And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

People's New Testament

1:16 Jacob begat Joseph. The descendant of a long line of kings was a poor carpenter of Nazareth. As the husband of Mary he was the legal father of Jesus, and Matthew gives his line of descent. A comparison of the table given by Luke will show that it differs in part from that of Matthew. Between David and Joseph the lists are widely different. Several views, all possible, have been presented, but the most probable explanation is that Matthew gives the line of Joseph, the legal line, and that Luke gives the line of Mary, the mother of our Lord. As the Jews regarded only male descent, unless Joseph, the supposed father, was a descendant of David they would not have recognized the genealogy as a fulfillment of the prophecies that Christ should be the Son of David; while Luke, himself a Gentile and writing for Gentiles, was more particular to give the line that shows that Jesus is really the Son of David. If Mary was the daughter of Heli, especially if an heiress, Joseph, by marriage, would become the son of Heli. That there is no contradiction between the two tables is shown by the fact that the Jews who best understood their genealogies never charged it. These tables were preserved with great care, for various reasons, until Christ was born, but it is asserted that Herod destroyed them. If this is incorrect, they did not survive the destruction of Jerusalem.

Wesley's Notes

1:16 The husband of Mary - Jesus was generally believed to be the son of Joseph. It was needful for all who believed this, to know, that Joseph was sprung from David. Otherwise they would not allow Jesus to be the Christ. Jesus, who is called Christ - The name Jesus respects chiefly the promise of blessing made to Abraham: the name Christ, the promise of the Messiah's kingdom, which was made to David. It may be farther observed, that the word Christ in Greek, and Messiah in Hebrew, signify anointed, and imply the prophetic, priestly, and royal characters, which were to meet in the Messiah. Among the Jews, anointing was the ceremony whereby prophets, priests, and kings were initiated into those offices. And if we look into ourselves, we shall find a want of Christ in all these respects. We are by nature at a distance from God, alienated from him, and incapable of a free access to him. Hence we want a mediator, an intercessor, in a word, a Christ, in his priestly office. This regards our state with respect to God. And with respect to ourselves, we find a total darkness, blindness, ignorance of God, and the things of God. Now here we want Christ in his prophetic office, to enlighten our minds, and teach us the whole will of God. We find also within us a strange misrule of appetites and passions. For these we want Christ in his royal character, to reign in our hearts, and subdue all things to himself.

Scofield Reference Notes

[1] Six Marys

Six Marys are to be distinguished in the N.T.:

(1) the mother of Jesus; always clearly identified by the context.

(2) Mary Magdalene, a woman of Magdala, " out of whom went seven demons" Lk 8:2 She is never mentioned apart from the identifying word "Magdalene."

(3) The mother of James (called "the less," Mk 15:40) and Joses, the apostles. A comparison of Jn 19:25 Mt 27:56 Mk 15:40 establishes the inference that this Mary, the mother of James the less, and of Joses was the wife of Alphaeus (called also Cleophas), Jn 19:25 and a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. Except in Mt 27:61 28:1 where she is called "the other Mary (i.e. "other" than her sister, Mary the Virgin); and Jn 19:25 where she is called "of Cleophas," she is mentioned only in connection with one or both of her sons.

(4) Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus, mentioned by name only in Lk 10:39-42 Jn 11:1,2,19,20,28,31,32,45 12:3 but referred to in Mt 26:7 Mk 14:3-9.

(5) The mother of John Mark and sister of Barnabas Acts 12:12.

(6) A helper of Paul in Rome Rom 16:6.

[2] of whom was born

The changed expression here is important. It is no longer, "who begat," but, "Mary, of whom was born Jesus." Jesus was not begotten of natural generation.

[3] Christ

Christ (Christos=anointed), the Greek form of the Hebrew "Messiah" Dan 9:25,26 is the official name of our Lord, as Jesus is his human name Lk 1:31 2:21. The name, or title, "Christ" connects Him with the entire O.T. foreview See Scofield Note: "Zech 12:8" of a coming prophet Dt 18:15-19, Priest Ps 110:4 and king 2Sam 7:7-10. As these were typically anointed with oil 1Ki 19:16 Ex 29:7 1Sam 16:13 Song Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit Mt 3:16 Mk 1:10,11 Lk 3:21,22 Jn 1:32,33 thus becoming officially "the Christ."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

16. And Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus-From this it is clear that the genealogy here given is not that of Mary, but of Joseph; nor has this ever been questioned. And yet it is here studiously proclaimed that Joseph was not the natural, but only the legal father of our Lord. His birth of a virgin was known only to a few; but the acknowledged descent of his legal father from David secured that the descent of Jesus Himself from David should never be questioned. See on [1203]Mt 1:20.

who is called Christ-signifying "anointed." It is applied in the Old Testament to the kings (1Sa 24:6, 10); to the priests (Le 4:5, 16, &c.); and to the prophets (1Ki 19:16)-these all being anointed with oil, the symbol of the needful spiritual gifts to consecrate them to their respective offices; and it was applied, in its most sublime and comprehensive sense, to the promised Deliverer, inasmuch as He was to be consecrated to an office embracing all three by the immeasurable anointing of the Holy Ghost (Isa 61:1; compare Joh 3:34).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:1-17 Concerning this genealogy of our Saviour, observe the chief intention. It is not a needless genealogy. It is not a vain-glorious one, as those of great men often are. It proves that our Lord Jesus is of the nation and family out of which the Messiah was to arise. The promise of the blessing was made to Abraham and his seed; of the dominion, to David and his seed. It was promised to Abraham that Christ should descend from him, Ge 12:3; 22:18; and to David that he should descend from him, 2Sa 7:12; Ps 89:3, &c.; 132:11; and, therefore, unless Jesus is a son of David, and a son of Abraham, he is not the Messiah. Now this is here proved from well-known records. When the Son of God was pleased to take our nature, he came near to us, in our fallen, wretched condition; but he was perfectly free from sin: and while we read the names in his genealogy, we should not forget how low the Lord of glory stooped to save the human race.