A genealogy is a list which records a person's ancestors or descendants. Such lists were very important in determining who had the right to be king, because the king's authority was usually passed down or inherited from his father. It was also common for any important person to have a recorded genealogy.
#### Important figures of speech in this chapter ####
##### Use of the passive voice #####
The passive voice is used very purposefully in this chapter to indicate that Jesus was not conceived through a sexual relationship. Here, the passive voice presents the Holy Spirit as the one who began Mary's conception of the baby Jesus. Because many languages do not have a passive voice, translators must find other ways to present the same truths. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])