The King Arrives
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. Matthew 1:11 · Berean Standard Bible
This is the moment everything fell apart. Babylon conquered Judah, the temple was destroyed, and the royal family was carried away in chains. It looked like the end of the promise.
For the people living through the exile, it must have felt like God had abandoned them. The promise to David seemed broken.
Matthew marks this devastating turning point in the genealogy.
The exile is rock bottom in Israel's story, but it's not the end. God was still working, even in the darkness.
Josiah's son Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin) reigned during the Babylonian exile (597 BC). The phrase 'and his brothers' likely refers to Josiah's other sons who also briefly ruled before the exile.
The exile to Babylon was the greatest catastrophe in Israel's history, destroying the temple, ending the monarchy, and scattering the people. Jeremiah had prophesied a curse on Jeconiah's line (Jeremiah 22:30).
Matthew, narrating the genealogical record.
The exile marks the end of the second section of Matthew's genealogy, the collapse of the Davidic monarchy that Jesus would ultimately restore.
9Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,
11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor.
Read all of Matthew 1 — The New Testament opens with a genealogy — and every name carries a story. Two great promises converge in one person. This is where it all comes together.
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