A careful comparison of Matthew 1:1-16 with Luke 3:23-38 shows that Matthew gave the lineage of Jesus Christ through Solomon, whereas Luke gave it through Nathan, another son of David. Why, then, do both genealogies list Shealtiel and Zerubbabel?
Luke did not err in indicating that Shealtiel was “the son of Neri.” (Luke 3:27) Apparently this was true, because Neri gave his daughter to Shealtiel in marriage. Since it was not uncommon for the Hebrews to refer to a son-in-law as a son, and especially so in genealogical listings, Luke could properly refer to Shealtiel as the son of Neri, just as he had already referred to Joseph as the son of Heli, who was actually the father of Joseph’s wife, Mary.—Luke 3:23.
Hence, it was through such a marital union that the family line of David through Nathan merged with the line through Solomon. This would also account for the fact that both Matthew and Luke mention Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel. Eventually, through different descendants of Zerubbabel, the two family lines again took separate courses in leading to Jesus Christ.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/library/r1/lp-e/all-publications/watchtower/the-watchtower-1966/june-15
Unlike Matthew, Luke mentions no women directly. This suggests that women may be understood in the line of descent, in which case their husbands would be merely the sons-in-law and not the direct sons of the previous man in the line of descent.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/pc/r1/lp-e/1966447/0/0
Drawn together and shared by Lucy
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