- See Also Jesus Christ, Royal Birthright of - Genealogy in the Gospel in Matthew
- See Also Jesus Christ, Jewish Parentage of - Genealogy in the Gospel in Luke
Have you ever wondered why the two genealogies of Jesus Christ listed in the New Testament are so different? Both of them trace is heritage to King David.
Matthew's shorter list follows the descent of righteous kings from Solomon of Judah and appears to skip generations of wicked rulers as well as covering nearly 600 years from the Babylonia Captivity to Jesus in only 12 generations (everyone was 50 years old when having their firstborn child?). It appears to be Joseph's genealogy.
Luke's longer list appears to be true parentage of Mary. It assumes that under Judaic law, Heli, had no male heirs and therefore is son-in-law (Joseph) would inherit his "kingdom". And each descendant is described as "son of ...". The only exception here is the link from Joseph to his father-in-law, Heli.
The consensus of judgment on the part of investigators is that Matthew’s account is that of the royal lineage, establishing the order of sequence among the legal successors to the throne of David, while the account given by Luke is a personal pedigree, demonstrating descent from David without adherence to the line of legal succession to the throne through primogeniture or nearness of kin.a Luke’s record is regarded by many, however, as the pedigree of Mary, while Matthew’s is accepted as that of Joseph.
Luke's Narrative
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Source: Gospel of Luke 3:23-38 - KJV Translation
Ancestral Table
While Luke begins his list with Adam as the Son of God, creating 77 generations from God to Jesus, we begin with Adam, so that numbering of each generation is in sync with the ancient Genesis Patriarchs of the Old Testament. It also uses the Old Testament timeline that begins counting years from the Creation of Adam.
Note also that the 42 generations from King David (born c. 1070 BC) to Jesus (born c. 01 BC) would imply that the first son would be born on average 24.75 years after the birth of his father.
Timeline from the Creation of Adam:
- Adam (1-930) - First Man, lived 930 years (Gen 5:1-4)
- Seth (130-1042) - born after Abel was killed, lived 912 years (Gen 5:1-6)
- Enos (235-1140) - lived 905 years (Gen 5:6-11)
- Cainan (325-1235) (Wiki: Kenan) (Gen 5:9-14)
- Mahalaleel (395-1290) Born 395 / Died 1290 (Gen 5:12-17)
- Jared (460-1422) - lived 962 years. (Gen 5:15-20)
- Enoch (622-987) - "taken by God" after 365 years. (Gen 5:18-24)
- Methuselah (687-1656) (dies in same year as the flood) Lived 969 years (Gen. 5:21-27)
- Lamech (874-1651) Lived 777 years (Gen. 5:28-31)
- Noah (1056-2006) - prophet of the Great Flood which occurred in his 600th year. He then lived 350 years afterwards.
- Shem (1558-2158) - Genesis 11:10 records that Shem was 100 years old at the birth of Arphaxad, two years after the flood; and that he lived for another 500 years after this, making his age at death 600 years.
- Arphaxad (1658-2096) - (Gen 11:13) lived 438 years. Born two years after the Flood.
- Salah (1693-2126) - (Gen 11:15) lived 433 years.
- Eber (1723-2187) - (Gen 11:17) lived 464 years.
- Peleg (1757-1996) - (Gen 11:19) lived 239 years. Lived during Tower of Babel when "Earth was divided".
- Reu (1787-2026) - (Gen 11:21) lived 239 years.
- Serug (1819-2049) - (Gen 11:23) lived 230 years.
- Nahor (1849-1997) - (Gen 11:25) lived 148 years.
- Terah (1878-2083) - (Gen 11:32) lived 205 years.
- Abraham (1948-2123) = (Gen 25:7) lived 175 years "an hundred threescore and fifteen years."
- Isaac (2048-2228) - (Gen 17:19-20) Isaac born when Abraham was 100 years old. He lived 180 years (Gen 35:28)
- Jacob - Patriarch / namesake of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
- Judah - Patriarch / namesake of the tribe of Judah
- Perez - (1 Chr 2:4)
- Herzon - (1 Chr 2:5)
- Ram - (1 Chr 2:9)
- Amminadab - (1 Chr 2:10) (Sistine chapel fresco by Michaelangelo)
- Nahshon - his sister married the Prophet Aaron. Commander of the Tribe of Judah during the Exodus (Numbers 2:3).
- Salmon - participant in the Exodus
- Boaz - Prince of Judah featured in the Book of Ruth
- Obed
- Jesse-
- King David - King of Israel & Judah (died circa 970 B.C.)
- Nathan (born c. 1015 BC)
- Mattatha c. 991 BC
- Menan c. 966 BC
- Melea c. 941 BC
- Eliakim c. 916 BC
- Jonam c. 892 BC
- Joseph c. 867 BC
- Judah c. 842 BC
- Simeon c. 817 BC
- Levi c. 793 BC
- Matthat c. 768 BC
- Jorim c. 743 BC
- Eliezer c. 718 BC
- Jose c. 694 BC
- Er c. 669 BC
- Elmodam c. 644 BC
- Cosam c. 619 BC
- Addi c. 595 BC
- Melchi c. 570 BC
- Neri c. 545 BC
- Salathiel c. 520 BC
- Zorobabel c. 496 BC
- Rhesa c. 471 BC
- Joannan c. 446 BC
- Juda c. 421 BC
- Joseph c. 397 BC
- Semei c. 374 BC
- Mattathias c. 347 BC
- Maath c. 322 BC
- Nagge c. 298 BC
- Esli c. 273 BC
- Naum c. 248 BC
- Amos c. 223 BC
- Mattathias c. 199 BC
- Joseph c. 174 BC
- Jannai c. 149 BC
- Melchi c. 124 BC
- Levi c. 100 BC
- Matthat c. 74 BC
- Heli c.50 BC
- Joseph (born c. 25 BC), son of Jacob, son-in-law to Heli ben Matthat. Carpenter by trade.
- Jesus the Christ - Christian world Messiah and Savior, (born c. 01 BC)
Biblical Prophecies
In the Christian world, the birth and genealogy of Christ is significant in its fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. It is also significant that Jesus, being the Son of God, a perfect man, would also know his genealogy perfectly and passed that information on to his disciples who recorded it in the New Testament.
Old Testament Prophecies
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness. For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. (Book of Jeremiah 33:15-18)
- David was the son of … Jesse, 1 Sam. 17:12.
- I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever, 2 Sam. 7:13.
- Thy seed will I establish for ever, Ps. 89:4.
- fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne, Ps. 132:11.
- will I make the horn of David to bud, Ps. 132:17.
- rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch, Isa. 11:1 (2 Ne. 21:1).
- cause the Branch … to grow up unto David, Jer. 33:15.
New Testament Prophecies
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. Gospel of Matthew 22:41-46)
- Is not this the son of David, Matt. 12:23.
- whose son is he … The Son of David, Matt. 22:42.
- God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, Luke 1:32.
- Christ cometh of the seed of David, John 7:42 (Rom. 1:3).
- of the fruit of his loins … he would raise up Christ, Acts 2:30.
- Of this man’s seed hath God … raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus, Acts 13:23.
- root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign, Rom. 15:12.
- I am the root and the offspring of David, Rev. 22:16.
See also 1 Sam. 16:1; Ps. 89:27; Isa. 4:2; Luke 3:23.
Missing Cainan
Luke inserts a generation "Cainan" between Arphaxad and Salah, which is not found in the corresponding Genesis record (Gen 11:15).
35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,(Luke 3:35-36}
Cainan (from Hebrew: קֵינָן Kênān) is mentioned in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Book of Genesis, the Book of Jubilees and the genealogy of Jesus given in Luke 3:36 in the New Testament. He is described as a son of Arpachshad and father of Salah, who lived in the time between Noah and Abraham. A patriarch of a similar name is mentioned in all versions of Genesis as living before the flood.
The post-diluvian Cainan doesn't appear in the Hebrew Masoretic text of Genesis, where Arpachshad is noted as the father of Salah. He is also omitted from the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus. Early Christian writers Irenaeus and Eusebius of Caesarea believed his presence to be an error mainly on the basis of his omission from the Masoretic (Hebrew) version and many subsequent interpreters followed this. However Helen Jacobus has argued that the omission from the Masoretic text is deliberate. [1]
References
- 2 Chr 28 - Biblical Record of the Reign of King Ahaz
- Gospel of Matthew Ch 1
- Gospel of Luke Ch 3
- Hezekiah - LDS Bible Dictionary
- Hezekiah - Wikipedia
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