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Summary
- Luke 3:23–38 lists 67 names from Noah to Jesus, 66 generations, and runs on to Adam and God.
- Jesus descends from Noah’s son Shem, through Arphaxad, Eber, Terah and Abraham (Genesis 11:10–26; 1 Chronicles 1:24–27).
- Luke includes Cainan between Arphaxad and Salah, as the Greek Septuagint does; the Hebrew Genesis 11 and 1 Chronicles do not, and whether the name was added to the Greek or lost from the Hebrew is debated.
- Matthew 1 starts at Abraham and runs through Solomon; Luke runs through David’s son Nathan, and the two name different fathers for Joseph.
- Julius Africanus explained the difference by levirate marriage, and John of Damascus followed him; Augustine first proposed adoption, then corrected himself toward the levirate view; others read Luke’s list as Mary’s line.
- Matthew arranges his names in three sets of fourteen; the second set leaves out three kings listed in 1 Chronicles 3:11–12.
- Matthew names four women, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Mary, and refers to Bathsheba as the wife of Uriah.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- The Holy Bible, King James Version: Genesis 9:26; 11:10; 11:12; 22:18; Deuteronomy 25:6; 2 Samuel 5:14; 7:2; 1 Chronicles 1:24–27; 3:11–12; Matthew 1:1–17; Luke 1:32; 3:23–38. Old Testament spellings checked against Ruth 4:18–22, Genesis 29:35 and Haggai 1:1. Text from Bible Gateway.
- New American Bible, Revised Edition, with notes: Matthew 1, Luke 3 and Genesis 11. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Matthew 1, Luke 3, Genesis 11.
- The Septuagint in English, trans. Lancelot C. L. Brenton: Genesis 11. eBible.org
- Eusebius, Church History 1.7, quoting Julius Africanus, Letter to Aristides, trans. Arthur Cushman McGiffert. New Advent
- Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 3.22, trans. Alexander Roberts and William Rambaut. New Advent
- Augustine, The Harmony of the Gospels 2.3–4, trans. S. D. F. Salmond. Chapter 3, chapter 4, New Advent. With the editors’ note on Augustine’s Retractations 2.16, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, vol. 6, ed. Philip Schaff. Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
- Augustine, The City of God 16.10, trans. Marcus Dods. New Advent
- John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 4.14, trans. E. W. Watson and L. Pullan. New Advent
- John Chrysostom, Homily 3 on Matthew, trans. George Prevost, rev. M. B. Riddle. New Advent
- James Howlett, “Biblical Chronology”, The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 3 (1908). New Advent
- Liz Abrams, “Jesus’ Genealogies in Matthew and Luke”, Answers in Genesis, 23 December 2022. answersingenesis.org
- Associates for Biblical Research, “Statement on Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Chronologies”, 7 June 2019. biblearchaeology.org
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