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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_1:6-11
6bDavid was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. 7Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. 8Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. 9Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. 10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
Mat_1:7-11 This section (with some differences) follows 1Ch_3:10-15.
Mat_1:7
NASB, NKJV,
TEV, NJB "Asa"
NRSV "Asaph"
This Judean king was named Asa in 1Ki_15:9 and 1Ch_3:10. "Asa" is found in MSS L and W and fits the context. The early uncial Greek manuscripts à , B, and C surprisingly have "Asaph." This was the name of a choir director of David (cf. Psalms 50, 73, 83). Most textual critics assume that this is an ancient copyist error, or just a variant spelling of the name of the king.
Mat_1:8 Three Judean kings between Joram and Uzziah are omitted (1) Ahaziah (cf. 2 Kings 8, 9; 2 Chronicles 22); (2) Joash (cf. 2Ki_11:2; 2Ki_12:19-21; 2 Chronicles 24); and (3) Amaziah (cf. 2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25).
The reason for their omission is uncertain. Two theories are: (1) Joram was married to and influenced by his wife, Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel and, therefore, his sin of idolatry was transmitted to the third generation (cf. Deu_5:9) or (2) Matthew is structuring the genealogy into three sections of 14 ancestors each (Mat_1:17). This would be the middle section.
Mat_1:9 "Uzziah was born to Jotham" In 2Ki_15:1-7 and 1Ch_3:12 Uzziah is called Azariah. He was a godly king who was struck with leprosy because he offered a sacrifice in a wrong manner.
Mat_1:10 "Hezekiah" Hezekiah was one of the five godly kings of Judah (Asa, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Hezekiah, and Josiah). His life is recorded in 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32, and Isaiah 36-39.
▣ "Manasseh" He was the son of Hezekiah. Manasseh was reputed to be the most evil king in Judah's history (cf. 2Ki_21:2-7). He also reigned the longest, fifty-five years (cf. 2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33).
▣ "Amon" He was the son of Manasseh and father of Josiah (cf. 2Ki_21:18-19; 2Ki_21:23-25; 1Ch_3:14; 2Ch_33:20-25). Some early uncial Greek manuscripts, à , Bc, and C, have the name, "Amos." This manuscript problem is much like Mat_1:7.
▣ "Josiah" Another godly king of Judah, Josiah was eight years old when he became king (cf. 2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34, 35). Many scholars believe that the righteous father, the wicked son of the righteous father, and the righteous son of the wicked father in Ezekiel (cf. Eze_18:5-18) were direct references to Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah.
Mat_1:11 "Jeconiah" He was also called Coniah (cf. Jer_22:24) and Jehoiachin (cf. 2 Kings 24-25). The next to last Davidic king before the Babylonian captivity, Jeconiah was either 8 years old when he ascended the throne (cf. 2Ch_36:9) or 18 years old (cf. 2Ki_24:8) and reigned only three months (cf. 1Ch_3:16-17; Jer_24:1; Jer_29:2). Ezekiel dates his prophecies from the year of this king's exile by Nebuchadnezzar II in 597 b.c. (cf. Eze_1:1-2; Eze_8:1; Eze_20:1; Eze_24:1; Eze_26:1; Eze_29:1; Eze_30:20; Eze_31:1; Eze_32:1; Eze_32:17; Eze_33:21; Eze_40:1).
▣ "deportation to Babylon" This deportation occurred under Nebuchadnezzar II. Jerusalem was captured by the army of Babylon several times-in 605, 597, 586, and 582 b.c. Several different deportations occurred.
1. deportation of Daniel and his three friends in 605 b.c.
2. the deportation of Jehoiachin, Ezekiel, and ten thousand soldiers and craftsmen in 597 b.c. (cf. 1 Kgs. Mat_24:10-17)
3. the deportation of most of the remaining population (the city of Jerusalem was destroyed) in 587/586 b.c., 2 Kings 25
4. the final invasion and deportation of Judah in 582 b.c. in retaliation for the killing of Nebuchadnezzar's appointed governor, Gedeliah, and his Babylonian honor guard