the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
English Standard Version (ESV)
You might miss that this particular Cainan isn't found in the Old Testament genealogies; Luke includes him here because he's following the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, which had already added him. This shows Luke's intentional choice to align with the common understanding of Scripture for his readers, even if it meant diverging from the Hebrew text.
the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a lengthy genealogy tracing Jesus' lineage all the way back to Adam and God himself. It appears immediately after Luke states Jesus began his public ministry around age thirty. This detailed lineage, which differs in parts from Matthew's account, emphasizes Jesus' connection to all of humanity and his divine origin.
Ever noticed a name in Jesus' family tree that doesn't appear in the Old Testament lists? Luke includes Cainan, a detail that sparks a lot of discussion.
This specific part of Jesus' genealogy, tracing back to Noah and then Adam, highlights a key difference between Luke's account and the Old Testament.
A Different Source
While Matthew’s genealogy aligns with the Hebrew Scriptures, Luke largely follows the Septuagint (LXX), an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament. The Septuagint includes Cainan in the line from Arphaxad to Shelah, where the Hebrew texts (like Genesis and Chronicles) omit him.
Luke's Purpose
Luke's inclusion of Cainan wasn't a mistake. He intentionally used the Septuagint here, likely because it was the more widely known version among the Greek-speaking audiences he was writing for. This shows Luke's desire to make the genealogy accessible and credible to a broader audience, connecting Jesus to all of humanity.
Why do the family trees in Matthew and Luke look so different? It's not a contradiction, but a deliberate choice by the Gospel writers.
The differences between Matthew's and Luke's genealogies, especially concerning the line from David to Jesus, have puzzled readers for centuries. However, they serve distinct purposes:
Two Perspectives
Ask a follow-up
Harmonizing the Lines
While the names differ significantly from David downwards, scholars suggest Matthew follows the royal line (Solomon's descendants), and Luke follows a different branch of David's family (Nathan's descendants). The key is that both ultimately point to Jesus' Davidic ancestry, confirming HisMessianic identity from different, yet complementary, angles.
Luke's genealogy traces Jesus' lineage all the way back to Adam, emphasizing His role as a Savior for all humanity, not just Israel. The inclusion of Cainan, absent in some Hebrew texts but present in the Greek Septuagint, highlights Luke's reliance on that version and his universal audience.
~2400 BC
Noah's Flood
A catastrophic global flood sent by God to cleanse the earth of widespread wickedness, with only Noah and his family surviving in an ark.
~2300 BC
Tower of Babel
Humanity's attempt to build a tower reaching heaven led God to scatter people and confuse their languages, forming the basis for different nations.
~2100 BC
God's Covenant with Abraham
God established a covenant with Abraham, promising to make him a great nation and bless all families of the earth through his descendants.
~1400 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt under Moses, a pivotal event in their national and religious history.
~1000 BC
Davidic Kingdom Established
King David united the tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as the capital, with God promising an everlasting dynasty through his lineage.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar deported a select group of young Jewish nobles, including Daniel, to Babylon, beginning the period of exile.
c. AD 4— this verse
Birth of Jesus
Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling prophecies and initiating God's plan for salvation.
This passage, like Luke 3:36, lists descendants from Adam, highlighting the continuity of humanity and tracing lineage through Noah and his father Lamech.
1 Chronicles 1:18This Old Testament passage presents a similar genealogy, including Arphaxad, Shem, and Noah, though it omits Cainan, paralleling the textual variations discussed regarding Luke's inclusion of Cainan.
Luke 3:23This verse immediately precedes the listed genealogy, identifying Jesus and setting the stage for the detailed lineage that Luke provides to trace His Messianic identity back to Adam.
Matthew 1:1-17Matthew also provides a genealogy of Jesus, tracing His line back to Abraham and David, but using a different path and inclusion of names than Luke, highlighting different aspects of Christ's lineage and the complexities of tracing ancestry.
pooleLuke 3:36: "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,"
See Poole on "Luke 3:24"
bengelLuke 3:36: "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,"
Luke 3:36 . Τοῦ Καϊνὰν , Kainan ) Let some, as best they can, furnish out a plausible array of some MSS. which are without the name Cainan : one is without it, viz. Cantabrigiensis , called also Stephani β , and also codex Bezæ [[37]]; which, as being a MS. containing the Latin as well as the Greek, deserves the title, not so much of a codex,…
You might miss that this particular Cainan isn't found in the Old Testament genealogies; Luke includes him here because he's following the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, which had already added him. This shows Luke's intentional choice to align with the common understanding of Scripture for his readers, even if it meant diverging from the Hebrew text.
This passage is part of a lengthy genealogy tracing Jesus' lineage all the way back to Adam and God himself. It appears immediately after Luke states Jesus began his public ministry around age thirty. This detailed lineage, which differs in parts from Matthew's account, emphasizes Jesus' connection to all of humanity and his divine origin.
This passage is part of a lengthy genealogy tracing Jesus' lineage all the way back to Adam and God himself. It appears immediately after Luke states Jesus began his public ministry around age thirty. This detailed lineage, which differs in parts from Matthew's account, emphasizes Jesus' connection to all of humanity and his divine origin.
"the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech," — You might miss that this particular Cainan isn't found in the Old Testament genealogies; Luke includes him here because he's following the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, which…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026