The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Jesus Christ - "The name 'Jesus' is from the Greek (and Latin) for the Hebrew Jeshua (Joshua), which means 'the Lord is salvation.' 'Christ' is Greek for 'anointed one.'" (Ryrie)
"From the days of Daniel, the title Son of Man was considered by the Jews to be a messianic title. Luke no less than Matthew presented Jesus as the Messiah but, while Matthew was concerned with Messiah in relation to Israel, Luke was concerned with Messiah in relation to the entire human race. According to the Old Testament, Messiah would not only rule over Israel but over all nations. He was to be the world's Messiah as well as Israel's. In keeping with his theme, then, Luke traced the genealogy of Jesus to Adam, the head of the human race." (Pentecost)
"It is significant that Matthew should mention the names of Abraham and David in his introduction. These were two to whom God had given certain unconditional, eternal covenants that determined the course of the history of the nation Israel. In Genesis 12:2-3, 7, and again in 13:14-17, God had given promises to Abraham concerning a land that was to be the possession of his physical descendants, to whom God would send One who would bless them. In Genesis 15:18 that which had been given to Abraham as a promise was ratified by a blood covenant in which God covenanted to give Abraham's physical descendants a land that would be their possession forever. This covenant was reaffirmed to Abraham in Genesis 17:6-8, and on other occasions in the Book of Genesis it was reaffirmed to Isaac and to Jacob, Abraham's descendants. In 2 Samuel 7:16 God gave a covenant to David, promising that David's house, his kingdom, and his throne would be established forever. This covenant was reaffirmed in Psalm 89:1-4. According to this covenant, one of David's sons was sit on David's throne and rule forever over David's house, that is, David's people or kingdom. Matthew, therefore, was called our attention to the fact that Jesus Christ came to fulfill the covenant that God had made with the nation's forebears." (Pentecost)
"Zechariah said further that God was remembering the covenant, that is, 'the oath He swore to our father Abraham' (Luke 1:73). Here Zechariah referred to the foundational covenant recorded in Genesis 12-13, 15, 17 that was the basis of God's program for Israel and the foundation of Israel's hope for the coming of the Messiah. When the Messiah came in fulfillment of the covenants made with Abraham and David, Zechariah said, God would rescue them from the hand of their enemies (v,. 74). This was the promise of deliverance from Gentile bondage. But, further, God would also enable them 'to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days' (vv. 74-75). This was a reference to what was promised and covenanted in Jeremiah 31:31-34 where God promised Israel that He would forgive their sins, cleanse them, give them a new heart, and enable them to serve Him in righteousness. This is often referred to as the new covenant. Ezekiel 36:24-27 enlarges on the covenant that was given in Jeremiah 31. Zechariah was anticipating the fulfillment of this new covenant in which a redeemed people, reinstalled in their own land, would serve God with a pure heart as His set-apart people. Let us observe that Zechariah recalled the promises of God found in the Old Testament Scriptures. Zechariah directed our attention to the covenants God made through Abraham, David, and Jeremiah to deliver Israel from her enemies and from bondage to sin so that they might serve Him." (Pentecost)
"Concerning His work, the angel said, 'He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High' (v. 32). This One, the eternal Son of the eternal God, would receive a body of flesh in the Virgin's womb. Concerning His work, the angel said, 'The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end' (Luke 1:32-33). It is noteworthy that the angel uses the three significant words— 'throne,' 'house,' and 'kingdom'—found in the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:16. This was an announcement as clear as it was possible to make it that Mary's Son would come into this world to fulfill the promise given to David that one of David's sons would sit on David's throne and rule over David's kingdom. Jesus would come not only to be the Savior but to be the Sovereign." (Pentecost)
the son of David - "...was a highly popular messianic title of the times. The genealogy is here traced through Joseph, Jesus' legal (though not natural) father, and it established His claim and right to the throne of David (Matt 1:6). The genealogy in Luke 3:23-28 is evidently that of Mary, though some believe it is also Joseph's, by assuming that Matthan (Matt 1:15) and Matthat (Luke 3:24) were the same person and Jacob (Matt 1:16) and Eli (Luke 3:23) were brother (one being Joseph's father and other his uncle." (Ryrie)
"David alone has the title, the king (verse 6). Solomon's name is there, but there is no kingship attached to it. The unbelieving Jew, as he tries to reject prophecies concerning the Messiah, has always made a strong point of this, that the promises given to David concerning a son were all fulfilled in Solomon. Solomon according to them is king, and higher than David in his rule and dominion. How striking then that the Holy Spirit gives the name simply Solomon without adding, the king, to it. David is the king and no other can have the title, till his son come: even He who came and whom David called Lord (Ps 110:1)." (Gaebelein)
"The Davidic descent of Jesus was never questioned; His claim to be the Messiah was never contested on the ground that His descent from David was doubtful (Matt 12:23; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15). Those who did not accept the Virgin Birth would know that Jesus' title was determined by Joseph's line, and those who did accept the Virgin Birth must have had some reason for believing that Mary was of Davidic ascent." (Scroggie)
"It is significant to note that, when Jesus offered Himself to Israel as the Messiah, His claim to David descent was never challenged. The Jews must have consulted the records to see whether the One who made such claims for Himself had the right to make those claims. Had they found any flaw in His descent, they would have been quick to accuse Him of being an impostor. Even though the nation rejected Him, it was not because He was outside the Davidic line and therefore ineligible to claim the Davidic throne." (Pentecost)
"In this pedigree the names Ahaziah Joash, Amaziah and Jehoiakim are omitted according to the law of Deut. 29:20; the first three because of being the third and fourth generation of Ahab, and the remaining one because Jehoiakim was not an independent king, and because of Jeremiah 36:23. These four names were blotted out of God's Book of remembrance." (Walker)
"When Israel entered Canaan, the land was distributed among the tribes and the families equally. The daughters of Zelophehad were without an inheritance because their father had had no son. In response to their petition, it was decided that a father's inheritance could be transmitted to a daughter who would then transmit it to her son with the provision that she marry within the bloodline. If she married outside her own tribe, the inheritance could not be transmitted to her descendants (Num 36:6-7). Thus, from the Old Testament we see that a mother could transmit inheritance to her son. It would seem, then that in Luke the genealogy was traced from Adam through Abraham, David, Nathan, a younger son of David, to Heli who died leaving only a daughter, the Virgin Mary. By the law of succession promulgated in Numbers 27:8, the rights of inheritance could be transmitted through Mary to her Son, Jesus. Mary, therefore, like Joseph, was of the tribe of Judah and, consequently, the lines through both Joseph and Mary converge in Jesus Christ. Since it was not according to Jewish custom—even though permitted—to name women in direct line of descent, the name of Mary's husband, Joseph, was substituted for hers. But Jesus' right to the throne of David was clearly through His mother, according to Luke's genealogy, as well as through His father Joseph." (Pentecost)
"The Pedigree of Luke 3:23 is that of Mary, and shows her descent from David and Adam through Nathan, Solomon's elder brother. Matthew's Pedigree is that of Joseph as regal heir begotten of Solomon and David. Mary was daughter of Eli and cousin to Joseph. Both Joseph and Mary were of the House of David. Jesus, therefore, united in His Person the two only claims to the Throne of Israel; and as He still lives there can be no other claimant." (Walker)
"Not every generation needs to be listed in a genealogy, as is the case here. Why the division into three groups of 14? Possibly because the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew letters in the name David (the focal point of this genealogy) equals 14. The repetition of Jeconiah in verse 12 makes the fourteenth name in the last grouping." (Ryrie)
"This genealogy includes four OT women (plus Mary, v. 16); Tamar (v. 3), Rahab (v. 5), Ruth (v. 5), and Bathsheba, Solomon's mother (v. 6)." (Ryrie)
"Tamar is the first. Her shameful history of fornication is recorded in Genesis 38. What a dark story it is, full of the evil deeds of the flesh. Sin in its blackness is seen there. But how did she get into the genealogy? The answer is, by her sin. It was her shameful sin that puts her here in the genealogy of Him who has come to save that which is lost, the Saviour of men. The Holy Spirit has put her name in and shows by it that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners. He has come to save the vilest and the lowest. And the second one is Rahab. Who was she? A Canaanitess. Unclean and outcast, a harlot full of abomination. Yet here is her name too linked with Salmon (meaning clothed) and Boaz, her son, which means, 'In strength.' She had believed the messengers as they had come, and the scarlet thread, the sign of her deliverance from the doomed city, was in her window. 'By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace' (Heb 11:31). It was faith by which she came into line ... Ruth, the third woman mentioned, is an exception, for there is no stain upon her character. She was a Moabitess. The law was against her and cursed her. It is written, 'An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever' (Deut 23:3). But in faith too she enters into the congregation with her children, and the third after her, her grandson, is King David himself. The law which had pronounced the curse is completely set aside in her case." (Gaebelein)
Jechoniah - "Jehoiachin, king of Judah, who was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. In the Heb., Jeremiah contracted 'Jeconiah' to 'Coniah' (Jer 22:24, 28; 37:1). A curse was pronounced on Coniah that none of his descendants would prosper sitting on the throne of David. Had our Lord been the natural son of Joseph, He could not have been successful on the throne of David because of this curse. But since He came through Mary's lineage, He was not affected by this curse." (Ryrie)
was the father of Shealtiel - "In Matthew's pedigree Salathiel (Shealtiel) is said to be the son of Jechonias (Jehoiachin), but in Luke, the son of Neria. No error can be demonstrated here, for there is a possible explanation. In Jer. 22:24-30, it is predicted that Coniah (Jehoiachin) would be childless, therefore he could not have been the father of Salathiel, but it is possible and probably that he adopted the seven sons of Neri, the twentieth from David in the line of Nathan. This seems to be intimated in Zech 12:12, where we read of 'the family of Nathan apart,' as well as 'the family of David apart.' If this were so, Salathiel would be the posterity of Jechonias by an adoption in the line of Nathan." (Pentecost)
Joseph the husband of Mary - "Although Joseph and Mary were not yet married, so sacred was the year of engagement, or betrothal, that they were by custom considered as if married (cf. Gen 29:21; Deut 22:23-30). Consequently, Joseph's only recourse seemed to be to 'send her away' [Matt 1:19], which meant to give her a bill of divorce, a certificate saying, in effect, 'This woman is not my wife; I am not her husband' (see Hos 2:2)." (Ryrie)
of whom - "The word is feminine singular, indicating clearly that Jesus was born of Mary only and not of Mary and Joseph. It is one of the strongest evidences for Jesus' virgin birth." (Ryrie)
"If Matthew 1:1-17 were all that could be said of His birth, He might then have had a legal right to the throne, but He could never have been He who was to redeem and save from sin. But the second half before us shows Him to be truly the long promised One, the One of whom Moses and the prophets spake, to whom all the past manifestations of God in the earth and the types, pointed. To accomplish the work of salvation, to suffer the penalty of sin and to put away sin He had to be divine and human." (Gaebelein)
and you shall call his name Jesus - "The name that had been revealed to Mary was now repeated to Joseph. This name was to be given 'because he will save his people from their sin' (v. 21). The phrase 'his people' must refer to the nation Israel to whom God had given promises in Jeremiah 31:31-34 that Messiah would come to grant forgiveness of sin. Matthew called to our attention the fact that this miracle which had been announced to him had been promised to Israel in Isaiah 7:14, the great prophecy of the virgin birth. In the context of that passage, the kingdom of Judah was being threatened by a coalition of Israel and Syria. God sent Isaiah to bring king Ahaz of Judah a message of comfort. Isaiah promised that this coalition would fail and Judah would survive. The message was so important that God offered to confirm this promise to Ahaz. Isaiah asked Ahaz to seek a sign that God would fulfill His promise. However, Ahaz refused to permit God to give him a sign. This was not because Ahaz trusted God but because he refused to permit God to demonstrate His authority ad power. Ahaz did not want to be obligated to submit to God, for he was a rebel against Him. Isaiah gave Ahaz a sign, nevertheless. It was the sign of the virgin birth. This prophecy had a double reference. The word for 'virgin' in Isaiah 7:14 is a broad word that refers to any young woman of marriageable age. The prophecy was intended to convey to Ahaz the promise that before a young woman of marriageable age could be married, conceive, bear a son, and wean that son, Judah would be rid of her enemies. Thus within about three years Ahaz would see the fulfillment of God's promise to him that the powers allied against Judah would fail. But the prophecy went far beyond the immediate reference to Ahaz, for it was a prophecy concerning the virgin birth of Christ. When the New Testament referred to this prophecy, it selected the restrictive word for a virgin rather than interpreting it in a broader sense to mean simply a young woman. As Matthew wrote the interpreted prophecy, he told us that Isaiah had in mind the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. The definite article 'the' used with virgin shows that Isaiah had one virgin in mind—Mary herself ... Such was the revelation given to Joseph. Joseph's response was one of implicit faith and obedience. He did not ask for confirmation. He did not ask for explanation. He accepted the fact that Isaiah's prophecy concerning the virgin birth was the true explanation of Mary's pregnancy, and he obeyed the command of the angel and 'took Mary home as his wife' (Matt 1:24). Joseph demonstrated a remarkable restraint in that 'he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son' (v. 25). Thus Christ was truly born of a virgin." (Pentecost)
"Jesus' siblings (Matt 13:55-56) were half brothers and sisters, since Mary had no sexual relations with Joseph until after Jesus' birth." (Ryrie)
Jesus Christ - "The name 'Jesus' is from the Greek (and Latin) for the Hebrew Jeshua (Joshua), which means 'the Lord is salvation.' 'Christ' is Greek for 'anointed one.'" (Ryrie)
"From the days of Daniel, the title Son of Man was considered by the Jews to be a messianic title. Luke no less than Matthew presented Jesus as the Messiah but, while Matthew was concerned with Messiah in relation to Israel, Luke was concerned with Messiah in relation to the entire human race. According to the Old Testament, Messiah would not only rule over Israel but over all nations. He was to be the world's Messiah as well as Israel's. In keeping with his theme, then, Luke traced the genealogy of Jesus to Adam, the head of the human race." (Pentecost)
"It is significant that Matthew should mention the names of Abraham and David in his introduction. These were two to whom God had given certain unconditional, eternal covenants that determined the course of the history of the nation Israel. In Genesis 12:2-3, 7, and again in 13:14-17, God had given promises to Abraham concerning a land that was to be the possession of his physical descendants, to whom God would send One who would bless them. In Genesis 15:18 that which had been given to Abraham as a promise was ratified by a blood covenant in which God covenanted to give Abraham's physical descendants a land that would be their possession forever. This covenant was reaffirmed to Abraham in Genesis 17:6-8, and on other occasions in the Book of Genesis it was reaffirmed to Isaac and to Jacob, Abraham's descendants. In 2 Samuel 7:16 God gave a covenant to David, promising that David's house, his kingdom, and his throne would be established forever. This covenant was reaffirmed in Psalm 89:1-4. According to this covenant, one of David's sons was sit on David's throne and rule forever over David's house, that is, David's people or kingdom. Matthew, therefore, was called our attention to the fact that Jesus Christ came to fulfill the covenant that God had made with the nation's forebears." (Pentecost)
"Zechariah said further that God was remembering the covenant, that is, 'the oath He swore to our father Abraham' (Luke 1:73). Here Zechariah referred to the foundational covenant recorded in Genesis 12-13, 15, 17 that was the basis of God's program for Israel and the foundation of Israel's hope for the coming of the Messiah. When the Messiah came in fulfillment of the covenants made with Abraham and David, Zechariah said, God would rescue them from the hand of their enemies (v,. 74). This was the promise of deliverance from Gentile bondage. But, further, God would also enable them 'to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days' (vv. 74-75). This was a reference to what was promised and covenanted in Jeremiah 31:31-34 where God promised Israel that He would forgive their sins, cleanse them, give them a new heart, and enable them to serve Him in righteousness. This is often referred to as the new covenant. Ezekiel 36:24-27 enlarges on the covenant that was given in Jeremiah 31. Zechariah was anticipating the fulfillment of this new covenant in which a redeemed people, reinstalled in their own land, would serve God with a pure heart as His set-apart people. Let us observe that Zechariah recalled the promises of God found in the Old Testament Scriptures. Zechariah directed our attention to the covenants God made through Abraham, David, and Jeremiah to deliver Israel from her enemies and from bondage to sin so that they might serve Him." (Pentecost)
"Concerning His work, the angel said, 'He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High' (v. 32). This One, the eternal Son of the eternal God, would receive a body of flesh in the Virgin's womb. Concerning His work, the angel said, 'The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end' (Luke 1:32-33). It is noteworthy that the angel uses the three significant words— 'throne,' 'house,' and 'kingdom'—found in the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:16. This was an announcement as clear as it was possible to make it that Mary's Son would come into this world to fulfill the promise given to David that one of David's sons would sit on David's throne and rule over David's kingdom. Jesus would come not only to be the Savior but to be the Sovereign." (Pentecost)
the son of David - "...was a highly popular messianic title of the times. The genealogy is here traced through Joseph, Jesus' legal (though not natural) father, and it established His claim and right to the throne of David (Matt 1:6). The genealogy in Luke 3:23-28 is evidently that of Mary, though some believe it is also Joseph's, by assuming that Matthan (Matt 1:15) and Matthat (Luke 3:24) were the same person and Jacob (Matt 1:16) and Eli (Luke 3:23) were brother (one being Joseph's father and other his uncle." (Ryrie)
"David alone has the title, the king (verse 6). Solomon's name is there, but there is no kingship attached to it. The unbelieving Jew, as he tries to reject prophecies concerning the Messiah, has always made a strong point of this, that the promises given to David concerning a son were all fulfilled in Solomon. Solomon according to them is king, and higher than David in his rule and dominion. How striking then that the Holy Spirit gives the name simply Solomon without adding, the king, to it. David is the king and no other can have the title, till his son come: even He who came and whom David called Lord (Ps 110:1)." (Gaebelein)
"The Davidic descent of Jesus was never questioned; His claim to be the Messiah was never contested on the ground that His descent from David was doubtful (Matt 12:23; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15). Those who did not accept the Virgin Birth would know that Jesus' title was determined by Joseph's line, and those who did accept the Virgin Birth must have had some reason for believing that Mary was of Davidic ascent." (Scroggie)
"It is significant to note that, when Jesus offered Himself to Israel as the Messiah, His claim to David descent was never challenged. The Jews must have consulted the records to see whether the One who made such claims for Himself had the right to make those claims. Had they found any flaw in His descent, they would have been quick to accuse Him of being an impostor. Even though the nation rejected Him, it was not because He was outside the Davidic line and therefore ineligible to claim the Davidic throne." (Pentecost)
"In this pedigree the names Ahaziah Joash, Amaziah and Jehoiakim are omitted according to the law of Deut. 29:20; the first three because of being the third and fourth generation of Ahab, and the remaining one because Jehoiakim was not an independent king, and because of Jeremiah 36:23. These four names were blotted out of God's Book of remembrance." (Walker)
"When Israel entered Canaan, the land was distributed among the tribes and the families equally. The daughters of Zelophehad were without an inheritance because their father had had no son. In response to their petition, it was decided that a father's inheritance could be transmitted to a daughter who would then transmit it to her son with the provision that she marry within the bloodline. If she married outside her own tribe, the inheritance could not be transmitted to her descendants (Num 36:6-7). Thus, from the Old Testament we see that a mother could transmit inheritance to her son. It would seem, then that in Luke the genealogy was traced from Adam through Abraham, David, Nathan, a younger son of David, to Heli who died leaving only a daughter, the Virgin Mary. By the law of succession promulgated in Numbers 27:8, the rights of inheritance could be transmitted through Mary to her Son, Jesus. Mary, therefore, like Joseph, was of the tribe of Judah and, consequently, the lines through both Joseph and Mary converge in Jesus Christ. Since it was not according to Jewish custom—even though permitted—to name women in direct line of descent, the name of Mary's husband, Joseph, was substituted for hers. But Jesus' right to the throne of David was clearly through His mother, according to Luke's genealogy, as well as through His father Joseph." (Pentecost)
"The Pedigree of Luke 3:23 is that of Mary, and shows her descent from David and Adam through Nathan, Solomon's elder brother. Matthew's Pedigree is that of Joseph as regal heir begotten of Solomon and David. Mary was daughter of Eli and cousin to Joseph. Both Joseph and Mary were of the House of David. Jesus, therefore, united in His Person the two only claims to the Throne of Israel; and as He still lives there can be no other claimant." (Walker)
"Not every generation needs to be listed in a genealogy, as is the case here. Why the division into three groups of 14? Possibly because the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew letters in the name David (the focal point of this genealogy) equals 14. The repetition of Jeconiah in verse 12 makes the fourteenth name in the last grouping." (Ryrie)
"This genealogy includes four OT women (plus Mary, v. 16); Tamar (v. 3), Rahab (v. 5), Ruth (v. 5), and Bathsheba, Solomon's mother (v. 6)." (Ryrie)
"Tamar is the first. Her shameful history of fornication is recorded in Genesis 38. What a dark story it is, full of the evil deeds of the flesh. Sin in its blackness is seen there. But how did she get into the genealogy? The answer is, by her sin. It was her shameful sin that puts her here in the genealogy of Him who has come to save that which is lost, the Saviour of men. The Holy Spirit has put her name in and shows by it that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners. He has come to save the vilest and the lowest. And the second one is Rahab. Who was she? A Canaanitess. Unclean and outcast, a harlot full of abomination. Yet here is her name too linked with Salmon (meaning clothed) and Boaz, her son, which means, 'In strength.' She had believed the messengers as they had come, and the scarlet thread, the sign of her deliverance from the doomed city, was in her window. 'By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace' (Heb 11:31). It was faith by which she came into line ... Ruth, the third woman mentioned, is an exception, for there is no stain upon her character. She was a Moabitess. The law was against her and cursed her. It is written, 'An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever' (Deut 23:3). But in faith too she enters into the congregation with her children, and the third after her, her grandson, is King David himself. The law which had pronounced the curse is completely set aside in her case." (Gaebelein)
Jechoniah - "Jehoiachin, king of Judah, who was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. In the Heb., Jeremiah contracted 'Jeconiah' to 'Coniah' (Jer 22:24, 28; 37:1). A curse was pronounced on Coniah that none of his descendants would prosper sitting on the throne of David. Had our Lord been the natural son of Joseph, He could not have been successful on the throne of David because of this curse. But since He came through Mary's lineage, He was not affected by this curse." (Ryrie)
was the father of Shealtiel - "In Matthew's pedigree Salathiel (Shealtiel) is said to be the son of Jechonias (Jehoiachin), but in Luke, the son of Neria. No error can be demonstrated here, for there is a possible explanation. In Jer. 22:24-30, it is predicted that Coniah (Jehoiachin) would be childless, therefore he could not have been the father of Salathiel, but it is possible and probably that he adopted the seven sons of Neri, the twentieth from David in the line of Nathan. This seems to be intimated in Zech 12:12, where we read of 'the family of Nathan apart,' as well as 'the family of David apart.' If this were so, Salathiel would be the posterity of Jechonias by an adoption in the line of Nathan." (Pentecost)
Joseph the husband of Mary - "Although Joseph and Mary were not yet married, so sacred was the year of engagement, or betrothal, that they were by custom considered as if married (cf. Gen 29:21; Deut 22:23-30). Consequently, Joseph's only recourse seemed to be to 'send her away' [Matt 1:19], which meant to give her a bill of divorce, a certificate saying, in effect, 'This woman is not my wife; I am not her husband' (see Hos 2:2)." (Ryrie)
of whom - "The word is feminine singular, indicating clearly that Jesus was born of Mary only and not of Mary and Joseph. It is one of the strongest evidences for Jesus' virgin birth." (Ryrie)
"If Matthew 1:1-17 were all that could be said of His birth, He might then have had a legal right to the throne, but He could never have been He who was to redeem and save from sin. But the second half before us shows Him to be truly the long promised One, the One of whom Moses and the prophets spake, to whom all the past manifestations of God in the earth and the types, pointed. To accomplish the work of salvation, to suffer the penalty of sin and to put away sin He had to be divine and human." (Gaebelein)
and you shall call his name Jesus - "The name that had been revealed to Mary was now repeated to Joseph. This name was to be given 'because he will save his people from their sin' (v. 21). The phrase 'his people' must refer to the nation Israel to whom God had given promises in Jeremiah 31:31-34 that Messiah would come to grant forgiveness of sin. Matthew called to our attention the fact that this miracle which had been announced to him had been promised to Israel in Isaiah 7:14, the great prophecy of the virgin birth. In the context of that passage, the kingdom of Judah was being threatened by a coalition of Israel and Syria. God sent Isaiah to bring king Ahaz of Judah a message of comfort. Isaiah promised that this coalition would fail and Judah would survive. The message was so important that God offered to confirm this promise to Ahaz. Isaiah asked Ahaz to seek a sign that God would fulfill His promise. However, Ahaz refused to permit God to give him a sign. This was not because Ahaz trusted God but because he refused to permit God to demonstrate His authority ad power. Ahaz did not want to be obligated to submit to God, for he was a rebel against Him. Isaiah gave Ahaz a sign, nevertheless. It was the sign of the virgin birth. This prophecy had a double reference. The word for 'virgin' in Isaiah 7:14 is a broad word that refers to any young woman of marriageable age. The prophecy was intended to convey to Ahaz the promise that before a young woman of marriageable age could be married, conceive, bear a son, and wean that son, Judah would be rid of her enemies. Thus within about three years Ahaz would see the fulfillment of God's promise to him that the powers allied against Judah would fail. But the prophecy went far beyond the immediate reference to Ahaz, for it was a prophecy concerning the virgin birth of Christ. When the New Testament referred to this prophecy, it selected the restrictive word for a virgin rather than interpreting it in a broader sense to mean simply a young woman. As Matthew wrote the interpreted prophecy, he told us that Isaiah had in mind the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. The definite article 'the' used with virgin shows that Isaiah had one virgin in mind—Mary herself ... Such was the revelation given to Joseph. Joseph's response was one of implicit faith and obedience. He did not ask for confirmation. He did not ask for explanation. He accepted the fact that Isaiah's prophecy concerning the virgin birth was the true explanation of Mary's pregnancy, and he obeyed the command of the angel and 'took Mary home as his wife' (Matt 1:24). Joseph demonstrated a remarkable restraint in that 'he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son' (v. 25). Thus Christ was truly born of a virgin." (Pentecost)
"Jesus' siblings (Matt 13:55-56) were half brothers and sisters, since Mary had no sexual relations with Joseph until after Jesus' birth." (Ryrie)
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