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1 This is the record of the ancestry of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac of Jacob, Jacob of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Ram. 4 Ram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, and Nahshon of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed was the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam of Abijah, and Abijah of Asa. 8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat of Josam, and Josam of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham of Ahaz, and Ahaz of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh of Amos, and Amos of Josiah. 11 Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian Exile.

Comments

A genealogy is not an exciting opening for a book, but it serves as a useful transition from the OT to the NT. The list of famous names triggers the reader’s memory of the stories of the OT and reminds them of the context in which Jesus will appear. The genealogy is structured around two pivotal figures and one event: Abraham, David, and the Babylonian Exile. Mt emphasizes Jesus’ descent from Abraham to show that he is the fulfilment of God’s promise to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham (Gn 12.3). The descent from David is stressed to show that Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s promise to David that his family line would have everlasting kingship (2 Sam 7.16). The Babylonian Exile is a reminder of the metaphorical exile of foreign domination and alienation from God from which the Messiah would deliver his people. 

Biblical genealogies are typically patrilinear, i.e. they only mention the fathers. However, in this genealogy four women (other than Jesus’ mother Mary) are included: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. What unites these four is that they are foreigners, non-Israelites. Tamar and Rahab were Canaanites, Ruth a Moabite, and Bathsheba presumably a Hittite like her husband Uriah. Their inclusion makes clear that while Jesus is the fulfilment of Jewish messianic hopes, he is also a savior come for all peoples.