In my January 11th blog, I shared a little about why I believed the genealogies of Jesus were different (as listed in Matthew and Luke) and “why it mattered to me.”
Later that day, I received FABULOUS feedback from a very kind and knowledgeable reader. Though her opinion was different than mine, she was incredibly gracious in the way she presented her opinion.
She’d done extensive research on the subject, and her explanation rang true in my spirit because she used the Truth of the Old Testament to explain the Truth of the New Testament. I hope you enjoy this “alternative perspective” as much as I did!
The Two Genealogies
“Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli…the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David…” Luke 3:23–31
“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers…Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam.” Matthew 1:1–7
Reader’s Feedback
I was very interested in your recent blog about the lineage of Jesus. I did extensive research on the differences between Matthew and Luke’s accounts for a Bible study I teach, once that question came up. There is a third reason put forth by scholars, that I believe to be the most plausible.
Could Joseph have had 2 fathers? Yes.
Deuteronomy 25:5 says:
“If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.”
Solomon & His Wives
It is possible that Nathan, Solomon’s brother, died without a son. None is mentioned in the Old Testament. The last specific mention of Nathan appears in 1 Chronicles 14:4:
“Now these are the names of his children which he had in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.”
Solomon had many wives, and could have married Nathan’s widow to produce an heir in Nathan’s name. The list in Matthew is the list showing the lineage through the kingly line of David and Solomon (which he was). The one in Luke shows the list through the customary lineage of Nathan.
Mesu’s Comments:
Don’t you think this is totally plausible? I won’t bore you by repeating my comments from the 1/11/21 blog post, but I LOVE it when readers come up with research that gives new insight to what I’ve found in my world.
Thank you, Joanne, for permission to share your findings! 😀
