Matthew Chapter 1, Verse 1

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Book of Matthew Chapter 1

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The book of the generation...

Barnes writes, "This is the proper title of the chapter. It is the same as to say, "The account of the ancestry or family, or the genealogical table of Jesus Christ." The phrase is common in Jewish writings. Compare Gen 5:1, "This is the book of the generations of Adam," that is, the genealogical table of the family or descendants of Adam. See also Gen 6:9. The Jews, moreover, as we do, kept such tables of their own families, and it is probable that this was copied from the record of the family of Joseph."

The "toledot of" the patriarchs appears in some instances to provide the story of the patriarchs and their descendents, while here Matthew is talking about the ancestry of Jesus. Matthew here means to introduce the reader to, and describe, the life (or generation) of Christ

...of Jesus Christ...

Barnes writes, "The word Christ is a Greek word, signifying anointed. The Hebrew word signifying the same is Messiah. Hence, Jesus is called either the Messiah, or the Christ, meaning the same thing. The Jews speak of the Messiah; Christians speak of him as the Christ. Anciently, when kings and priests were set apart to their office, they were anointed with oil, Lev 4:3 Lev 6:20; Ex 28:41 Ex 29:7; 1Sam 9:16 1Sam 15:1; 2 Sam 23:1. To anoint, therefore, means often the same as to consecrate, or set apart to any office. Thence those thus set apart are said to be anointed, or the anointed of God. It is for this reason that the name is given to the Lord Jesus, Dan 9:24. He was set apart by God to be the King, and High Priest, and Prophet of his people. Anointing with oil was, moreover, supposed to be emblematic of the influences of the Holy Spirit; and as God gave him the Spirit without measure, (Jn 3:34) so he is called peculiarly the Anointed of God."

JFB has, "For the meaning of these glorious words, see Mt 1:16 and Mt 1:21. "Jesus," the name given to our Lord at His circumcision (Lu 2:21), was that by which He was familiarly known while on earth. The word "Christ"--though applied to Him as a proper name by the angel who announced His birth to the shepherds (Lk 2:11), and once or twice used in this sense by our Lord Himself (Mt 23:8,10 Mk 9:41)--only began to be so used by others about the very close of His earthly career (Mt 26:68 27:17). The full form, "Jesus Christ," though once used by Himself in His Intercessory Prayer (Jn 17:3), was never used by others till after His ascension and the formation of churches in His name. Its use, then, in the opening words of this Gospel (and in Mt 1:17-18) is in the style of the late period when our Evangelist wrote, rather than of the events he was going to record."

Poole writes, "of that person to whom the name of Jesus was given by the angel, as we shall hear further, Mt 1:20,21, because he should save his people from their sins (for Jesus, as also Joshua, signifies a saviour or deliverer); and who also was the Christ, or the Messiah, prophesied of by Daniel, Dan 9:25,26, expected by the Jews, as doth appear from Jn 1:41 (for Messiah and Christ denoted the same person, Jn 4:25); only Messiah was a Hebrew word, and Christ of Greek extraction, both signifying Anointed, and so God's designation of a person to the office of a priest, a prophet, or a king. The Christ signifieth a designation to all three."

...The Son of David...
Barnes writes, "The word son, among the Jews, had a great variety of significations. It means, literally, a son; then a grandson; a descendant; an adopted son; a disciple, or one who is an object of tender affection—one who is to us as a son. In this place it means a descendant of David; or one who was of the family of David. It was important to trace the genealogy of Jesus up to David, because the promise had been made that the Messiah should be of his family, and all the Jews expected it would be so. It would be impossible, therefore, to convince a Jew that Jesus was the Messiah, unless it could be shown that he was descended from David. See Jer 23:5 Ps 132¹⁰f; compared with Acts 13:23, Jn 7:42."

'...The Son of Abraham.

Barnes writes, "The descendant of Abraham. The promise was made to Abraham also. See Gen 12:3; Gen 21:12 ; comp. Heb 11:13; Gal 3:16. The Jews expected that the Messiah would be descended from him; and it was important, therefore, to trace the genealogy up to him also. Though Jesus was of humble birth, yet he was descended from most illustrious ancestors. Abraham, the father of the faithful—" the beauteous model of an eastern prince,"—and David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, the conqueror, the magnificent and victorious leader of the people of God, were both among his ancestors. From these two persons, the most eminent for piety, and the most renowned for their excellencies of all the men of antiquity, sacred or profane, the Lord Jesus was descended; and though his birth and life were humble, yet they who regard an illustrious descent as of value, may find here all that is to be admired in piety, purity, patriotism, splendour, dignity, and renown.

• "generation of Jesus Christ" Lk 3:33
• "son of David" Ps 132¹¹ Mt 22:45; Acts 2:30
• "son of Abraham" Gen 22:18 Gal 3:16 "

Poole writes, "not the immediate Son of either, but, by a long traduction, lineally descended from both. Abraham was long before David, but is here put after him, either because he was a king, or because the Jews expected Messiah was to be the Son of David; or because the evangelist's design was to begin the pedigree from Abraham, whom he therefore last mentions. Both are named, because both were concerned in the promise of Christ. It was made to Abraham, Gen 12:3 Gen 22:18: and to David renewed and enlarged, Ps 89³⁶f. Hence it appeareth that the Jews looked that Christ should be the Son of David, Mt 22:42 Mk 12:35. Hence the evangelist puts David in the front. From Abraham the Jews derived themselves, they usually gloried they had Abraham to their father. The evangelist, by proving Christ to have descended from Abraham by Isaac, proveth him an Hebrew of the Hebrews, and to be descended from the seed to whom the promise was made; and by proving him the Son of David, he proves him David's righteous Branch, or Branch of righteousness, mentioned Jer 23:5,6 Jer 33:15, and so to have descended from the royal family."

cf. genealogy by Luke:(Lk 3:23)

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