Jeconias begat Salathiel. There is a great difficulty here, which Porphyry, the enemy of Christ and of Christians, was in the habit of bringing forward as insuperable. For this Jeconias, the father of Salathiel, was not the Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, who is spoken of in the preceding verse, but the son of that Jehoiakim, and the grandson of Josiah, and consequently there are only thirteen generations, instead of fourteen, as S. Matthew enumerates.
S. Jerome replies that this Jeconias is a different person from Jeconias, the son of Josiah. The former was Jehoiakim, or Jechonias, and Jeconias by a corruption. The latter is properly Jehoiachin. Josiah begat Jehoiakim, and Jehoiakim begat Jehoiachin. One generation must, therefore, be supplied in this place. "Now Jeconias begat Jechonias," as some Greek and Latin MSS. do read. That what has been said is correct, is clear from 1 Chronicles 3:15, 1 Chronicles 3:16, and2Ki xxiii. and xxiv.
The generation in question was omitted, either by...
But this seems to contradict the genealogy which is read in Chronicles. For there it is said, that Jeconias begot Sala Thiel and Phadaias, and Phadaiasbegot Zorobabel, and Zorobabel Mosollah, Ananias, and Solomith their sister.
He is also Eleazar, i.e. ‘God is my helper,’ as in the seventeenth Psalm, “My God, my helper. "He is also Mathan, that is, ‘giving,’ or, 'given,’ for, “He gave gifts for men;”
But let us see what moral signification these names contain. After Jeconias,which means ‘the preparation of the Lord,’ follows Sala Thiel, i.e. ‘God is my petition,’ for he who is rightly prepared, prays not but of God. Again, he becomes Zorobabel, ‘the master of Babylon,’ that is, of the men of the earth, whom he makes to know concerning God, that He is their Father, which is signified in Abiud.Then that people rise again from their vices, whence follows Eliacim, ‘the resurrection;’ and thence rise to good works, which is Azor, and becomes Sadoch, i.e. ‘righteous;’ and then they are taught the love of their neighbour. He is my brother, which is signified inAchim; and through love to God he says of Him, ‘My God,’ which Eliud signifies.
He is also Jacob, ‘that supplanteth,’ for not only hath He supplanted the Devil, but hath given His power to His faithful people; as, “Behold I have given you power to tread upon serpents.” He is also Joseph, that is, ‘adding, 'according to that, “I came that they might have life, and that they might have it abundantly.”
