Matthew 1:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, the tetrarchs presided before the arrival of Christ, yet they, as historical records show, lacked the true grandeur of royal lineage.

Historical witnesses have recounted that Idumean marauders, during their assault on the coastal city of Ascalon, captured Antipater, son of Herod's temple servant, in the sanctuary of Apollo near the city walls. His father was unable to secure his ransom due to poverty. This Antipater, well-versed in Jewish literature and hidden traditions, won the favor of Hyrcanus, king of Judea, who sent him as an envoy to Pompey. With the success of this mission, Antipater gained entry into the governance of the kingdom. However, upon his jealousy-driven murder, his son Herod was appointed king of the Jews by the senate under Antony, and thus the tetrarchs were his descendants. Our retelling of the Greek historians serves to clarify that Herod had no genuine connection with the Jewish nation, obtaining royal authority through cunning and deceit. Aware of the dubiousness of his lineage, he sought to destroy their writings to mitigate any questions about his ancestry, believing that removing these potential accusations would shield him from scrutiny regarding his descent from the patriarchs or converts to Judaism of old. Nevertheless, the people were vigilant, and his efforts could not suppress their search for the truth.

Let us affirm resolutely that Christ indeed comes from a true royal lineage, and that His genealogy is rooted in a line of legitimate kings. However, since a false royal lineage arose, the legacy of nobility persisted not by rightful authority, but merely by birth. It is not recorded that Christ was king in the earthly manner. Why is it declared, I will set the fruit of thy womb upon my throne (Psalms 131:11)? What does the angel mean when he states that the Lord God would grant Him the throne of David His father and that He would reign over the house of Jacob forever (Luke 1:32-33)? Why is it that kingship is promised to Him yet not conferred? The prophet proclaimed that no descendant of Jechoniah would reign. If Christ were to reign, this would imply He descends from Jechoniah, which would render the prophet and the promises false. Yet the decree does not claim that Jechoniah’s line shall not have descendants; thus, Christ does descend from Jechoniah, and the absence of His reign does not contradict prophecy. He was not a sovereign of an earthly realm, nor did He occupy Jechoniah’s throne, but rather reigned on the throne of David.

Yet, if Jechoniah himself governed from David's throne, how can this apparent contradiction be resolved: it is stated that Jechoniah’s offspring shall not ascend to David’s throne, and yet they share the same throne? We cannot dismiss that it was indeed David's throne; however, Christ did not occupy the same throne as Jechoniah. Furthermore, only Christ is able to rightfully sit upon David’s throne, for His lineage is the only one promised eternity, as God Himself has revealed: I swore once by my holiness, Shall I lie to David? His seed shall endure forever, and his throne is as the sun before Me (Psalm 88:36-37). To whom is He referring? Certainly not to Solomon, Rehoboam, or Nathan, but to Him about whom it could truly be said, ‘And I will put His hand upon the sea, and His right hand upon the rivers. He shall call to Me, Thou art My Father (Psalm 88:26), and I will continue forever His seed, and His throne shall be as the days of heaven (Psalm 88:30). No Solomon, Rehoboam, or Jehoiakim ever sat upon such a throne. Who is to be recognized as having done so? He of whom the angel spoke to Mary, ‘Behold, you shall conceive in the womb, and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of David His father; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom shall have no end (Luke 1:31-33). If you doubt the angel, then would you at least take the word of the Lord Himself who said, ‘You say I am king (John 18:37)? Did He, then, speak falsely about His reign even though it was not in an earthly sense? How do we reconcile the Scriptures speaking of His reign without clarifying its nature?

History tells us there were two Jehoiakims or Jechonias: one prior to the Babylonian exile, and the other born during the exile, being father and son. The elder succeeded Josiah and is regarded as part of the earlier generation, while the younger succeeded his father and became Josiah's grandson. This differentiation is corroborated in the Books of Kings. It states: And Pharaoh reigned over Israel when Jehoiakim the son of Josiah reigned in Judah in place of his father Josiah, altering Jehoiakim’s name during his rule... Jehoiakim ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years (4 Kings 23:34, 36). Following this, it is noted, The other words of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Jehoiakim rested with his forefathers, and Jehoiakim his son reigned in his stead... Jechoniah was but eighteen years old when he took the throne and ruled for three months in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Mesolah. Like his father, he also perpetuated what was evil in the sight of the Lord. In his era, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem (4 Kings 24:5-6, 8-10). Note that one was Josiah’s son, and the other his grandson. The son was the one to whom Jeremiah bestowed the name (see Jer. 37:1), while the grandson was referred to after his father. It was fitting that St. Matthew opted to follow the prophet and refer to him as Jechoniah rather than Jehoiakim. The Evangelist, as previously mentioned, more fully reveals the depth of the Lord's love, which did not require noble lineage from all, but chose to be born of sinners and captives, as He came to proclaim liberty to the captives (cf. Is. 61:1). Hence, the Evangelist did not overlook either name, but included both, as they bore the name Jechoniah. If we count the younger Jechoniah, we arrive at fourteen generations, thus is recorded in Matthew’s account.

The text states that all attributes associated with Jehoiakim are similarly applied to Jechoniah, including his mother Amitana, the daughter of Jeremiah, his ascension to the throne at the age of twenty-three, a brief reign of only three months, his overthrow by Pharaoh, and his subsequent transport to Egypt as a captive. Additionally, there existed another Jechoniah, the son of Jehoiakim, whose siblings are not mentioned in any writings. It is plausible that following the defeat of the Egyptians by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, this Jechoniah was also deported to Babylon. The Evangelist states that Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers during the time of the Babylonian exile, though they were born prior to the Jewish exile to Babylon; hence the phrase refers to the period of the exile. The Evangelist includes mention of his brothers, as they similarly ruled and were captured alongside Jechoniah by Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Babylon.

Pharaoh Necho, the brother of Jehoahaz and the legitimate ruler of Jerusalem, relocated to Egypt where he passed away, appointing Eliakim as king and renaming him Jehoiakim: “and made Jehoiakim king over them, Eliakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, instead of Josiah his father; and changed his name to Jehoiakim: and Jehoahaz took Jehoahaz, and brought him into Egypt, and died there” (2 Kings 23:34). The Jewish people experienced two exiles to Babylon: the first under Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, and a second shortly thereafter under Jehoiakim, which is the more notable resettlement (2 Kings 23; 2 Kings 24:1ff., 2 Kings 24:16). During this period, Nebuchadnezzar captured many thousands of Judah's people, including King Jeconiah, also known as Jehoiakim, and led them from Jerusalem to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:6-10).

Scholars have long noted that the absence of Joachim's name in various ancient texts was likely the result of a copyist’s error, confused by the similar names of Joachim and Jehoiakim. The reading, which begins with "Josiah begot Joachim and his brothers," is rightly regarded as the authentic text of the Gospel according to Matthew. This rendering can be found not only in the Russian translation, as noted, but in our Slavonic Bible as well, where it appears with a marginal note explaining that some Greek manuscripts of Matthew reflect this reading. Its authenticity is clear; otherwise, there would not be fourteen generations accounted from David to the Babylonian exile, a point noted by Blessed Jerome.

Thus, the discussion surrounding the supposed lack of generations in the genealogy presented in this segment of the Gospel is largely unnecessary, despite much effort having been devoted to it in the past. Joachim fathered Jehoiakim during the Babylonian exile, which took place at or around the time of the departure (circa 588 B.C.; 2 Chronicles 36). The exile is termed Babylonian, named after the principal city of the kingdom, which was situated on the Euphrates River, flowing into the Persian Gulf. Presently, archaeologists are examining the remnants of this magnificent and prosperous city.