What about the curse on Jeconiah and Jesus' genealogy?
Matthew traces Joseph's royal line (through Jeconiah); Luke traces another line from David through Nathan. Yeshua is legally Joseph's son, and by birth from David through Miriam.
Jeremiah 22:30 says none of Jeconiah's descendants will sit on David's throne. Matthew 1 lists Jeconiah in Joseph's line, so the objection is fair.
Matthew says Joseph wasn't Yeshua's biological father (1:18-25), so Yeshua is the legal heir without being Jeconiah's physical descendant. Luke 3 traces a different line from David through his son Nathan, which many read as Miriam's family.
Jewish tradition itself held that the curse could be lifted: the Midrash says Jeconiah repented (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 24), and his grandson Zerubbabel is called God's "signet ring" (Haggai 2:23), reversing Jeremiah 22:24.
In the Scriptures
30כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה כִּתְב֞וּ אֶת־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַזֶּה֙ עֲרִירִ֔י גֶּ֖בֶר לֹא־יִצְלַ֣ח בְּיָמָ֑יו כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יִצְלַ֜ח מִזַּרְע֗וֹ אִ֚ישׁ יֹשֵׁב֙ עַל־כִּסֵּ֣א דָוִ֔ד וּמֹשֵׁ֥ל ע֖וֹד בִּיהוּדָֽה׃
30Thus saith the LORD: Write ye this man childless, A man that shall not prosper in his days; For no man of his seed shall prosper, Sitting upon the throne of David, And ruling any more in Judah.
Jeremiah 22:30 (Hebrew & JPS 1917)
23בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֣וּא נְאֻם־יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֡וֹת אֶ֠קָּחֲךָ זְרֻבָּבֶ֨ל בֶּן־שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֤ל עַבְדִּי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָ כַּֽחוֹתָ֑ם כִּֽי־בְךָ֣ בָחַ֔רְתִּי נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
23In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.’
Haggai 2:23 (Hebrew & JPS 1917)
David's throne forever Ask about it
Sources
- Jeremiah 22:24, 30; Haggai 2:23; Matthew 1:1-25; Luke 3:23-31
- Leviticus Rabbah 19:6; Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 24:11