What was Mary’s lineage?

The genealogies in Matthew and Luke are different because they serve different purposes. Matthew 1 presents the legal line of Jesus through Joseph, showing His right to the throne of David. Luke 3, on the other hand, is understood by many as the biological genealogy through Mary.

Luke 3:23 mentions Joseph as "son of Heli," which is understood as a legal reference, since Joseph was Heli’s son-in-law, and Heli would be Mary’s father. In Jewish culture it was not common to include women in genealogies, which is why Mary’s name does not appear explicitly.

According to Luke, Mary was a descendant of Abraham (Luke 3:34), the tribe of Judah (Luke 3:33), and King David (Luke 3:31).

This confirms that Jesus, both legally and biologically, is a descendant of David, fulfilling the Messianic prophecies (Luke 1:32; Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5).