The genealogy of Jesus Christ according to the gospels of Matthew and Luke

First lets look at Matthew 1:1-17 which is Joseph’s genealogy, I want to focus on David to Joseph, starting with verse 6

Matthew 1:1–17 (NKJV)

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king.

David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot 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, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

This genealogy is the line of Kings from David running through Solomon until the exile to Babylon and then continues with Zerubbabel who rebuilt the Temple.

Zechariah 4:9–10 (NKJV)

9 “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

Now lets look at Mary’s genealogy in Luke 3: 23, what I want to point out is how Joseph is listed as Heli’s descendant here, but is listed as Jacob’s son in Matthew’s genealogy. Since Jesus is not the biological son of Joseph, but only of Mary, it seems that Jesus doesn’t go through the Royal line of Kings that descended from David and biologically that’s true, but not legally as defined in the Torah. To understand this we have to go to Numbers 27 which tells the story of the daughters of Zelophehad. I’m going to read the text and then expand on it, but first I want to read to verses in Numbers 26:51-53 which sets the context for Chapter 27.

Luke 3:23–31 (NKJV)

23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

Numbers 26:51–53 (NKJV)

51 These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 53 “To these the land shall be divided as an inheritance, according to the number of names.

Names here means the Clans within the Tribes. Now from Numbers 27:1-8.

Numbers 27:1–8 (NKJV)

1 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: 3 “Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.”

5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord.

6 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.

So the daughter of Zelophehad was given the same inheritance of a first born son directly by God even though it was contrary to Jewish law and tradition, and this became a statute given to Moses by God and part of Torah [The Law]. Now this created another problem because God also commanded that the inheritance was to stay in that Clan, and not pass out of it by marriage. So the daughter of Zelophehad married her cousin keeping the inheritance and legal rights within the Clan. This is exactly what happened with Mary, her father had no son, but two daughters, Mary the oldest. So Mary inherited from her father as a first born son would and then married her cousin Joseph. This is why Joseph is legally listed as Heli’s son, which means legally Mary’s rights of inheritance extends to Joseph, and legally Jesus’s Rights of inheritance extends through Mary his biological Mother to Joseph’s legal rights of his and Mary’s Clan. So legally, Jesus’s legal rights run’s through the Royal Kings that descended from David, fulfilling the Davidic Covenant that God made with David.