What Does Matthew 1:10 Mean in the King James?

And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

Matthew 1:10 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The Greek verb behind each “begat” belongs to the same family as words for generation, lineage, and coming into being: this is a chain of origins.

THE MEANING

You are looking at a chain in which each life is received and also becomes the source of another. Manasses bears the name-nature ⁨מְנַשֶּׁה⁩ (Menasheh), “causing to forget,” from ⁨נָשָׁה⁩ (nashah), “to forget”; the lineage carries meanings as well as descent.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

This undoes the belief that a person is self-originating: each named life enters through a chain of begetting.

THE ROOT

ἐγέννησεν

egennēsen

GROWS FROM

γεν

The Greek stem ⁨γεν-⁩ (gen-) carries the sense of bringing forth or coming into being.

English makes “begat” sound like a narrow genealogical formula; the Greek ⁨γεν-⁩ (gen-) family also names generation, lineage, and coming into being. Each repeated act is both a link in the line and an origin for what follows.

ALSO GROWS

genea: Generation or lineage.

γενεά

It names the generational chain that the repeated begetting lays out.

genos: Kin, stock, or kind.

γένος

It shows how begetting forms a lineage whose members share an origin.

genesis: Birth, origin, or coming into being.

γένεσις

It names the emergence carried by each act of bringing forth.

THE PATTERN

Begetting marks an origin that brings another life into a continuing line.

And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

Genesis 5:3 · KJVA life received from Adam becomes the next link in a line of descent.

Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

Ruth 4:18 · KJVThe genealogy presents each act of begetting as the beginning of another generation.

For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

1 Corinthians 4:15 · KJVBegetting describes a generative bond that brings another into a shared lineage.

THE THREAD

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:6 · KJV

John uses the same ⁨γεννάω⁩ (gennaō) word family for what is born. The root opens Matthew’s genealogy to the idea that an origin carries life forward, with the source shaping what is brought forth.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us