Christ Came Through Solomon and Bathsheba. How did David's Son Nathan Come in to It? Reconcile the Genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3?
1) Direct answer
There is no contradiction. Matthew gives the royal, legal line to Joseph through David’s son Solomon. Luke gives the natural, blood line to Mary through David’s son Nathan. Joseph is named in Luke “as was supposed” because he was the husband, the legal head; but the descent there runs through Mary, whose father was Heli. So Jesus has the legal right to David’s throne through Joseph (Solomon’s line) and the blood of David through Mary (Nathan’s line), all without being Joseph’s physical son.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Matthew’s record: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1), traces from Abraham down to “Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus” (Matthew 1:16). Notice it never says Joseph begat Jesus. It’s the royal succession through Solomon (Matthew 1:6-7).
- Luke’s record: “Jesus… being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli” (Luke 3:23), then traces back through Nathan, not Solomon (Luke 3:31). “As was supposed” marks that men thought Joseph was the father, but he was not.
- The virgin birth: “A virgin shall conceive” (Isaiah 7:14). “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee… that holy thing… shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). So Jesus is not Joseph’s seed.
- Yet He must be David’s seed: “Made of the seed of David according to the flesh” (Romans 1:3). Mary is of David (Luke 1:27), and the Lord gives Him “the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:32).
- The Jeconiah barrier: God said of Coniah/Jeconiah, “no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David” (Jeremiah 22:30). Matthew’s legal line runs through Jeconiah (Matthew 1:11-12). If Jesus were Joseph’s physical son, He would be under that judgment. But He wasn’t Joseph’s seed; He was born of a virgin. Thus:
- Legal right comes by Joseph’s line through Solomon (Matthew).
- Blood descent comes by Mary’s line through Nathan (Luke), bypassing Jeconiah.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- Two sons of David cannot both be Joseph’s fathers. So one record is Joseph’s legal line (Matthew), and the other is Mary’s natural line (Luke), with Joseph named as “son” of Heli by marriage (a son-in-law). That fits the wording “as was supposed.”
- Matthew is about the throne—kingship—so it follows Solomon. Luke is about true humanity all the way to Adam, so it follows Mary’s bloodline through Nathan.
- God guarded the promise perfectly: Jesus is truly David’s Son by Mary, yet not under Jeconiah’s curse; and He holds the legal title through Joseph.
4) Reinforcing statement
You see, the Bible fits like a glove. The virgin birth, Davidic promises, and the two branches—Solomon and Nathan—come together in Christ without a single break in the Scripture.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Look away to Jesus
63-1229E §82
Nathanael, as soon as he came into the presence of Jesus, a little bit in doubt; we find out that Philip had went and told him, "Come see who we've found." And Nathanael came and he said, "Which one is He?" He said, "Probably it's the one up there praying for the sick." He pressed his way through till he could get a look at Him. And when he looked Jesus said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile." He said, "Rabbi, when did you ever know me?" He said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree...
Trying to do God a service without it being God's will
65-1127B §95
Then if he's a true prophet of God, he will go before God first; say, "Father, what is it?" like Nathan did later on to David. David said, "Is it right for me to live in a house of cedar, and the ark of my God under tents out here?" And look at Nathanael, said, "David, do all that's in your heart, for God is with you. You're a anointed vessel of God." But that being a prophet, and his mistake, and God's duty bound to His prophet, that night He appeared to him, said, "Go tell my servant David I admire his courage. I...
A Greater than Solomon is here
61-0412 §54
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Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
61-0516A §38
Now, see what taken place. He said, "Come see who we have found, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." And Philip spoke these words to Nathanael. And Nathanael was a staunch orthodox, you know, so ... very starchy, I suppose. He said, "Now [something like this], wait a minute. Could there be any good thing come out of Nazareth?" And perhaps they might have said this: "Now, if there was to be something like that coming, well, of course it would come through us Pharisees." Or the Sadducees said, "It would come throu...
A greater than Solomon is here
63-0628E §58
...ing good come out of Nazareth?" or come out of... (I'll think of the place in a minute, where He come from...) Said, "Could anything good come out of Nazareth?" Said, "Come and see. Don't stay there and criticize. Come find out for yourself." If we could only do the same thing tonight. Come see! Take your Bible, check what you see going on. "Search the scriptures," Jesus said; "for they are they that testify of me." He is the Word, and the Scriptures itself is the Word; so it testifies of Him when the Scripture bec...