Matthew 1:1, 16 · KJV
“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham… And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”
Matthew 1 and Luke 3 · KJV genealogy study
Jesus’ genealogies:
two records, one promised Christ
Follow Matthew’s royal line from Abraham through David and Solomon, then Luke’s line backward through David and Nathan to Adam and God. The agreements, differences, women named by Matthew, and limits of proposed explanations remain visible.
The Gospel introductions
Matthew begins with Abraham; Luke reaches Adam
Luke 3:23, 38 · KJV
“And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli… Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.”
Matthew moves forward with repeated “begat” statements and frames Jesus as David’s royal heir and Abraham’s promised seed. Luke moves backward and carries the line beyond Abraham to Adam, placing Jesus’ ministry within the history of the whole human family.
Matthew’s ordered record
Abraham to Christ in three numbered divisions
Matthew 1:17 arranges the record around Abraham, David, the carrying away into Babylon, and Christ. The names below preserve the KJV spellings. Matthew changes the wording at the conclusion: Joseph does not beget Jesus; he is Mary’s husband, and Jesus is born of her.
Division 114 generations
Abraham to David
Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → Judas → Phares → Esrom → Aram → Aminadab → Naasson → Salmon → Booz → Obed → Jesse → David the king
Division 214 generations
David to Babylon
Solomon → Roboam → Abia → Asa → Josaphat → Joram → Ozias → Joatham → Achaz → Ezekias → Manasses → Amon → Josias → Jechonias
Division 314 generations
Babylon to Christ
Jechonias → Salathiel → Zorobabel → Abiud → Eliakim → Azor → Sadoc → Achim → Eliud → Eleazar → Matthan → Jacob → Joseph → Jesus, who is called Christ
Matthew’s counted structureMatthew states fourteen generations in each division. Jechonias stands at the carrying-away boundary and is displayed at the end of the second division and the beginning of the third. Biblical genealogies may be selective, and Matthew’s royal list omits some names known from Kings and Chronicles; its inspired arrangement must not be silently expanded and then recounted as though Matthew had printed every intervening generation.
Women named in Matthew
Thamar, Rachab, Ruth, Urias’s wife, and Mary
Thamar · Rachab and Ruth · Urias’s wife · Mary ·
Matthew 1:3
King James Version“And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;”Read the full chapter →Tap the reference again to close.Matthew 1:5
King James Version“And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;”Read the full chapter →Tap the reference again to close.Matthew 1:6
King James Version“And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;”Read the full chapter →Tap the reference again to close.Matthew 1:16
King James Version“And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”Read the full chapter →Tap the reference again to close.Matthew unusually includes women within the genealogy and concludes with a deliberate grammatical change at Mary. The record therefore preserves both Jesus’ legal place in Joseph’s Davidic house and the Gospel’s testimony that Jesus was born of Mary.
Luke’s complete backward line
Jesus through Nathan, Abraham, and Adam
Repeated names are retained because they represent separate places in the record.
Line 1Luke 3
Jesus ← Joseph ← Heli ← Matthat ← Levi ← Melchi ← Janna ← Joseph ← Mattathias ← Amos ← Naum ← Esli ← Nagge
Line 2Luke 3
Maath ← Mattathias ← Semei ← Joseph ← Juda ← Joanna ← Rhesa ← Zorobabel ← Salathiel ← Neri ← Melchi ← Addi ← Cosam
Line 3Luke 3
Elmodam ← Er ← Jose ← Eliezer ← Jorim ← Matthat ← Levi ← Simeon ← Juda ← Joseph ← Jonan ← Eliakim ← Melea
Line 4Luke 3
Menan ← Mattatha ← Nathan ← David ← Jesse ← Obed ← Booz ← Salmon ← Naasson ← Aminadab ← Aram ← Esrom ← Phares
Line 5Luke 3
Juda ← Jacob ← Isaac ← Abraham ← Thara ← Nachor ← Saruch ← Ragau ← Phalec ← Heber ← Sala ← Cainan ← Arphaxad
Line 6Luke 3
Sem ← Noe ← Lamech ← Mathusala ← Enoch ← Jared ← Maleleel ← Cainan ← Enos ← Seth ← Adam ← God
Side-by-side comparison
Where the records join—and where they differ
DirectionMatthew · Luke
Matthew: Abraham forward to Jesus
Luke: Jesus backward to Adam and God
Davidic branchMatthew · Luke
Matthew: Through Solomon
Luke: Through Nathan
Joseph’s recorded fatherMatthew · Luke
Matthew: Jacob
Luke: Heli
Shared post-exile namesMatthew · Luke
Matthew: Salathiel and Zorobabel
Luke: Salathiel and Zorobabel
Opening emphasisMatthew · Luke
Matthew: Jesus as son of David and son of Abraham
Luke: Jesus identified as the Son of God before the genealogy
Both records join Jesus with Joseph, David, Abraham, and the ancient covenant story, but they diverge after David: Matthew follows Solomon while Luke follows Nathan. They also give different immediate ancestry for Joseph—Jacob in Matthew and Heli in Luke—and converge again at Salathiel and Zorobabel before separating once more.
Interpretive boundaries
What the text states—and what explanations propose
Joseph’s legal line
Matthew’s royal succession through Solomon is commonly understood as Jesus’ legal Davidic line through Joseph. Matthew explicitly identifies Joseph as Mary’s husband.
Mary-line proposal
Many readers understand Luke to preserve Mary’s ancestry through Heli, with Joseph named as son-in-law. Luke itself does not name Mary or use the word “son-in-law” in the genealogy.
Levirate proposal
An ancient explanation proposes that Jacob and Heli belonged to one family through a levirate marriage, allowing Joseph to have a natural and a legal father. The Gospels do not narrate that marriage.
Read both chapters