This article is part of a series of alleged “contradictions” in the Bible. So let’s get into it!

Matthew 1:17 is clear on how many generations are between the end of the exile of the Jews in Babylon and Christ’s birth. However, if you count the names one by one in Matthew 1, you may only count 13 names. Let’s look at what Matthew 1:17 says:

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Matthew 1:17

However, if you read the text and count the names starting with the son of Jeconiah to Jesus, you will get a different answer, 13 generations. However, this is not a contradiction at all, as people who say there is an error here do not count Jeconiah.

This is because Jeconiah was born before the end of the exile, but he also lived to see through it.

and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
1After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Matthew 1:11-12

So the answer here is clear, there are 14 generations, and if you count starting with Jeconiah and count through Jesus, you will get 14 generations.

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