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Seven Myths About the Exile

 Seven Myths About the Exile

What are you looking forward to?


The Jews were looking forward (and still look forward) to the coming of the Messiah. The word for Messiah in Greek is Christ:


1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, 7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ [Messiah]. Mat 1:1-17, emphasis mine.


  • Why does Matthew structure his genealogy around the exile?


The exile is a key biblical them. I’d like to propose seven myths about the exile:

  1. Exile is not a major theme in the Bible

  2. The very term גלה GaLaH is secular, whereas it's homonym means 'to reveal' and is theological (according to Kittel's TDOT)

  3. It was the people left in the promised land who were the remnant (it was those in Babylon)

  4. The return from exile was a full success (it was partial. The restored temple was much smaller, and those who remembered the old temple wept in sadness Ezr 3:12-13)

  5. Cyrus was a non-Jew and therefore a baddie (he is given the titles 'Messiah' and 'Shepherd' in Isaiah 44:28-45:1 cf. Ezr 1:1-3 and is in fact a goodie as he allowed the Jews to return to Judah)

  6. The Jews have now returned from exile, as they are living in Israel the modern state (set up post 2nd world war by the US and the UK) - Hasidic Jews are still waiting for the Messiah to come and lead them back to the promised land.

  7. We, as Christians, don't have anything to do with exile - Peter disagrees. 

    • 1Pe 1:1-2. 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 

    • Yet we can read vv3-8 and rejoice! 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 
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