Matthew 1:8

Josaphat. That is, Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:41-43). Variations in the spelling of names is common in the Bible. Most of the variations in the genealogical list are due to the fact that the names in Matthew’s Greek text appear in the main as they do in the LXX. The translators of the KJV simply transliterated the Greek names instead of going back to the Hebrew names of which these Greek names were a transliteration. Sometimes individuals were also known by different names. Thus Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:6) was also called Jeconiah (1 Chron. 3:16) or Jechonias (Matt. 1:11), on the basis of the Greek text.

Joram begat Ozias. Here Matthew omits the names of three successive kings of Judah between Joram (Jehoram) and Ozias (Uzziah or Azariah; see 1 Chron. 3:11, 12), namely, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. This omission could hardly have been accidental, for the royal genealogy, which appears repeatedly in the OT, was a matter of common knowledge; nor could it have been a copyist’s error (see on Matt. 1:17). It has been suggested that it may have been Matthew’s purpose to reduce the 19 names from Solomon to Jehoiachin to 14, to correspond to the number of generations from Abraham to David (v. 17).

It has also been suggested that Matthew considered these three least worthy of a place in the genealogy of Jesus. Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah were the immediate successors of Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and wife of Joram (2 Chron. 22-25). It was Athaliah who introduced Baal worship into the southern kingdom (see on 2 Kings 11:18), as her mother had into the northern kingdom (see 1 Kings 16:31, 32). Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah all did evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Chron. 22:3, 4; 2 Chron. 24:17, 18; 2 Chron. 25:14), at least in the latter part of their reigns.