Bible Groups - Digests of Bible Commentaries

Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 1

Matt's infancy narrative of a genealogy and 5 stories acts as a prologue to his gospel. It presents Jesus' coming as the climax of Israel's history and the fulfillment of OT prophecy. The Magi who do the child Jesus homage prefigure the Gentiles who accept the Christian gospel. But the troubled reaction of 'all Jerusalem' and Herod's attempt to kill the child foreshadows Jesus' rejection by his own people.
Matthew's infancy narrative is very different from Luke's. Luke has a peaceful, almost idyllic birth, albeit as roofless strangers in an unknown town, with angels trumpeting the Saviour's birth to shepherds, a welcome in the Temple, and a peaceful, if interrupted journey back to Nazareth.
Matthew's story is sombre, the birth apparently in their home town of Bethlehem and greeted by strange foreigners, followed by the slaughter of innocent children and a flight to safety as refugees in Egypt, before returning to live in a strange place, Nazareth. This can easily be seen as foreshadowing the Saviour's passion to come.
The genealogy at the beginning of Matt can appear daunting, but it very firmly gives Jesus ancestors, not only back to King David, but right back 2,000 years to Abraham. Very few Jews would have been able to trace their family tree back so far, especially with the absence of kings after the deportation to Babylon, where Matthew traces through Prophets instead. The genealogy summarises the whole Jewish history, and effectively says that if you wish to know and understand Jesus, read the OT. Groups of 14 patriarchs, 14 kings, and 14 unknowns. 3 pairs of 7's - 7 = perfection. God's plan works through all sorts of people, badly behaved or foolish kings, and through women who showed initiative in irregular unions. We all have our parts to play! Women are not marginal either in Israel or in Christianity. Three of these women were not Israelites, the other married to a non-Israelite: perhaps prepares for non-Jews accepting Jesus' message? And prepares us for the uniquely surprising birth of Jesus. In last 200 years kings over Israel were not Davidic - Herod merely a military man imposed by Rome - he might not appreciate claims by Jesus to be of the royal line!
1 Or "book of genesis of Jesus Christ". Son of David shows Jesus as the royal Messiah. Abraham added because he is the father of his people, but also because Jesus' mission is to "all nations" (Gen 22:18). Right at the start Matt clearly states Jesus is the Messiah = Christos, or 'anointed one' in Greek. Originally used for kings of Israel, but by Jesus' time reserved for a divinely appointed human being God would send into the world to inaugurate a new age for the benefit of the chosen people (or the elect among them).
2 Abraham's descendants in Gen 21 et seq.
3 Tamar not an Israelite, lay with father-in-law (Gen 38). Tamar only woman in OT called righteous (Gen 38:26). Descendants of Perez (Ruth 4:18).
4 (Ruth 4:18).
5 (Ruth 4:18). Rahab (Josh 2:6) and Ruth (Ruth 3) not Israelites. Rahab a prostitute, gained a guarantee of freedom for her family by hiding 2 of Joshua's spies and then letting them down outside the wall of Jericho (Josh 2). OT does not show her to be mother of Boaz. Ruth, a Moabite, chose to return to Israel with her mother-in-law, where she seduced Boaz into marriage, and gave birth to Obed (Ruth).
6 Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, not Israelite (2 Sam 11).
7 Rehoboam (1 Kings 11:41), mother an Ammonite (1 Kings 14:21). Abijah (1 Kings 14:31). Like Solomon and Rehoboam he sinned greatly with idolatry (1 Kings 15). Asaph, or Asa, was a psalmist. As with Amos (v 10), Matt includes prophets as well as kings as ancestors.
8 Asa (1 Kings 15:8) succeeded by Jehosophat (1 Kings 15:24). Jehosophat (1 Kings 22:41). Jehoram (1 Kings 22:50). Next 3 omitted by Matt: Ahaziah son of Joram (2 Kings 8:24). Joash son of Jehoahaz (2 Chron 25;25). But Joash son of Ahaziah, hidden for 6 years by Jehoshabeath, sister of Ahaziah (2 Chron 22:11). Amaziah son of Joash (2 Chron 25:25). Uzziah son of Amaziah (2 Chron 26:1).
9 Jotham son of Uzziah (2 Kings 15:30). Ahaz (2 Kings 15:38). Son Hezekiah (2 Kings 16:20), restored Temple worship (2 Chron 29).
10 Manasseh son of Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:21). Son Amon/Amos (1 Chron 3:14, 2 Kings 21:18). Son Josiah (2 Kings 22:26) restored covenant (2 Chron 34).
11 Jehoiakim (omitted by Matt) son of Josiah, Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim (1 Chron 3;15-16).
12 Shealtiel and Pedaiah (omitted by Matt) sons of Jeconiah; Zerubbabel son of Pedaiah (1 Chron 3:17-19).
13 The rest must be in oral tradition.
16 Verse carefully constructed to avoid saying Jesus son of Joseph. Prepares for v 18. After all that, the genealogy is broken after Joseph!
17 Except only 13 in final list. Pattern of 6*7, or 2*14. The letters of David's name can be read as adding to 14, so whole list is Davidic.
18 No obvious link from previous verses - may have come from different tradition. Matt clearer than Luke that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Sprit, not by male seed. It was an act of new creation, and so uniquely related to God. The creative power of God was called his spirit in the OT. But a son of David by Joseph's adoptive act.
19 A "just man" - not only obedient to the Law, but by his compassion in not exacting penalty against Mary (Cf Num 5:11-31). Although Deut 22:20-23 is usually quoted to show that the penalty for adultery is stoning, none of these case match Mary's: there was no evidence that she was not a virgin if/when Joseph had relations with her, and she had not been caught with another man. (Interesting that an engaged virgin whom a man "seizes and lies with" in the open country, (Deut 22: 25-27) the woman is not guilty because crying for help would have been of no avail).
20 Angel explains what we already know (v 18).
21 The Jews understood oppression, exile and foreign domination as punishment for sins; it also separated them from God because oppression etc hindered obedience to the Law. Jesus will achieve salvation both by his death and by proclaiming the kingdom of God.
22 Matt frequently says that events in Jesus' life fulfill OT quotations. Reflections that indicate continuity between OT and Jesus, in face of the discontinuity of Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God.
23 (Is 7:14) Matt chooses the Greek 'virgin' version of OT, instead of 'young woman' in the Hebrew version. "God is with us" abbreviates the covenant "I will be your God and you will be my people". God does not intervene from afar - he is always actively present with his people. The rest of Matt's gospel is framed by the covenantal verse with 28:20. God's assurance that he will be with them perhaps helps them come to terms with a difficult situation. Why not name him Emmanuel? Joseph told to name him Jesus in v 21. V 23 says "they will name him Emmanuel" this is how he will be seen by others. And perhaps although in Jesus God is with us, we can only be saved by personally accepting who Jesus is - God's son (2:15) and choosing him instead of sin?
24 As a just man, Joseph obeys. Even though the implication is that he had had relations with Mary before the marriage was finalised - apparently no big deal.
25 'Until' neither confirms nor denies Mary's perpetual virginity. Joseph acts as legal father by naming the child Jesus. Matt emphasises that Joseph could not have been Jesus' natural father. Why was he not named 'Emmanuel' as in v 23? Perhaps because Jesus = 'Yahweh saves' is the fulfilment of the Emmanuel prophecy.