Matthew 1:14

Sunday, 21 July 2024

 

Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Matthew 1:14

 

“And Azor begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud” (CG).

 

The previous verse ended with, “and Eliakim begot Azor.” The genealogy of Jesus continues next with, “And Azor begot Zadok.”

 

Zadok means Righteous or Just, coming from the word tsadeq, to be just. After him, it says, “and Zadok begot Achim.”

 

Achim means Raised Up or Established, either coming from the Hebrew qum, to arise or stand, or kun, to establish. After him, the list continues with, “and Achim begot Eliud.”

 

Eliud means My God is Majestic or My God is Praise, coming from el, God, and either hod, majesty, or yada, to praise. The “i” is possessive and thus “My God.” These three men were honored to be in the line of David leading to Jesus, other than that, nothing is known of them from a historical perspective.

 

Life application: Sometimes, it is hard to discern exactly what root a name is derived from. This is true in the Hebrew Bible, and so how much more difficult is it when a name is transliterated from Hebrew into Greek. Assumptions must be made as to which root the name is derived from.

 

There are times when an analysis is surely correct, but unless it is absolutely certain, it is good to consider a variety of possibilities. Such studies can lead one into a marvelous tapestry of gleaning information about the Hebrew language, so don’t hesitate to try one.

 

The study of the Bible involves the study of many other things, such as the original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, also numbers, names, types of gemstones, metallurgy, and on and on. There are almost an endless number of avenues in which to study the Bible, so don’t get bogged down or in a rut in your daily reading!

 

Instead, look for new and exciting things to consider. What about trees? One can do an extensive study on the trees in the Bible, gleaning incredible insights into why God selected certain trees. Their wood, their sap, their leaves, and their fruit all can give us insights into what God is conveying to us.

 

Be ready to dive in! Pick a topic and go for it. You will be blessed each time you do.

 

Lord God, Your word is so deep, rich, and magnificent that we can study it all our lives and still find more that we can learn. There seems to be no end to the marvelous tapestry contained within the words, lines, and pages of Your precious word. Help us to study it and revel in it all the days of our lives. Amen.