Genealogies from David to Jesus
According to Luke
- David
- Natha
- Mattatha
- Menan
- Melea
- Eliakim
- Jonan
- Joseph
- Juda
- Simeon
- Levi
- Matthat
- Jorim
- Elizier
- Jose
- Er
- Elmodan
- Cosam
- Addi
- Melchi
- Neri
- Salathiel
- Zorabable
- Rhesa
- Joanna
- Juda
- Joseph
- Semei
- Mattathias
- Maath
- Nagge
- Esli
- Naum
- Amos
- Mattathias
- Joseaph
- Janna
- Melchi
- Levi
- Matthat
- Heli
- Joseph
- Jesus
According to Matthew
- David
- Solomon
- Roboam
- Abia
- Asa
- Josaphat
- Joram
- Ozias
- Joatham
- Achaz
- Ezekias
- Manasses
- Amon
- Josias
- Jechonias
- Salathiel
- Zorababel
- Abiud
- Eliakim
- Azor
- Sadoc
- Achim
- Eliud
- Eleazar
- Matthan
- Jacob
- Joseph
- Jesus
Genealogies become important during the Babylonian Captivity. The exiled priestly and ruling classes of Judah decide that YHWH brought the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple because of marriage to unclean local women, through whom worship of other gods spread. Thus, they each have to show their own genealogical purity by inventing a family tree that stretches back to David. This rejection of aliens is also the origin of the intense xenophobia that is still a hallmark of Judaism today.
Another, perhaps even more fundamental, motive for these genealogies is their use in asserting claim to the land in Judah lost to the unclean lower classes during the Exile. Still, the root cause for early Christians to assert the Davidic origin of Jesus is the prophecy that the Messiah will spring from David’s line.
It’s interesting to note that Luke’s genealogy lists the father of Salathiel, the king-in-exile during the Babylonian Captivity, not as Jeconias, the king of Judah before him, but as Neri, an otherwise unknown individual with a unisex Hebrew name meaning “my candle.”
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