Which Genealogy of Jesus is Correct?

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke seem to give contradictory genealogies of Jesus regarding his father, Joseph of Nazareth.

1. According to Matthew’s genealogy, “Jacob begat Joseph” (Matt. 1:16),
2. but according to Luke’s genealogy, Joseph was “the son of Heli” (Luke 3:23).

Which genealogy is correct? Actually, both genealogies are correct; they do not contradict each other.

Matthew’s genealogy uses unambiguous language: “Jacob begat Joseph.” The Greek word for “beget” is gennaō (γεννάω), which means to bring forth a child. This same verb is used later on in the same verse, where it mentions “Mary, from whom was begotten Jesus, who is called Christ.” Hence, it is clear that this Jacob was the biological father of Joseph.

However, if Jacob begot Joseph, then how could Joseph also be “the son of Heli” (Luke 3:23)? In order to understand this, we must first understand the biblical law of levirate marriage. Deuteronomy 25:5–6 says,

If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies, and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside to a strange man. Her brother-in-law shall come unto to her, and take her as a wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her. ₆ And it shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall rise over the name of his dead brother, and his name would not be erased from Israel.

According to the biblical law of levirate marriage, if a brother dies without a son, his widow must not be married outside the family, but instead be married to one of his living brothers. It is the duty of this living brother to beget a son by her in the name of his dead brother. This son would “rise over the name of his dead brother” and be known as the son of that dead brother (v. 6).

That was what happened to Joseph. Heli married a woman, but died before he could beget a son. In accordance with the law of levirate marriage, his brother Jacob married his widow and “performed the duty of a brother-in-law to her”, begetting Joseph in the process. Thus, although “Jacob begat Joseph”, Joseph was “the son of Heli”.

However, for the law of levirate marriage to be applied, Jacob and Heli must have been brothers. However, this seemingly cannot be the case, since both of them have different fathers from two completely different genealogies: Jacob’s father was Matthan from the line of Solomon (Matt. 1:15), while Heli’s father was Mattat from the line of Nathan (Luke 3:24).

The best explanation for this is that Matthan married a woman, begat a son by her named Jacob, and then died some time after that. Since Matthan died after begetting a son, the law of levirate marriage did not apply, and so Matthan’s widow was free to marry outside the family. She then married Matthat, and subsequently beget a son with him named Heli. Thus, Jacob and Heli were stepbrothers, but brothers nonetheless. So, when Heli died childless, his legal brother Jacob was obligated to step up by the law of levirate marriage.

In summary:

1. Matthan married Woman X.
2. Matthan and Woman X begat Jacob.
3. Matthan died.
4. Woman X married Matthat.
5. Woman X and Matthat begat Heli. Thus, Heli and Jacob became stepbrothers.
6. Heli married Woman Y.
7. Heli died without a son.
8. Jacob married his stepbrother’s widow, Woman Y, in accordance with the law of levirate marriage.
9. Jacob begat Joseph by Woman Y, but Joseph is the son of Heli in accordance with the law of levirate marriage.