How the King James Matthew Genealogy is Incorrect

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

The Gospel of Matthew tells of the birth of Jesus, and has a genealogy for him.  But that genealogy in the King James Version of the Bible, book of Matthew, is incorrect.  I am sure that the scholars that King James of England put on the job intended to get it right.  But they were a little off.

The King James Version came out in England in 1611, so it's been around for four centuries.  It is a best-selling version of the Bible.  But I'll give you here a more accurate genealogy than the KJV Matthew genealogy.

As a younger man, I tried more than once to understand the 14, 14, and 14 generations in the Matthew genealogy in the King James.  It never did add up right for me.

One thing that might have been an influence is the difference in names in the Greek language from the equivalent name in the Hebrew language.

The translators of the KJV New Testament were no doubt working from the Greek scriptures that they must have had.

The translators of the KJV Old Testament were no doubt working from the Hebrew scriptures that they must have had.

We see several examples of name differences within the KJV.  The Old Testament names, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, and Noah were changed to Elias, Eliseus, Esias, and Noe in the KJV New Testament, simply because, I expect, the translators of the KJV New Testament were working from the Greek scriptures that already had the Greek form of the O.T. Hebrew names.

Some parts of the United States have many Hispanics.  Juan in Spanish is the equivalent of John in English.  Likewise with Guillermo and William.  And Pedro with Peter.  And Federico with Frederick.

In the Korean language, the first four books of the New Testament are Mata, Maga, Nooga, and Yuan, spelled here phonetically.  Korean, of course, has its own oriental-looking alphabet.

It is not surprising that some of the Hebrew names are different in Greek, but I think it would have been better to use the Old Testament name in the KJV New Testament in every case where there was an Old Testament predecessor.

That is what I've tried to do as Editor of the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version, which is available at www.Amazon.com as an ebook for the Kindle reader (or IPAD or laptop with Kindle app).

I went back to the Old Testament to research the Matthew genealogy, and found that the genealogy in Matthew in the King James was incorrect according to genealogies in the Old Testament.

Some names in the New Testament may have no Old Testament equivalents.   I'm not aware of an Old Testament equivalent for the Apostle Paul's buddy Timotheus, whom we call Timothy, to whom Paul wrote two letters in the New Testament.

As you may be aware, there is also a genealogy in the book of Luke in the Bible.  The Matthew and the Luke genealogies are not the same.

But if you follow them back, both genealogies descend from King David, and are the same prior to King David, except that the Luke genealogy goes back all the way to Adam, while the Matt genealogy only goes back to Abraham.  The book of Genesis will get us from Adam to Abraham.  David had many sons, two of whom were Solomon and Nathan.

The Matthew genealogy takes you right down, from father to son, to Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Matt 1:16)

The Matthew genealogy comes through Solomon, not Nathan.  The Luke genealogy comes through Nathan, not Solomon.

Bible scholars believe that the Luke genealogy is Mary's genealogy, while the Matthew genealogy is Joseph's genealogy.

Of course, Joseph, husband of Mary, had no biological connection with Jesus, since Joseph was only Jesus’ step-father.

I believe God included Joseph's genealogy in in the Bible to help persuade Jews.

Jesus' Father is God.  Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16)

But when did that begetting take place, about two thousand years ago?  No, because Jesus was present with God his Father at the creation of the world.

What happened two thousand years ago was that it was finally God's time to send the Messiah to the world, so the spirit of God made the virgin Mary pregnant with God's son, Jesus.

The majority of Jews today do not accept Jesus as their prophesied Messiah, or Savior.

Probably the main reason for this is that the Jews were expecting the Messiah to set up an earthly kingdom.  But Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world."

So, the Jews are still looking for a Messiah.  They will find a counterfeit Messiah called the Antichrist, who is also called the Beast by the Prophet Daniel.

I was traveling by train not long ago.  I went to the dining car for a meal.  Across the table from me sat a Jewish couple.  During the conversation, I reminded them that Moses told his people, the Jews, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you like me.  Listen to him about everything." (Deut 18:15)

I told them that Jesus is that prophet.  The Jewish couple didn't appreciate hearing that.  They don't buy that Jesus is the Messiah.

O.K., but Jesus is the Messiah, anyway, whether people believe it or not.  What a shame for the Messiah to come, and people don't recognize him as the Messiah.

But many do know that Jesus is the Messiah, including Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, millions of Gentiles, and the members of the "Jews for Jesus" organization.

This matter is somewhat complicated by the fact that some of the fathers in the genealogy were called by more than one name.  But I’ll walk through it with you.

Chapter 2

Here is the KJV Matt genealogy:

1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

1:2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

1:3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

1:4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

1:5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

1:6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

1:7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

1:8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

1:9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

1:10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

1:11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

1:12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

1:13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

1:14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

1:15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

Here is the Hoehn Version Matt genealogy:

___Matthew chapter 1

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,

3 And Judah fathered Pharez and Zarah from Tamar, and Pharez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram,

4 And Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon,

5 And Salmon fathered Boaz from Rahab, and Boaz fathered Obed from Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse,

6 And Jesse fathered David the king, and David the king fathered Solomon from her that had been the wife of Uriah,

7 And Solomon fathered Rehoboam, and Rehoboam fathered Abijam, and Abijam fathered Asa,

8 And Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat fathered Jehoram, and Jehoram fathered Ahaziah,

9 And Ahaziah fathered Joash, and Joash fathered Amaziah, and Amaziah fathered Azariah, and Azariah fathered Jotham, and Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah,

10 And Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, and Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah,

11 And Josiah fathered Jehoiakim, and Jehoiakim fathered Jechoniah and his brothers, about the time they were carried away to Babylon,

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechoniah fathered Salathiel, and Salathiel fathered Zorobabel,

13 And Zorobabel fathered Abiud, and Abiud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor,

14 And Azor fathered Sadoc, and Sadoc fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud,

15 And Eliud fathered Eleazar, and Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob,

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

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are about fourteen generations, and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are about fourteen generations, and from the carrying away into Babylon to Christ are about fourteen generations.

A comparison of the KJV Matt genealogy and the Hoehn Version Matt genealogy shows that the two of them use different spellings of those proper nouns.  But the Hoehn Version came along four hundred years after the KJV.  So why would Hoehn use different spellings than the KJV?

That's because Hoehn went back to the Old Testament genealogies and used those spellings.

The Bible says, "Don't remove the ancient landmark that your fathers have set." (Prov 22:28)  In my opinion, it tends to cause confusion to call people by different names in the New Testament than they were called in the Old Testament.  And "God is not the author of confusion." (1 Cor 14:33)

A comparison of the two genealogies also shows that the Hoehn version takes more generations from Abraham to Jesus than the KJV.  Again, because Hoehn went back to the Old Testament genealogies.

THIS IS A MORE SERIOUS DIFFERENCE THAN SOME SPELLING DIFFERENCES.  FOUR GENERATIONS SEEM TO BE MISSING FROM THE KJV.

If we count the names from Abraham to Joseph, including Abraham and Joseph, husband of Mary, we get forty in the KJV, but forty four in the Hoehn Version.  Both can't be right.  Someone is wrong.

The area of discrepancy is after Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram (called Joram in KJV).

But then, when you get down to Jechoniah (Jeconias in KJV), from Jechoniah onward, the genealogies agree, except for spelling differences.

Take a look at 1 Chron 3:10 through vs. 17.  This gets us from Solomon down through Salathiel, ninteen names, including Solomon and Salathiel.

But in the KJV, there are only fifteen names from Solomon through Salathiel, including Solomon and Salathiel.

Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram, is also called Joram.  Rehoboam's son, Abijam, is also called Abia.  King Josiah's son, Eliakim was changed to Jehoiakim by the conquering king of Egypt. (2 Chron 36:4)

Most scriptures quoted are from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version and the New Testament, Hoehn Version, copyright 2011, both are available as ebooks for the Kindle readers from Amazon.com.

The Lord bless you.  Frederick Hoehn

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.