Matthew 1

King James Version

Full text for Matthew Chapter 1

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

2Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

3And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

4And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

5And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

6And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her [that had been the wife] of Urias;

7And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

8And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

9And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

10And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

11And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

12And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

13And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

14And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

15And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

16And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17So all the generations from Abraham to David [are] fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon [are] fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ [are] fourteen generations.

18¶ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Matthew chapter one begins by establishing the genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing His lineage through David back to Abraham, structured into three sets of fourteen generations. The chapter then details the miraculous circumstances of Jesus' birth. Mary, espoused to Joseph, was found to be with child by the Holy Ghost, leading Joseph to consider a private separation until an angel appeared to him in a dream, confirming the divine conception and instructing him to name the child Jesus, for He would save His people from their sins.

Medium Summary

Matthew chapter one opens with the genealogy of Jesus Christ, meticulously tracing His ancestry from Abraham through David, emphasizing His royal and covenantal heritage. This lineage is presented in three distinct sections, each comprising fourteen generations: from Abraham to David, from David to the Babylonian captivity, and from the captivity to Christ. Following the genealogical record, the chapter shifts to the narrative of Jesus' birth. Mary, betrothed to Joseph, was discovered to be pregnant by the Holy Ghost before their marriage was consummated. Joseph, a righteous man, planned to discreetly end their engagement to avoid public scandal. However, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, revealing that the child was indeed conceived by the Holy Ghost and instructing him to proceed with the marriage. The angel further commanded that the child be named Jesus, signifying His role as the savior of His people from their sins, thus fulfilling ancient prophecy. Joseph, upon waking, obeyed the divine instruction, taking Mary as his wife and refraining from marital relations until after Jesus' birth.

Long Summary

Matthew chapter one commences with the formal declaration of "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham," immediately establishing His significant lineage. The subsequent verses meticulously detail this genealogy, beginning with Abraham and progressing through Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, highlighting key figures such as Salmon, Booz, Obed, and Jesse. The lineage culminates with David the king, from whom Solomon was born. The record continues through the kings of Judah, including Roboam, Asa, Josaphat, and Ezekias, until the time of the Babylonian captivity, mentioning Josias and Jechonias. Following the captivity, the genealogy traces through Salathiel, Zorobabel, and others, concluding with Jacob begetting Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus, who is called Christ, was born. The chapter explicitly notes that there are three distinct sets of fourteen generations: from Abraham to David, from David to the carrying away into Babylon, and from the captivity to Christ. The narrative then transitions to the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth. Mary, His mother, was espoused to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Ghost. Joseph, described as a just man, intended to put her away privately to spare her public shame. However, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, reassuring him not to fear taking Mary as his wife, as the child conceived in her was indeed of the Holy Ghost. The angel further declared that she would bear a son, and Joseph was to name Him JESUS, for He would save His people from their sins. This event, the chapter explains, fulfilled the prophecy from Isaiah that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, whose name would be Emmanuel, meaning "God with us." Joseph, upon awakening, faithfully obeyed the angel's command, taking Mary as his wife but not knowing her until she had brought forth her firstborn son, whom he named Jesus.

Core Concepts

  • Genealogy of JesusMatthew 1 begins with a detailed lineage of Jesus Christ, tracing His ancestry through David back to Abraham, establishing His historical and covenantal claims as the Messiah.
  • Son of David, Son of AbrahamThese titles emphasize Jesus' royal heritage through David and His connection to God's covenant promises made to Abraham, underscoring His identity as the promised Messiah.
  • Divine ConceptionThe chapter reveals that Mary conceived Jesus by the Holy Ghost, a miraculous event that signifies Jesus' unique divine origin, distinct from natural human generation.
  • Joseph's Righteousness and ObedienceJoseph is portrayed as a just man who initially sought to protect Mary from public shame, but upon receiving divine instruction through an angel, he faithfully obeyed, taking Mary as his wife and accepting his role in Jesus' upbringing.
  • Name JESUS and His MissionThe angel instructs Joseph to name the child Jesus, explaining that "he shall save his people from their sins," clearly defining His salvific purpose and identity.
  • Fulfillment of Prophecy (Emmanuel)The narrative explicitly states that Jesus' birth fulfills the prophecy of a virgin conceiving and bearing a son, who shall be called Emmanuel, meaning "God with us," highlighting God's presence among humanity.
  • Three Sets of Fourteen GenerationsThe genealogy is deliberately structured into three distinct groups of fourteen generations, a literary device that emphasizes the historical progression and the divine ordering leading to Christ.