New Testament · Gospel

Matthew 1:3

The King Arrives

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. Matthew 1:3 · Berean Standard Bible

What It Means

Matthew 1:3, in plain English

Here we meet Tamar, a woman whose story was messy and painful, yet God placed her right in the family line of Jesus. Grace has always worked through imperfect people.

Why it's here

Matthew includes women and outsiders in this family tree on purpose. It's a signal that no one is too broken for God's story.

Who's speaking

Matthew is narrating Jesus's family history.

Where it sits in the story

The line continues through Judah, the son Jacob blessed with royal destiny, pointing toward the coming King.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

Notably, Tamar is the first of four women mentioned in this genealogy. Her inclusion, a Canaanite who posed as a prostitute to secure her rights, signals that God's purposes work through unexpected and even scandalous means.

Language and setting

Including Tamar was a deliberate choice by Matthew. Jewish genealogies rarely mentioned women, and her story (Genesis 38) involved deception and sexual impropriety.

Voice

Matthew, narrating the genealogical record.

Significance

This continues the line from Judah, the tribe from which the Messiah was prophesied to come (Genesis 49:10).

In context

Matthew 1:1–5

1This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

3Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.

4Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon.

5Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

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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