Below are some of the questions concerning the genealogies of Jesus as recorded in Matthew and Luke. Only the overlapping sections (from Abraham to Jesus) are considered. This article will not answer any of the questions (different spellings that are easy to identify are not regarded as problems). It is acknowledged that some of the questions are easy to deal with, and some of them probably have no answers. We should not be obsessed with genealogies (Tit. 3:9), but we should not treat it lightly either.
- Why are there two genealogies?
- It is easy to understand the two genealogies bifurcate at David, but how come they merge again at Shealtiel? Bifurcate at Zerubbabel and merge again at Joseph?
- Why did Matthew miss three kings between Jehoram and Uzziah?
- Why does Matthew’s list have significantly fewer generations than Luke’s list? The average duration of a generation for Matthew is roughly 450/14=32 (add three missing names, it becomes 26), 500/9=56; for Luke the average is 450/20=23, 500/18=28. It seems that Matthew omitted about half of the names after return from exile since the average duration was about the same for the other three periods.
- Why do the three 14-generation groups in Matthew have David appearing in two groups?
- What is the significance of 14? The curse on Jeconiah in Jer. 22:30, “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.” How does this curse affect Christ?
- Who was Zerubbabel’s father? In 1Ch. 3:17, his father was listed as Pedaiah, while Shealtiel was Pedaiah’s brother.
- Who were Zerubbabel’s sons? In 1Ch. 3:19-20, his sons were Meshullam, Hananiah, Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah and Jushab-Hesed (Shelomith was daughter). None of the names match the two names given as the immediate descendant of Zerubbabel in Matthew or Luke.
