The Genealogy of Jesus According to Matthew

[Origen]

I am sure you are aware that there are differences between Matthew and Luke genealogies, and there are other issues aswell. I want to focus on one of those other issues.



The question is why were these four kings omitted?

One might argue that these kings were evil, which they were, and that was the reason they were omitted. However the list contains the names of other kings who were just as evil and their names are not omitted.

For example:
(1) Joram - also spelled Jehoram (2 Kings 8:16-18)
"In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD."

Jehoiachin
(2) Jeconiah - aka Coniah, Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:8-9)
"Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done."


Any thought or theories?

 

[bobinfaith]

Good morning, Origen;

My wife and I are currently studying 2 Kings and read about Amaziah and Joash who did right in the eyes of God while Ahaziah and Jehoiakim did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Why these kings were omitted while other kings were not could be many suggestion for the theories.

I always tended to follow the genealogy of Matthew's biological lineage. But Luke's genealogy goes back to Adam being that Jesus represented all Jews on His father Joseph and Mary's side.

Could it be that both Matthew and Luke write of two genealogies from the Biblical scholars instead of suggesting errors in the Bible? I've always had a problem with errors in the Bible which is ironic to the inerrant Bible.

God bless you, Origen.

 

[Dave F.]

I thought that the lineage given by Matthew was of Mary's line and that of Luke was Joseph's. Matthew mentions 5 women, beginning with Mary.

 

[Origen]

I thought that the lineage given by Matthew was of Mary's line and that of Luke was Joseph's.

I believe you have that backwards. Some have suggested that Luke's Gospel is relating Mary's genealogy.

Matthew mentions 5 women, beginning with Mary.

Matthew does mention five women:
(1) Tamar
(2) Rehab
(3) Ruth
(4) the wife of Uriah (i.e. Bathsheba) Here is another one of those interesting issues I made reference to in the OP. Matthew does not used the name Bathsheba.
(5) Mary

 

[Dave F.]

If one is Joseph's line and the other is Mary's then that could explain why 4 kings are not mentioned.

 

[Origen]

If one is Joseph's line and the other is Mary's then that could explain why 4 kings are not mentioned.

I am not sure how that would help. Luke traces Jesus' line thought David's son Nathan, however Matthew traces the line through David's son Solomon. At that point the two lines diverge.

Here is the royal line according to 1 Chronicles 3:4-19, and the one followed by Matthew except for those four kings.


"4 These six were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months.

David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years, 5 and these were the children born to him there:

Shammua, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon. These four were by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel. 6 There were also Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet—nine in all. 9 All these were the sons of David, besides his sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister.

The Kings of Judah​

10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam,
Abijah his son,
Asa his son,
Jehoshaphat his son,
11 Jehoram his son,
Ahaziah his son,
Joash his son,
12 Amaziah his son,
Azariah his son,
Jotham his son,
13 Ahaz his son,
Hezekiah his son,
Manasseh his son,
14 Amon his son,
Josiah his son.
15 The sons of Josiah:
Johanan the firstborn,
Jehoiakim the second son,
Zedekiah the third,
Shallum the fourth.
16 The successors of Jehoiakim:
Jehoiachin his son,
and Zedekiah.

​

The Royal Line After the Exile​

17 The descendants of Jehoiachin the captive:
Shealtiel his son, 18 Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah.
19 The sons of Pedaiah:
Zerubbabel and Shimei.
The sons of Zerubbabel:
Meshullam and Hananiah.
Shelomith was their sister."