ISB ~ Luke 3 v23 - 38
There are several differences between the genealogies of Jesus in Luke (3:23-38) and Matthew (Mt 1:2-16) that make it difficult to reconcile them in every detail. Two considerations should be noted to put their differences in perspective. (1) Matthew traces Jesusā lineage forward from Abraham, the forefather of Israel (Mt 1:2), while Luke traces his ancestry backward to Adam, the father of humanity (3:38). Thus while Matthew is stressing the kingship of Jesus over Israel, Luke is stressing his qualifications to be the Savior of mankind as a whole. (2) The two genealogies are substantially the same from Abraham to David, but diverge significantly in the generations that span from David to Jesus. It is quite possible that Matthew records the ancestry of Jesusā legal father, Joseph, and Luke records that of his biological mother, Mary. In this case, Matthew gives us the dynastic line that passes from David to Joseph through King Solomon (Mt 1:6), and Luke gives us the Davidic line more generally as it passes from David to Mary through Nathan (3:31). As with his Infancy Narratives, Luke may have obtained information about Jesusā family traditions from Mary herself. See notes on Lk 2:19 and Mt 1:2-17.