Was Mary a descendant of David? Why does Luke 1:32 say "God will make him a King like his ancestor David was"?

Question

How can Jesus be called a descendant of David if Mary was a virgin?

If you were a Jew would you point to this line? Is this the most problematic line of the New Testament for Jews?

Answer 1

Jesus was a descendent by both sides of the family although Joseph was not His biological father. Read both family trees

Answer 2

Joseph and Mary were the descendant of David. The Bible is saying that God will make Jesus a king like David was, because David was a king. If you read 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings(I think) it tells you about David.

Answer 3

Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David through different lines. Matthew give the decendency through Joseph and Luke gives the decendency through Mary. The Holy Spirit is the seed that conceived Jesus. If you remember your human biology in high school you know that the woman carries the egg and the man carries the sperm. Mary's egg was fertilized by the Holy Spirit; therefore, the virgin birth of Jesus is biologically correct. Joseph was betrothed to Mary when she became pregnant and he married her. Because Joesph and Mary were married when Jesus was born Joseph is the human father by Eastern culture and tradition.

Answer 4

The bible traces the lineage of Joseph back to David. The woman's lineage was irrelevant to Jews of the time. As to how Jesus could be a descendant of David if Mary ahd Joseph never had sex, the bible is void of any explanation. Somebody goofed making up the myth I guess.

Answer 5

Both spiritually trhrough the Holy Ghost and personally through Mary Jesus was a direct descendant of David.

Answer 6

Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David

Answer 7

What in the heck does Mary have to do with it? Mary was a virgin because she had not had sex the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and he was her son as well as the Son of God the Father...His relation ot David was through his mother he was from the house of David through his earthly Father born in Joseph's house...He is the son of the Father and the son of Mary and fulfilled all the prophesies of Isaiah...What else do you want? If Mary had not been a virgin the prophesy would have been faulty and his deity questioned...so your problem is no matter what you would have a problem...I mean ..What are you saying??? Jesus was not related to his mother????

Answer 8

to b correct matthew 1:1-16 gives joseph's lineage and Luke gives Mary's lineage if u check in the old testament u will find from genesis to malachi the golden thread of the prophecy of the coming Messiah including many passages in Psalms for not only was David a King he was also a prophet to answer ur second question if ur mother was a virgin when she gave birth to u or if she wasnt u would stillb a descendant of ur grandparents and ur family tree

Answer 9

I'm sorry I can not remember the connection right now, but yes-Mary was a dependent of David, as was Joseph. Jesus was covered both ways. If I can find the connection-I will post it here later. I remember being satisfied on that issue over 10 years ago, but I can't remember. I will search it out.


EDIT: "descendant" not dependent....sorry.

EDIT 2:
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ..." Luke 3:23-24ff NIV

"Joseph son of Heli" Heli was the father of Mary and Joseph was his son (in-law).

Answer 10

To me, you are dealing in two realms: earthly - which is how most will view the lineage, and spiritually, which I believe needs to be in the discussion because we are talking about the Son of God.

In Luke, Zacharias speaks after John the Baptist is born:
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant- (‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭68-69‬ NASB). Clearly this Levi knows his lineage and counts Christ in the house of David.
That Mary's lineage is known at all is amazing, women generally didnt count for much - still dont in some cultures- back then. But clearly Jesus was counted in the House of David due to Joseph, who would father James and others with Mary after Christ was born, to give him the earthy realm connection. as for the spiritual realm, well - I think the Holy Spirit and Son of God trumps anything David accomplished and covers Christ as Messiah.