Ἰησοῦ (Iesou) in Matthew 1:1: Noun Genitive Singular Masculine
Ἰησοῦ (Iesou) in Matthew 1:1
Textual Witness
The witness reads 'Ἰησοῦ' in Matthew 1:1 within the Textus Receptus tradition, so the form is securely tied to this opening genealogy line.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form supports a relational reading of the opening line, helping the verse communicate that Jesus is the central named figure in the genealogy.
How To Communicate It
In teaching or translation notes, this form can be described as naming Jesus within a genitive chain that frames the genealogy, while the context carries the main sense.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Genitive case can indicate relationship, but the exact nuance must be taken from the phrase and verse, not from the ending alone.
- Masculine grammatical gender describes the noun form and does not, by itself, make a theological gender claim.
What Does The Label Mean?
Noun: the word names a person, and here it identifies Jesus as a named figure in the opening of the genealogy.
Genitive: the form usually marks a relationship of reference, possession, or connection, and here it is tied to the surrounding chain of names.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence, presenting one individual rather than a group.
Masculine: the noun belongs to the masculine grammatical class, which describes form and not a theological gender claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
It stands in the phrase 'Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ'.
It is governed by the genitive construction around 'γενέσεως' and the naming sequence that follows, so it contributes to the linked identification of the one named.
It functions as part of the opening identification of the subject of the genealogy, naming Jesus within the possessive or relational wording of the heading.
It does not by itself supply a separate action, verb, or full clause, and it does not require a special theological meaning beyond the context.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The genitive proper name identifies Jesus within the opening genealogy heading of Matthew.
Genitive singular proper name in a genealogy heading. marks Jesus as the named person whose genealogy is being introduced. Attached to the opening book/genealogy phrase in Matthew 1:1. Governed by the heading that names the line of Jesus Christ. The form helps frame the genealogy while the wider heading supplies the David and Abraham connections.
Whose genealogy is being introduced? The genitive names Jesus Christ as the central person introduced in the heading.
Direct: The genitive supports wording such as "of Jesus Christ" in the genealogy heading.
The genitive belongs to a larger heading and should be read with the Davidic and Abrahamic descriptors. The case identifies relation in the heading but does not by itself explain the full messianic claim.
Genitive case alone proves the messianic argument: The grammar names the relation; the genealogy and Gospel context carry the messianic argument. proper-name inflection changes the identity of Jesus: The form is the genitive of the same proper name and does not change the lexical identity.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads 'Ἰησοῦ' in Matthew 1:1 within the Textus Receptus tradition, so the form is securely tied to this opening genealogy line.
The lemma is Ἰησοῦς, the name Jesus, and the form does not change that lexical identity.
In context, the genitive form works with 'γενέσεως' and the following names to express a relational heading, not an isolated statement.
The verse introduces the book as the account of Jesus Christ's lineage, linking him to David and Abraham in the opening framing of the Gospel.
This naming supports the broader canonical presentation of Jesus as the promised descendant in the story of Israel.
For readers, the form helps signal that the verse is introducing identity and descent, so the sentence should be heard as a genealogical heading.
Do not derive a standalone doctrinal claim from the case ending alone, and do not treat the masculine form as a claim about divine gender.