Bible Commentaries

Genealogies (continued)

The genealogies here include the sons of David, his successors on the throne of Judah, and the descendants of Jeconiah (Jehoiachin).

1. The sons of David] Some of the names that follow are given differently in the corresponding sections in 2 Samuel 3:2-5; 2 Samuel 5:13-16 : cp. also 2 Samuel 14:3-7.

5. Nathan] According to St. Luke's genealogy he was ancestor of our Lord, 2 Samuel 3:31.

Bath-shua] i.e. Bathsheba.

15. Johanan] This son of Josiah was never king and presumably died before his father. Shallum] probably the Jehoahaz of 2 Kings 23:30, since he was younger than his brother and successor, Jehoiakim: cp. also Jeremiah 22:11.

16. Jeconiah] called also Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:6) and Coniah (Jeremiah 22:24). Zedekiah his son] The Zedekiah of this verse is probably identical with the Zedekiah of 1 Chronicles 3:15, and consequently was brother (not son) of Jehoiakim (2 Kings 24:17), and uncle of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) whom he succeeded.

17. Jeconiah; Assir] RV 'Jeconiah the captive.' Salathiel] the Shealtiel of Ezra 3:2. He is called son of Jeconiah because he was his heir, but he belonged to the line of Nathan, a younger son of David.

18. Shenazar] possibly the Sheshbazzar of Ezra 1:8 : see note there.

19. Zerubbabel] here represented as son of Pedaiah and nephew of Salathiel (Shealtiel); but in Ezra 3:2 styled 'son, of Shealtiel': see note there.

21. Pelatiah, etc.] It seems most likely that this and the five names that follow all represent sons of Hananiah, constituting a single generation, in which case the generations reckoned after Zerubbabel amount to six. Zerubbabel lived about 520 b.c., and if 30 years be reckoned as a generation, the sixth generation would bring the last down to about 340 (the time of Alexander the Great).