Bible Genealogy Explorer · Adam and Eve to Jesus
From Adam and Eve
to Jesus.
Follow the family story from Adam and Eve through Abraham and David,
then see where Matthew and Luke take different paths on the way to
Jesus. Whenever a name or connection raises a question, open the
note to see what Scripture says, how Christians have understood it,
and why the guide is drawn this way.
Luke’s family list reaches back to Adam, while Matthew begins with
Abraham. Genesis fills in the early family stories. We use the
familiar spellings found in the NIV.
Abraham → David → Solomon → Judah’s kings → Joseph, husband of Mary.
Adam → Abraham → David → Nathan → Heli → Joseph.
The early family story
Adam and Eve to Abraham
Luke traces Jesus’ family line all the way back to Adam. Genesis
gives us the stories behind these early names. One name—Cainan—
appears differently, so the guide pauses to explain why.
Questions worth a closer look
Six places to pause in the early family story
These notes explain why the line follows some family members and not
others, how the early ages have been understood, and why some ancient
copies of the Bible do not read exactly the same way.
Why does Luke call Adam “son of God”?
Luke is describing Adam’s unique creation by God, not an ordinary
father-and-son relationship.
Why follow Seth instead of Cain or Abel?
Abel was killed, Cain’s descendants became another branch of the
family, and the line toward Noah continues through Seth.
Do the early family lists name every generation?
Genesis gives a careful pattern of names and ages, but Christians
differ on whether a generation may sometimes be left unnamed.
Why do ancient Bible copies give different ages?
Ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Samaritan copies preserve different
numbers in Genesis 5 and 11. The deeper note explains their names.
Why does Luke include a second Cainan?
Luke names Cainan between Arphaxad and Shelah, while the Hebrew
text behind most modern Old Testaments does not.
How old was Terah when Abraham was born?
Genesis lists Abraham first, but the first name in a Bible family
list is not always the oldest child.
Shared family line
Abraham to David
From Abraham to David, Matthew and Luke follow the same family line.
The women and relatives who help make sense of the story appear
beside the main path instead of disappearing from view.
Questions worth a closer look
Six family-story questions
Not every question is a disagreement. Some simply help us understand
why a person appears, how an ancient family responsibility worked,
or why the Bible gives us enough detail to be careful but not enough
to be certain.
Why begin with Abraham?
Matthew introduces Jesus as the son of David and the son of
Abraham.
Why does the line go through Judah?
Judah was not Jacob’s oldest son, but Scripture associates his
tribe with rule.
Why are Tamar and the twins named?
Matthew names Tamar and both Perez and Zerah before continuing
through Perez.
Is this Rahab from Jericho?
Christians have long understood Matthew’s Rahab to be the woman
whose story is told in Joshua.
What is a guardian-redeemer?
Boaz steps in to protect a family facing loss, recover family
property, and help the family line continue.
Does every name mean immediate father and son?
Matthew, Ruth, and Chronicles share this short list, but Bible
family lists can sometimes skip unnamed generations.
Branching family line
David to Jesus
Start with the people who carry the story forward. Choose “Show all
names” whenever you want to see every generation recorded in these
Gospel family lists.
The accounts agree that Jesus belongs to David’s house. Matthew
names Solomon next; Luke names Nathan.
Through Solomon
Matthew follows the royal family through Judah’s kings and
arranges the names in a memorable pattern.
26 names
Through Nathan
Luke records a longer family line in reverse order; we show
it here from David toward Jesus so it is easier to follow.
41 names
Many Christians understand Luke as giving Mary’s family line,
even though Luke names Joseph rather than Mary in this list. The
guide keeps Luke’s wording visible and explains the Mary-line
view instead of quietly assuming it.
Questions worth a closer look
Six places where readers often pause
Each note begins with what Scripture says, walks through the main
Christian explanations, defines any unfamiliar terms, and tells you
why the guide shows the family connection the way it does.
Why two lines after David?
Matthew follows Solomon’s family; Luke follows Nathan’s.
Did Matthew skip generations?
Matthew moves from Jehoram to Uzziah, while Kings and Chronicles
name three kings between them.
What about Jeconiah?
Jeremiah spoke a severe judgment over Jeconiah, yet Matthew keeps
him in the royal family line leading to Jesus.
Who was Shealtiel’s father?
Matthew places him after Jeconiah; Luke places him after Neri.
Why do the paths split again after Zerubbabel?
Matthew next names Abihud, while Luke next names Rhesa.
Was Joseph’s father Jacob or Heli?
This well-known question has led Christians to several possible
explanations, including a family-law arrangement and the view that
Luke follows Mary’s family.
How to read this guide
Start with Scripture, then walk through the questions
Matthew and Luke do not give us identical lists, and the guide does
not pretend that they do. Instead, it keeps both accounts visible,
shows how Christians have long understood them together, and is
honest when an explanation goes beyond what a verse directly says.
First, see the names, relationships, order, and Bible passages
found in each account.
Then explore the best-known traditional explanations, including
what each one helps explain and where questions remain.
When the accounts differ, the guide tells you why two people or
paths are shown together—or why they remain separate.
Complete name list: every direct ancestor in this Adam-to-Jesus
guide
Adam-to-Abraham sequence, reordered forward from Luke
Adam → Seth → Enosh → Kenan → Mahalalel → Jared → Enoch →
Methuselah → Lamech → Noah → Shem → Arphaxad → Cainan → Shelah →
Eber → Peleg → Reu → Serug → Nahor → Terah → Abraham. Eve, Cain,
Abel, Ham, Japheth, Haran, and Nahor son of Terah appear as
connected family context.
Shared Abraham-to-David sequence
Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → Judah → Perez → Hezron → Ram →
Amminadab → Nahshon → Salmon → Boaz → Obed → Jesse → David.
Important connected people shown alongside the line: Sarah,
Tamar, Zerah, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba.
Matthew’s sequence after David
David → Solomon → Rehoboam → Abijah → Asa → Jehoshaphat →
Jehoram → Uzziah → Jotham → Ahaz → Hezekiah → Manasseh → Amon →
Josiah → Jeconiah → Shealtiel → Zerubbabel → Abihud → Eliakim →
Azor → Zadok → Akim → Elihud → Eleazar → Matthan → Jacob →
Joseph → Mary → Jesus.
Luke’s sequence after David, reordered forward
David → Nathan → Mattatha → Menna → Melea → Eliakim → Jonam →
Joseph → Judah → Simeon → Levi → Matthat → Jorim → Eliezer →
Joshua → Er → Elmadam → Cosam → Addi → Melki → Neri → Shealtiel
→ Zerubbabel → Rhesa → Joanan → Joda → Josek → Semein →
Mattathias → Maath → Naggai → Esli → Nahum → Amos → Mattathias →
Joseph → Jannai → Melki → Levi → Matthat → Heli → Joseph →
Jesus.
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