Who was Jannai in the Bible?

Jannai was an ancestor of Jesus Christ, mentioned only in the genealogy recorded in the Gospel of Luke. He is listed as the son of Joseph and the father of Melchi in the lineage from David to Jesus (Luke 3:24).

Why is Jannai significant?

Jannai's significance lies solely in his place within the legal genealogy of Jesus through his adoptive father Joseph. This lineage, traced back to King David and ultimately to Adam, establishes Jesus's human ancestry and his rightful place in the Davidic royal line (Luke 3:23-38).

What do we know about Jannai's life?

The Bible provides no details about Jannai's life, character, or any events he was involved in. His mention is strictly genealogical, serving to connect one generation to the next in the ancestry leading to the birth of the Messiah.

Jannai

New TestamentMaleSon of joseph

Jannai was an ancestor of Jesus mentioned in Luke's genealogy.

Jannai

Biography

Jannai appears in Luke's genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:24) as an ancestor in the line leading from Adam through David to Joseph, the legal father of Jesus. He is listed between Melchi and Joseph in this genealogy, situating him somewhere in the post-exilic or intertestamental period. No additional biographical information about Jannai survives in Scripture, and attempts to identify him with known historical figures have proven inconclusive. Like many names in Luke's genealogy, Jannai is an otherwise obscure individual whose primary significance lies entirely in his position within the messianic lineage. His inclusion demonstrates Luke's meticulous concern to trace the full human ancestry of Jesus back through the generations, connecting the incarnate Savior to the whole sweep of Israel's history and ultimately to Adam himself.

Significance

Jannai's place in Luke's genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:24) carries theological significance far beyond what his historical obscurity might suggest. Luke's genealogy, tracing Jesus' lineage all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:38), presents Christ as the fulfillment of humanity's deepest need and the culmination of Israel's covenantal history. Each ancestor in this line, including Jannai, is a necessary link in the chain of divine providence through which the Son of God entered human history. His inclusion reminds readers that God's redemptive plan unfolded through countless unsung individuals across generations. Jannai illustrates that faithfulness across generations, even when unrecorded by history, is honored in the eternal purposes of God.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherJosephChildMelchi

Verse Appearances (1)

Luke

Luke 3:24

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]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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