By Water & Blood

Person

Cainan

Kainan

Καϊνάμ

In Luke’s genealogy between Arphaxad and Shelah (also in the Greek Genesis tradition).

Cainan stands in Luke 3 between Arphaxad and Shelah. The Hebrew Masoretic text of Genesis 11 does not name him there; the Greek Old Testament tradition does. He is not the same generation as Kenan son of Enosh.

View Line of Christ

Matthew and Luke both frame a genealogy around Joseph, yet the names differ after David (Solomon in Matthew, Nathan in Luke). Scripture does not explain the difference. Common theories: (1) Matthew gives the legal/royal line and Luke another kinship line (blood, adoption, or levirate), both tied to Joseph; (2) one list is Joseph’s and Luke’s is Mary’s, with Joseph named because Yahshua was “as was supposed” his son (Luke 3:23)—a reading Luke never states outright; (3) both are Joseph’s by different reckonings (for example legal father and biological father). The chains below follow each Gospel as written.

Line of Christ (Matthew)

From Adam to Yahshua. Genesis carries the line to Abraham; Matthew’s genealogy carries it from Abraham to Yahshua through David and Solomon, ending at Joseph the husband of Mary.

  1. Adam
  2. Seth
  3. Enosh
  4. Kenan
  5. Mahalalel
  6. Jared
  7. Enoch
  8. Methuselah
  9. Lamech
  10. Noah
  11. Shem
  12. Arphaxad
  13. Shelah
  14. Eber
  15. Peleg
  16. Reu
  17. Serug
  18. Nahor
  19. Terah
  20. Abraham
  21. Isaac
  22. Jacob
  23. Judah
  24. Perez
  25. Hezron
  26. Ram
  27. Amminadab
  28. Nahshon
  29. Salmon
  30. Boaz
  31. Obed
  32. Jesse
  33. David
  34. Solomon
  35. Rehoboam
  36. Abijah
  37. Asa
  38. Jehoshaphat
  39. Joram
  40. Uzziah
  41. Jotham
  42. Ahaz
  43. Hezekiah
  44. Manasseh
  45. Amon
  46. Josiah
  47. Jeconiah
  48. Shealtiel
  49. Zerubbabel
  50. Abiud
  51. Eliakim
  52. Azor
  53. Zadok
  54. Akim
  55. Eliud
  56. Eleazar
  57. Matthan
  58. Jacob (father of Joseph)
  59. Joseph (husband of Mary)
  60. Yahshua

Line of Christ (Luke)

Luke 3:23–38 as written: from Yahshua, “the son (as was supposed) of Joseph,” back through Heli and Nathan son of David to Adam. The names after David differ from Matthew.

  1. Adam
  2. Seth
  3. Enosh
  4. Kenan
  5. Mahalalel
  6. Jared
  7. Enoch
  8. Methuselah
  9. Lamech
  10. Noah
  11. Shem
  12. Arphaxad
  13. Cainan
  14. Shelah
  15. Eber
  16. Peleg
  17. Reu
  18. Serug
  19. Nahor
  20. Terah
  21. Abraham
  22. Isaac
  23. Jacob
  24. Judah
  25. Perez
  26. Hezron
  27. Aram
  28. Amminadab
  29. Nahshon
  30. Salmon
  31. Boaz
  32. Obed
  33. Jesse
  34. David
  35. Nathan
  36. Mattatha
  37. Menan
  38. Melea
  39. Eliakim
  40. Jonan
  41. Joseph
  42. Judah
  43. Simeon
  44. Levi
  45. Matthat
  46. Jorim
  47. Eliezer
  48. Jose
  49. Er
  50. Elmodam
  51. Cosam
  52. Addi
  53. Melchi
  54. Neri
  55. Shealtiel
  56. Zerubbabel
  57. Rhesa
  58. Joanan
  59. Judah
  60. Joseph
  61. Semein
  62. Mattathias
  63. Maath
  64. Naggai
  65. Esli
  66. Nahum
  67. Amos
  68. Mattathias
  69. Joseph
  70. Jannai
  71. Melchi
  72. Levi
  73. Matthat
  74. Heli
  75. Joseph (as was supposed)
  76. Yahshua

Strong’s

Strong’s dictionaries compiled by Open Scriptures, used under CC-BY-SA 4.0.

Καϊνάν G2536

Kaïnán

Cainan (i.e. Kenan), the name of two patriarchs

of Hebrew origin (H07018);

KJV glosses: Cainan

Thayer’s

Joseph Henry Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889). Public-domain digital text.

Καϊνάν G2536

Kaïnán

Καιναν (so R G L both 1 and 2; Tr Καιναν in 1 and Tr text in 2, but Tr marginal reading Καϊνάμ in 2, WH Καϊνάμ 1 and 2; T Καϊνάμ both 1 and 2), ὁ (Hebrew קֵינָן a lance-maker (others, 'possessor' or 'possession')), Cainan;

1. son of Enos (Gen 5:9 f): Luk 3:37.

2. son of Arphaxad, according to the Sept. of Gen 10:24; Gen 11:12; (1Ch 1:18 Alex.), which Luke follows in. (See B. D., under the word.)