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Matthew 1

Matthew places Jesus within Israel’s history and identifies him as the Spirit-conceived Savior whose birth fulfills God’s word.

Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry from Abraham through King David and the exile to Babylon, ending with Joseph, Mary’s husband. The genealogy is arranged in three groups of fourteen generations. The account then turns to Mary’s pregnancy by the Holy Spirit and Joseph’s plan to end their marriage without public disgrace. An angel speaks to Joseph in a dream, explaining the child’s conception and name. Joseph obeys, takes Mary as his wife, and names the child Jesus.

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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 the king 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.
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 as 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.
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Key verses
Matthew 1:23The prophetic quotation interprets Jesus’ birth as fulfillment and identifies his coming with God’s presence among his people.
Matthew 1:21The command to name the child Jesus states his mission: he will save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:20The angel addresses Joseph as David’s son and explains that Mary’s child is conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Where this chapter reaches

The genealogy shares Abraham and his descendants with Genesis, while Luke also records Jesus’ ancestry and attributes Mary’s conception to the Holy Spirit. Matthew quotes Isaiah’s sign of a virgin bearing a son called Immanuel and presents Jesus’ birth as its fulfillment.

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After reading the whole chapter

What do the turning points of David’s kingship and Babylon’s exile contribute to your reading of Jesus’ genealogy?

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What stands out to you about Joseph’s response to the angel’s explanation and command?

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Questions people ask about Matthew 1

Why does Matthew 1 begin with a genealogy?

The genealogy establishes Jesus’ place in Israel’s history as the son of David and the son of Abraham. Matthew organizes the names around David’s kingship and the exile to Babylon. The list ends with Joseph as Mary’s husband, then identifies Mary as the one from whom Jesus was born.

Was Joseph Jesus’ biological father in Matthew 1?

Matthew attributes Mary’s pregnancy to the Holy Spirit and says it began before she and Joseph came together. The genealogy calls Joseph Mary’s husband, without saying he fathered Jesus. Joseph takes Mary as his wife and names her son Jesus, carrying out the angel’s command.

Why is Jesus called Immanuel in Matthew 1?

Matthew explains Immanuel as “God with us.” He includes the name in a prophetic quotation and says the events surrounding Jesus’ birth fulfill what the Lord spoke through the prophet. The angel commands Joseph to name the child Jesus; Immanuel expresses the significance of his coming.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).