Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 1:17

"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." — Matthew 1:17 (ASV)

It was customary among Jewish writers to arrange genealogies according to some convenient scheme, possibly for mnemonic reasons. Matthew has grouped them according to fourteens, most likely a symbolic number. It is impossible to get the three fourteens without counting either David twice or Jeconiah twice.

Why “fourteen”? The simplest explanation—the one that best fits the context —observes that the numerical value of “David” in Hebrew is fourteen. That is, in the ancient world, letters served both to form words and to designate numbers. The numerical value of D+V+D is fourteen. By this symbolism Matthew stresses that the promised “son of David” (1:1), the Messiah, has come.

Matthew’s chief aims in including the genealogy are hinted at in the first verse—namely, to show that Jesus Messiah is truly in the kingly line of David, heir to the messianic promises, the one who brings divine blessings to all nations. Therefore the genealogy focuses on King David (1:6) on the one hand, yet on the other hand includes Gentile women. Many entries would touch the hearts and stir the memories of biblically literate readers, though the principal thrust of Matthew’s genealogy ties together promise and fulfillment.

The names in the first two-thirds of the genealogy are taken from the LXX (1 Chronicles 1–3, esp. 2:1–15; 3:5–24; cf. Ruth 4:12–22). After Zerubbabel, Matthew relies on extrabiblical sources of which we know nothing. But there is good evidence that records were kept at least till the end of the first century.

More difficult is the question of the relation of Matthew’s genealogy to Luke’s, in particular the part from David on (for a description of the differences between Mt 1:2–17 and Lk 3:23-31, as well as attempts at a solution, see comments on Lk 3:23–38).