How does Genesis 11:21 connect to the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew?

Genesis 11:21 at a Glance

“After he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.”

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Reu’s Link in the Ancestral Chain

• Reu ⟶ Serug (Genesis 11:20–21)

• Serug ⟶ Nahor (Genesis 11:22–23)

• Nahor ⟶ Terah (Genesis 11:24–25)

• Terah ⟶ Abram/Abraham (Genesis 11:26)

Reu is therefore Abraham’s great-great-grandfather. Though Matthew starts the genealogy of Jesus with Abraham (Matthew 1:1–2), the inspired record in Genesis 11 supplies the earlier generations that make Abraham’s line traceable all the way back to Noah and ultimately to Adam (Luke 3:34–38).

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Matthew’s Genealogy and the Hidden Generations

• Matthew 1:1–17 lists three sets of fourteen generations:

– Abraham ⟶ David

– David ⟶ the exile

– the exile ⟶ Messiah Jesus

• The opening words, “This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1), rest on the assumption that Abraham’s ancestry is already established.

• Genesis 11:10–26 provides that backstory, showing the seamless line from Shem after the Flood straight to Abraham. Reu’s brief mention is one indispensable link in that unbroken chain.

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Why This Single Verse Matters

• Verifies Scripture’s precision: every generation, even one line in Genesis 11:21, is necessary for the promised Seed to trace legally and biologically to Jesus (Galatians 3:16).

• Underscores God’s faithfulness: centuries before Christ, God preserved each family line so the Messiah would arrive “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4).

• Confirms the unity of Scripture: the Old Testament genealogies and the New Testament lists fit together without contradiction, demonstrating the reliability of the biblical record.

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Connecting the Threads

Genesis 11:21 may appear to be a simple statement about Reu’s lifespan, yet it quietly anchors Abraham’s pedigree. Matthew, by beginning with Abraham, relies on that earlier documentation. Put together, Genesis 11 and Matthew 1 testify that from Reu to Serug, from Abraham to David, and finally to Jesus, God faithfully guided history toward the Savior promised from the beginning (Genesis 3:15; 12:3; 2 Samuel 7:12–13; Isaiah 11:1).