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Genealogy of Jesus

Matthew 1 and Luke 3 side by side: 41 names from Abraham to Jesus in Matthew, and 77 from Jesus to God in Luke, with the people both lists share, the kings Matthew leaves out, and the women he names.

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Matthew and Luke compared

Matthew 1:1–17 · through Solomon

  1. Abraham (in both)
  2. Isaac (in both)
  3. Jacob (in both)
  4. Judah (in both) (Judas, Juda)
  5. Perez (in both) (Phares)
  6. Hezron (in both) (Esrom)
  7. Ram (in both) (Aram)
  8. Amminadab (in both) (Aminadab)
  9. Nahshon (in both) (Naasson)
  10. Salmon (in both)
  11. Boaz (in both) (Booz)
  12. Obed (in both)
  13. Jesse (in both)
  14. David (in both)
  15. Solomon
  16. Rehoboam (Roboam)
  17. Abijah (Abia)
  18. Asa
  19. Jehoshaphat (Josaphat)
  20. Joram
  21. Uzziah (Ozias)
  22. Jotham (Joatham)
  23. Ahaz (Achaz)
  24. Hezekiah (Ezekias)
  25. Manasseh (Manasses)
  26. Amon
  27. Josiah (Josias)
  28. Jechoniah (Jechonias)
  29. Shealtiel (in both) (Salathiel)
  30. Zerubbabel (in both) (Zorobabel)
  31. Abiud
  32. Eliakim
  33. Azor
  34. Zadok (Sadoc)
  35. Achim
  36. Eliud
  37. Eleazar
  38. Matthan
  39. Jacob
  40. Joseph (in both)
  41. Jesus (in both)

Luke 3:23–38 · through Nathan

  1. Jesus (in both)
  2. Joseph (in both)
  3. Heli
  4. Matthat
  5. Levi
  6. Melchi
  7. Jannai (Janna)
  8. Joseph
  9. Mattathias
  10. Amos
  11. Nahum (Naum)
  12. Esli
  13. Naggai (Nagge)
  14. Maath
  15. Mattathias
  16. Semein (Semei)
  17. Josech (Joseph)
  18. Joda (Juda)
  19. Joanan (Joanna)
  20. Rhesa
  21. Zerubbabel (in both) (Zorobabel)
  22. Shealtiel (in both) (Salathiel)
  23. Neri
  24. Melchi
  25. Addi
  26. Cosam
  27. Elmadam (Elmodam)
  28. Er
  29. Joshua (Jose)
  30. Eliezer
  31. Jorim
  32. Matthat
  33. Levi
  34. Simeon
  35. Judah (Juda)
  36. Joseph
  37. Jonam (Jonan)
  38. Eliakim
  39. Melea
  40. Menna (Menan)
  41. Mattatha
  42. Nathan
  43. David (in both)
  44. Jesse (in both)
  45. Obed (in both)
  46. Boaz (in both) (Booz)
  47. Salmon (in both)
  48. Nahshon (in both) (Naasson)
  49. Amminadab (in both) (Aminadab)
  50. Ram (in both) (Aram)
  51. Hezron (in both) (Esrom)
  52. Perez (in both) (Phares)
  53. Judah (in both) (Judas, Juda)
  54. Jacob (in both)
  55. Isaac (in both)
  56. Abraham (in both)
  57. Terah (Thara)
  58. Nahor (Nachor)
  59. Serug (Saruch)
  60. Reu (Ragau)
  61. Peleg (Phalec)
  62. Eber (Heber)
  63. Shelah (Sala)
  64. Cainan
  65. Arphaxad
  66. Shem (Sem)
  67. Noah (Noe)
  68. Lamech
  69. Methuselah (Mathusala)
  70. Enoch
  71. Jared
  72. Mahalalel (Maleleel)
  73. Kenan (Cainan)
  74. Enosh (Enos)
  75. Seth
  76. Adam
  77. God

Kings of Judah not named by Matthew

Women named by Matthew

Two genealogies

Matthew (1:1–17) opens his Gospel with a descending list from Abraham to Jesus, arranged in three groups of fourteen and passing through the kings of Judah. Luke (3:23–38) places his list after Jesus’ baptism and climbs from Jesus back through David, Abraham and Adam to God.

Where they agree and differ

From Abraham to David the lists match (Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chronicles 2). After David, Matthew follows Solomon and Luke follows Nathan. They meet again at Shealtiel and Zerubbabel, then part until Joseph. They name different fathers for Joseph: Jacob in Matthew, Heli in Luke.

How the difference has been explained

Mary’s line. Luke gives Mary’s ancestry, with Heli as her father and Joseph named as his son by marriage; Matthew gives Joseph’s legal and royal line.

Levirate marriage. Julius Africanus (3rd century, preserved by Eusebius, Church History 1.7) proposed that Jacob and Heli were half-brothers and that one raised up an heir for the other (Deuteronomy 25:5–6), so both lists are Joseph’s.

Legal and natural descent. Matthew traces the royal succession (who was heir to the throne); Luke traces physical descent.

Distinct traditions. Many critical scholars see two independent genealogies, each shaped to the Gospel’s theology, without a single historical reconciliation.

Matthew’s fourteens

Matthew 1:17 counts three groups of fourteen. He omits four kings known from 1 Chronicles 3, and his third group has only thirteen names unless Jechoniah is counted twice. Many connect the number to the Hebrew value of David’s name (ד=4, ו=6, ד=4).

Luke’s numbers

With the reading “Admin, son of Arni” in 3:33 (found in many manuscripts), Luke has 77 names from Jesus to God, which some read as eleven sevens. His second Cainan (3:36) comes from the Greek Septuagint of Genesis 11.

The women

Matthew breaks convention by naming Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (“the wife of Urias”) and Mary.

Dates are approximate. Names follow modern English spelling, with the King James spelling beside them where it differs.

Frequently asked questions

Why are the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke different?
After David, Matthew follows Solomon and the kings of Judah while Luke follows David’s son Nathan, and they give different fathers for Joseph (Jacob and Heli). Common explanations are that Luke gives Mary’s line, that a levirate marriage joined the two lines (Julius Africanus, in Eusebius), that Matthew records legal and royal succession while Luke records natural descent, or that they are independent traditions.
How many generations are in Matthew’s genealogy?
Matthew names 41 people from Abraham to Jesus and arranges them as three sets of fourteen generations (Matthew 1:17), leaving out four kings of Judah named in 1 Chronicles 3.
How many names are in Luke’s genealogy?
In the King James Version Luke names 77 people from Jesus to God, 76 of them from Jesus back to Adam.
Which women are named in the genealogy of Jesus?
Matthew names five women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (“the wife of Uriah”) and Mary.

Matthew 1:1–17 (KJV)

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

Luke 3:23–38 (KJV)

23 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,

24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,

25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,

26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,

27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,

28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,

29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,

30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,

31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,

32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,

33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,

34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,

35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,

36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,

37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,

38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.