So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighbourhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
Comment: Ruth bears a son Obed. A lot of his bringing up was by Naomi, maybe to teach him good Jewish rather than Moabite ways. I don’t know for sure. The book was either written or brought up to date after David was king. David was the king on whose kingship the promised Messiah of the Old Testament was to come. This was written long before Jesus was born, but her name is mentioned in the genealogies of Jesus in the gospels of both Mathew and Luke.
This does at least two very interesting things: –
- Firstly it links the story to actual people. Boaz father was Salmon, Boaz fathered Obed, whose son was Jesse, the father of David. This is not a fairytale, but history.
- Secondly, it brings the second non Jewish woman into the line of lineage of Jesus. Tamar, a Canaanite woman is named as the mother of Boaz. Jesus is the Saviour offered to all people. It should be noted in the Old Testament sometimes a generation or two is skipped over. The a great grand parent might be named as fathering someone. Of course the lineage is still true as a named person is in a direct line to the named ‘son’.
Prayer: Thank You that the promised Messiah has come.
As I read it! 