The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

11 The family tree of Jesus Christ, David's son, Abraham's son: 2 Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob, Jacob had Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah had Perez and Zerah (the mother was Tamar), Perez had Hezron, Hezron had Aram, 4 Aram had Amminadab, Amminadab had Nahshon, Nahshon had Salmon, 5 Salmon had Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Boaz had Obed (Ruth was the mother), Obed had Jesse, 6 Jesse had David, and David became king. David had Solomon (Uriah's wife was the mother), 7 Solomon had Rehoboam, Rehoboam had Abijah, Abijah had Asa, 8 Asa had Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat had Joram, Joram had Uzziah, 9 Uzziah had Jotham, Jotham had Ahaz, Ahaz had Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah had Manasseh, Manasseh had Amon, Amon had Josiah, 11 Josiah had Jehoiachin and his brothers, and then the people were taken into the Babylonian exile. 12 When the Babylonian exile ended, Jehoiachin had Shealtiel, Shealtiel had Zerubbabel,

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 1:1-12

Commentary on Matthew 1:1-17

(Read Matthew 1:1-17)

Concerning this genealogy of our Saviour, observe the chief intention. It is not a needless genealogy. It is not a vain-glorious one, as those of great men often are. It proves that our Lord Jesus is of the nation and family out of which the Messiah was to arise. The promise of the blessing was made to Abraham and his seed; of the dominion, to David and his seed. It was promised to Abraham that Christ should descend from him, 2 Samuel 7:12; Psalm 89:3, & c.; 132:11; and, therefore, unless Jesus is a son of David, and a son of Abraham, he is not the Messiah. Now this is here proved from well-known records. When the Son of God was pleased to take our nature, he came near to us, in our fallen, wretched condition; but he was perfectly free from sin: and while we read the names in his genealogy, we should not forget how low the Lord of glory stooped to save the human race.