The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

¹ The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

² Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers,

³ and Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez became the father of Hezron, and Hezron became the father of Aram,¹

1. Although the Greek text reads “Aram,” many English versions substitute the Old Testament form of the name, “Ram” (cf. 1 Chr 2:9; Ruth 4:19), here and in the following verse

⁴ and Aram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon,

⁵ and Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed became the father of Jesse,

⁶ and Jesse became the father of David the king. And David became the father of Solomon by the wife¹ of Uriah,

1. *The word “wife” is not in the Greek text, but is implied idiomatically

⁷ and Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam became the father of Abijah, and Abijah became the father of Asa,¹

1. Greek “Asaph,” alternately spelled “Asa” in many English versions here and in the following verse (cf. 1 Chr 3:10)

⁸ and Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat,¹ and Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram, and Joram became the father of Uzziah,

1. Greek “Josaphat”; alternately spelled “Jehoshaphat” in many English versions

⁹ and Uzziah became the father of Jotham, and Jotham became the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah,

¹⁰ and Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh became the father of Amon,¹ and Amon became the father of Josiah,

1. The earliest and best Greek manuscripts read “Amos,” but many English versions use the Old Testament form of the name here, “Amon” (cf. 2 Kgs 21:18)

¹¹ and Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

¹² And after the deportation to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,¹ and Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel,

1. Greek “Salathiel,” but many English versions use the Old Testament form of the name here, “Shealtiel” (cf. Ezra 3:2)

¹³ and Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud, and Abiud became the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim became the father of Azor,

¹⁴ and Azor became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Achim, and Achim became the father of Eliud,

¹⁵ and Eliud became the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar became the father of Matthan, and Matthan became the father of Jacob,

¹⁶ and Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary by whom¹ was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

1. The Greek relative pronoun is feminine gender and thus refers only to Mary, not Joseph

¹⁷ Therefore all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ are fourteen generations.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found ⌞to be pregnant⌟¹ by the Holy Spirit.

1. Literally “to have in the womb”

¹⁹ So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly.

²⁰ But as¹ he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

1. *Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“considering”)

²¹ And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² Now all this happened in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

²³ “Behold, the virgin ⌞will become pregnant⌟¹ and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel,”² which is translated, “God with us.”³

1. Literally “will have in the womb”
2. A quotation from Isa 7:14
3. An allusion to Isa 8:8, 10 in the Greek OT (LXX)

²⁴ And Joseph, when he¹ woke up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife

1. *Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“woke up”) which is understood as temporal

²⁵ and ⌞did not have sexual relations with⌟¹ her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

1. Literally “did not know”