Matthew 1:3

Berean Standard Bible

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

King James Bible

And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

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Matthew 1:3, in the New International Version, states, “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram.” This verse, part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ in the opening chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, serves as a critical link in tracing the Messiah’s lineage from Abraham through David to Jesus. Its inclusion of Tamar, a woman with a complex and morally ambiguous story, invites deep reflection on God’s redemptive purposes. To fully unpack this verse, we must explore its linguistic details, historical and cultural context, theological implications, literary function, and enduring significance, situating it within the broader biblical narrative and Matthew’s theological agenda.

The verse forms part of Matthew’s carefully structured genealogy (1:1-17), which establishes Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and David (1:1). The mention of “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar” draws directly from the patriarchal narratives in Genesis. Judah, one of Jacob’s twelve sons, is a key figure in the tribe from which the Davidic monarchy and, ultimately, the Messiah would arise (Genesis 49:10). The Greek text uses egennēsen (“begat” or “fathered”), a standard genealogical term, emphasizing biological descent. Perez and Zerah, twin sons of Judah, are born through Tamar (Genesis 38), while Perez becomes the ancestor of David (Ruth 4:18-22). The subsequent generations—“Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram”—continue the line, drawing from genealogies in 1 Chronicles 2:5-10, though Matthew selectively abbreviates the list to fit his schematic structure of three sets of fourteen generations (Matthew 1:17).

The inclusion of Tamar is striking, as ancient genealogies typically omitted women. Her mention, alongside Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba (1:5-6), signals Matthew’s intentional theological point. Tamar’s story (Genesis 38) is one of scandal and redemption: widowed by Judah’s sons Er and Onan, she is denied her levirate rights by Judah, leading her to disguise herself as a prostitute to conceive by him. The resulting twins, Perez and Zerah, are born through an act that, while deceptive, secures Tamar’s place in Judah’s lineage and upholds her right to progeny under the law (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). The Greek phrase ek tēs Thamar (“from Tamar”) highlights her role, ensuring her contribution is not overlooked. This narrative, embedded in Judah’s own moral failure, underscores God’s ability to work through human brokenness to fulfill His purposes.

Historically, Matthew’s genealogy reflects the Jewish context of the 1st century CE, where lineage was central to identity and messianic expectation. Written likely between 80-90 CE for a Jewish-Christian audience, Matthew’s Gospel emphasizes Jesus’ credentials as the Davidic Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12-16). The genealogy connects Jesus to Abraham, fulfilling the promise of blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:3), and to David, affirming His royal lineage. Tamar’s inclusion evokes the patriarchal era (circa 2nd millennium BCE), grounding Jesus’ ancestry in Israel’s foundational stories. The mention of Perez and Zerah also recalls the tribal history of Judah, which dominated southern Israel and produced the Davidic line. Hezron and Ram, less prominent figures, appear in Chronicler’s genealogies (1 Chronicles 2), linking the patriarchal period to the pre-monarchic era, though their precise historical roles are obscure.

Culturally, Tamar’s presence challenges the patriarchal norms of both ancient Israel and 1st-century Judaism. In a society where women’s roles were often marginalized, her inclusion alongside other women in the genealogy highlights their agency in God’s plan. Tamar’s story, though scandalous by societal standards, reflects ancient Near Eastern customs like levirate marriage, which ensured family continuity. Her boldness in securing her rights parallels other biblical women, such as Ruth, who also navigated social constraints to fulfill divine purposes (Ruth 4). Matthew’s audience, familiar with Genesis 38, would recognize Tamar’s story as a testament to God’s grace, transforming a tale of shame into a link in the messianic chain. This resonates with the Greco-Roman world’s interest in noble ancestry, yet subverts it by including figures of questionable repute, emphasizing divine election over human merit.

Theologically, Matthew 1:3 reveals God’s redemptive work through imperfect people. Tamar’s inclusion underscores the theme of grace, as God incorporates a woman of questionable morality into the Messiah’s lineage. This aligns with Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus as the Savior of sinners (1:21), who embraces the marginalized (9:10-13). The genealogy’s women—Tamar, Rahab (a prostitute), Ruth (a Moabite), and Bathsheba (adulteress by association)—represent outsiders or those tainted by scandal, prefiguring the Gospel’s universal scope (28:19). Judah’s role, despite his moral failings, points to God’s faithfulness to the covenant, as the tribe of Judah carries the messianic promise (Genesis 49:10). Perez’s prominence over Zerah, though both are twins, reflects divine choice, a recurring biblical motif (e.g., Jacob over Esau, Genesis 25:23). The verse thus affirms that God’s purposes prevail, weaving human flaws into a tapestry of redemption.

Literarily, Matthew 1:3 contributes to the genealogy’s rhythmic structure, with its repetitive “fathered” formula creating a sense of continuity. The mention of Tamar disrupts this pattern, drawing attention to her significance. The genealogy serves as a prologue to Matthew’s Gospel, establishing Jesus’ identity before His birth narrative (1:18-25). By tracing the line through Perez to Hezron and Ram, the verse bridges the patriarchal era to the period of the judges, setting the stage for David’s emergence (1:6). The selective inclusion of names—omitting figures like Nahshon or Salmon from 1 Chronicles 2—reflects Matthew’s theological aim to present a stylized genealogy, possibly using gematria (the Hebrew name “David” equaling 14) to structure the three sets of fourteen generations (1:17). Tamar’s story foreshadows the Gospel’s emphasis on unexpected agents in God’s plan, such as Mary, whose unconventional pregnancy fulfills divine prophecy (1:23).

Intertextually, Matthew 1:3 connects to Old Testament themes of covenant and redemption. Tamar’s story in Genesis 38, juxtaposed with Joseph’s rise in Egypt, highlights God’s providence in messy human affairs. The genealogy echoes Ruth 4:18-22, which traces Perez to David, reinforcing the Davidic promise. The inclusion of women recalls figures like Sarah or Rebekah, who played pivotal roles in Israel’s history (Genesis 21; 24). In the New Testament, the genealogy complements Luke’s (3:23-38), which traces Jesus’ lineage differently, possibly through Mary, but shares the emphasis on divine fulfillment. Paul’s teaching on Christ as the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16) and the Davidic heir (Romans 1:3) aligns with Matthew’s purpose, while the inclusion of sinners in Jesus’ ancestry prefigures Hebrews’ portrayal of Christ as the merciful high priest (Hebrews 4:15). These connections situate Matthew 1:3 within the biblical narrative of God’s unfolding plan.

For contemporary readers, Matthew 1:3 offers profound encouragement. Tamar’s inclusion assures us that God uses flawed individuals to accomplish His purposes, inviting us to trust in His grace despite our failures. The verse challenges societal biases, affirming the value of those marginalized by gender, status, or reputation. In a world obsessed with pedigree or perfection, Matthew’s genealogy celebrates divine election over human merit, pointing to Jesus as the Savior who redeems all. For Christians, the verse calls us to embrace our role in God’s story, recognizing that, like Tamar, our brokenness can be woven into His redemptive plan. Practically, it encourages boldness in faith, as Tamar’s risky actions secured her place in history, urging us to act courageously for justice and truth.

In the context of Matthew’s Gospel, 1:3 is a microcosm of the Messiah’s mission. The genealogy establishes Jesus’ credentials, while Tamar’s presence foreshadows His ministry to the outcast and His reversal of shame through grace. The book’s later themes—fulfillment of prophecy (2:15), inclusion of Gentiles (8:11), and the call to discipleship (28:19)—are rooted in this opening chapter. Compared to other genealogies, like Luke’s or 1 Chronicles’, Matthew’s is uniquely theological, prioritizing narrative over exhaustive detail. The verse’s enduring power lies in its testimony to God’s sovereignty, transforming a story of human failure into a link in the chain of salvation, pointing to the Messiah who redeems all things.

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. To the saints scattered abroad, you who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb and sealed by the Spirit of promise, I write to you with a heart full of thanksgiving, beseeching you to stand firm in the faith once delivered to the saints. May the God of all grace strengthen you, and may the word of His truth dwell richly in your hearts.

Beloved, I draw your attention to a matter both humble and profound, recorded in the sacred writings of Matthew, the tax collector turned apostle, who by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit set forth the lineage of our Lord and Savior. In the third verse of his first chapter, we read: "And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram." At first glance, these names may seem but a dry recitation of fathers and sons, a genealogy to be skimmed over in haste. Yet, O saints, pause with me, for in this brief line lies a testimony of God’s unsearchable grace, a thread woven into the tapestry of redemption that reaches even unto us.

Consider Thamar, whom the Scriptures call Tamar, a woman whose story is known to many of you from the book of Genesis. She was not of the chosen line by birth, a Canaanite by descent, yet she enters the genealogy of the Messiah through a path marked by sorrow and shame. Widowed and childless, she was wronged by the house of Judah, yet in her desperation she took bold action—action that, though flawed in the eyes of men, was turned by the Almighty to fulfill His purpose. Through her union with Judah, Phares and Zara were born, and from Phares the line continued until it blossomed into the Root of Jesse, the Lion of Judah, even Jesus Christ our Lord.

What, then, shall we say to this? Shall we marvel only at the names of kings and patriarchs in this lineage? Nay, beloved, let us marvel instead at the God who chooses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty, who takes what is broken and makes it whole. Tamar’s inclusion in this holy genealogy is no accident, no mere footnote. It is a declaration that the grace of God extends beyond the boundaries of human expectation, that His mercy reaches into the shadows of human frailty and draws forth light.

To you, my Protestant brethren, who cherish the doctrine of grace alone, I say: behold in Tamar a mirror of that very truth. She was not righteous by her own deeds, nor did she earn her place in this lineage by works of the law. Yet God, in His sovereign will, wove her into the story of salvation. So it is with us, who were once strangers to the covenant, dead in trespasses and sins, yet now are made alive in Christ. As Paul, that apostle of grace, wrote to the Ephesians, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Tamar stands as a testimony that God’s election is not bound by human merit, but by His eternal purpose.

And what of Phares, her son, whose name means "breach" or "division"? Even his name speaks to us, for through him the line of Judah was preserved, yet it came through a breach in human propriety. So too, our Lord Jesus came to heal the breach between God and man, to reconcile us who were divided by sin. Phares begat Esrom, and Esrom begat Aram, and so the promise marched onward, step by step, until the fullness of time when God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law (Galatians 4:4-5). In this, we see the patience of God, who works through generations, through the tangled threads of human history, to bring about His perfect will.

I exhort you, therefore, dear saints, to consider your own place in this great story. You who gather in your assemblies, who sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, who proclaim the priesthood of all believers—know that you are no less a part of Christ’s lineage than Tamar, Phares, or Esrom. For though you are not named in Matthew’s record, you are inscribed in the Lamb’s book of life. The same God who redeemed Tamar’s shame has redeemed you. The same Christ who descended from Phares has called you His own. As it is written, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

Yet let this truth also humble us. For if God could use Tamar, a woman of Canaan, and Judah, a man of faltering faith, shall He not also use us, imperfect though we be? Let us not despise the weak or the lowly among us, nor think ourselves superior to those whose paths differ from our own. The body of Christ is one, though made of many members, and the grace that unites us is greater than the traditions that distinguish us. Whether you break bread in simplicity or with solemn liturgy, whether you raise your voices in spontaneous praise or in measured chant, you are bound together by the blood of the One who is the seed of Abraham and the hope of all nations.

Now, beloved, as I draw this letter to a close, I charge you to walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called. Let the story of Tamar and Phares remind you that God’s ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts. Trust in His providence, even when the path seems crooked, for He makes all things straight in the end. Preach the Gospel to every creature, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. And hold fast to the hope of His return, when we shall see Him face to face, and every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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O Eternal and Sovereign Lord, Creator of all that is, seen and unseen, whose mighty hand wove the tapestry of time and whose boundless mercy ordained the lineage of salvation, we gather before Your throne of grace with hearts humbled and spirits lifted, meditating upon the sacred words of Matthew 1:3. In this holy moment, we stand in awe of Your divine providence, for You, O God, chose Judah to beget Perez and Zerah through Tamar, and Perez to beget Hezron, and Hezron to beget Aram, each name a thread in the eternal cord that leads to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, the fulfillment of Your unbreakable promise.

Blessed are You, O Lord, for Your ways are not our ways, nor Your thoughts our thoughts. In the story of Judah and Tamar, we see Your sovereign hand working through human frailty, turning what the world might deem unworthy into a vessel of Your redemptive purpose. We praise You for Your wisdom that confounds the proud and exalts the humble, for You chose a lineage marked not by perfection but by grace, a lineage that proclaims Your faithfulness to every generation. O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, You are the God who keeps covenant, who remembers Your people, and who fulfills every word spoken by Your holy prophets.

We lift our voices in supplication, O merciful Father, for all who hear Your Word this day. May the truth of Your divine genealogy stir within us a deep trust in Your unchanging plan. For those who feel forgotten or cast aside, as Tamar once stood at the margins, let them know that You see them, You call them by name, and You weave their lives into Your eternal story. For those burdened by shame or bound by the chains of their past, remind them that Your grace redeems what is broken and makes all things new. For those who labor under the weight of doubt, grant them faith to see Your hand at work, even in the ordinary and the overlooked, as You worked through Perez, Hezron, and Aram to prepare the way for the Messiah.

O Holy Spirit, Comforter and Guide, breathe upon Your church afresh. Unite us as one body, bound by the love of Christ, whose coming was foretold through the generations named in Your Word. Embolden us to proclaim the gospel with courage, to declare that Jesus, the Son of God, descended through this holy lineage to bear our sins and conquer death. Make us instruments of Your peace, ambassadors of Your reconciliation, that the world may know the hope found only in Your Son. Strengthen our hands to serve the poor, to comfort the afflicted, and to stand for justice, reflecting the heart of Him who came not to be served but to serve.

We pray for the nations, O Lord, for every tribe and tongue, that the light of Your salvation may shine into every corner of the earth. As You guided the steps of Judah’s line, so guide the leaders of this world, that they may seek wisdom, pursue righteousness, and govern with compassion. Heal the wounds of division, bind up the brokenhearted, and let Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. For the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, we ask Your blessing, that all may come to know the joy of Your salvation.

O Christ, our King and Redeemer, we marvel at Your humility, that You, the eternal Word, took flesh through this lineage, embracing humanity to draw us to the Father. We adore You for Your cross, where justice and mercy met, and for Your resurrection, which shattered the chains of death. As we ponder the names of Perez, Zerah, Hezron, and Aram, we see Your face, for You are the culmination of their story, the hope of all ages, the Savior who calls us to follow.

Now, O Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—we offer ourselves to You. May our lives, like those named in Your Word, be vessels of Your purpose. Guard us from temptation, deliver us from evil, and lead us in the way everlasting. We pray all this in the precious and holy name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who with You, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, reigns forever and ever, one God, world without end. Amen.