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Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
Luke 3:34 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
  • BSB the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
  • NKJV the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
  • NASB the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
  • NLT Judah was the son of Jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham. Abraham was the son of Terah. Terah was the son of Nahor.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The line reaches the patriarchs Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham.

Overview

Luke traces Jesus back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the fathers of the covenant. Through Abraham's seed all nations were to be blessed, a promise fulfilled in Christ. By extending the line beyond Abraham toward Adam, Luke also signals that Jesus is Savior of all humanity, not Israel alone.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Josh 24:2And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
  • Gen 21:3And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
  • 1 Chr 1:34And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel.
  • Acts 7:8And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
  • 1 Chr 1:24–28Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
  • Gen 25:26And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
  • Matt 1:2Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
  • Gen 11:24–32And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 3:34YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.

How Luke 3:34 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.