In the Book of Deuteronomy, there is an Old Testament law regarding childless widows. It said that if a man dies without ever having any children by his wife, his brother is supposed to marry her and impregnate her. The child that she would have would belong legally to her deceased husband and not to the man who begot the child. This law is called the levirate marriage law. Here is the law as it is given in the Sacred Scriptures.
And if brethren should live together, and one of them should die, and should not have seed, the wife of the deceased shall not marry out of the family to a man not related: her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and shall take her to himself for a wife, and shall dwell with her. And it shall come to pass that the child which she shall bear, shall be named by the name of the deceased, and his name shall not be blotted out of Israel. (Deut. 25:5,6, LXX)
This law was practiced by the Hebrews before Moses gave it to them as a law. In Genesis, there is an example of a levirate marriage. Judah's son, Er, died without having children by his wife, Tamar. Onan had to marry her and impregnate her. He had marital relations with her but refused to impregnate her. He spilled his semen out on the ground, because he knew that the first child he had by her would belong to his brother and not to him. After Onan died, Judah told Tamar she could have his youngest son, Shelah. When she saw that she was not going to get Shelah for a husband, she tricked Judah into having relations with her. She became pregnant with twins. Their names are Pharez and Zarah. (Gen. 38)
Another example of this law is in the Book of Ruth. Ruth was married to Mahlon. Mahlon died without having any children by Ruth. Boaz was one of Mahlon's relatives. He married Ruth and fathered a child by her. His name is Obed. Obed is Boaz's biological son, but he is Mahlon's legal son. (Book of Ruth)
In the Gospel according to St. Luke there is another genealogy given for Jesus Christ. It differs from the one we read in St. Matthew's Gospel.
And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. (St. Luke 3:23-38)
From Abraham to David this genealogy is identical with the genealogy given by St. Matthew in his Gospel. After that, it starts to differ from it at various points. The lineage in this Gospel is traced through King David's son, Nathan. In St. Matthew's account, it is traced through his son, Solomon. However, Zerubbabel (Zorobabel) and Salathiel appear in both genealogies. These might be the same men in both genealogies, but they were most probably different men with the same names.
St. Luke gives us the legal genealogy of Joseph. Heli is his legal father. St. Matthew gives us the biological genealogy of Joseph. Jacob is his biological father. Heli's genealogy can be traced back to Nathan who is one of King David's sons by Bath-Sheba.* Jacob's genealogy can be traced back to Solomon who is also one of King David's sons by Bath-Sheba. (I Chron. 3:5)
Julius Africanus gave this explanation for the discrepancies in St. Matthew's version of Joseph's genealogy and St. Luke's version of his genealogy.
But in order that what I have said may be made evident, I shall explain the interchange of the generations. If we reckon the generations from David through Solomon, Matthan is found to be the third from the end, who begat Jacob the father of Joseph. But if, with Luke, we reckon them from Nathan the son of David, in like manner the third from the end is Melchi, whose son was Heli the father of Joseph. For Joseph was the son of Hell, the son of Melchi.** As Joseph, therefore, is the object proposed to us, we have to show how it is that each is represented as his father, both Jacob as descending from Solomon, and Heli as descending from Nathan: first, how these two, Jacob and Heli, were brothers; and then also how the fathers of these, Matthan and Melchi, being of different families, are shown to be the grandfathers of Joseph. Well, then, Matthan and Melchi, having taken the same woman to wife in succession, begat children who were uterine brothers, as the law did not prevent a widow, whether such by divorce or by the death of her husband, from marrying another. By Estha, then — for such is her name according to tradition — Matthan first, the descendant of Solomon, begets Jacob; and on Matthan’s death, Melchi, who traces his descent back to Nathan, being of the same tribe but of another family, having married her, as has been already said, had a son Hell. Thus, then, we shall find Jacob and Heli uterine brothers, though of different families. And of these, the one Jacob having taken the wife of his brother Heli, who died childless, begat by her the third, Joseph — his son by nature and by account. Whence also it is written, “And Jacob begat Joseph.” But according to law he was the son of Heli, for Jacob his brother raised up seed to him. Wherefore also the genealogy deduced through him will not be made void, which the Evangelist Matthew in his enumeration gives thus: “And Jacob begat Joseph.” But Luke, on the other hand, says, “Who was the son, as was supposed (for this, too, he adds), of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Melchi.” For it was not possible more distinctly to state the generation according to law; and thus in this mode of generation he has entirely omitted the word “begat” to the very end, carrying back the genealogy by way of conclusion to Adam and to God. (Epistle to Aristides, chapter 3, by Julius Africanus, 200-245 A.D., vol. 6, p. 126, Ante-Nicene Fathers)
Jacob, the biological father of Joseph (St. Matt. 1:16), and Heli, the legal father of Joseph (St. Luke 3:23), were half-brothers. Jacob's biological descent goes back to King Solomon. Heli's biological descent goes back to King David's son, Nathan. Jacob and Heli had the same mother but different fathers. Heli got married and died without having any children by his wife. Jacob married his half-brother Heli's widowed wife and begot Joseph by her. Joseph is Jacob's biological son, but, in accordance with the levirate marriage law (Deut. 25:5,6), Joseph is legally Heli's son.
Some people have interpreted the genealogy in St. Luke's Gospel to be the Virgin Mary's genealogy, but from antiquity, what has always been taught is that both genealogies found in the Gospels are Joseph's genealogies. Some Latin theologians in the 15th century and Annius of Viterbo in 1502 were the first people to teach that the genealogy in St. Luke's Gospel is that of the Virgin Mary.
The opinion that Luke’s genealogy is that of Mary was unknown to Christian antiquity. In the fifteenth century it was first propounded by Latin divines to do honour (as they supposed) to the Blessed Virgin. It was first broached by Annius of Viterbo, A.D. 1502. Christian antiquity is agreed that: —
1. Both genealogies are those of Joseph.
2. That Joseph was the son of Jacob or of Heli, either by adoption, or because Jacob and Heli were either own brothers or half-brothers; so that, —
3. On the death of one of the brothers, without issue, the surviving brother married his widow, who became the mother of Joseph by this marriage; so that Joseph was reckoned the son of Jacob and the son of Heli.
4. Joseph and Mary were of the same lineage, but the Hebrews did not reckon descent from the side of the woman. For them St. Luke’s genealogy is the sufficient register of Christ’s royal descent and official claim. St. Luke gives his personal pedigree, ascending to Adam, and identifying Him with the whole human race. (vol. 6, pp. 139-140, Ante-Nicene Fathers)
Jesus is not the biological son of Joseph, but He is the legal son of Joseph who is legally a descendant of King David's son, Nathan. The Jews were more concerned with the father's genealogy than they were with the mother's genealogy.
Steve
* Her name is spelled Bath-Sheba in II Sam. 11:3 and Bath-Shua in I Chron. 3:5. In the Septuagint, her name is Bersabee in both of these passages of Scripture.
** Either Julius Africanus' copy of St. Luke's Gospel said "the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Melchi" or he made an error in explaining Joseph's genealogy and meant to say "the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Matthat."
Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts, D.D. & James Donaldson, LL.D., volumes 1-10, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts
And if brethren should live together, and one of them should die, and should not have seed, the wife of the deceased shall not marry out of the family to a man not related: her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and shall take her to himself for a wife, and shall dwell with her. And it shall come to pass that the child which she shall bear, shall be named by the name of the deceased, and his name shall not be blotted out of Israel. (Deut. 25:5,6, LXX)
This law was practiced by the Hebrews before Moses gave it to them as a law. In Genesis, there is an example of a levirate marriage. Judah's son, Er, died without having children by his wife, Tamar. Onan had to marry her and impregnate her. He had marital relations with her but refused to impregnate her. He spilled his semen out on the ground, because he knew that the first child he had by her would belong to his brother and not to him. After Onan died, Judah told Tamar she could have his youngest son, Shelah. When she saw that she was not going to get Shelah for a husband, she tricked Judah into having relations with her. She became pregnant with twins. Their names are Pharez and Zarah. (Gen. 38)
Another example of this law is in the Book of Ruth. Ruth was married to Mahlon. Mahlon died without having any children by Ruth. Boaz was one of Mahlon's relatives. He married Ruth and fathered a child by her. His name is Obed. Obed is Boaz's biological son, but he is Mahlon's legal son. (Book of Ruth)
In the Gospel according to St. Luke there is another genealogy given for Jesus Christ. It differs from the one we read in St. Matthew's Gospel.
And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. (St. Luke 3:23-38)
From Abraham to David this genealogy is identical with the genealogy given by St. Matthew in his Gospel. After that, it starts to differ from it at various points. The lineage in this Gospel is traced through King David's son, Nathan. In St. Matthew's account, it is traced through his son, Solomon. However, Zerubbabel (Zorobabel) and Salathiel appear in both genealogies. These might be the same men in both genealogies, but they were most probably different men with the same names.
St. Luke gives us the legal genealogy of Joseph. Heli is his legal father. St. Matthew gives us the biological genealogy of Joseph. Jacob is his biological father. Heli's genealogy can be traced back to Nathan who is one of King David's sons by Bath-Sheba.* Jacob's genealogy can be traced back to Solomon who is also one of King David's sons by Bath-Sheba. (I Chron. 3:5)
Julius Africanus gave this explanation for the discrepancies in St. Matthew's version of Joseph's genealogy and St. Luke's version of his genealogy.
But in order that what I have said may be made evident, I shall explain the interchange of the generations. If we reckon the generations from David through Solomon, Matthan is found to be the third from the end, who begat Jacob the father of Joseph. But if, with Luke, we reckon them from Nathan the son of David, in like manner the third from the end is Melchi, whose son was Heli the father of Joseph. For Joseph was the son of Hell, the son of Melchi.** As Joseph, therefore, is the object proposed to us, we have to show how it is that each is represented as his father, both Jacob as descending from Solomon, and Heli as descending from Nathan: first, how these two, Jacob and Heli, were brothers; and then also how the fathers of these, Matthan and Melchi, being of different families, are shown to be the grandfathers of Joseph. Well, then, Matthan and Melchi, having taken the same woman to wife in succession, begat children who were uterine brothers, as the law did not prevent a widow, whether such by divorce or by the death of her husband, from marrying another. By Estha, then — for such is her name according to tradition — Matthan first, the descendant of Solomon, begets Jacob; and on Matthan’s death, Melchi, who traces his descent back to Nathan, being of the same tribe but of another family, having married her, as has been already said, had a son Hell. Thus, then, we shall find Jacob and Heli uterine brothers, though of different families. And of these, the one Jacob having taken the wife of his brother Heli, who died childless, begat by her the third, Joseph — his son by nature and by account. Whence also it is written, “And Jacob begat Joseph.” But according to law he was the son of Heli, for Jacob his brother raised up seed to him. Wherefore also the genealogy deduced through him will not be made void, which the Evangelist Matthew in his enumeration gives thus: “And Jacob begat Joseph.” But Luke, on the other hand, says, “Who was the son, as was supposed (for this, too, he adds), of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Melchi.” For it was not possible more distinctly to state the generation according to law; and thus in this mode of generation he has entirely omitted the word “begat” to the very end, carrying back the genealogy by way of conclusion to Adam and to God. (Epistle to Aristides, chapter 3, by Julius Africanus, 200-245 A.D., vol. 6, p. 126, Ante-Nicene Fathers)
Jacob, the biological father of Joseph (St. Matt. 1:16), and Heli, the legal father of Joseph (St. Luke 3:23), were half-brothers. Jacob's biological descent goes back to King Solomon. Heli's biological descent goes back to King David's son, Nathan. Jacob and Heli had the same mother but different fathers. Heli got married and died without having any children by his wife. Jacob married his half-brother Heli's widowed wife and begot Joseph by her. Joseph is Jacob's biological son, but, in accordance with the levirate marriage law (Deut. 25:5,6), Joseph is legally Heli's son.
Some people have interpreted the genealogy in St. Luke's Gospel to be the Virgin Mary's genealogy, but from antiquity, what has always been taught is that both genealogies found in the Gospels are Joseph's genealogies. Some Latin theologians in the 15th century and Annius of Viterbo in 1502 were the first people to teach that the genealogy in St. Luke's Gospel is that of the Virgin Mary.
The opinion that Luke’s genealogy is that of Mary was unknown to Christian antiquity. In the fifteenth century it was first propounded by Latin divines to do honour (as they supposed) to the Blessed Virgin. It was first broached by Annius of Viterbo, A.D. 1502. Christian antiquity is agreed that: —
1. Both genealogies are those of Joseph.
2. That Joseph was the son of Jacob or of Heli, either by adoption, or because Jacob and Heli were either own brothers or half-brothers; so that, —
3. On the death of one of the brothers, without issue, the surviving brother married his widow, who became the mother of Joseph by this marriage; so that Joseph was reckoned the son of Jacob and the son of Heli.
4. Joseph and Mary were of the same lineage, but the Hebrews did not reckon descent from the side of the woman. For them St. Luke’s genealogy is the sufficient register of Christ’s royal descent and official claim. St. Luke gives his personal pedigree, ascending to Adam, and identifying Him with the whole human race. (vol. 6, pp. 139-140, Ante-Nicene Fathers)
Jesus is not the biological son of Joseph, but He is the legal son of Joseph who is legally a descendant of King David's son, Nathan. The Jews were more concerned with the father's genealogy than they were with the mother's genealogy.
Steve
* Her name is spelled Bath-Sheba in II Sam. 11:3 and Bath-Shua in I Chron. 3:5. In the Septuagint, her name is Bersabee in both of these passages of Scripture.
** Either Julius Africanus' copy of St. Luke's Gospel said "the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Melchi" or he made an error in explaining Joseph's genealogy and meant to say "the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Matthat."
Bibliography
Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts, D.D. & James Donaldson, LL.D., volumes 1-10, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts
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