How does Ruth 4:20 connect to the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1? Setting the Scene in Ruth 4:20 “Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon.” (Ruth 4:20) • Ruth 4 closes with a concise genealogy moving from Perez (Judah’s son) to King David (Ruth 4:18-22). • Verse 20 sits near the center of that list, marking a critical hand-off from the wilderness generation (Amminadab and Nahshon, Numbers 1:7) to the settlement generation (Salmon, father of Boaz). Tracing the Names Across Testaments Matthew reproduces the same sequence: “Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.” (Matthew 1:4-6) What Ruth 4:20 records locally, Matthew 1 embeds globally: • Amminadab → Nahshon → Salmon (Ruth 4:20) • Salmon → Boaz → Obed → Jesse → David (Ruth 4:21-22) • David → … → “Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1:16) Why This Link Matters • Historical continuity: the same literal lineage runs unbroken from Judah (Genesis 49:10) to David (2 Samuel 7:12-13) to Jesus (Matthew 1:1, 17). • Legal legitimacy: Matthew establishes Jesus’ royal claim through Joseph’s line; Luke 3:32-33 confirms the same names through Mary’s bloodline. • Covenant faithfulness: God preserves His promise across famine (Ruth 1:1), exile (Matthew 1:11-12), and centuries of waiting (Galatians 4:4). Grace Highlighted Through Surprising Ancestors • Rahab, a Canaanite and former prostitute (Joshua 2), is grafted in. • Ruth, a Moabitess and former widow, is grafted in. • Their inclusion showcases the wideness of God’s mercy while affirming the literal accuracy of each name recorded. God’s Unbroken Promise from Perez to Christ 1 Chronicles 2:10-15 parallels Ruth’s closing verses, underscoring that every Old Testament genealogy anchors real people in real time. Luke 1:54-55 celebrates that God “remembered His mercy… just as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.” Ruth 4:20 is one of the links He remembered. Key Takeaways for Today • Scripture’s genealogies are historical records, not myths; they tie together law, narrative, and prophecy. • Ruth 4:20 roots Jesus’ family tree in a specific moment, confirming that redemption unfolds through ordinary yet divinely chosen families. • What God promises, He performs—every name along the line from Amminadab to Jesus proves it. |
    |