Matthew 1:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Matthew then, desiring to preserve in memory the lineage of the Lord’s humanity through the succession of His parents, begins with Abraham, saying, Abraham begat Isaac. Why does he not mention lsmael, his first-born? And again, Isaac begat Jacob; why does he not speak of Esau his first-born? Because through them he could not have come down to David.

The genealogy begins with Abraham, as he is recognized as the patriarch of the Jewish people and the first to receive the promise that through his lineage all nations would find blessing. Thus, it is appropriate to trace Christ's lineage back to him, for Christ is the fulfillment of Abraham's lineage, bringing blessing to all Gentiles who once stood apart. The name Abraham is rendered as “father of many nations,” while Isaac signifies “laughter” and “joy.” The evangelist intentionally omits the mention of Abraham's sons outside of his covenant relationship, such as Ishmael, since the Jewish heritage is rooted solely in Isaac. It is noteworthy that Matthew includes Judah and his siblings, as they are the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew, by beginning with Christ’s genealogy, shews that he has undertaken to relate Christ’s birth according to the flesh. But Luke, as rather describing Him as a Priest for the atonement of sin, gives Christ’s genealogy not in the beginning of his Gospel, but at His baptism, when John bare that testimony, Lo, He that taketh away the sins of the world. (John 1:29.) In the genealogy of Matthew is figured to us the taking on Him of our sins by the Lord Christ; in the genealogy of Luke, the taking away of our sins by the same; hence Matthew gives them in a descending, Luke in an ascending, series. But Matthew, describing Christ’s human generation in descending order, begins his enumeration with Abraham.

In this genealogy, the sequence places the ancestors after the descendant; however, the evangelist needed to make a modification. If he had placed Abraham first and then David, it would necessitate mentioning Abraham again to further clarify the lineage. Therefore, he chose to focus exclusively on these two, referring to the Savior solely as their son, since the promise of Christ is bestowed specifically upon them. To Abraham, it is stated, "And in thy seed shall all nations be blessed" (Gen. 22:18), and to David, it affirms, "From the fruit of thy womb will I set upon thy throne" (Ps. 131:11).

For Abraham was the first who deserved the witness of faith; He believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. It behoved therefore that he should be set forth as the first in the line of descent, who was the first to deserve the promise of the restoration of the Church, In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. And it is again brought to a period in David, for that Jesus should be called his Son; hence to him is preserved the privilege, that from him should come the beginning of the Lord’s genealogy.

In biblical tradition, genealogies were typically traced through male lineage. The father contributes the seed, serving as the source and foundation of the child, while also being the leader of the family; the mother, who nurtures and cultivates the seed, is designated to assist the father. The evangelist prioritized Judas among the sons of Jacob, reflecting Christ's descent from his lineage. In genealogical records, each individual generally represents a singular successor; therefore, when multiple figures are included, there is always a significant purpose behind the addition. In this instance, the evangelist notes the brothers of Judah, emphasizing that there was one nation of Israel emerging from twelve foundational tribes, each represented by the twelve sons of Jacob. These figures are also acknowledged as ancestry to Christ, considering they were the leaders of the Israelite tribes from which the Messiah arose (with Abraham signifying the father of nations and Isaac representing joy and laughter).

Jacob is interpreted ‘supplanter,’ and it is said of Christ, Thou hast cast down beneath Me them that rose up against Me. (Ps. 18:43.)

Abraham, the patriarch of the faithful, serves as a model for the saints. God instructed him, "Go from your country, your people, and your father's house to the land I will show you" (Gen. 12:1), which signifies that all who aspire to be descendants of Abraham and inherit the promised land, of which it is proclaimed, "I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (Ps. 26:13), may fully understand. Those who choose not to emulate Abraham cannot claim to be his children. Abraham’s son Isaac, whose name means 'laughter,' embodies this divine joy—distinct from mere frivolity, it represents the profound rejoicing of the heart, revealing the mystery of Christ.

The lineage of Jesus Christ traces back to Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people from whom the Savior was born. It was Abraham to whom faith was first credited as righteousness (Rom. 4:9), and he was the recipient of God's initial promises. Through him, specifically through Christ, who came from his lineage, all nations would find blessing: “And I will bless,” God declared to him, “those who bless you, and those who curse you shall be cursed; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you” (Gen. 12:3). God specifically named only Judah, excluding his brothers, as Christ came into the world through his tribe. As the Apostle James prophesied, “Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

We now turn our attention to the lineage of Jesus Christ in a sequential manner. The evangelist, addressing a Hebrew audience, chooses not to initiate the genealogy with Adam but starts instead with Abraham: ABRAHAM BEGAT ISAAC. Abraham was the first individual to receive from God the declaration of righteousness through faith; he was the initial recipient of the divine promise that all nations would be blessed through his descendant (Gen. 22:18). This descendant is Christ, the seed of Abraham, through whom we, who were once Gentiles, have received blessings. The evangelist refrains from mentioning Abraham's other children, as not all Hebrews trace their lineage from them but are instead descended from Isaac.

Why did St. Matthew focus solely on the siblings of Judas in his genealogy and not mention Ishmael, the brother of Isaac, or Esau, the brother of Jacob? As Chrysostom points out, there is a significant reason for this choice. He aimed to demonstrate that Ishmael and Esau, along with their descendants—the Ishmaelites, Saracens, Arabs, and others—were not related to the Jewish people, emphasizing that Christ did not come from them. In contrast, the descendants of Jacob, particularly Judah and his brothers, are recognized as the forebears of the twelve tribes of Israel, the chosen lineage of Abraham as designated by God. By naming Judah among Jacob's offspring, the Evangelist encompasses all of Jacob's descendants, positioning Judah as their representative (Genesis 49:3-8). The genealogy lists only the patriarchs of the families from which the Messiah would arise.

The Evangelist commences with Abraham as the spiritual progenitor of the faithful, since Abraham fathered Isaac by faith, not by mere physical means, but by the Spirit, or in accordance with the divine promise (Gal. 4:23, 29). Through Isaac, the promised offspring was designated to Abraham (Rom. 9:7), and Isaac in turn fathered Jacob, according to the divine purpose of the One who called (Rom. 9:11, 12). Jacob, who fathered twelve sons, prophetically focused his vision on Judah, through whom he named the promised offspring (Gen. 49:10). From Judah came David, a significant ancestor of Jesus Christ, and from David came Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ, who was deemed to have a human lineage through the flesh yet was legitimate through Mary’s husband and the adoption of her Son.

The lineage of Christ traces back to Abraham, as detailed in the book of Genesis: Abraham fathered Isaac (Gen. 21:2). The evangelist’s genealogy presents only the key patriarchs from whom the Messiah descends, omitting other family members. Consequently, only the birth of Isaac is highlighted, excluding Abraham's other offspring; similarly, only Isaac’s lineage is noted, with Jacob specifically mentioned. Jacob is recorded as the father of Judah and his brothers (Gen. 29-30; cf. Gen. 49:8ff). The question arises as to why, after referencing Abraham, who fathered Isaac, and then Isaac fathering Jacob, no mention is made of Jacob's brother, though Judah and his siblings are later identified. This omission relates to the unrighteousness of Esau, which is similarly noted for other ancestors.