Ruth 4:18-22

Ruth 4:18-22

[18] Now these are the generations  of Pharez:  begat  Hezron,  [19] And Hezron  begat  Ram,  begat  Amminadab,  [20] And Amminadab  begat  Nahshon,  begat  Salmon,  [21] And Salmon  begat  Boaz,  begat  Obed,  [22] And Obed  begat  Jesse,  begat  David. 

What does Ruth 4:18-22 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Far from being an unimportant postscript, this genealogy helps us see one of the main purposes for which God gave us this book.
Why does the genealogy start with Perez? He was the founder of the branch of Judah"s family that took his name, to which Elimelech and Boaz belonged ( Numbers 26:20). Perez was the illegitimate son of Judah ( 1 Chronicles 2:5) who, like Jacob, seized the initiative to stand in the line of messianic promise from his twin brother ( Genesis 38:27-30). [1] This genealogy emphasizes how God circumvented custom and tradition in providing Israel"s great redeemer, David. Like Perez, Boaz was the descendant of an Israelite father, Salmon, and a Canaanite harlot, Rahab ( Matthew 1:5). Both Tamar and Rahab entered Israel because they believed and valued God"s promises to Israel, as Ruth did. David himself was the youngest rather than the eldest son of Jesse.
"It is clear that a major purpose of the biblical narrator was to establish links between Judah and Tamar on the one hand and Boaz and Ruth on the other, links binding the royal promise given to Judah with the fulfillment of the Davidic dynasty. This was accomplished not only by demonstrating the affinities between the stories of Tamar and Ruth , but also by suggesting important contrasts." [2]
The wording of the genealogy (Heb. toledot), to Song of Solomon -and-so was born Song of Solomon -and- Song of Solomon , does not necessarily imply that this is a complete list (cf. 1 Chronicles 2:5-15; Matthew 1:3-6; Luke 3:31-33). The word toledot is key to the structure of Genesis , indicating its major divisions ( Ruth 2:4; Ruth 5:1; et al.). This is one more of the many allusions back to the early history of Israel that Ruth contains. This book shows that God was still working faithfully with the Israelites as He had earlier in their history even though they were generally unfaithful to Him during the Judges Period. We might have expected Mahlon, rather than Boaz, to be mentioned since by marrying Ruth , Boaz perpetuated the line of Mahlon, Ruth"s former husband. Evidently the genealogy goes through Boaz because Boaz was the physical father of Obed.
"The first five names cover the period from the time of the entry into Egypt (Perez, Genesis 46:12) to the time of Moses (Nahshon, Exodus 6:23; Numbers 1:7), while the remaining five belong to the period of the early settlement in Canaan to the closing years of the judges." [3]
The fourth chapter brings to a tidy conclusion all the themes and threads spun out in the earlier chapters. [4] Then the genealogical appendix adds information that helps us appreciate the greatness of God"s gift of the Song of Solomon , Obed. He became the ancestor of King David. The appendix also ties the events of the Book of Ruth to the past as well as to the future. It does so by showing connection with God"s promise to raise up a ruler over His people from the descendants of Judah.
"Throughout the book the narrator has deliberately cast the characters as stellar models of hesed, of deep and sincere devotion to God and to one another, expressed in self-sacrificial acts of kindness toward one another. Into the plot he has also carefully woven markings of the providential hand of God, rewarding who[5] rewards authentic piety with his fullness and care. The birth of Obed symbolizes the convergence of these two themes: piety and providence. But the narrator is aware that in the providence of God the implications of a person"s covenantal fidelity often extend far beyond the immediate story. In fact, the story of Naomi, Ruth , and Boaz does not end with the birth of Obed. It simply signals a significant turn in the history of this family and the history of Israel, down a course that leads directly to King David." [6]
Boaz, like Enoch in Genesis 5 , represented the seventh of ten generations and set the course of his family toward godliness.