genealogy
A genealogy is a record of family descent. In Scripture, genealogies trace lineage, preserve covenant history, and sometimes highlight a person’s legal or tribal standing.
At a Glance
A genealogy is a record of family descent. In Scripture, genealogies trace lineage, preserve covenant history, and sometimes highlight a person’s legal or tribal standing.
Description
A genealogy is a record of family line, ancestry, or descent. In the Bible, genealogies serve several important purposes: they identify tribal and family relationships, establish inheritance and priestly or royal claims, connect major figures to God’s covenant purposes, and situate events within the unfolding history of redemption. Scripture uses genealogies in both the Old and New Testaments, including the lineages associated with Israel, the priesthood, and the family line of Jesus. These lists are often theological as well as historical in purpose, which means they may be arranged selectively to emphasize particular covenant, royal, or redemptive themes rather than to provide every generation without omission. Even so, they are presented as truthful parts of the biblical record and should be read according to their literary and historical function.