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Based on Luke Jesus will inherit David's throne, however, Jehoiakim descendants can Not sit on David's throne as he is cursed by God.

Jeremiah 36:30 Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night.

Luke 1:32 - 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

The below confirm lineage of David to Jehoiakim.

1 Chronicles 3 (Sons of David) The Kings of Judah 10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 11 Jehoram[d] his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, 13 Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, 14 Amon his son, Josiah his son. 15 The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second son, Zedekiah the third, Shallum the fourth. 16 The successors of Jehoiakim: Jehoiachin[e] his son, and Zedekiah.

Matthew 1:1-11, "Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon)."

Luke 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. does not mention Mary lineage to David

Note: Shealtiel (son of Jehoiakim) & Zerubbabel (grandson of Jehoiakim) in both & Zerubbabel sons Abiud (in Matt) & Rhesa (in Luke) so even if Luke is related to Mary line arguably a descendant of Jehoiakim.

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  • Even the fact that the Bible lists the descendants of Jehoiakim and Jeconiah proves that there was no curse, but it was lifted after exile; or it was a mere threat. The objection must be a very recent by some Jews, based on total oblivion to the basic facts and the historical interpretations explaining the details, to attack Jesus' legitimacy.
    – Michael16
    Commented Jul 25, 2021 at 11:55

6 Answers 6

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Jesus is not in the lineage of Jechoniah the cursed one!

30 Thus says the Lord: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.” Jeremiah 22:30 (ESV)

Jeconiah (who is also called Jehoiachin or Coniah). In this scripture verse who the prophet Jeremiah is pronouncing a curse over the lineage of king Jeconiah such that none of his descendants would sit on the throne of David and ruling anymore in Judah.

The curse is upon Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim son of Josiah.

Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. Jeremiah 36:30 (ESV)

“As I live, declares the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off Jeremiah 22:24 (ESV)

Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: [...] Jeremiah 22:18 (ESV)


The Jechoniah in Matthew is son of Josiah.

and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. Matthew 1:11 (ESV)

enter image description here

But Josiah never had a son named Jechoniah!?

The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. 1 Chronicles 3:15 (ESV)

  1. Johanan
  2. Jehoiakim
  3. Zedekiah
  4. Shallum
  • Eliakim has his named changed to Jehoakim

And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 2 Kings 23:34 (ESV)

  • Mattaniah has his named changed to Zedekiah

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 2 Kings 24:17 (ESV)

  • Jehoahaz has his named changed to Shallum

And his servants carried him [Josiah] dead in a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's place. 2 Kings 23:30 (ESV)

For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away [died] from this place: “He shall return here no more, Jeremiah 22:11 (ESV)

(When King Josiah died they made his son Jehoahaz king in his stead 2 Ki 23:30 in Jer 22:11 we see who this Jehoahaz is, it is Shallum)


  • Johanan had his named changed to Jechoniah

This leaves us with the firstborn Johanan. The Hebrew scriptures never mentions his name being changed, this clue we only find in Matthew 1:11 Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

  1. Johanan - Jechonaih
  2. Jehoiakim - Eliakim
  3. Zedekiah - Mattaniah
  4. Shallum - Jehoahaz

Jeconiah had brother's not a brother;
Many scholars claim that Josiah beget Jeconiah also can mean as a grandfather, and that is also a possibility however there is one thing that makes this idé to not fit.

The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son; 1 Chronicles 3:16 (ESV)

Jehoiakim had two sons Jeconiah and Zedekiah, which means Jeconiah had only one brother. While in Matthew 1:11 Jeconiah have brothers (plural) more then one brother

and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. Matthew 1:11 (ESV)


Jechoniah Shealtiel and Zerubabel in Matt 1:12 is not the same as 1 Cron 3:16-19

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Matthew 1:12 (ESV) and in Mat 1:13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.

Lineage, Matthew;

  • Jechoniah
  • Shealtiel
  • Zerubbabel
  • Abihud

Zerubabbel's father is Shealtiel, not so in the cursed lineage, also in Jesus lineage that Zerubabbel had a son named Abihud non of the cursed lineage had a son named Abihu. I see many similarities in Cain and Seth's genealogy many same name different order.

The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son; 17 and the **sons of Jechoniah **, the captive: Shealtiel his son, 18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah; 19 and the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; 20 and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five. 1 Chronicles 3:16-20 (ESV)

Lineage, 1 Chronicles 3:16-20;

  • Jechoniah (the cursed)
  • Shealtiel
  • Pedaiah
  • Zerubabbel
  • Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith. (NO Abihud)

enter image description here

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  • 1
    They can skip some generations; grandson is called son. Jesus is called David's son, when his father was Joseph. Those especially had two names, as you already know, so there's no mystery that Abiud is Meshullam. Apparently the motive for the omission was simply the desire of bringing the names in each period into which the genealogy is divided to the arbitrary standard of fourteen (Ellicott). There is only one Jechoniah. Your post is very confusing and far fetched. Matt was not referring to another unknown lineage whose names coincide. Names of children are often omitted, not a big deal.
    – Michael16
    Commented Jul 23, 2021 at 15:18
  • @Michel16 I have here proven that Johanan that he is Jechoniah the first born of Josiah, that he had more then one brother and last the lineage, its fits perfect just as Matthew made it, one has to deny,twist and pervert the word in order to be right and clearly you ignore what the spirit tells you (John 14:17). Ahab children was cursed for four generations but Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim was cursed for all generations Jer 22:30, 36:30! A advice to you Michel do not use as source of anything that has been done by hands that has rejected Yeshua (James 4:4–5) Commented Jul 23, 2021 at 17:34
  • @Michael16 1:st show me in the bible that Abihud is Meshullam 2:nd show me that Meshullam had any children in the bible. Commented Jul 23, 2021 at 18:01
  • You confuse grandfathers and grandsons and jump to wild conjectures that sons have same names in the list as their grandfathers just bec you can't understand he skips names in the lineage. Your wild conspiracy theories have no sense, it is far confusing and ridiculous than any Jewish objection. Your rejection of the Messiah is no different than Jewish rejection. Why don't you show us where and why they were naming their sons same as their fathers which only you have discovered. Christians attacks on the Bible is worse than Jewish.
    – Michael16
    Commented Jul 24, 2021 at 4:07
  • 2
    See Gill commentary. You conflate sons with grandfathers in order to do eisegesis with baseless conjectures. It is not interpretation. But it is even difficult to understand your reasoning and lineage since it is presented as a puzzle without explanation. Two different Jeconiah pure conjecture. biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/1-13.htm
    – Michael16
    Commented Jul 24, 2021 at 10:10
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The curse put onto Jehoiakim would have passed onto Jesus if Joseph had of ‘fathered’ Jesus. Joseph was in the line of David - but so was Mary, and Mary”s line did not come “under’ the curse of Jehoiakim, which was for ‘males’. Jesus qualifies as a legal consideration for the Throne under two lines! (of genealogy).

Joseph was a descendant of Jeconiah, but Jesus was virgin born by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:35). Had Joseph been his actual physical father, Jesus would not have been able to sit on the throne of David as the Messiah-King. Jesus’ only human parent was Mary. Consequently, He inherited the royal blood line through Mary and the legal right to be king through his father, Joseph. And, by not being a direct descendant, He avoided the “curse.”

So Jesus will be able to, and will legitimately take the Throne of David, in Jerusalem, as both promised (to Israel) and prophecied throughout the Old Testament.

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  • Thanks for your answers. Naturally there would be some mixing of bloodlines. The problem is; 1) Matrilineal ancestry is irrelevant to tribe identification, always the fathers line Numbers 1:18 2) A lot of assumptions Luke 3:23-38 relates to Mary, no evidence and unlikely could have a lineage of a female going so far back & no one would do a lineage of mothers. 3) Joseph in Matt1:1-17 may be a different Joseph or an error naming 2 different fathers (Jacob or Helli) - once again no really evidence. Luke 1:27 added to question doe not mention Joseph lineage to David but not Mary. Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 12:08
  • I should mention Matthew 1:16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. That should not be taken to indicate evidence that Luke relates to Mary. Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 12:28
  • @another theory One difficulty you can have is understanding genealogy from a Hebraic perspective. Genealogy is always decided using a ‘legalistic’ line, not a blood line. Example. If a Hebrew Man marries, and dies childless, his wife could have a child via a relative of her Husband, and that child’s genealogy would have the husband (who died) as the legal Father, and thus [legally] inherit anything/all the ‘rights’ of that line - despite not necessarily having any ‘blood’ connection with her original husband at all. Whereas a ‘curse’ always follows a ‘blood’ line.
    – Dave
    Commented Feb 25, 2021 at 19:04
  • yes I accept your point. I was looking for more clear text evidence on a position, whatever this may be. Rather then possibilities. Arguably if Jesus is Son of or God is there any need for lineage. Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 10:49
  • @another theory The lineage is crucial - for multiple reasons. First it was prophesied. Jesus would be King of Israel, [ therefore needed to be ] in the ‘line’ of David. Secondly, he has to be the accepted King of Israel in order to be able to deal with Satan and his cohorts. (God can’t just ‘do’ this just because He’s Almighty (which he is)). And, this ‘dealing with oppression’ was promised! (to Israel.)
    – Dave
    Commented Feb 26, 2021 at 19:40
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The article "Why is Joseph Important to Jesus Genealogy?" by Dr. Michael Rydelnik covers this contradiction.

The main point is that Jesus was adopted by Joseph, so receives the legal right to be king but without being a blood descendant via the cursed line. He is also a blood descendant of David through Mary, but bypassing the cursed line. A point not made in the cited article but made by others was that if Mary had no brothers and no older sister, then by Mary being wed to Joseph, Joseph would be a kinsman-redeemer and carry on the patrilineal line of Mary's family. Thus this adoption grants Jesus legal claims to the throne by both parents.

The relevant quote:

In Luke’s narrative of the birth of Jesus, we are given Mary’s genealogy (Luke 3:23–38). Probably the best way to interpret verse 23 is like this: Jesus “was thought to be the son of Joseph, the son-in-law of Heli.” Then the genealogy continues all the way back to David, Abraham, and Adam. This establishes Mary as the physical descendant of David, so it can be stated that Jesus truly was “the Son of David” through the lineage of David’s son Nathan.

Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:1–16), from Joseph’s perspective, is also important because it clearly demonstrates Jesus’ legal right to the throne of David. According to Judaism, Jesus, as the adopted son of Joseph, would have all the legal rights of a biological heir. Joseph descended from David through Solomon, and that was the chosen line of David for someone to be considered king. Hence, the Lord Jesus was the son of David by biological descent through Mary and the king of Israel by legal right through Joseph.

The amazing part of all this is that God had cursed the line of Solomon so that no physical descendant of his could be named king. Jeremiah 22:30 says of Coniah, “Record this man as childless . . . none of his descendants will succeed in sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.” This created a “Catch 22” of sorts. Only a descendant of Solomon could be king, yet this line was cursed. Therefore, only Jesus could fulfill the Davidic covenant. Jesus had the legal right to be king through Joseph but, because He was virgin born, the curse on Coniah did not apply to Him. Instead, He was the son of David through His mother Mary. Both genealogies are significant in establishing the Lord Jesus as the true Davidic king.

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As yet another possibility...Yeshua did not take the throne of David during His mortal life on Earth. If the curse were still in place (which is debated here), he could not take the crown at that time without breaking scripture. If that is true, Satan's attempt to get him to bow down and worship him in exchange for the kingdoms of the world may have been an attempt not only to get God to bow to him but also to prove scripture errant. Judas and those who expected Yeshua to become an earthly King and cast out the Romans did not anticipate the two comings. At the cross, He became sin itself and bore ALL the curses of mankind including that one placed on Jechoniah, so that the curses died WITH Him. His resurrection was proof that Yeshua's sacrifice was acceptable to the Father as payment for all sins and the end to all curses. Jesus returns to Earth to rule as King AFTER the issue of sin has been dealt with. Hebrews 9:28 "So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him." Where no curses exist, they can no longer be imposed.

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Jesus is our King. Kings possessed signet rings. No where in the Bible is a King made or called a signet ring. Even Jehoiachin it was said “ even if you were my signet ring”. This clearly says even if you were so he is not God’s signet ring.

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-1

The Bible indicate that the curse on Jeconiah was reversed or lifted because of his repentance. Zerubbabel is the grandson of Jeconiah.


Since no descendant of Jeconiah could ever sit on the throne (Jeremiah 22:24 and 22:30), if Jesus is a descendant of this cursed king, he is disqualified from being the Messiah.

If true, then what is Jeconiah doing in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's gospel? And how can Jesus qualify to be the Messiah? First of all, we have to wonder why Matthew would ever have included Jeconiah among the ancestors of Jesus if this so obviously disqualified Jesus from being the Messiah. In fact, the Scripture shows that the curse was only short-term, if not altogether reversed by God.

There are three parts to the curse on Jeconiah (who is also called Jehoiachin or Coniah):

  • that he would be childless (this is how the Hebrew text literally reads)
  • that he would not prosper in his lifetime
  • that none of his descendants would rule in Judah

The Scripture shows that in fact none of these took place.

Though the Hebrew literally reads, "Record this man childless," Jeconiah in fact had children.

The descendants of Jehoiachin the captive: Shealtiel his son, Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah -- 1 Chronicles 3:17-18

He did prosper in his day.

In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honour higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. -- 2 Kings 25:27-28

His grandson Zerubbabel prospered and ruled. In fact the same words God used in rejecting Jeconiah were deliberately used in establishing Zerubbabel.

"As surely as I live," declares the LORD, "even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off. -- Jeremiah 22:24

"'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty." -- Haggai 2:23

Though Zerubbabel did not sit on the throne as king, the fact that Haggai 2:23 uses the same terminology as Jeremiah 22:24 shows that Haggai intended to indicate a reversal of the curse.

We have to conclude that in Jeremiah 22:30, "in his lifetime" qualifies the following phrases, and "for" explains that no descendant of his will prosper and rule during his lifetime.

We find ample rabbinic sources which also agree that God reversed the curse on Jeconiah, which they attribute to repentance on Jeconiah's part. We even find the idea that the Messiah will descend from Jeconiah--exactly the opposite of what some say is impossible! I am quoting just a few from the article: JewsforJesus The Jeconiah Problem:

1. Sources stating that Jeconiah repented and so God reversed the curse.

Sanhedrin 37b-38a

R. Johanan said: Exile atones for everything, for it is written, Thus saith the Lord, write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah. Whereas after he [the king] was exiled, it is written, And the sons of Jechoniah, -- the same is Assir -- Shealtiel his son etc.(1) [He was called] Assir, because his mother conceived him in prison. Shealtiel, because God did not plant him in the way that others are planted. We know by tradition that a woman cannot conceive in a standing position. [yet she] did conceive standing. Another interpretation: Shealtiel, because God obtained [of the Heavenly court] absolution from His oath.(2)

(1) I Ch. III, 17. Notwithstanding the curse that he should be childless and not prosper, after being exiled he was forgiven. (2) Which He had made, to punish Jechoniah with childlessness.

--Soncino Talmud edition, with selected footnotes

2. Sources stating that the Messiah will descend from Jeconiah.

  • Tanhuma Genesis, Toledot (8th-9th c.)

Scripture alludes here to the verse Who art thou, O great mountain before Zerubbabel? Thou shalt become a plain (Zech. 4:7). This verse refers to the Messiah, the descendant of David. . . .From whom will the Messiah descend? From Zerubbabel.

Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, translated by Samuel A. Berman (Hoboken, NJ: Ktav, 1996), p. 182.

  • Rabbi A. J. Rosenberg on Jeremiah 22:24 (20th c.)

Malbim calls to our attention that in the prophecy of Haggai (2:23), God says, "On that day I will take you, Zerubbabel, and I will make you like a signet," for the King Messiah will be like a signet ring on God's right hand, so to speak. Just as the name of the owner of the ring is engraved on his signet ring, through which he makes himself known, so will God's name be known in the world through the King Messiah, through whom His miracles will be known. He says here that, though, in the future, Coniah will be the signet on My right hand, for the Messiah will spring from his seed, now I will remove him from there.

--Ibid., p. 183. Malbim is an acronym for Meir Loeb ben Jehiel Michale, a 19th c. rabbi and commentator. 22:24.

  • Jewish Encyclopedia

Jehoiachin's sad experiences changed his nature entirely, and as he repented of the sins which he had committed as king he was pardoned by God, who revoked the decree to the effect that none of his descendants should ever become king (Jer. xxii.30; Pesik., ed. Buber, xxv. 163a, b): he even became the ancestor of the Messiah (Tan., Toledot, 20 [ed. Buber, i. 140]).

--Louis Ginzberg, "Jehoiachin," vol. 7 p. 84.

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  • @Michel16 Dont you read before you write and make up an answer. Lineage, Matthew 1:12-13; Jechoniah - Shealtiel - Zerubbabel - Abihud. Lineage, 1 Chronicles 3:16-20; Jechoniah (the cursed) - Shealtiel - Pedaiah - Zerubabel - Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed. Zerubabbel's father is Shealtiel, not in the cursed lineage Pedaiah is his father, also in Jesus lineage that Zerubabbel had a son named Abihud non of the cursed lineage. Commented Jul 22, 2021 at 18:42
  • @kevinPopov when Jechiniah is cursed, it means his son and grandsons are also disqualified. That's the meaning of the curse.
    – Michael16
    Commented Jul 23, 2021 at 4:33
  • @Michel16 I have edit and added a lineage line between Matthew & 1 Chron 3:16-20. Please take a look at it and give your viewpoint of it, Thanks! Commented Jul 23, 2021 at 9:28

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