Preparing the Way
the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, Luke 3:26 · Berean Standard Bible
Through Maath, Mattathias, Semein, Josech, and Joda—the family line keeps going, one faithful generation at a time.
These names may mean little to us, but each one represents a real person whose life was part of God's grand plan to bring Jesus into the world.
Luke faithfully records each ancestor in Jesus' family line.
Every name here is a person who lived, loved, and passed their faith to the next generation. Together, they form a bridge across centuries, leading straight to the manger.
The genealogy continues: the son of Maath, Mattathias, Semein, Josech, Joda. The repetition of common names like Mattathias reflects standard naming patterns in Second Temple Judaism.
Repeated names across generations (two Mattathias entries) was common practice, honoring ancestors by naming children after them—a custom seen in John's naming narrative (Luke 1:59-63).
Luke records further ancestral names in the genealogy.
The genealogy continues its steady march through time. Each name represents a life lived, a family sustained, and a link in the chain connecting Adam to the Messiah.
24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
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