1Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
2The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3The sons of Gomer were: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.
6The sons of Ham were: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were: Sheba and Dedan. 8Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, “like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh”. 10The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11Out of that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah. 13Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.
15Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth, 16the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad. 19The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon—as you go toward Gerar—to Gaza—as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim—to Lasha. 20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.
21Children were also born to Shem (the elder brother of Japheth), the father of all the children of Eber. 22The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23The sons of Aram were: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber. 25To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan. 26Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30Their dwelling extended from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. 31These are the sons of Shem, by their families, according to their languages, lands, and nations.
32These are the families of the sons of Noah, by their generations, according to their nations. The nations divided from these in the earth after the flood.
Matthew begins his gospel with the "book of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah." The heading is likely referring to the entire Gospel, even though the genealogy is connected to it, and the word genealogy should be taken similar to the family histories (genealogy) given by Moses in the book of Genesis (Gen 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2). This is argued, rightly I believe, by W. Davies and Allison, as given by David Turner (BECNT Mt, 2008):
W. Davies and Allison (1988: 150) argue from the LXX usage of the expression βίβλος γενέσεως (biblos geneseōs, Gen 2:4; 5:1) that this is the title for Matthew’s entire book. They point out that the LXX most frequently uses a different formula, “these are the generations” (αὗται αἱ γενέσεις, hautai hai geneseis), to introduce genealogies (e.g., Gen 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2; Num 3:1), and that the term βίβλος most naturally refers to a “book,” not merely a portion of it. (W. Davies and Allison 1988: 153; cf. Allison 2005b: 157–62).
Genealogies were important to the Jews because they connected them to their people and provided evidence of what tribe to which a person belonged. Matthew's genealogy traces Jesus to Abraham through Jacob, a physical connection that indicated he was a Jew, and through David, demonstrating he legally was an heir to the throne of David through Solomon (though see the study of the curse of Jeconiah below, Matt 1:11).