Luke 3:23

23. About thirty years of age Thirty years was the legal age for entering on the priesthood. It was also the age at which the scribes entered upon professional duty as teachers. The word about here simply implies that Jesus may have been some months younger or older.

As was supposed Being his apparent and legal son.

Of the different theories of reconciliation between the genealogies of Jesus given respectively by Matthew and by Luke, we may discuss but two:

I. Matthew gives the line of Joseph; Luke, of Mary. Mary’s name does not indeed appear in Luke’s list; but that agrees with the Jewish rule of genealogy, that the female is not reckoned in any genealogical line. Luke’s genealogy is really that of Heli; and it is adduced here by Luke to show that Jesus, son of Mary, is in that line, and so in the natural line of David. Joseph rightfully and legally takes his place in the recorded descent from Heli, because he is his son-in-law. And it is remarkable that the Jews in their Talmud call Mary the daughter of Heli, showing that either that is their own tradition, or that so they originally understood the genealogy as recorded.

II. The theory of Lord Arthur Hervey, lately published in England, founded in a good degree on the theory of Grotius, seems likely to be ultimately universally adopted. This theory in its details solves so many of the facts as not only to remove difficulties, but to furnish a sort of proof of the genuineness of the record.

By this theory Matthew gives the genealogy of Joseph (including in fact that of Mary) in the line of royal inheritance; Luke gives that of natural descent. This is made clear by the following table:

From David Matthew traces the royal line through Solomon to Jechonias, whereas Luke gives the private line through Nathan to Salathiel. But Jechonias was childless, (Jeremiah 22:30,) so that with him the Solomonic line ended. Consequently Salathiel, of the Nathanic line, came into the royal heirship. By this transfer Salathiel stands in both: namely, the line of natural descent from David through Nathan, and the line of political succession to the crown. From Zorobabel’s son, Abiud, Matthew furnishes a series of heirs; from his other son, Rhesa, Luke gives the natural line of Joseph down to Matthat. But this Matthat is the same as Matthew’s Matthan. Of this Matthat Jacob and Heli are two sons; the former, being the elder, is crown-heir; the second stands in the private line. Heli’s son is JOSEPH; Jacob, the crown-heir, has only a daughter, MARY. The royal line thus failing of a direct male heir, Joseph marries Mary and is thus transferred to the royal line both by kin and by marriage.

Both these views secure the true Davidic descent of Mary; which is indeed absolutely necessary to the fulfilment of that most explicit divine promise (2 Samuel 7:12,) “I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy bowels.” So Peter affirms (Acts 2:30) that God sware to David, “that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ.” Words like these cannot be fulfilled by any adoptive or marriage paternity.