Luke 3:23-38
New Catholic Bible
23 The Genealogy of Jesus.[a] When Jesus began his ministry, he was about thirty years old. He was the son, as it was thought, of Joseph,[b]
the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melchi,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias,
the son of Semein, the son of Josech,
the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan,
the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel,
the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua,
the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim,
the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah,
the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David,
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed,
the son of Boaz, the son of Sala,
the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab,
the son of Admin,
the son of Arni, the son of Hezron,
the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac,
the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah,
36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad,
the son of Shem, the son of Noah,
the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel,
the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Luke 3:23 Luke gives a genealogy that is meant not as a historical document but as the assertion of a legal status. Jesus is linked to Joseph, even though it was known that the link was not one of blood; the reason for doing so is that at that time only men and not women had rights. The genealogy then moves back to David, without following the line of kings. From that point it continues again, not only as far as Abraham, but—and this is the chief novelty of the passage—as far as Adam, who comes from the hand of God. Luke’s intention is to stress the point that Jesus belongs not only to the chosen people but to the entire human race, which he has come to save.
Whereas Matthew specifically mentions three groups of 14 generations, Luke lists 77 names, according to a scheme of sevens. From the beginning of the human race until Jesus there are eleven series of seven (11 x 7). Jesus comes as Messiah in the eschatological stage of history (see 4 Esdras 14:11). - Luke 3:23 It may be helpful to record another interpretation of the difference between this genealogy and that of Matthew: in virtue of the law of the levirate, Joseph (it is said) had two fathers, one biological (Jacob), the other legal (Heli); thus two different lists are used as far back as Shealtiel.
