Joshua
Joshua (or Jose) is listed as an ancestor of Jesus Christ in Luke's genealogy.
Biography
This Joshua appears in Luke's genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:29), identified as a son of Eliezer and an ancestor in the Davidic line. He belongs to the period of the Divided Monarchy and is one of many otherwise unknown figures who populate the long ancestral chain connecting the patriarchs to Jesus. Beyond his mention in Luke's carefully constructed genealogy, Scripture offers no additional biographical detail about his life, deeds, or character. His inclusion nonetheless affirms that God's redemptive purposes moved through ordinary, unrecorded generations, men and women whose lives quietly bore the lineage of promise forward across centuries of Israelite history.
Significance
Though Joshua son of Eliezer left no recorded deeds, his position in Luke's genealogy carries profound theological weight. Luke traces Jesus' ancestry all the way back to Adam, emphasizing the universal scope of salvation. Every name in the list, including this Joshua, testifies that God's covenant faithfulness operates across unbroken generational chains. This Joshua's presence underscores that the messianic line was preserved not only through celebrated heroes but through countless faithful, anonymous men who lived and died trusting in God's promises.
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]
- 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]