Bible Strands
Matthew 1:15
Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Matthew writes this genealogical record for readers verifying Jesus’ legal descent from Abraham and David. He places it here to continue the chronological bridge from the Babylonian exile toward the birth of Jesus.
The words — The Greek verb ἐγέννησεν (egennēsen) literally means “begat” or “fathered,” marking each generational link. The particle δὲ (de) acts as a connective “then” or “and,” propelling the list forward without narrative interruption.
The thread — This exact “father of” sequence structure appears throughout Matthew 1:1–17 and Luke 3:23–38. The same names recur in 1 Chronicles 3:10–17 and Ezra 7:1–5, preserving the documented Davidic line.
Why it lands — The text simply records Eliud fathering Eleazar, Eleazar fathering Matthan, and Matthan fathering Jacob before listing Jacob as Joseph’s father. It requires the reader to acknowledge the uninterrupted legal transmission of the covenant line into the generation that directly precedes Christ.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;