Chart of Matthew's Genealogy of Jesus Christ (Mt 1:1-17)
Matthew manipulates the
names of Abraham's descendants into 3 sets of 14 individual male descendants to
create 42 names of the descendants of Abraham. He manipulates the names
to bring attention to the link between God's covenant promises to Abraham and
David. David's name is # 14 in the list and the gematria
(letter/number equivalent) of his name is number 14. The number 42
also has significance. 42 divided by 12, the number of Israel, yields 3 ½, a prophetic number in both Daniel chapter 12 and in Revelation
11:11. The number 42 is a prophetic number in Revelation 11:2 and 13:5.Set #1
1. Abraham | fathered | Isaac | |
2. Isaac | fathered | Jacob | |
3. Jacob | fathered | Judah | |
4. Judah | fathered | Perez | |
additional names of Zerah and Tamar (woman #1) | |||
5. Perez | fathered | Hezron | |
6. Hezron | fathered | Ram | |
7. Ram | fathered | Amminadab | |
8. Amminadab | fathered | Nahshon | |
9. Nahshon | fathered | Salmon | |
10. Salmon | fathered | Boaz | |
Rahab (woman #2) | |||
11. Boaz | fathered | Obed | |
Ruth (woman #3) | |||
12. Obed | fathered | Jesse | |
13. Jesse | fathered | ||
14. David |
There are 27 total male names (repeats and counting Zerah's name)
There are 3 names of gentile women
Total names: 30 names (note: it was necessary to add Zerah's name to make 30 names)
Set #2
David | fathered | Solomon |
Uriah's wife (note: David's name is repeated) |
1. Solomon | fathered | Rehoboam | |
2. Rehoboam | fathered | Abijah | |
3. Abijah | fathered | Asa | |
4. Asa | fathered | Jehoshaphat | |
5. Jehoshaphat | fathered | Joram | |
6. Joram | fathered | Uzziah | (3 missing kings) |
7. Uzziah | fathered | Jotham | |
8. Jotham | fathered | Ahaz | |
9. Ahaz | fathered | Hezekiah | |
10. Hezekiah | fathered | Manasseh | |
11. Manasseh | fathered | Amon | |
12. Amon | fathered | Josiah | |
13. Josiah | fathered | [see #14] | |
14.Jechoniah | [deportation of Judah to Babylon] |
There are 29 names of males total if you include Uriah
There is 1 female mentioned but not counted because unnamed (the wife of Uriah- 4th gentile woman. 4 is the number of the earth)
Set #3 (after the deportation to Babylon; notice no restoration is mentioned)
1.Jechoniah | fathered | Shealtiel | |
2.Shealtiel | fathered | Zerubbabel | |
3. Zerubbabel | fathered | Abiud | |
4. Abiud | fathered | Eliakim | |
5. Eliakim | fathered | Azor | |
6. Azor | fathered | Zadok | |
7. Zadok | fathered | Achim | |
8. Achim | fathered | Eliud | |
9. Eliud | fathered | Eleazar | |
10. Eleazar | fathered | Matthan | |
11. Matthan | fathered | Jacob | |
12. Jacob | fathered | Joseph | |
13. Joseph | husband of | Mary | (the 5th woman) mother of |
14. Jesus the Christ | (bringing true restoration to Israel) |
Michal Hunt Copyright © Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.
Recommended Reading:
- The Handbook of Biblical Chronology, Jack Finegan; Hendrickson Publishers
- Numbers in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance, E.W. Bullinger; Kregel Publications.
- The Stromata, Clement of Alexandria; Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume 2; Hendrickson Publishers.