Matthew 1:17

Matthew 1:17 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

Context of Matthew 1:17

15Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. 16Jacob was the father of Joseph. Joseph married Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus. Jesus is the one who is called Christ, the Messiah. So then, there were 14 generations from Abraham to David. There were another 14 generations from David to the time they took the Israelite people away to Babylon. Then there were 14 generations from that time until Jesus, the Messiah, was born. 18This is how Jesus Christ was born. His mother's name was Mary. She had promised to marry a man called Joseph. Then she discovered that she was pregnant. This happened before they started to live together. It was the Holy Spirit that caused this to happen to her. 19Joseph was a good man. He wanted to do what was right. He did not want her to become ashamed in front of people. So he decided to stop their marriage secretly.

Matthew 1:17 word by word

Πᾶσαι οὖν αἱ γενεαὶ ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ ἕως Δαυὶδ γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες καὶ ἀπὸ Δαυὶδ ἕως τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος ἕως τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Soοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the generationsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the generationsγενεάgenea · generationG1074
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• toἕωςheōs · untilG2193
• DavidΔαυείδ, Δαυίδ, ΔαβίδDabid · DavidG1138
• fourteenδεκατέσσαρεςdekatessares · fourteenG1180
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the carrying away intoμετοικεσίαmetoikesia · deportationG3350
• BabylonΒαβυλώνBabulōn · BabylonG897
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547

Commentaries on Matthew 1:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Fourteen generations - See the note on Matthew 1:11. The Jews had a sort of technical method of summing up generations in this way. In Synopsis Sohar, p. 132, n. 18, we have the following words; "From Abraham to Solomon were fifteen generations; and then the moon was at the full. From Solomon to Zedekiah were other fifteen generations; the moon was then in the wane, and Zedekiah's eyes were put out." That is, the regal state came to its zenith of light…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17So all the generations … - This division of the names in the genealogical tables was doubtless adopted for the purpose of aiding the memory. It was common among the Jews; and other similar instances are preserved. The Jews were destitute of books besides the Old Testament, and they had but few copies of that among them, and those chiefly in their synagogues. They would therefore naturally devise plans to keep up the remembrance of the principal facts in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Matthew says each time period has fourteen generations. But the first and third periods list only thirteen. A traditional Jewish and Old Testament method would count King David in both the first and second groups. It would include Jesus in the third group. This suggests Matthew is probably emphasizing the gematria (a system where letters represent numbers). The letters in the Hebrew word dawid (meaning "David") add up to fourteen. Matthew is emphasizing…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away--or migration. into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon--the migration of Babylon. unto Christ are fourteen generations--that is, the whole may be conveniently divided into three fourteens, each embracing one marked era, and each ending with a notable event, in the Israelitish annals. Such artificial aids…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 1:17

• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Babylon
• Christ
• David
• Abraham, Abram
• Babylon, Babylonia, Babylonian
• Christ, Messiah
• Generation
• Interpret
• Minded

Commentaries on Matthew 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings