Matthew 1
- Who wrote it
- Traditionally Matthew
- Who it was for
- Jewish followers of Jesus
- What was happening
- A family line from Abraham to Jesus
What’s happening
Matthew opens with a family tree: from Abraham, through King David, through the exile to Babylon, to Jesus, arranged in three sets of fourteen generations. Four women are named along the way: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and "the wife of Uriah." Then the birth: Mary, engaged to Joseph, is found to be pregnant. Joseph, a righteous man, plans to end the engagement quietly. In a dream an angel tells him the child is from the Holy Spirit and that he should name him Jesus, "for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew links this to Isaiah's promise of a child called Immanuel, "God with us." Joseph wakes, takes Mary as his wife, and names the boy Jesus.
Why the setting matters
Family lines decided who you were, what you could inherit, and what claims you could make. A king from David's line needed a genealogy to match. Engagement was legally binding, so ending one meant a formal divorce, and a pregnancy before marriage could bring public shame or worse for Mary.
Who’s in this chapter
Jesus
Named by Joseph, as the angel said. His name means "the Lord saves."
Joseph
Chooses mercy before the dream, then obedience after it.
Mary
Pregnant before the wedding. Matthew tells the story through Joseph's eyes.
Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and "Uriah's wife"
Outsiders and unexpected stories inside the royal line. Ruth appears in 1:5.
Talk it through
- Why might Matthew start his book with a family tree rather than a story?
- Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba each have an unusual story. Why might Matthew name them?
- Joseph is called righteous (1:19) and then plans to act quietly. What does righteousness look like in his choice?
- What would the name "God with us" have meant to people living under Roman rule?
Read Matthew 1
World English Bible
1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers. 3Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram. 4Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon. 5Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse. 6Jesse became the father of King David. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife. 7Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa. 8Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah. 9Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah. 10Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah. 11Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel. 13Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor. 14Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud. 15Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob. 16Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.
18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly. 20But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”
22Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel;” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
24Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself; 25and didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.
Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources