From David to Zedekiah, twenty-one kings reigned in Judah, yet in Matthew's list, only fifteen appear. Three of the six omitted, Shallum/Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, were brothers of the same generation following Josiah, but Shallum and Zedekiah are not direct ancestors of Jesus Christ, providing a logical reason for their exclusion. Matthew further skips over Jehoiakim, naming his son Jehoiachin or Jeconiah as Josiah's son, though he is literally his grandson. A renegade queen, Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel, is also excluded from both lists due to her evil actions, including usurping the throne by killing her son Ahaziah's heirs, though some of Judah's most wicked kings remain in Christ's ancestry. Additionally, three other kings listed in I Chronicles 3 are absent from Matthew's genealogy, with uncertainty surrounding their identities due to a confusion of names. The possible excluded kings are either Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, potentially due to their connection to Athaliah, or Joash, Amaziah, and Azariah, better known as Uzziah, perhaps omitted to highlight a shared disastrous flaw. After Solomon, Israel divided into the northern kingdom of Israel with ten tribes and the southern kingdom of Judah with two tribes. The books of Kings primarily record the history of the northern kings, focusing on factual accounts from a human perspective, while Chronicles emphasizes the southern kings of Judah, offering a divine viewpoint with spiritual insights into declines, repentances, deliverances, and reformations. Among the wicked kings included in Matthew's list are Jehoram, whose evil stemmed from a foolish marriage and led to tragic results for Judah, dying unlamented and unburied among other kings; Ahaziah, influenced by his mother Athaliah and her wicked family; and Manasseh, who led Judah into grave sins including astrology, witchcraft, and human sacrifice, yet repented in captivity, though not buried with Judah's kings. Despite their wickedness, these kings remain in Christ's lineage, while three others are excluded, seemingly not for their evil but to draw attention to a vital spiritual lesson. The confusion of names, such as Jehoahaz also called Ahaziah and Azariah, and Uzziah also known as Azariah, complicates identifying the omitted kings, but the assumption holds that Joash, Amaziah, and Uzziah are the excluded ones from Jesus Christ's family tree.

The history of the Kings of Israel and Judah, as recorded in the Scriptures, reveals a complex lineage leading to Jesus Christ, marked by both righteousness and profound wickedness. In I Chronicles 3:10-16, the lineage from Solomon to Zedekiah lists 21 kings, beginning with Rehoboam, followed by Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, and his sons Johanan, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, and Shallum, with Jehoiakim's sons Jeconiah and Zedekiah concluding the list. However, in Matthew 1, only 15 kings are included in the genealogy, omitting certain names for reasons that remain significant. Among those potentially omitted are Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, possibly due to their connection to the wicked queen Athaliah, who usurped the throne by killing potential heirs after her son Ahaziah's death. Another possibility includes Joash, Amaziah, and Uzziah, perhaps to highlight a shared disastrous flaw in their reigns. The confusion of names, such as Ahaziah also being called Jehoahaz and Azariah, and Uzziah also referred to as Azariah, adds complexity to identifying the exact omissions. The books of Kings and Chronicles offer differing perspectives on these rulers. Kings primarily provides a historical record of the northern ten tribes of Israel, focusing on facts from a human viewpoint. Chronicles, however, centers on the southern kingdom of Judah, presenting history from a divine standpoint, revealing God's thoughts through deliverances, repentances, and reformations. Specific kings illustrate the range of character within Christ's ancestry. Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, reigned eight years in Jerusalem, walking in the ways of the evil kings of Israel due to his marriage to Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. His reign began with the murder of his brothers to secure his throne, and he died of a severe intestinal disease, unregretted and not buried among the kings. Ahaziah, his son, also followed the wicked ways of Ahab under his mother Athaliah's influence, doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Manasseh, son of the righteous Hezekiah, reigned 55 years and committed grave abominations, rebuilding high places, worshiping idols, and practicing witchcraft, even setting a carved image in the house of God. Despite his later repentance in captivity, he was not buried with the kings, yet remains in Matthew's list of Christ's ancestors. Joash, Amaziah, and Uzziah, though starting their reigns doing right in the sight of the Lord, faltered significantly. Joash, influenced by the priest Jehoiada, reigned 40 years but turned to idolatry after Jehoiada's death, even ordering the stoning of Zechariah, Jehoiada's son, for prophesying against him. He was assassinated and not buried with the kings. Amaziah, reigning 29 years, initially obeyed God's prophet by dismissing hired troops from Israel, but after a victory over Edom, adopted their gods, rejected further prophetic counsel, and was defeated by Israel, ultimately assassinated. Uzziah, reigning 52 years, prospered under the priest Zechariah's guidance, achieving military and agricultural success, but his pride led him to burn incense in the temple, a role reserved for priests, resulting in leprosy as divine punishment, living isolated until his death. These accounts of the kings, whether righteous or wicked, included or omitted from Matthew's genealogy, underscore the diverse human elements within the lineage leading to Jesus Christ, reflecting a history shaped by both obedience and rebellion.

Those who rank the kings of Judah usually place David and Josiah on the top rank, putting Hezekiah just below, on par with Asa and Jehoshaphat. God devoted more space, eleven whole chapters, to the reign of Hezekiah than to any king other than David. This amount is twice as much as is given to Josiah. Hezekiah did a great deal of good in God's sight and had a repentant attitude, but he was also proud and self-centered due to all the wealth and success that God had given to him. Hezekiah ruled in tumultuous times that required a close relationship with God. Sometimes he was quick to rely on Him, and at other times he turned to Him only when forced into it. The LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others and guided them on every side. Many brought gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter. In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death and he prayed to the LORD and He spoke to him and gave him a sign. Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him for his heart was lifted up. Therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart along with the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. Hezekiah had very great riches and honor for God had given him very much property. Hezekiah stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works. God withdrew from him in order to test him that He might know all that was in his heart. He was a mixed bag showing a measure of faithfulness and humility as well as more than a little pride and carelessness.