How does this verse connect to the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1?

Verse in Focus

“​The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani — seven in all.” (1 Chronicles 3:24)

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Why This Last Line Matters

• 1 Chronicles 3 traces David’s royal house from Solomon all the way to the post-exilic generation.

• Verse 24 is the final Old Testament record of that line before the New Testament opens.

• By ending with seven names, Scripture signals completeness, yet also leaves the reader looking forward to the promised “Son of David” still to come (Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5).

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Shared Names between Chronicles and Matthew

The two genealogies match perfectly up to Zerubbabel:

– David

– Solomon

– Rehoboam

– Abijah

– Asa

– Jehoshaphat

– Jehoram

– Uzziah (Azariah)

– Jotham

– Ahaz

– Hezekiah

– Manasseh

– Amon

– Josiah

– Jeconiah (Jehoiachin)

– Shealtiel

– Zerubbabel

Matthew 1:12 picks up right here:

“Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.”

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After Zerubbabel — Why the Lists Differ

• 1 Chronicles gives the physical descendants known in the early post-exilic period (Hananiah, Shecaniah, Neariah, Elioenai, then the seven sons in v. 24).

• Matthew records the legally recognized line of royal succession that continued through the centuries to Joseph (Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, etc.).

• Scripture often selects different representatives for different purposes:

– Chronicles: to preserve the broad family record soon after the exile.

– Matthew: to prove Jesus’ lawful right to David’s throne, compressing generations for a symmetrical structure (three sets of fourteen, Matthew 1:17).

• Both lists meet in Zerubbabel, showing they are two branches of the same sturdy tree.

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Connecting Elioenai’s Family to Jesus

• Elioenai’s sons (v. 24) assure us the Davidic line survived the exile.

• Their era bridges the gap between Zerubbabel’s day and the generations Matthew later names.

• Though Scripture does not record every intervening name in one place, each inspired list adds pieces to the same unbroken chain.

• God’s promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) stayed intact despite exile, obscurity, and centuries of waiting.

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Key Takeaways

• 1 Chronicles 3:24 closes the Old Testament record of David’s descendants, while Matthew 1 opens the New Testament by showing the line fulfilled in Jesus.

• The overlap at Zerubbabel anchors both lists historically and theologically.

• Different branches, same root: both genealogies affirm Jesus as the rightful, literal heir to David’s throne.

• God’s faithfulness in preserving a single family through thousands of years underscores the reliability of every promise He makes.