and Zorobabel begat Abiud, and Abiud begat Eliakim, and Eliakim begat Azor,
Commentaire de ce verset
Matthew 1:13 sits in the third and final division of the Lord's genealogy — the fourteen generations from the Babylonian captivity to Christ. Though the names in this verse are largely unknown outside this genealogy, there is rich spiritual significance in their place in the record.
The Three Divisions and the Third Period
J. N. Darby lays out the structure:
J. N. DarbyThe genealogy is divided into three periods, conformably to three great divisions of the history of the people: from Abraham to the establishment of royalty, in the person of David; from the establishment of royalty to the captivity; and from the captivity to Jesus.
W. Kelly expands on each division, noting that the third period — where verse 13 falls — represents the evening of Israel's history, yet one that ends in the brightest light of all:
W. KellyThe generations are divided into three different sections. The first is from Abraham to David, the dawn of glory for the Jews. When David "the king" was there, it was noontime in Israel — sadly chequered, it is true, and clouded through sin; but still it was noon of man's day in Israel. The second division is from thence till the carrying away to Babylon. The third is from that captivity until Christ. This last was clearly the evening history of Israel's past. But that evening is not the close. It ends with the brightest light of all — type of the day when at evening-time there shall be light.
Kelly further observes that God's preserving hand was upon this family through the captivity precisely because Christ was to come from it:
Throughout the lingering captivity no persecution could destroy that chosen family; because Jesus, the Messiah of God, was to be born of it.
Zorobabel: The Starting Point
The verse begins with Zorobabel (Zerubbabel), the most notable descendant of David since the exile. Morrish's Bible Dictionary records:
He was a 'prince of Judah,' and he apparently held some office in Persia as he is called SHESHBAZZAR. Ezra 1:8-11. He was head of the Jews who volunteered to return from exile, under the decree of Cyrus.
The dictionary further notes that Zerubbabel is taken as a type of Christ:
ZorobabelIn Zechariah 4 this son of David is taken as a type of Christ, the promised Son of David, who will be the cause in a yet future day of the temple being built with shoutings, of "Grace, grace unto it."
James McBroom writes of this third period that Zerubbabel's generation bridges:
James McBroomOf the third part of the history indicated in these genealogies, little is recorded on the pages of inspiration. God graciously opened the way for the return of a remnant of the people through Cyrus, the Gentile monarch, and a bright picture of revival is seen in their return to the city, temple, and worship of Jehovah. But in process of time all tended to failure.
Abiud, Eliakim, and Azor: The Hidden Generations
The three names that follow Zorobabel — Abiud, Eliakim, and Azor — are not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament. Morrish's Dictionary is straightforward:
On Abiud:
AbiudSon of Zorobabel, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus, Matt. 1:13: not mentioned in the Old Testament.
On Eliakim (entry 4):
EliakimSon of Abiud in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. Matt. 1:13.
On Azor:
AzorSon of Eliakim in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. Matt. 1:13-14.
The notes in Kelly's appendix on Luke offer an intriguing textual observation about Abiud's possible identity in relation to Luke's parallel genealogy:
"Rhesa" in verse 27 is now known to have not been a personal name: in Aramaic it stood for some "prince" of the captivity whose name seems to have been Abiud (Matt. 1:13), son of the most notable descendant of David since the exile — Zerubbabel.
Kelly also makes a significant note about the word "begat" in this very verse, pointing out that it must be understood in its legal, not necessarily biological, sense:
Kelly's appendix on LukeThe Syriac of Sinai, in Matt. 1:16, has "Joseph begot Jesus"; that version, however, in the same context speaks of Mary as a virgin; so that its "begot" must be understood in a juridical sense, as manifestly in the Greek of verse 8; "Joram begot Uzziah," and of verse 13, "Zerubbabel begot Abiud."
The Legal Genealogy and Its Purpose
Darby notes that Matthew gives us the legal genealogy — through Joseph — establishing Christ's rightful claim to the throne:
DarbyIt is the legal genealogy which is given here, that is to say, the genealogy of Joseph, of whom Christ was the rightful heir according to Jewish law.
F. B. Hole draws out the broader significance:
F. B. HoleJesus is at once presented in a two-fold way. He is Son of David, and hence the royal crown that God originally bestowed on David belongs to Him. He is also Son of Abraham, hence He has the title to the land and all the promised blessing is vested in Him. Having stated this, we are given His genealogy, from Abraham, through Joseph the husband of Mary. This would be His official genealogy, according to Jewish reckoning.
The Obscurity That Concealed the King
McBroom captures the poignancy of the setting into which Christ was born — the very period these hidden names of verse 13 bridge:
McBroomAt a time when the House of David had sunk into obscurity and poverty, Heaven began to move in relation to the promises.
A reading in the Bible Treasury echoes this:
Bible TreasuryPeople may think a genealogy dry bones. This is a great mistake. It will always pay to go into it carefully — it is God-given, Spirit-breathed. No man would have written it thus. There is a blessed design throughout.
Matthew 1:13 traces the royal line through four generations in the post-exilic period — from Zorobabel, the leader of the return, through Abiud, Eliakim, and Azor, names otherwise unknown to Scripture. This is precisely the point. The third division of the genealogy covers the long twilight of Israel's history: the house of David had sunk from royal splendour into complete obscurity, yet God silently and faithfully preserved the messianic line through every generation. No persecution could destroy that chosen family, because Jesus, the Messiah of God, was to be born of it. The very hiddenness of these names — unrecorded in the Old Testament, unknown to fame — testifies to the sovereign care of God, who kept the thread of promise unbroken through centuries of silence, until "at evening-time there shall be light" in the birth of Christ.