The Meaning of Matthew 1:17 Explained

Matthew 1:17

KJV: So 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.

YLT: All the generations, therefore, from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations, and from David unto the Babylonian removal fourteen generations, and from the Babylonian removal unto the Christ, fourteen generations.

Darby: All the generations, therefore, from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away of Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the carrying away of Babylon unto the Christ, fourteen generations.

ASV: So all the generations from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon unto the Christ fourteen generations.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So  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. 

What does Matthew 1:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Clearly the three groups of14generations Matthew recorded do not represent a complete genealogy from Abraham to Jesus (cf. Matthew 1:8). Luke recorded several names from the exile to Jesus" birth that Matthew omitted ( Luke 3:23-27). "All the generations" (NASB) then must mean all the generations that Matthew listed. The Greek text literally says "all the generations from Abraham to David ... to Christ." Matthew"s summary statement does not constitute an error in the Bible. Jewish writers frequently arranged genealogies so their readers could remember them easily. Perhaps Matthew chose his arrangement because the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew consonants in David"s name total14. In Hebrew the letter equivalent to "d" also stands for the number "4 ," and "v" represents "6." Matthew did not need to present an unbroken genealogy to establish Jesus" right to the Davidic throne.
Before leaving this genealogy, note that each of the three sections ends with a significant person or event connected with the Davidic dynasty.
"In David the family [1] rose to royal power ... At the captivity it lost it again. In Christ it regained it." [2]
Moreover in each period covered by each section, God gave Israel an important covenant: the Abrahamic ( Genesis 15), the Davidic ( 2 Samuel 7), and the New ( Jeremiah 31). [3] All came to fruition in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Generally Matthew"s genealogy shows that Jesus had the right to rule over Israel since He was a descendant of David through Joseph. Legally he was Joseph"s son. Specifically this section of the Gospel strongly implies that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
The differences with Jesus" genealogy in Luke 3:23-38 are a problem that no one has been able to solve adequately. The problem is that Joseph"s ancestors in Matthew"s genealogy are different from his ancestors in Luke"s genealogy, especially from Joseph to King David. The theory that many scholars subscribe to now is that Matthew gave the legal line of descent from David, stating who was the heir to the throne in each case, and Luke gave the actual descendants of David in the branch of David"s family to which Joseph belonged. [4]

Context Summary

Matthew 1:1-17 - The Line By Which Messiah Came
The enumeration of our Lord's ancestors, with its threefold division into fourteen generations and evident gaps, was probably so arranged to aid the memory. Notice that, in unison with the general purpose of the writer, the line is traced to Abraham through David the king. Of course we know that Joseph was only the reputed father of Jesus, Matthew 1:18; but in any case this genealogy conformed to Hebrew usage and explained how the birth took place in David's city.
In this list of names the patriarchs, Gentiles, women of doubtful character, good men and bad men, the wise, the illustrious, the unknown-all supply important links. It is as though to teach us that in the Son of man there is a blending of all classes, that He might be the representative and helper of all. Each of us may find some point of contact in this genealogy. Jesus Christ belongs to our race. He knew what was in man by that subtle and intimate knowledge which comes of kinship. In Him, therefore, is neither Jew nor Greek exclusively, but all are one in Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 1

1  The genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to Joseph
18  He is miraculously conceived of the Holy Spirit by the Virgin Mary
19  The angel satisfies the doubts of Joseph,
21  and declares the names and office of Jesus;
25  Jesus is born

What do the individual words in Matthew 1:17 mean?

All therefore the generations from Abraham to David [were] fourteen and David until the carrying away to Babylon the Christ
Πᾶσαι οὖν αἱ γενεαὶ ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ ἕως Δαυὶδ δεκατέσσαρες καὶ Δαυὶδ ἕως τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος τοῦ Χριστοῦ

γενεαὶ  generations 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: γενεά  
Sense: fathered, birth, nativity.
Ἀβραὰμ  Abraham 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἀβραάμ  
Sense: the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation.
Δαυὶδ  David  [were] 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Δαβίδ 
Sense: second king of Israel, and ancestor of Jesus Christ.
δεκατέσσαρες  fourteen 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: δεκατέσσαρες  
Sense: fourteen.
Δαυὶδ  David 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Δαβίδ 
Sense: second king of Israel, and ancestor of Jesus Christ.
ἕως  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἕως  
Sense: till, until.
μετοικεσίας  carrying  away 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: μετοικεσία  
Sense: removal from one abode to another, esp.
Βαβυλῶνος  to  Babylon 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: Βαβυλών  
Sense: a very large and famous city, the residence of the Babylonian kings, situated on both banks of the Euphrates.
Χριστοῦ  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.

What are the major concepts related to Matthew 1:17?

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