Who was Semein in the Bible?

Semein is a name listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke, specifically mentioned as an ancestor in the lineage from King David to Jesus (Luke 3:26). He is one of many individuals included to trace Jesus's legal and ancestral line back to Adam.

Why is Semein included in Jesus's genealogy?

Semein's inclusion establishes Jesus's legal and human descent from King David and ultimately Adam, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah coming from David's line. This genealogy in Luke 3:23-38 emphasizes Jesus's role as the Savior for all humanity.

What do we know about Semein's life?

The Bible provides no specific details about Semein's life, events, or character beyond his name appearing in the genealogical list. His significance lies solely in his place within the ancestral chain that leads to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Semein

New TestamentMaleSon of josech

Semein is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, as recorded in Luke's Gospel.

Semein

Biography

Semein appears in Luke's genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:26) as the son of Josech and the father of Mattathias, situated in the line of descent running from David through Nathan rather than the royal line through Solomon. This genealogical branch is typically understood by scholars as tracing Mary's ancestry rather than Joseph's, distinguishing Luke's account from Matthew's Solomonic lineage. Like the majority of figures in Luke's extended genealogy, Semein is known to readers of Scripture only through this single mention; no biographical narrative, prophetic oracle, or historical reference elsewhere in the Bible identifies him further. His name, related to the Hebrew Shimei, was common in Second Temple Judaism.

Significance

Semein's inclusion in Luke's genealogy of Christ serves the larger theological purpose of establishing Jesus' authentic descent from Adam through the tribe of Judah and the house of David. Luke traces the lineage through Nathan rather than Solomon, likely reflecting Mary's Davidic ancestry, which ensures that the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant rests on biological descent rather than legal adoption alone. In this way, every name in the genealogy, including Semein's, participates in the biblical testimony that the incarnation of the Son of God was not an intrusion into human history but its culmination, prepared through generations of covenant faithfulness and human lineage that God sovereignly sustained to bring forth the promised Messiah.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherJosechChildMattathias

Verse Appearances (1)

Luke

Luke 3:26

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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