any of the Targums or versions, except the Septuagint. And it does not seem that it was even in the earlier copies of the Septuagint. Josephus, who usually follows the Septuagint, lists Salah (Shelah) next as the son of Arphaxad (Arpachshad). (Antiquities of the Jews, Book I, chap. VI, par. 7) Early writers Irenaeus, Africanus, Eusebius and Jerome rejected the second “Cainan” in copies of Luke’s account as an interpolation.—See CAINAN No. 2.

COMPARISON OF GENEALOGIES BY MATTHEW AND LUKE

The difference in nearly all the names in Luke’s genealogy of Jesus as compared with Matthew’s is quickly resolved in the fact that Luke traced the line through David’s son Nathan, instead of Solomon, as did Matthew. (Luke 3:31; Matt. 1:6, 7) Luke evidently follows the ancestry of Mary, thus showing Jesus’ real or natural descent from David, while Matthew shows Jesus’ legal right to the throne of David by descent from Solomon through Joseph, who was legally Jesus’ father. Both Matthew and Luke signify that Joseph was not Jesus’ actual father, but only his foster father, giving him legal right. Matthew departs from the style used throughout his genealogy when he comes to Jesus, saying: “Jacob became father to Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.” (Matt. 1:16) Notice that he does not say ‘Joseph became father to Jesus,’ but that he was “the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born.” Luke is even more pointed when, after showing earlier that Jesus was actually the Son of God by Mary (Luke 1:32-35), he says: “Jesus . . . being the son, as the opinion was, of Joseph, the son of Heli.”—Luke 3:23.

Since Jesus was not the real son of Joseph but was the Son of God, Luke’s genealogy of Jesus would prove that he was, by human birth, truly a son of David through his real mother Mary. Interestingly, the Talmud (Haghigha, 77, 4) refers to Mary as the daughter of Heli.

Actually each genealogy (Matthew’s table and Luke’s) shows descent from David, through Solomon and through Nathan. (Matt. 1:6; Luke 3:31) In examining the lists of Matthew and Luke we find that, after diverging with Solomon and Nathan, they come together again in two persons, Shealtiel and Zerubbabel. This can be explained in the following way: Shealtiel was the son of Jeconiah; perhaps by marriage to the daughter of Neri he became Neri’s son-in-law, thus being called “the son of Neri.” It is possible as well that Neri had no sons, so that Shealtiel was counted as his “son” for that reason also. Zerubbabel, who was likely the actual son of Pedaiah, was legally reckoned as the son of Shealtiel, as stated earlier.—Compare Matthew 1:12; Luke 3:27; 1 Chronicles 3:17-19.

Then the accounts indicate that Zerubbabel had two sons, Rhesa and Abiud, the lines diverging again at this point. (These could have been, not actual sons, but descendants, or one, at least, could have been a son-in-law.) (Luke 3:27; Matt. 1:13) Both Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies of Jesus vary here from that found in 1 Chronicles chapter 3. This may be because a number of names were purposely left out by Matthew and possibly also by Luke. But the fact should be kept in mind that such differences in the genealogical lists of Matthew and Luke are very likely those already present in the genealogical registers then in use and fully accepted by the Jews, and were not changes made by Matthew and Luke.

We may conclude, therefore, that the two lists of Matthew and Luke fuse together the two truths, namely, (1) that Jesus was actually the Son of God, and the natural heir to the kingdom by miraculous birth through the virgin girl Mary, of David’s line, and (2) that Jesus was also the legal heir in the male line of descent from David and Solomon through his foster-father Joseph. (Luke 1:32, 35; Rom. 1:1-4) If there was any accusation made by hostile Jews that Jesus’ birth was illegitimate, the fact that Joseph, aware of the circumstances, married Mary and gave her the protection of his good name and royal lineage, refutes such slander.

GENERATION

[Heb., dohr, period, age; men living at a particular time; Aram., dar (Dan. 4:3, 34); Gr., ge·ne·aʹ, that which has been begotten, a family; or the successive members of a genealogy; or the whole multitude of men living at the same time]. The English definition of “generation” agrees with the definitions of the Hebrew and Greek terms. A consideration of the context in which the term appears in the Bible reveals the sense in which it is used.

VARIOUS USES

At Genesis 6:9, “generations” is employed as meaning “contemporaries.” There it is stated concerning Noah: “He proved himself faultless among his contemporaries [literally, ‘generations’].” (NW, 1953 ed., ftn.) “Generation” is used for the span of time between the birth of parents and the birth of their children, at Job 42:16.

The generations of mankind descended from the sinner Adam have been transitory, as contrasted with the earth, which abides forever. (Eccl. 1:4; Ps. 104:5) But the expressions “unnumbered generations” and “a thousand generations” refer to that which is to time indefinite. (1 Chron. 16:15; Isa. 51:8) The command to the Jews that the celebration of the Passover was to be observed “throughout your generations” denoted continual performance to a time then indefinite. (Ex. 12:14) God stated to Moses that Jehovah was his name as a memorial “to time indefinite,” “to generation after generation,” which implies forever. (Ex. 3:15) The apostle Paul tells us that God is to be given glory “to all generations,” and adds, “forever and ever.”—Eph. 3:21.

A generation may mean a class of persons, that is, those characterized by certain qualities or conditions. The Bible speaks of “the generation of the righteous one” (Ps. 14:5; 24:6; 112:2) and “a generation crooked and twisted,” “a generation of perverseness.” (Deut. 32:5, 20) Jesus Christ, when on earth, spoke similarly of the people of the Jewish nation of that day, and the apostle Paul applied such terms to the world of his day in general, alienated from God.—Matt. 12:39; 16:4; 17:17; Mark 8:38; Phil. 2:14, 15.

Another Hebrew word, toh·le·dhohthʹ, is occasionally rendered “generations” or “genealogy” (Num. 3:1; Ruth 4:18), also “descendants” or “families” (1 Chron. 5:7; 7:2, 4, 9), and “history” or “origins.”—Gen. 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; compare AS, AT, AV, Dy, NW, RS and other translations.

LENGTH

When the term “generation” is used with reference to the people living at a particular time, the exact length of that time cannot be stated, except that the time would fall within reasonable limits. These limits would be determined by the life expectancy of the people of that time or of that population. The life-span of the ten generations from Adam to Noah averaged more than 850 years each. (Gen. 5:5-31; 9:29) But after Noah, man’s life-span dropped off sharply. Abraham, for example, lived only 175 years. (Gen. 25:7) Today, much as it was in the time of Moses, people living under favorable conditions may reach seventy or eighty years of age. Moses wrote: “In themselves the days of our years are seventy years; and if because of special mightiness they are eighty years, yet their insistence is on trouble and hurtful things; for it must quickly pass by, and away we fly.” (Ps. 90:10) However, some few may live longer, but Moses stated the general rule. Moses himself, who lived 120 years, was an exception, as was his brother Aaron (123 years), Joshua (110 years), and some others whose strength and vitality were unusual.—Deut. 34:7; Num. 33:39; Josh. 24:29.

“THIS GENERATION” OF CHRIST’S PROPHECIES

When Bible prophecy speaks of “this generation,” it is necessary to consider the context to determine what generation is meant. Jesus Christ, when denouncing the Jewish religious leaders, concluded by