The English translation “genealogy” reflects the extended genealogy that takes the reader through the first seventeen verses of Matthew. But, in fact, the original Greek word extends well beyond “genealogy” to encompass a combination of “nature of” and “history of.” The genealogy is only one part of the answer to a more general question about Jesus. Matthew is not merely answering “Who were Jesus’s ancestors?” Rather, Matthew’s question—and, therefore, the issue with which the New Testament opens—is “Who is Jesus?” Part of the answer will come in the form of a detailed genealogy. (The next
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