Bible Question:

I was wondering what happened to the “second Cainan” that is listed in Luke 3:36. In Genesis 10:24, it says that Arphaxad begat Shelah, but Luke says that Cainan was the son of Arphaxad and Shelah was the son of Cainan. Why is the name Cainan not included in the Old Testament?

Bible Answer:

A comparison of the genealogies in Scripture reveal that sometimes names were skipped and some were added. That generally explains why Cainan was not included in the genealogy in Genesis 10:24 and 1 Chronicles 1, but was included in the one in Luke. The table below provides a side-by-side comparison of the genealogies given in Genesis 10, 1 Chronicles 1, and Luke 3 beginning with Noah ending with Serug.

Comparison of the genealogies given in Genesis 10 and Luke 3
GENESIS 10:1, 22, 241 Chronicles 1:1, 24-25LUKE 3:35-36
Noah - v. 1Noah - v. 4Noah - v. 36
Shem - v. 1Shem - v. 4Shem - v. 36
Arpachshad v- . 22, 24Arpachshad - v. 24Arphaxad - v. 36
——Cainan - v. 36
Shelah - v. 24Shelah - v. 24Shelah - v. 35
Eber - v. 24Eber - v. 25Eber - v. 35
Peleg - v. 25Peleg - v. 25Peleg - v. 35
Serug - v. 26Serug - v. 35

The genealogies begin with Noah. His son was Shem. His son was Arpachshad, who had a son named Shelah according to Genesis 10:24 and 1 Chronicles 1:24.

It should be noted that the three genealogies are virtually identical. Noah, Shem, and Arpachshad or Arphaxad appear in sequential order. If these three genealogies are compared to Shem’s genealogy in Genesis 11:10-20, we discover that Reu does not appear after Peleg in Genesis 10, but he is listed in the genealogy in Genesis 11:20 as the son of Peleg and the father of Serug. This occurred because the Holy Spirit had a purpose in excluding and adding certain names. If everyone had been included the genealogical lists would be extremely long. So the Holy Spirit included those names that supported His message.

So while Cainan does not appear in Genesis 10 and in 1 Chronicles 1, he is listed in Luke 3:36. But Scripture does not explain why his name was included only in Luke 3. Was there something significant about Cainan? We do not know. This is the only place in Scripture he is listed.

Conclusion:

We would encourage you to read the studies “Joseph’s Genealogy” and “Mary’s Genealogy.” They will explain some important details about genealogies. It should also be noted that “son of” or “begat” does not occur in the Greek version of Luke 3. It is also important to note that the Greek word translated as “begat” does not necessarily mean “son.” It only means “descendant.”

Suggested Links:

Joseph's Genealogy
Mary's Genealogy