Geneology of Jesus - Matthew 1:1-16
Looking at genealogies isn’t normally that fun for me. I’m really bad with names, and it’s kinda like reading a history book. But there is something amazing about genealogies when you dig deep into them. There are great stories waiting to be found even just by looking up what their names mean.
Take a look at Matthew 1:1-16 and all you really see are some names:
Here are the meanings of all of the names above:
| Jesus Christ - God is salvation anointed David - beloved Abraham - father of a multitude Isaac - to laugh Jacob - heel-catcher or supplanter Judah - he shall be praised Perez - a breach Zerah - a rising (as the sun) Tamar - palm tree Hezron - enclosed Ram - high Amminadab - one of the prince’s people Nahshon - enchanter Salmon - a garment Boaz - in him is strength Rahab - wide Obed - serving Ruth - a female friend Jesse - wealthy David - beloved Solomon - peaceful Uriah - light of God Rehoboam - enlarger of the people Abijah - my father is Jehovah |
Asa - physician or cure Jehoshaphat - whom God judges Joram - whom God has exalted Uzziah - strength of God Jotham - God is upright Ahaz - possessor Hezekiah - the might of God Manasseh - forgetting Amon - skilled workman Josiah - whom God heals Jeconiah - whom God establishes Shealtiel - I have asked of God Zerubbabel - sown in Babylon / Babylon Abiud - my father is majesty Eliakim - raising up by God Azor - helper Zadok - righteous Achim - the Lord will establish Eliud - God his praise Eleazar - help of God Matthan - gift Jacob - heel-catcher or supplanter Joseph - let him add Mary - their rebellion Jesus Christ - God is salvation anointed |
Then If you were to put that all together with punctuation and modifiers, then you would get something similar to this:
God’s salvation is the anointed beloved father of a multitude. He is to laugh at the supplanter and he shall be praised. A breach is rising as the sun, the palm tree enclosed high one of the prince’s people enchanter’s garment. In him is strength - wide - serving a friend. Wealthy, beloved, peaceful light of God, enlarger of the people, who’s father is God is a cure. He is whom God judges and whom God has exalted. The strength of God, upright possessor, is the might of God forgetting works of workman, whom God heals and whom God establishes. I have asked of God, sown in Babylon, who’s father is majesty. The raising up of God-helper - the righteous, the Lord will establish His praise and help of God as a gift. The supplanter will add their rebellion. God is salvation anointed.
Isn’t it amazing that within seemingly innocuous names we find the very gospel of God? How great is God in his promises to His people and his truthfulness in prophecy! Can you believe that long before Jesus ever walked on earth, God put the names of the people that were in his family line to be the very prophecy that He would fulfill? God is truly wondrous indeed!
October 17th, 2005 at 2:12 am
That is way cool :-)