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Matthew 1

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Quick answer

Matthew opens with Jesus' genealogy and birth, presenting him as the son of David and son of Abraham — Immanuel, "God with us."

The genealogy is a theological argument: Jesus is the promised king and the one through whom the nations are blessed. The virgin birth is read as the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 — God has come to be with his people.

Part of The Genealogy and Birth of Jesus📖 Matthew introduction

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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 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. ✦ 13Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor. 14Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud. 15Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob. 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; for 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, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ✦ 21She shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name 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. ✦

Tap any verse for its study page. Underlined terms mark a concept, person, or place; ✦ marks verses with cross-references.

In this chapter

Person / place AbrahamPerson / place DavidPerson / place Jesus of NazarethConcept ImmanuelConcept Messiah / Christ

Where this chapter connects

Luke 1 ·12Luke 2 ·111 Chr 3 ·8Matt 2 ·7Luke 3 ·7Matt 1 ·6Gen 38 ·51 Chr 2 ·5

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Resources, by level

Lay

  • ★ Start hereDocumentaryFollowing the MessiahAppian Media · Free · evangelical

    A free, beautifully shot 10-part series walking the lands of Jesus' life — Bethlehem, Galilee, Jerusalem, and more.

  • ★ Start hereVideoBibleProject — video overviews & word studiesBibleProject · 5–10 min · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overviews of every book of the Bible, plus themes and Hebrew/Greek word studies — the best visual on-ramp to any book. (Biblical-theology, broadly evangelical, not distinctly Reformed.)

  • ★ Start hereAudioThrough the WordThrough the Word · ~10 min/chapter · Free · evangelical

    A clear ~10-minute audio teaching for every one of the Bible's 1,189 chapters — the most systematic free way to study chapter by chapter.

  • DocumentaryHolyLandSiteHolyLandSite · Free · evangelical

    Free on-location videos tying biblical events to the actual sites in Israel — the Temple Mount, Galilee, Capernaum, and more.

  • ApologeticsCold-Case Christianity (J. Warner Wallace)J. Warner Wallace · Free · evangelical

    A cold-case homicide detective examines the Gospels' reliability — forensic faith for skeptics and seekers.

Pastoral

  • SermonGrace to You — John MacArthurJohn MacArthur · Free · reformed

    Decades of careful verse-by-verse expository sermons, especially through the New Testament. (MacArthur, d. 2025; archive remains free.)

  • DocumentaryThat the World May KnowRay Vander Laan · Paid · evangelical

    Ray Vander Laan's on-location series immersing you in the Bible's historical and cultural world. (Mostly paid via Focus on the Family; some free clips.)

  • SermonChuck Smith — C2000 SeriesChuck Smith · Free · evangelical

    Free verse-by-verse audio through the entire Bible from the founder of Calvary Chapel.

  • CommentaryCommentary on Matthew 1Matthew Henry · Free

    On the genealogy and the name Immanuel.

Commentaries & study tools

Matthew 2 →