Name List from Luke 3
By: Date: February 21, 2020 Categories: Uncategorized
Forefathers of Christ – Orthodox

Each time I translate a new name list from the Bible I am amazed at what I find there. This time I took the genealogy of Jesus from Luke 3:23-38. There are two things to keep in mind from this list for anyone new to Bible genealogies.

First, this is a listing of Hebrew names from Luke, which was written in Greek. Some of the names seem unfamiliar because he uses the Greek forms of the name instead of the more familiar Hebrew spelling. For example, Noah from the OT becomes Noe in the NT Greek.

The second item of note is that Jesus has three different pedigrees in the NT. Matthew gives us the legal lineage of Jesus to authenticate his right to the throne of David. He begins with Abraham and traces his lineage through David to St. Joseph, because an adopted son (as Jesus was to Joseph) becomes the legal heir regardless of his natural parentage.

Luke’s Gospel gives a slightly different list of names because he gives Jesus’ natural lineage. He therefore begins with Adam and follows the line through Abraham to David but diverts from Matthew to give his genealogy through Mary. She was not of Solomon but from Bathsheba’s second surviving son, Nathan. If we remember what happened to Jacob’s sons, this makes sense; Jacob cursed Reuben, Simeon, and Levi for their actions, and so the birthright passed to the next son, Judah. When Solomon’s line was cursed retroactively through Jeconiah (Jer. 22:24–30), the birthright passed to Nathan! Jesus was therefore not just the legal heir as shown in Matthew, but also descended from David’s body through the next eligible descendent to fulfill what God said.

Who could anticipate a bait-and-switch scheme like this? Even the devil could not know in advance who to kill to keep the “seed of the woman” from being born. The Lord may have been hinting at this plan when he said, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse (David’s father), and a Branch shall grow out of his roots” (Is. 11:1). 

The Righteous Branch (or natzer) from David’s line is spoken of in reference to the Messiah in Isaiah 4:2, 11:1, 60:21, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15, and Zechariah 8:3 and 6:12, which in hindsight can only mean the “branch” of Nathan. In the Septuagint version, this verse is translated: “There shall come forth a rod from the root of Jesse, and a flower shall grow out of his root” (osb). This wording makes the branch out to be Aaron’s rod, which miraculously budded, flowered, and bore ripe almonds when it was dead wood (Num 7:23). The line of Nathan was a living branch from a dead tree. The prophecies about the branch or Natzerene then form the basis of Matthew’s comment that Jesus was called a Nazarene. It seems God is not above using a pun to keep his enemies off guard.

Mark presents Jesus as the suffering servant. The pedigree of a slave was not considered important, so he does not give one. John gives the third pedigree of Jesus from the NT in his introduction of him as the incarnate Logos or Word of God.

The following table gives the names from Luke 3 as they appear in my NKJ version, with their meanings and my suggestions for the message hidden in them. Please feel free to find your own message in the list according to your preferred translation of the names.

NAME

MEANINGS

page1image5580928

MESSAGE

page1image5572288

Jesus (Ye’shua)

Yah saves, Deliverer, Savior

Jesus

Joseph

Increases, adds, repeats

multiplies

Heli (Eli)

God + high; My High God

my High God’s

Matthat

Gift

gifts

Levi

Joined, Connected, Married

As I am joined

Melchi

My King, Royal

to my King.

Janna

Flourishing, Gracious; Paradise

Gracious indeed,

Mattathias

Gift of Yaweh

the Gift of Yaweh

Amos

Burden, B. Bearer, Burdened

is a Bearer of burdens,

Naum

Comforter, Consolation

He comforts me.

Esli

Reserved by Yah, Approximation

My Proxy,

Nagge

Shining, My Brightness

shining

Maath

Small, to be small

in smallness,

Mattathias

Gift of the Lord

the Gift of the Lord

Semei

hears and obeys

who hears and obeys,

Joseph

Increases, adds, repeats

multiplying

Juda

Praise

the praise

Joanna

God is Gracious

of God’s grace.

Rhesa

Head, Will, Affectionate

Loving Head,

Zorobabel

Dispersion + Confusion/Babel

dispersing confusion,

Salathiel

Asked of God

asked for, of God

Neri

My lamp, bright, Yah’s brightness

my Lamp, God’s brightness,

Melchi

My King, Royal

My King

Addi

My Witness, Timely, Time of Him

and timely Witness,

Cosam

Divining

divining

Elmodam

God of Blood or God of Measure, Immeasurable God

God’s law of blood for blood.

Er

Watcher, Watchman, Guardian, Alert

Ever awake,

Jose

Increaser, May He Add

May He add to me

Elieazer

God my Helper

His Spirit, my Helper

Jorim

The Lord Exalts

Who lifts up

Matthat

Gift of Yah, Gift

God’s precious gift

Levi

Joiner, joined, married, connected

joining

Simeon

He who hears and obeys

and hearing me.

Juda

Praise

Let Him be praised

Joseph

add, increase, repeat

evermore,

Jonan

He will be gracious

For His graceousness

Eliakim

Whom God establishes

establishing

Melea

Fullness, to be filled

and filling

Menan

Numbered, Rewarded

Those He numbers as His.

Mattatha

Gift of Yah, Gift

The gift

Nathan

Given, He gives, He will give

He gives

David

Beloved

is His Beloved,

Jesse

My Husband

my Husband

Obed

Servant, slave, minister, serving

with a servant’s heart.

Booz

strength, strong man

My Strong Man wears

Salmon

Mantle, robe, Man of Peace, peacable

a mantle of peace,

Naasson

Serpent, bronze, enchanter

His feet are bronze,

Aminadab

Kinsman, willing, liberal

my willing Kinsman,

Aram

High, elevated, a citadel, exalted

high and lifted up,

Esrom

Enclosed with a wall

enclosing me like a citadel

Phares

Breach, Breaking through

that none break through.

Juda

Praise, Let Him be P

Let Him be praised!

Jacob

Supplanter, closely follows, heel- grabber

The supplanter closely follows me,

Isaac

Laughter, He laughs

But He laughs at him!

Abraham

Exalted Father

Exalted Father,

Thara (Terah)

Delay, turn aside, wander

Delay Him no more!

Nachor (Nahor)

Snoring, Noble, Freeman

Let the Noble

Saruch (Serug)

Branch, Shoot

Branch of Jesse

Ragau (Reu)

Friend

and Friend of Abraham

Heber (Eber)

From Beyond, He that passed over

come from beyond

Sala (Salah)

Sent out, Mission

Sent out from Thee

Cainan

page3image5580352

Acquirer, Possession, Possessor

Possessor

Arphaxad

Healer, Releaser, boundary of Chaldea

and Healer

Sem (Shem)

Name, Renown

of renown

Noe

Comfort, Rest

to comfort me

Lamech

Powerful, to humble or make low

and humble the powerful.

Mathusaleh

His death shall bring; Man of the Javelin

His death shall bring

Enoch

Commencement, Inauguration

His Inauguration as King,

Jared

Discent, discended, shall come down

He shall descend –

Maleleel

Praise + God, the Blessed God

the Blessed God –

Cainan

Acquirer, Possession, Possessor

to take his possession

Enos (Enosh)

Weak, Mortal, Mortal Man

among mortal men

Seth

Foundation, Ruin, Set, Appointed

Your appointed Ruler

Adam

Red Man, Man of Soil, Produce (n.), Blood Man

the Man of dust and blood

Theos

God

who is our God!