Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 6.djvu/468

 GENEALOGY

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GENEALOGY

true that the Hiphil form occurs in Gen., v and xi; it is also true that the successive links of the genealogies in these two chapters appear to exclude any intermedi- ate generation. But this is only apparent. Unless it be certain from other sources that the Hebrew word in question signifies the begetting of an immediate off- spring, Gen., V, 15, for instance, may just as well mean that Slalaleel at the age of sixty-five begot the grand- father of Jared as that he begot Jared immediately. The same holds true of the other Patriarchs men- tioned in the above two chapters. Nor can it be urged that such an interpretation would destroy the chronology of the Patriarchs; for the inspired writer did not intend to transmit a chronology.

Prat in Diet, de la Bible; Knabenbauer in Hagen, Lexicon Biblicum (Paris, 1905) ; Pannier, Genealogice biblica cum monii- mentis ^Eqyptiorum et ChaldceoTum collatce (Lille, 1886); Brucker, La Chronologic des premiers ages de VhuvianiU in La Conlroeerse, 15 March, 15 May, 1886, pp. 375-93, 5-27; von Hummelauer, Comment, in Gen. (Freiburg, 1895), 572; Idem, Das vormosaische Priesterthum in Israel (Freiburg, 1899).

A. J. Maas.

Genealogy of Christ. — It is granted on all sides that the liililical j;rni-ulcigy of Christ implies a number of exegetical dilliculties; but rationalists have no solid reason for refusing to admit any of the attempted solutions, nor can we agree with those recent writers who have given up all hope of harmonizing the gene- alogies of Christ found in the First and Third Gospels. The true state of the question will become plain by studying the Biblical genealogies of Christ first separ- ately, then in juxtaposition, and finally in their re- lation to certain exceptions to their harmony.

(1) St. Matthew's Genealogy of Christ. — The gene- alogy of Christ according to the First Evangelist de- scends from Abraham through three series of fourteen members each; the first fourteen belong to the patriar- chal order, the second to the royal, and the third to that of private citizens. Matt., i, 17, shows that this arrangement was intended ; for the writer expressly states: "So all the generations, from Abraham to David, are fourteen generations. And from David to the transmigration of Babylon, are fourteen genera- tions: and from the transmigration of Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations."

First Series

Second Series

Third Series

1

1,

1.

Jechonias

?.

Roboam

2

Salathiel

3

Jacob

3,

Abia

3.

Zorobabel

4

Judas

4.

Asa

4.

Abiud

.5

Phares

5.

Josaphat

5.

Eliacim

B,

Esron

(i,

Joram

B.

Azor

7.

Aram

7.

Ozias

7.

Sadoc

K.

Aminadab

K,

Joatham

H.

Achim

9

Naasson

9.

Achaz

9.

Eliud

1(1.

Salmon

11).

Ezechias

10.

Eleazer

11

11.

Manasses

11.

Mathan

12.

Obed

12.

Anion

i:^.

Jacob

13.

Jesse

13.

Josias

13.

Joseph

14.

David

14.

Jechonias

14.

Jesus

The list of the First Evangelist omits certain mem- bers in Christ's genealogy: (1) The writer gives only three names for the time of tlie Egyptian exile (Esron, Aram, and Aminadab), though the period lasted 215 or 430 years; this agrees with Gen., xv, 16, where God promises to lead Israel back in the fourth generation. But according to Gen., xv, 13, the stranger shall afflict Israel for four hundred years. (2) The three names Booz, Obed, and Jesse cover a period of 366 years. Omitting a number of other less probable explanations, the difficulty is solved most easily by the admission of a lacuna between Obed and Jesse. (3) According to I Par., iii, 11-12, Ochozias, Joas, and Amasias intervene between Joram and Azarias (the Ozias of St. Matthew) ; these three names can- not have been unknown to the Evangelist, nor can it

be supposed that they were omitted by transcribers, for this conjecture would destroy the Evangelist's computation of fourteen kings. (4) According to I Par., iii, 15, Joakim intervenes between Josias and Jechonias. We may waive the question whether St. Matthew speaks of only one Jechonias or of two persons bearing that name; nor need we state here all the doubts and difficulties connected with either answer. (5) St. Matthew places only nine links between Zorobabel and St. Joseph for a period cover- ing some 530 years, so that each generation must have lasted more than 50 years. The genealogy as given in St. Luke enumerates eighteen generations for the same period, a number which harmonizes better with the ordinary course of events. As to the omission of members in genealogical lists see Genealogy.

(2) St. Luke's Genealogy of Christ. — The genealogy in Luke, iii, 23-38, ascends from Joseph to Adam or rather to God; this is the first striking difference be- tween the genealogies as presented in the First and Third Gospel. Another difference is found in their collocation: St. Matthew places his list at the begin- ning of his Gospel; St. Luke, at the beginning of the public life of Christ. The artificial character of St. Luke's genealogy may be seen in the following table: —

First Series

Second Series

Third Series

Fourth Series

1. Jesus

22

Salathiel

43. David

57.

Thare

2. Joseph

2.3

Neri

44. Jesse

58.

Nachor

3. Heli

24

Melchi

45. Obed

59

Sarug

4. Mathat

''5

Addi

46. Booz

60

Ragau

5. Levi

26

Cosan

47. Salmon

61

Phaleg

6. Melchi

07

llelmadan

48. Naasson

62

Heber

7. Janne

28

Her

49. Aminadab

63

Sale

S. Joseph

29

Jesus

50. Aram

64

Cainan

9. Mathathias

30

Eliezer

51. Esron

65.

Arphaxad

10. Amos

31

Jorim

52. Phares

66

Sem

11. Nahum

32

Mathat

53. Juda.s

67.

Noc

12. Hesli

33.

Levi

54. Jacob

68.

Lamech

13. Nagge

34.

Simeon

55. Isaac

69.

Mathusale

14. Mahath

35.

Judas

56. Abraham

70.

Henoch

15. Mathathias

36.

Joseph

71.

Jared

16. Semei

37.

Jona

72.

Malaleel

17. Joseph

38.

Eliakim

73.

Cainan

18. Juda

.39.

Melea

74.

Henos

19. Joanna

40.

Menna

7.5.

Seth

20. Reza

41.

Mathatha

76.

Adam

21. Zorobabel

42.

Nathan

77.

God

The artificial structure of this list may be inferred from the following peculiarities: it contains eleven septenaries of names; three septenaries bring us from Jesus to the Captivity; three, from the captivity to the time of David; two, from David to Abraham; three again from the time of Abraham to the creation of man. St. Luke does not explicitly draw attention to the artificial construction of his list, but this silence does not prove that its recurring number of names was not intended, at least in the Evangelist's source. In St. Luke's genealogy, too, the names Jesse, Obed, Booz, cover a period of 366 years; Aminadab, Arara, Esron fill a gap of 430 (or 215) years, so that here several names must have been omitted. In the fourth series, which gives the names of the antediluvian and postdiluvian patriarchs, Cainan has been inserted according to the Septuagint reading; the Hebrew text does not contain this name.

(3) Harmony betiveen St. Matthew's and St. Luke's Genealogy of Christ. — The fourth series of St. Luke's list covers the period between Abraham and the creation of man; St. Matthew does not touch upon this time, so that there can be no question of any harmony. The third series of St. Luke agrees name for name with the first of St. Matthew; only the order of names is inverted. In this section the genealogies are rather identical than merely harmonious. In the first and second series, St. Luke gives David's descendants through his son Nathan, while St. Matthew enumer- ates in his second and third series David's descendants