--- title: "Matthew 1 - Study King James Bible with clarkes commentary" description: "Read Matthew 1 with clarkes commentary commentary. 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas an" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1" --- [ Read](/kjv/matthew/1)[ Commentary](/study/matthew/1)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/matthew/1) Audio 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her *that had been the wife* of Urias; 7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 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. 18 ¶ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just *man*, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. [Malachi 4](/study/malachi/4) [Matthew 2](/study/matthew/2) ## Commentary To verse 1 Verse [Matthew 1:1](/kjv/matthew/1/1). ***The book of the generation of Jesus Christ*** — I suppose these words to have been the original *title* to this Gospel; and that they signify, according to the Hebrew Phraseology, not only the *account* of the *genealogy* of Christ, as detailed below, but the history of his birth, acts, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension. The phrase, *book of the generation*, ספר תולדות sepher toledoth, is frequent in the Jewish writings, and is translated by the Septuagint, βιβλος γενεσεως, as here, by the evangelist; and regularly conveys the meaning given to it above; e. g. *This is the* *book of the generations of Adam*, [Genesis 5:1](/kjv/genesis/5/1). That is, the account of the life of Adam and certain of his immediate descendants. Again. *These are the generations of Jacob*, [Genesis 37:2](/kjv/genesis/37/2). That is, the account or history of Jacob, his son Joseph, and the other remarkable branches of the family. And again. *These are the generations of* *Aaron and Moses*, [Numbers 3:1](/kjv/numbers/3/1). That is, the history of the life and acts of these persons, and some of their immediate descendants. The same form of expression is also used, [Genesis 2:4](/kjv/genesis/2/4), when giving the history of the creation of heaven and earth. Some have translated βιβλος γενεσεως, *The book of the genealogy*; and consider it the *title* of *this chapter* only; but the former opinion seems better founded. ***Jesus Christ*** — See on [Matthew 1:16](/kjv/matthew/1/16); [Matthew 1:21](/kjv/matthew/1/21). ***The son of David, the son of Abraham*** — No person ever born could boast, in a direct line, a more illustrious ancestry than Jesus Christ. Among his progenitors, the *regal, sacerdotal*, and *prophetic* offices, existed in all their *glory* and *splendour*. DAVID, the most renowned of sovereigns, was *king* and *prophet*: ABRAHAM, the most perfect character in all antiquity, whether sacred or profane, was *priest* and *prophet*: but the *three* offices were never united except in the person of Christ; he alone was *prophet, priest*, and *king*; and possessed and executed these offices in such a supereminent degree as no human being ever did, or ever could do. As the principal business of the *prophet* was to make known the will of God to men, according to certain partial communications received from Heaven; so Jesus, who lay in the bosom of the Father, and who was intimately and thoroughly acquainted with all the mysteries of the eternal world, came to declare the Divine nature and its counsels to mankind; see [John 1:18](/kjv/john/1/18). As the business of the *priest* was to offer sacrifices to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people; so Christ was constituted a high priest, to make, by the sacrifice of himself, an atonement for the sins of the whole world; see [1 John 2:2](/kjv/1-john/2/2), and the whole Epistle to the Hebrews. As the office of *king* was to *reign* over, *protect*, and *defend* the people committed to his care by the Divine Providence; so Christ is set as a king upon Sion, having the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession, [Psalms 2:6](/kjv/psalms/2/6); [Psalms 2:8](/kjv/psalms/2/8), c. Of the righteousness, peace, and increase of whose government, there shall be no end, [Isaiah 9:7](/kjv/isaiah/9/7). This *three-fold* office, Christ executes not only in a general sense, in the world at large but, in a particular sense, in every Christian soul. He is first a *prophet*, to teach the heart of man the will of God; to convict the conscience of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and fully to illustrate the way of salvation. He is next a *priest*, to apply that atonement to the guilty conscience, the necessity of which, as a *prophet*, he had previously made known. And lastly, as a *king*, he leads captivity captive, binds and casts out the strong man armed, spoils his goods, extends the sway of the sceptre of righteousness, subdues and destroys sin, and reigns Lord over all the powers and faculties of the human soul; so *that* AS *sin reigned unto death*, EVEN *so does grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life*, *by Jesus Christ our Lord*. [Romans 5:21](/kjv/romans/5/21). It is remarkable, that the evangelist names *David* before *Abraham*, though the latter was many generations older: the reason seems to be this, that David was not only the most illustrious of our Lord's predecessors, as being both *king* and *prophet*; but because that promise, which at first was given to Abraham, and afterwards, through successive generations, confirmed to the Jewish people, was at last determined and restricted to the family of *David*. *Son of David*, was an epithet by which the Messiah was afterwards known among the Jews; and, under this title, they were led to expect him by prophetic authority. See [Psalms 89:3-4](/kjv/psalms/89/3-4); [Psalms 132:10](/kjv/psalms/132/10), [Psalms 132:11](/kjv/psalms/132/11), compared with [Acts 13:23](/kjv/acts/13/23), and [Isaiah 11:1](/kjv/isaiah/11/1); [Jeremiah 23:5](/kjv/jeremiah/23/5). Christ was prophesied of under the very name of *David*. See [Ezekiel 34:23-24](/kjv/ezekiel/34/23-24); [Ezekiel 37:24-25](/kjv/ezekiel/37/24-25). ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","width":672,"height":448,"caption":"Real Bible Believers"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1","name":"Matthew 1 - Study King James Bible with clarkes commentary","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read Matthew 1 with clarkes commentary commentary. 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas an","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","name":"Study Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary","name":"clarkes commentary"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew","name":"Matthew"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/matthew/1","name":"1"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]} ```