The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:20 AM
FAITH: Actor Matthew McConaughey Chose Son's Name Based on He and Wife's Biblical Faith
McConaughey, who has made no secret of his Christian faith, told the hosts of Good Morning America that he and his wife weren’t sure what they were going to name their now nine-year-old child, but when he was born, they decided on Levi because that name had biblical significance for McConaughey.
“Levi's another name for Matthew in the bible,” he said. “We [he and his wife Camila Alves] had talked about possibly Matthew, Jr. if he was a boy. And my favorite [verse] in the bible is Matthew 6:22.”
Matthew 6:22 says: "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”
McConaughey and his wife didn’t find out the sex of their baby till he was born and they still hadn’t decided on a name, but when the doctor told them at what time the baby was born, they realized Levi was perfectly fitting.
“We find out he's a boy when he's born. You're not thinking about the name, right?” he continued. "An hour later, the doctor comes up and he hands you that card to fill out: 'Blank was born at 6:22 p.m.' So we went, 'It's Levi.’''
Christian Today notes that McConaughey also has Matthew 6:22 engraved on his wedding band. The actor has shared that he drifted away from his faith when he first became famous, but he has since returned to that faith, in large part due to his wife’s influence.
