Cosam
Cosam is listed as an ancestor of Jesus in Luke's genealogy. (Luk.3.28)
Biography
Cosam is listed in Luke's genealogy of Jesus as an ancestor in the royal Davidic line, appearing between Elmadam and Addi (Luke 3:28). He is identified as the son of Elmadam, situating him within the post-Solomonic royal lineage that Luke traces from Jesus back through David, Abraham, and ultimately to Adam. Unlike Matthew's genealogy, which follows the royal succession through Solomon, Luke appears to trace the line through Nathan, another son of David, moving through a series of largely unattested names from the divided monarchy period. Cosam is one of many figures in this section of Luke's genealogy about whom no independent historical record survives outside the genealogical list itself.
Significance
Cosam's theological significance lies not in any individual action but in his place within the unbroken chain of human ancestry that God preserved across centuries to bring forth the Savior. Luke's genealogy, extending to Adam and then to God, makes a bold claim: the birth of Jesus of Nazareth is the culmination of the entire human story, not merely Israel's story. Every name in the list, including obscure figures like Cosam, testifies to God's meticulous faithfulness across generations. The genealogy insists that the Incarnation was no accident of history but the arrival of the one toward whom all human lineage had been moving since creation.
Verse Appearances (1)
Luke
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]