Bonds that precede us

There are five women mentioned and many ask, “Why the women?” Others ask, “What are the names of the other wives of the named men?” Not only are these wives not mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy, but many are not even named in the Bible. An adaptation of Matthew’s genealogy, for our times, with known foremothers, using only the Bible, follows here:

Abraham and Sarah were the parents of Isaac, Isaac and Rebekah were the parents of Jacob, Jacob and Leah were the parents of Judah, Judah and Tamar were the parents of Perez and Zerah, Perez and his wife were the parents of Hezron, Hezron and his wife were the parents of Ram, Ram and his wife were the parents of Amminadab, Amminadab and his wife were the parents of Nahshon, Nahshon and his wife were the parents of Salmon, Salmon and Rahab were the parents of Boaz, Boaz and Ruth were the parents of Obed, Obed and his wife were the parents of Jesse, Jesse and his wife were the parents of David the king.

David and Bathsheba were the parents of Solomon, Solomon and Na’amah were the parents of Rehoboam, Rehoboam and Ma’acah were the parents of Abijah, Abijah and Ma’acah were the parents of Asa, Asa and Azubah were the parents of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat and his wife were the parents of Joram, Joram and Athaliah (who ruled in her own right for six years) were the ancestors of Uzziah, Uzziah (whose mother was Jecoliah of Jerusalem) and Jeru’sha were the parents of Jotham, Jotham and his wife were the parents of Ahaz, Ahaz and Abi were the parents of Hezekiah, Hezekiah and Heph-zibah were the parents of Manasseh, Manasseh and Meshul-lemeth were the parents of Amon, Amon and Jedidah were the parents of Josiah, Josiah and Zebidah were the grandparents of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

After the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah and his wife were the parents of Shealtiel, Shealtiel and his wife were the parents of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel and his wife were the parents of Abiud, Abiud and his wife were the parents of Eliakim, Eliakim and his wife were the parents of Azor, Azor and his wife were the parents of Zadok, Zadok and his wife were the parents of Achim, Achim and his wife were the parents of Eliud, Eliud and his wife were the parents of Eleazar, Eleazar and his wife were the parents of Matthan, Matthan and his wife were the parents of Jacob, Jacob and his wife were the parents of Joseph, Joseph was the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born, who is called Messiah.

Thus, all the generations from Abraham and Sarah to David and Bathsheba were 14, from David and Bathsheba to the deportation to Babylon were 14, and from the deportation to Babylon down to the Messiah were 14.