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Matthew 1:17

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Bible Text

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.

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Maps for this passage

The Holy Land in the Time of JesusThe Holy Land in the time of Jesus, showing Galilee, Samaria, Judea and the territories under Herod's rule.

Historical maps are public-domain atlas plates, digitized by Wikimedia Commons.

Babylon was the capital of the Babylonian Empire in Mesopotamia, where Judah’s people were exiled after Jerusalem fell in 586 BC. In Matthew’s genealogy, the exile marks a decisive turning point: despite covenant judgment and loss, God preserved David’s line until the coming of Christ.

Places in this passage

Matthew 1:17 mentions Babylon.

Babylon · Radomir Vrbovsky

Place data & photos: OpenBible.info (CC BY). Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.