The Transparent Translation · Matthew

Matthew 1

Provisional
Chapter Overview
What happens: The chapter opens with a genealogical record ("book of the origin") tracing Jesus's lineage through three sets of fourteen generations: from Abraham to David, from David to the Babylonian exile, and from the exile to the anointed one. The genealogy follows the male line but names four women — Tamar, Rachav, Rut, and the wife of Uriyah — each connected to unusual or irregular circumstances. At v.16, the active verb "fathered" shifts to the passive "was born": Jacob fathered Joseph, but Jesus "was born" from Mary. The second half (vv.18-25) narrates the circumstances of Jesus's birth: Mary is found to be pregnant from the holy wind/spirit before she and Joseph come together. Joseph, being righteous, plans to release her quietly. A messenger of the Lord appears in a dream, instructing him to take Mary as his wife and to name the child Jesus, "for he will save his people from their sins." The narrator frames this as fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14: "See, the virgin/young woman will conceive and will bear a son, and they will call his name Immanu'el" — "God with us." Joseph obeys, names the child, and does not know Mary until she bears a son.

Key themes: The "book of the origin" echo of Genesis; the three-by-fourteen structure as deliberate numerological patterning (David's name in Hebrew = 4+6+4 = 14); the inclusion of non-Israelite and irregular women in the messianic line; the shift from active "fathered" to passive "was born" at v.16; the virgin/young-woman ambiguity in the Isaiah quotation; the dual naming — Jesus ("he saves") and Immanu'el ("God with us"); the angel-of-YHWH tradition behind "messenger of the Lord"; Joseph as the recipient of divine communication through dreams (echoing the patriarch Joseph of Genesis).

Watch for: The opening phrase "book of the origin" directly echoes Gen 2:4 and 5:1 (LXX); the genealogy omits several known kings (Ahaziah, Yoash, Amatsyah between Yoram and Uzziyah) to maintain the fourteen-generation pattern; the passive "was born" at v.16 breaking the active "fathered" pattern; the Greek "virgin" in the Isaiah quotation where the Hebrew has "young woman" (almah); "messenger of the Lord" as a Greek rendering of the Hebrew malakh-YHWH tradition; the name Jesus explained etymologically ("he will save") — the Greek name maps to Hebrew Yeshua/Yehoshua.

Connection: The opening "book of the origin" links Matthew's beginning to Genesis itself — the same phrase introduces the "generations" sections in Genesis. The genealogy roots Jesus in the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. The four women echo Genesis narratives (Tamar in Gen 38) and the wider HB story. The dream revelation to Joseph echoes the patriarch Joseph as dreamer and dream-interpreter (Gen 37-50). The Immanu'el prophecy originates in Isaiah 7:14, spoken during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis (c. 735 BCE).

Glossary

1The book of the genesis of Yeshua (Jesus) the anointed one, son of David, son of Avraham (Abraham).

2Abraham fathered Yitschaq (Isaac), and Isaac fathered Ya'aqov (Jacob), and Jacob fathered Yehudah (Judah) and his brothers, 3and Judah fathered Perets and Zerach from Tamar, and Perets fathered Chetsron, and Chetsron fathered Aram, 4and Aram fathered Amminadav, and Amminadav fathered Nachshon, and Nachshon fathered Salmon, 5and Salmon fathered Bo'az from Rachav, and Bo'az fathered Oved from Rut, and Oved fathered Yishai, 6and Yishai fathered David the king.

And David fathered Shelomoh (Solomon) from the wife of Uriyah, 7and Solomon fathered Rechav'am, and Rechav'am fathered Aviyah, and Aviyah fathered Asa, 8and Asa fathered Yehoshaphat, and Yehoshaphat fathered Yoram, and Yoram fathered Uzziyah, 9and Uzziyah fathered Yotam, and Yotam fathered Achaz, and Achaz fathered Chizkiyahu, 10and Chizkiyahu fathered Menasheh, and Menasheh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Yoshiyahu, 11and Yoshiyahu fathered Yekhonyah and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Bavel.

12And after the exile to Bavel, Yekhonyah fathered She'altiel, and She'altiel fathered Zerubbavel, 13and Zerubbavel fathered Avihud, and Avihud fathered Elyaqim, and Elyaqim fathered Azor, 14and Azor fathered Tsadoq, and Tsadoq fathered Yakhin, and Yakhin fathered Elihud, 15and Elihud fathered El'azar, and El'azar fathered Mattan, and Mattan fathered Jacob, 16and Jacob fathered Yosef (Joseph) the husband of Miryam (Mary), from whom was born Jesus, who is called the anointed one.

17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the exile to Bavel are fourteen generations, and from the exile to Bavel to the anointed one are fourteen generations.

18Now the genesis of Jesus the anointed one was thus: his mother Mary, having been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, was found to be having a child in the womb from the holy wind/spirit. 19And Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to make a public example of her, planned to release her secretly. 20But while he was considering these things, see, a messenger of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the holy wind/spirit. 21And she will bear a son, and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

22And all this happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying: 23"See, the virgin/young woman will conceive and will bear a son, and they will call his name Immanu'el" — which is, being translated, "God with us."

24And Joseph, having been raised from sleep, did as the messenger of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife, 25and he did not know her until she bore a son; and he called his name Jesus.

Glossary

γένεσις (*genesis*)genesis / originBirth, origin, coming-into-being. Echoes Gen 2:4, 5:1 (LXX).
γεννάω (*gennaō*)father / begetActive in vv.2-15; passive (egennēthē) at v.16.
χριστός (*christos*)anointed oneLowercase as descriptor. Maps to HB mashiach.
πνεῦμα ἅγιον (*pneuma hagion*)holy wind/spiritAnarthrous in Greek. Maps to HB ruach. Slash per Rule 2.
παρθένος (*parthenos*)virgin/young womanGreek implies virginity; Hebrew source (almah) = young woman…
ἄγγελος κυρίου (*angelos kyriou*)messenger of the LordRenders HB malakh YHWH. Option C: kyrios = "the Lord."
δίκαιος (*dikaios*)righteous / justApplied to Yosef (v.19).
ἀπολύω (*apolyō*)release / dismissCovers formal divorce and informal release.
Ἐμμανουήλ (*Emmanouēl*)Immanu'elHebrew: "God with us" (immanu + El).
γινώσκω (*ginōskō*)knowCarries Semitic sexual sense in v.25 (cf. Gen 4:1).
πληρόω (*plēroō*)fulfillUsed in Matthew's fulfillment formula (v.22).
μετοικεσία (*metoikesia*)exile / deportationLit. "change of dwelling." Used for the Babylonian exile.