf. 1 Kings 12:13-14; 2 Kings 16:1-4; 2 Kings 21:1-9). These repeated failures of the Davidic line led to God’s judgment, culminating in the Babylonian Exile, a period of profound suffering and loss for Israel.
The exile served as both punishment for Israel's sins (2 Kings 24:20; Jer. 25:8-11) and a time of purification and hope for renewal. It demonstrated humanity’s inability to sustain God’s kingdom through human kings alone and revealed the necessity of a perfect King, Jesus Christ. Jesus restores and perfects the kingdom lost in the exile, fulfilling the Davidic Covenant and bringing salvation not only to Israel but to all humanity. The inclusion of Gentile women such as Rahab and Ruth in the genealogy underscores that this salvation is universal, prefiguring the Gospel's mission to all nations (cf. Mt. 28:19).
The post-exilic period lists lesser-known figures, emphasizing the continuity of God's salvific plan through a period of obscurity and apparent insignificance. Despite Israel’s loss of political power and the Davidic dynasty's seeming collapse, God’s covenantal promises remain active and faithful. The prophets, such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel, foretold the rise of a Messianic king who would restore the line of David and establish a reign of justice and peace (cf. Jer. 23:5-6; Ezek. 34:23-24).
The genealogy culminates with "Joseph, the husband of Mary," a phrase deliberately crafted to highlight that Jesus’ lineage is legal, not biological. By affirming the virginal conception (cf. Mt. 1:18-25), Matthew shows that Jesus’ divine origin fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy: “The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel” (Is. 7:14). At the same time, Joseph’s legal fatherhood secures Jesus’ rightful claim to the Davidic throne, as Jewish law recognized legal descent as sufficient for inheritance.
Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus is central, underscoring her unique and willing cooperation in God’s plan of salvation. Through her, God’s eternal Word became flesh (cf. Jn. 1:14), fulfilling the promises made to David and bringing to completion the hopes of Israel and all humanity in Jesus Christ, the Savior and King.
Heavenly Father, You are faithful through every generation, and we thank You for fulfilling Your promises in Jesus Christ, the Son of Abraham and the Son of David. May we recognize Your hand at work in salvation history and in our own lives, trusting in Your providence and mercy. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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