αὐτοῦ, (autou) in Matthew 1:11: Genitive Singular Masculine
αὐτοῦ, (autou) in Matthew 1:11
Textual Witness
The Textus Receptus reads αὐτοῦ in Matthew 1:11, within the phrase καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form mainly clarifies reference, showing that the brothers belong to the named line and strengthening the genealogy's internal connection.
How To Communicate It
This form can be communicated as 'his' in English, with the note that the genitive here expresses relationship within the sentence rather than ownership as a legal claim.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- The masculine label is grammatical agreement, not a theological gender statement.
- If syntax is uncertain, state the most conservative relationship the phrase can bear.
What Does The Label Mean?
Pronoun: the word stands in for a referent already identified in the sentence context.
Genitive: the form usually marks a dependent relationship, here tying the pronoun to the preceding noun phrase.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence and points to one referent as the source of the relationship.
Masculine: the form is grammatically masculine, which signals agreement with the antecedent and does not by itself make a theological gender claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
It is attached to the noun phrase τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς.
The genitive pronoun most naturally depends on the brother phrase and identifies whose brothers are meant in the line.
It functions as a possessive or relational modifier, specifying the brothers as belonging to the named ancestor in the genealogy.
It does not create a new subject, and it does not by itself change the meaning of brothers into a different kind of relationship.
How Much The Form Matters Here
Moderate: The genitive pronoun connects the brothers to the named figure in the genealogy.
Genitive singular masculine pronoun. marks the brothers as related to the named ancestor. Attached to the brothers phrase. Governed by the genealogy's kinship wording. The pronoun clarifies reference inside the genealogy line.
Whose brothers are in view? The brothers are related to the named figure in that genealogy line.
Direct: The pronoun directly supports his brothers.
Genitive relation should be read with the kinship noun. Masculine agreement follows the referent. The form clarifies genealogy reference, not a broader kinship doctrine.
Genitive means legal possession only: The genitive marks kinship relation in this phrase. pronoun changes genealogy structure: The pronoun connects the brothers to the line and does not create a new generation.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The Textus Receptus reads αὐτοῦ in Matthew 1:11, within the phrase καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ.
The lemma αὐτός commonly functions as a reference word, here in an oblique form that points back to an already named person.
In this sentence the genitive singular masculine form most naturally expresses belonging or association with the antecedent, not a separate action or subject.
The verse says Josiah begat Jechoniah and his brothers in the time of the Babylonian deportation, so the pronoun helps identify which brothers are in view.
In genealogical contexts, such reference words often keep the line moving by tying one person to the next without repeating the full name.
For readers and translators, the form supports a clear English rendering such as 'his brothers' while leaving the larger historical and genealogical sense intact.
Do not derive a new theology, a different antecedent, or a special emphasis beyond the contextual link the sentence requires.