Abraham begat Isaac.

The evangelist begins his genealogy with Abraham because he was the father of the Jews, and because he was the first to receive the promise that "in his seed all nations will be blessed." And so, it is fitting to begin from him the genealogy of Christ, for Christ is the seed of Abraham, in whom all of us who were pagans and were formerly under a curse received a blessing. Abraham means "father of tongues", and Isaac means "joy", "laughter". The Evangelist does not mention the illegitimate children of Abraham, for example, Ishmael and others, because the Jews did not descend from them, but from Isaac.

Isaac begat Jacob; And Jacob begat Judah and his brethren.

You see that Matthew mentioned Judah and his brethren because from them came the twelve tribes.

And Judah begat Perez and Zarah by Tamar.

Judah gave Tamar in marriage to Er, one of his sons; but when this one died childless, he married her to Ainan, who was also his son. When this one also lost his life for his shame, Judas no longer united her in marriage with anyone. But she, greatly desiring to have children by the seed of Abraham, laid off the garment of widowhood, took the form of a harlot, mingled with her father-in-law, and conceived by him two twin children. When the time came for childbirth, the first of the sons showed his hand from the bed, as if he would be the first to be born. The midwife immediately marked the child's hand with a red thread so that it would be possible to recognize the one who would be born first. But the child dragged his hand into the womb, and first another child was born, and then the one who first showed his hand. Wherefore he who was born first was called Pharez, which means "interruption," because he had disturbed the order of nature, and he who had drawn away the hand was called Zarojah. This story points to some mystery. As Zara first showed his hand, and then drew it away again, so also the dwelling in Christ: it was revealed in the saints who lived before the law and circumcision, for all of them were justified not by the observance of the law and the commandments, but by the life of the Gospel. Look at Abraham, who for God's sake left his father and home and denied his nature. Look at Job, Melchizedek. But when the law came, such a life was hidden, but as there after the birth of Perez, Zara came out of the womb again, so after the giving of the law, the life of the Gospel later shone forth, sealed with the red thread, that is, with the blood of Christ. The Evangelist mentioned these two babies because their birth meant something mysterious. In addition, although Tamar does not seem to deserve praise for having mingled with her father-in-law, she was mentioned by the Evangelist in order to show that Christ, who took everything for us, received such ancestors. More precisely, in order to sanctify them by the fact that He Himself was born of them, for He did not come "to call the righteous, but sinners."

And Perez begat Hezron. And Hezrom begat Aram, and Aram begat Aminadab. And Aminadab begat Nahshon. And Nahshon begat Salmon. Salmon begat Boaz by Rahab.