Luke 1:36, Elizabeth your relative. While Mary was of the royal lineage of David through her father, she also was a relative on her mother’s side of Elizabeth, the priest-wife of Zacharias, who was a daughter of Aaron (Luke 1:5). In Matthew one and Luke three two different genealogies are given for Yeshua, both of which go back to King David. One is presumed to be that of Joseph and the other is that of Mary. In this way, Yeshua was a direct descendant of David legally through Joseph, his step-father, and genetically through Mary, his mother. Does this mean that Mary was of priestly as well as Davidic lineage. Yes, but not patrilineally, only matrilineally. In the Scriptures, tribal lineage was determined through the father’s family line and not the mother’s.
In the case of Mary and Elizabeth, they would have shared common grandparents making them cousins. Their grandfather would have been a priest. In the case of Elizabeth, her father—the son of her priestly grandfather—would have carried the priestly line making her a daughter of Aaron (Luke 1:5). In the case of Mary, her mother would have been her priestly grandfather’s daughter meaning that she was of priestly lineage, but not her children, unless she married a priest.
It seems that Yeshua would have carried priestly blood in his genes, but he was legally a priest through patrilineal descent. To be sure, Yeshua was a priest, but not one of Aaronic lineage, but after the order of Melchizedek, which was the priesthood of the firstborn son passed on generationally. Yeshua was the first born son of Elohim eternally, which is why he is presently at the right hand of Elohim acting as our Great High Priest (Heb 1:3 cp. 3:1; 4:4; 8:1).
Therefore, Mary laid claim to a Davidic as well as a priestly lineage (Jesus the Messiah, by Edersheim, p. 105). This means that Yeshua was not only of direct Davidic lineage, but was of priestly lineage as well.
Shalom to all.
I have come across a commentary that perhaps the 2 lineages do not represent Mary and Joseph but are both lineages of Joseph that included an adoption of Joseph taking place.
If as you said tribal inheritance is actually through the paternal line I wonder how the process of adoption works. Perhaps though as both lineages lead back to David it does not make any difference in understanding Yeshua inheritance line for showing He is the promised Messiah.
I have not made sense of these lineages if it is not maternal though as the seed (egg) of Mary is not counted and Elohim’s Spirit is the begat process of Yeshua in the flesh the true lineage is above alone….?
Blessing in the questions and meditation of His Words to all.
FJ
Y’shua is our High Priest and in the line of David also, our Kng! He, Himself said He was after the line of Melchizedek!
Studying LUKE Chapter 1 2 & 3 etc over the week. Referring to Natans comment re does this mean Mary was of priestly & Davidic lineage…I find it also interesting that in LUKE CHAPTER 2: VERSES 36 ..reads
AND THERE WAS ONE ANNA, A PROPHETESS, THE DAUGHTER OF PHANUEL, OF THE TRIBE OF ASER ( ASHER?) ..SHE WAS OF GREAT AGE, AND HAD LIVED WITH AN HUSBAND SEVEN YEARS FROM HER VIRGINITY.
THIS VERSE GRABBED MY ATTENTION BECAUSE IN DISCUSSION WITH FAMILY RE THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL: I DID SOME FURTHER LOOKING & FOUND INFO ON THE TRIBE OF ASHER..THEIR SYMBOL WAS THE OLIVE TREE APPARENTLY
AND THE WOMEN OF THE TRIBE OF ASHER APPARENTLY MARRIED KINGS & PRIESTS. THEY WERE WELL RESPECTED ETC..CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TRIBE OF ASHER..SO TIES IN I THINK..?? AS WELL AS BEING GLAD & JOYOUS.
VERSE ..37. AND ANNA WAS A WIDDOW OF ABOUT FOURSCORE & FOUR YEARS, WHICH DEPARTED NOT FROM THE TEMPLE, BUT SERVED ELOHIM WITH FASTINGS & PRAYERS NIGHT & DAY ( SERVANT HOOD ) ..SHE GAVE THANKS IN VERSE 38: AND SPOKE OF MESSIAH TO ALL THEM THAT LOOKED FOR REDEMPTION IN JERUSALEM.
QUESTION ?
DOES THIS FULFILL HER ROLE IN SERVING THE MESSIAH IN A KINGLY & PRIESTLY FUNCTION…YESHUA BEING OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST IN THE ORDER OF MILCHESEDEK. ..I TEND TO THINK YES IT DOES.