Matthew 1:1-3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 1:1-17

Concerning this genealogy of our Saviour, observe, I. The title of it. It is the book (or the account, as the Hebrew word sepher, a book, sometimes signifies) of the generation of Jesus Christ, of his ancestors according to the flesh; or, It is the narrative of his birth. It is Biblos Geneseos?a book of Genesis. The Old Testament begins with the book of the generation of the world, and it is its glory that it does so; but the glory of the New Testament herein excelleth, that it begins with the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 1:1-17

1:1-17 This is the record of the lineage of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob. Jacob begat Judah and his brothers. Judah begat Phares and Zara, whose mother was Thamar. Phares begat Esrom. Esrom begat Aram. Aram begat Aminadab. Aminadab begat Naasson. Naasson begat Salmon. Salmon begat Booz, whose mother was Rachab. Booz begat Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed begat Jesse. Jesse begat David, the king. David begat... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 1:1-17

There is something symbolic of the whole of human life in the way in which this pedigree is arranged. It is arranged in three sections, and the three sections are based on three great stages in Jewish history. The first section takes the history down to David. David was the man who welded Israel into a nation, and made the Jews a power in the world. The first section takes the story down to the rise of Israel's greatest king. The second section takes the story down to the exile to Babylon.... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 1:1-17

This passage stresses two special things about Jesus. (i) It stresses the fact that he was the son of David. It was, indeed, mainly to prove this that the genealogy was composed. The New Testament stresses this again and again. Peter states it in the first recorded sermon of the Christian Church ( Acts 2:29-36 ). Paul speaks of Jesus Christ descended from David according to the flesh ( Romans 1:3 ). The writer of the Pastoral Epistles urges men to remember that Jesus Christ, descended... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 1:1-17

By far the most amazing thing about this pedigree is the names of the women who appear in it. It is not normal to find the names of women in Jewish pedigrees at all. The woman had no legal rights; she was regarded, not as a person, but as a thing. She was merely the possession of her father or of her husband, and in his disposal to do with as he liked. In the regular form of morning prayer the Jew thanked God that he had not made him a Gentile, a slave, or a woman. The very existence of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 1:1

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ ,.... This is the genuine title of the book, which was put to it by the Evangelist himself; for the former seems to be done by another hand. This book is an account, not of the divine, but human generation of Christ; and not merely of his birth, which lies in a very little compass; nor of his genealogy, which is contained in this chapter; but also of his whole life and actions, of what was said, done, and suffered by him. It is an Hebrew way of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 1:2

Abraham begat Isaac ,.... The descent of Christ from Abraham is in the line of Isaac; Abraham begat Ishmael before Isaac, and others after him, but they are not mentioned; because the Messiah was not to spring from any of them, but from Isaac, of whom it is said, "in Isaac shall thy seed be called", Genesis 21:12 and who, as he was a progenitor, so an eminent type of Christ; being Abraham's only beloved son; and particularly in the binding, sacrifice and deliverance of him. Isaac begat... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 1:3

And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar ,.... The genealogical account of Christ goes on from Judah in the line of Phares, with whom Zara is mentioned; not because they were twins, for so were Jacob and Esau, and yet the latter is taken no notice of; but it may be because of what happened at their birth, see Genesis 38:28 . But the line of the Messiah was in Phares, and very rightly is he put in the genealogy of Christ, the Jews themselves being witnesses; who expressly say, that "the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 1:1

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ - I suppose these words to have been the original title to this Gospel; and that they signify, according to the Hebrew Phraseology, not only the account of the genealogy of Christ, as detailed below, hut the history of his birth, acts, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension. The phrase, book of the generation, תולדות ספר sepher toledoth , is frequent in the Jewish writings, and is translated by the Septuagint, βιβλος γενεσεως , as... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 1:2

Abraham begat Isaac - In this genealogy, those persons only, among the ancestors of Christ, which formed the direct line, as specified: hence no mention is made of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, nor of Esau, the son of Isaac; and of all the twelve patriarchs, or sons of Jacob, Judah alone is mentioned. read more

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