Bible Strands
Luke 3:31
the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Luke records this genealogical line during the narrative introduction of Jesus’ ministry, tracing ancestral descent backward through successive fathers.
The words — Ναθὰμ (Natham) identifies Nathan, while the repeated genitive τοῦ (tou) structures each link as “son of,” establishing direct paternal descent.
The thread — This Nathan appears in the royal line of David in 2 Samuel 5:14, 1 Chronicles 3:5, and 1 Chronicles 14:4 as one of the king’s sons born in Jerusalem.
Why it lands — The text explicitly lists each generational link to David without commentary. It requires the reader to verify the historical continuity of the ancestral record rather than assume theological significance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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,
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 5:14 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
- 1 Chronicles 3:5 and these sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. These four were born to him by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel.
- 1 Chronicles 14:4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
- Zechariah 12:12 The land will mourn, each clan on its own: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives,