A Commentary on the New Testament prepared by the Catholic Biblical Association under the patronage of the Episcopal Committee of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, published in 1942, offers the following conclusion and theory on page 34:Therefore, we are justified in concluding that the Evangelist [Matthew] could not have intended the word, “begot,” to have its usual sense here; it seems he meant it rather to signify, “had as a descendant,” or “was succeeded by,” directly or indirectly, in the royal line.
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According to a … theory, Luke gives the actual ancestors of Joseph, while Matthew gives the royal or dynastic table that lists the true heirs to the throne through the centuries even though one line of the dynasty may die out. The line of Solomon would then cease with Jechonias (cf. Jer. 22, 30), and Salathiel, a descendant of David through Nathan according to Luke, succeeded to the royal rights; Salathiel transmitted these rights to his son Zorobabel and the latter in turn to his son Abiud. The line of Abiud became extinct with Jacob, whereupon Joseph (or one of his ancestors) of the line of Resa, another son of Zorobabel according to Luke, could lay just claim to the throne of David. This is merely a theory, of course, since no direct proof can be adduced to verify it. But it is quite in keeping with the normal transmission of royal power, and the loose use of the word “begot” both in Matthew and in the Old Testament makes it at least possible. No serious objection can be raised against it.
Regarding the number of generations in Matthews genealogy, it says of Matthew 1:11, on pages 34-35:**11. ***Josias begot Jechonias *is also the reading of the oldest Greek MSS; but several Greek MSS read: Josias begot Joakim and Joakim begot Jechonias. This latter reading is rejected by all the textural critics as a later correction of some copyist, but it may possibly represent the original reading. According to our text Jechonias must be counted twice to get the required fourteen names in each group, or the Jechonias of 11 must be considered as standing for “Joakim.”
