Joseph’s father is given differently in the New Testament genealogies: Matthew names Jacob , while Luke names Heli.

Why the difference?

A common explanation is that Jacob was Joseph’s biological father, while Heli was his legal father through a family lineage arrangement such as levirate marriage.

In plain terms

  • Matthew 1:16 : Jacob is listed as Joseph’s father.
  • Luke 3:23 : Heli is listed as Joseph’s father.
  • Many Christian interpreters reconcile this by treating one line as biological and the other as legal/family lineage.

Direct answer

So, the shortest answer is: Joseph’s father was Jacob in Matthew’s genealogy, and Heli in Luke’s genealogy.