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Summary
- Jesus was from the tribe of Judah: Hebrews 7:14 says “it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda”, Juda being the King James spelling of Judah.
- Matthew 1 traces Jesus’s line from Abraham through Judah, David and Solomon to Joseph; Luke 3 runs from Jesus back to Adam through Nathan, David and Judah.
- Jacob’s blessing gave Judah the sceptre (Genesis 49:10), and God chose David from Judah and promised his throne to David’s descendants (Psalm 78:68–70; 2 Samuel 7:12–13).
- Joseph was “of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:4), and through him Jesus was counted in David’s family, though Joseph was not his natural father.
- Scripture does not name Mary’s tribe; Christian writers from very early on, among them Ignatius of Antioch and Augustine, held that she too was descended from David.
- Mary’s relative Elizabeth was “of the daughters of Aaron” (Luke 1:5), of the tribe of Levi, but Hebrews counts Jesus in “another tribe” and makes him a priest “after the order of Melchisedec”.
- Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea and raised in Nazareth of Galilee, and the word “Jew” goes back to the name Judah.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- The Holy Bible, King James Version: Genesis 29:32–35; 35:22; 49:1, 49:9–10, 49:33; Exodus 4:14; 6:23; Numbers 1:18; 2:3; 36:6–8; 2 Samuel 7:12–16; 1 Chronicles 5:1–2; Psalm 78:67–70; 110:4; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:1–6, 1:16; 2:1, 2:21–23; 21:9; Luke 1:5, 1:26–27, 1:32, 1:36; 2:4; 3:23, 3:31–33; John 4:9; 7:41–42; Acts 2:30; Romans 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 7:13–17; Revelation 5:5, via BibleGateway.
- New American Bible, Revised Edition, Matthew 1 with notes, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, bible.usccb.org.
- Strong’s Greek 4773, συγγενής, with Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, Bible Hub.
- Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Ephesians 18, translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 1, New Advent.
- “St. Ignatius of Antioch”, The Catholic Encyclopedia vol. 7 (New York: Robert Appleton, 1910), New Advent.
- The Protoevangelium of James 1 and 10, translated by Alexander Walker, Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 8, New Advent.
- Eusebius, Church History 1.7, with the letter of Julius Africanus, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series vol. 1, New Advent.
- Augustine of Hippo, The Harmony of the Gospels 2.2, translated by S. D. F. Salmond, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series vol. 6, New Advent.
- John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 4.14, translated by E. W. Watson and L. Pullan, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series vol. 9, New Advent.
- Anthony Maas, “The Blessed Virgin Mary”, The Catholic Encyclopedia vol. 15 (New York: Robert Appleton, 1912), New Advent.
- Liz Abrams, “Jesus’ Genealogies in Matthew and Luke”, Answers in Genesis, 23 December 2022, answersingenesis.org.
- “Jew (The Word)”, The Jewish Encyclopedia (New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906), vol. 7, JewishEncyclopedia.com.
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