Secondly, Iraenaeus was born in the second century. That you should claim he knew something that the Biblical writers did not know about Mary, for as I have said Joseph, and not she was portrayed as the link between Jesus and David is ludicrous.
Iranaeus was born sometime during the second century, but knew Polycarp who knew John. He was probably well aware of what was traditionally tought, and the interpretation here does not seem to be his own thoughts.
Now any one with a half a competent understanding of grammar understands that this is in NO way implying that Mary is of the race of David. See here:
I don't understand the text that way. The proximity of the two are sufficiently close enough to make it a ellipsis. For instance, if I was going to say, "I am of the race of men, the son of Adam." I infer that Adam is of the race of men, though that was not the direct intention of the sentence.
Did I mention that the Bible ALWAYS has the son as the seed of the father, and not the mother?
No, that's not true. KJV 12:17 "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Because this was authored before the 1800s, there's serious doubt in the whole "man seed" theory. It's bogus.
Ok, more church father's.
Justin Martyr, first apology
"For by the power of God He was conceived by a virgin of the seed of Jacob, who was the father of Judah, who, as we have shown, was the father of the Jews; and Jesse was His forefather according to the oracle, and He was the son of Jacob and Judah according to lineal descent."
Notice that the Justin says "He was conceived by a virgin of the seed of Jacob, implying that the Virgin was of David's line." Now because Christ was born of Mary, would it also follow that Jesus would be of David's line. For if Mary was of the seed of David's line, then why wouldn't Jesus be of the seed of David's line?
"Since those who did that which is universally, naturally, and eternally good are pleasing to God, they shall be saved through this Christ in the resurrection equally with those righteous men who were before them, namely Noah, and Enoch, and Jacob, and whoever else there be, along with those who have known this Christ, Son of God, who was before the morning star and the moon, and submitted to become incarnate, and be born of this virgin of the family of David,..."
"As, then, circumcision began with Abraham, and the Sabbath and sacrifices and offerings and feasts with Moses, and it has been proved they were enjoined on account of the hardness of your people's heart, so it was necessary, in accordance with the Father's will, that they should have an end in Him who was born of a virgin, of the family of Abraham and tribe of Judah, and of David; in Christ the Son of God, who was proclaimed as about to come to all the world, to be the everlasting law and the everlasting covenant, even as the forementioned prophecies show."
"Accordingly He revealed to us all that we have perceived by His grace out of the Scriptures, so that we know Him to be the first-begotten of God, and to be before all creatures; likewise to be the Son of the patriarchs, since He assumed flesh by the Virgin of their family, and submitted to become a man without comeliness, dishonoured, and subject to suffering. Hence, also, among His words He said, when He was discoursing about His future sufferings: "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the Pharisees and Scribes, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.' He said then that He was the Son of man, either because of His birth by the Virgin, who was, as I said, of the family of David and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham; or because Adam was the father both of Himself and of those who have been first enumerated from whom Mary derives her descent. For we know that the fathers of women are the fathers likewise of those children whom their daughters bear."
"Observe, too, how the same promises are made to Isaac and to Jacob. For thus He speaks to Isaac: 'And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' And to Jacob: 'And in thee and in thy seed shall all families of the earth be blessed.' He says that neither to Esau nor to Reuben, nor to any other; only to those of whom the Christ should arise, according to the dispensation, through the Virgin Mary. But if you would consider the blessing of Judah, you would perceive what I say. For the seed is divided from Jacob, and comes down through Judah, and Phares, and Jesse, and David. And this was a symbol of the fact that some of your nation would be found children of Abraham, and found, too, in the lot of Christ; but that others, who are indeed children of Abraham, would be like the sand on the sea-shore, barren and fruitless, much in quantity, and without number indeed, but bearing no fruit whatever, and only drinking the water of the sea. And a vast multitude in your nation are convicted of being of this kind, imbibing doctrines of bitterness and godlessness, but spurning the word of God."
Ignatius
"Meet in common assembly in grace, every one of you, man by man, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, Who is according to the flesh of the stock of David, the Son of man and Son of God, so that you may obey the bishop and the presbytery with a mind free from distraction; breaking one bread,[6] which is the medicine of immortality, the antidote preserving us that we should not die but live for ever in Jesus Christ."
By directly telling us that Jesus was of the flesh of the house of David, Ignatius is rejecting any notion that Christ adopted his Davidic heritage from Joseph.
I. I render glory to Jesus Christ the God[1] Who has given you such wisd"om. For I have perceived that you are firmly settled in unwavering faith, being nailed, as it were, to the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ[2] in flesh and spirit, and firmly planted in love in the blood of Christ, being fully convinced as touching our Lord that He is truly of the race of David after the flesh, and Son of God after the Divine will and power,[3] truly born of a virgin, baptized by John, that all righteousness might be fulfilled by Him,[4] under Pontius Pilate and Herod the Tetrarch [5] truly nailed for us in the flesh (of Whose fruit are we,[6] even of His most blessed Passion); that"
Jesus' flesh is of the the race of David since Mary was of David.