Luke 3 37

Luke 3:37 kjv

Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,

Luke 3:37 nkjv

the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,

Luke 3:37 niv

the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan,

Luke 3:37 esv

the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

Luke 3:37 nlt

Lamech was the son of Methuselah.
Methuselah was the son of Enoch.
Enoch was the son of Jared.
Jared was the son of Mahalalel.
Mahalalel was the son of Kenan.

Luke 3 37 Cross References

VerseText (Shortened)Reference (Short Note)
Gen 1:26-27Then God said, “Let us make man... so God created man in His own image..."Adam created directly by God, image of God.
Gen 2:7"The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground... and man became a living being."Adam's direct creation, breath of life from God.
Gen 5:1"This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God."Origin of Adam's line and divine likeness.
Gen 5:3"Adam became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth."Continuity of Adam's image to his descendants.
Lk 1:35"Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God."Jesus's unique divine Sonship through conception.
Lk 3:22"and a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.”"Declaration of Jesus as the Son of God at baptism.
Rom 1:3-4"His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, and was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord"Jesus's Sonship declared powerfully by resurrection.
Rom 5:12"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin..."Adam as the source of sin and death for all humanity.
Rom 5:19"For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous."Adam's sin contrasted with Christ's righteousness.
1 Cor 15:21-22"For since by a man came death, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive."Jesus as the "new Adam" bringing life.
1 Cor 15:45"So also it is written, 'The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit."Directly compares Adam ("first Adam") to Jesus ("last Adam").
1 Cor 15:47-49"The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly."Earthly Adam contrasted with heavenly Christ.
Jn 1:1-3"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... All things came into being through Him..."Jesus's pre-existence and role in creation.
Jn 1:18"No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."Unique Sonship and knowledge of God.
Col 1:15"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."Jesus as the perfect image of God, pre-eminent.
Col 1:16"For by Him all things were created... all things have been created through Him and for Him."Christ's role as Creator, echoing divine origin.
Heb 1:1-3"God, after He spoke long ago... in these last days has spoken to us in His Son... upholds all things by the word of His power."Jesus's divine nature and power, connecting to God.
Phil 2:6-7"who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men."Jesus's divine nature and his identification with humanity.
Acts 17:28-29"for in Him we live and move and exist,’ as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ So then, as we are the offspring of God..."Universal connection of humanity to God (Paul's sermon to Athenians).
1 Pet 1:20"For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you"God's eternal plan concerning Christ.

Luke 3 verses

Luke 3 37 Meaning

Luke 3:37 is the penultimate verse in Jesus’s genealogy, specifically listing an unbroken lineage from Methuselah through Adam, concluding with "the son of God." This verse underscores Jesus's complete humanity, connecting him genetically to the progenitor of all mankind, Adam. Crucially, it climaxes the genealogy by declaring Adam's direct creation and relationship with God, thereby implicitly establishing Jesus's own unique, divine Sonship and his place as the new Head of humanity who is also directly connected to the Creator.

Luke 3 37 Context

Luke Chapter 3 begins with John the Baptist's ministry and proclamation of the Messiah, followed by Jesus's baptism by John. Immediately after Jesus is baptized, and a voice from heaven declares Him, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased" (Lk 3:22), Luke presents Jesus's genealogy. This placement is highly significant: the genealogy serves as a profound affirmation of the divine voice. It substantiates Jesus’s human lineage while simultaneously affirming His unique Sonship to God. Unlike Matthew, who traces Jesus's lineage backward from Abraham to Jesus (emphasizing Jewish messianic expectations), Luke presents an ascending genealogy, tracing Jesus’s ancestry back from Joseph, through many generations, all the way to Adam, and finally, "the son of God." This universal lineage emphasizes Jesus's connection not just to the Jewish people, but to all humanity, presenting Him as the Savior for all nations. Historically, genealogies were vital in Jewish culture to establish identity, status, and rights, particularly for claims to the Messiahship. Luke’s account also highlights God’s involvement in human history from its very beginning, weaving a continuous divine plan leading to Jesus Christ.

Luke 3 37 Word analysis

  • the son of:
    • Greek: huios (υἱός) – commonly means "son" or "descendant." In a genealogical context, it primarily indicates biological descent. However, in biblical thought, "son of" can also denote shared nature, character, or representation (e.g., "son of man," "sons of light"). In the culminating phrase, "the son of God," its meaning transcends mere physical lineage, highlighting Adam's direct relationship as a creation and offspring of God.
  • Methuselah:
    • The longest-living human recorded in the Bible (Gen 5:27). His name is sometimes associated with a meaning related to "man of the dart/spear" or "his death brings judgment." His inclusion roots Jesus's lineage deeply in the early human history recorded in Genesis.
  • Enoch:
    • Significant for "walking with God" and being supernaturally taken by God without experiencing death (Gen 5:24; Heb 11:5). This unusual distinction makes Enoch a notable figure in the line, highlighting divine interaction within the lineage.
  • Jared, Mahalalel, Kenan, Enosh, Seth:
    • These are key figures from Genesis 5, forming the antediluvian (pre-Flood) lineage leading from Adam to Noah. Their inclusion confirms the accuracy of Luke's record with the Old Testament. The preservation of this line through generations, despite increasing human sinfulness (Gen 6), speaks to God's continuous sovereign plan.
  • Adam:
    • Hebrew: ’ādām (אָדָם) – "man," "mankind," "humanity." This term is used for the first human being created by God. Adam signifies the origin of the human race. Luke’s tracing to Adam, rather than just Abraham, broadens the scope of Jesus’s saving work to encompass all humanity, not just Israel.
  • the son of God:
    • This is the climactic and theologically richest phrase in the entire genealogy. It declares that Adam was directly created by God, not born of human parents. This establishes a unique initial relationship between God and humanity. For Jesus, this phrase has a profound parallel: just as Adam was directly the "son of God" by creation, Jesus is supremely the "Son of God" by nature and divine procreation (Lk 1:35), demonstrating His unparalleled connection to the Creator. It bridges human history back to its divine source and connects Jesus, the "Last Adam" (1 Cor 15:45), to the "first Adam."

Luke 3 37 Bonus section

Luke's genealogy is notably ascending (from Jesus back to God) unlike Matthew's descending list. This upward movement implicitly highlights the theological ascent from the human to the divine. This structure not only roots Jesus in humanity's origin but also points to His ultimate divine identity and origin as declared in heaven at His baptism (Lk 3:22). The phrase "the son of God" serves as an ultimate validation, making Jesus not merely a historical figure with a legitimate claim to messianic lineage but a divinely ordained one whose roots extend into the very being of God. This distinction underscores Luke's theme of Jesus as the universal Savior, demonstrating that the plan of salvation was God's from the very beginning, with all humanity, from Adam onwards, being part of God's direct creation and ultimate redemptive purpose.

Luke 3 37 Commentary

Luke 3:37 provides the essential theological foundation for Luke's Gospel regarding Jesus's identity. By meticulously tracing Jesus's lineage back through Adam, it emphasizes His full and undisputed humanity, ensuring His ability to represent and redeem all mankind. The audacious conclusion, "the son of God," serves multiple crucial purposes. Firstly, it elevates Adam from merely being a descendant of God (as other ancient kings claimed divinity) to being a direct creation, making humanity itself intrinsically tied to its divine origin. Secondly, it powerfully frames Jesus's identity, announced just moments before at His baptism, as truly "the Son of God." This comparison posits Jesus not only as Adam’s descendant but as the "Last Adam," the one who reverses the fall of the "first Adam." Jesus, as the perfect "Son of God," lives in full obedience and restores humanity's lost sonship, achieving what Adam failed to do. This profound connection roots Jesus's universal savior-ship in the very fabric of human origin, revealing God's unbroken redemptive plan from creation to Christ. For practical application, this means that Jesus's salvation extends to every human being, regardless of race or background, as all humanity shares a common ancestor in Adam, who in turn traces his origin to God.