What does Ruth 4:19 mean?

David's genealogy continues. It began with Perez, the son of Judah and Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar (Genesis 38). Perez had Hezron and Hamul (1 Chronicles 2:5). Hezron had Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai (1 Chronicles 2:9). Ram, of course, had Amminadab.

Scholars note that this may be a shortened list. Perez's sons, including Hezron, went to Egypt with Jacob's family likely around 1876 BC, although they may have been young (Genesis 46:12). Nahshon, Amminadab's son, was a contemporary of Moses, so he would have been born in the 1500s (Exodus 6:23). That comes out to four generations in about 430 years, including the thirty spent before the Israelites were enslaved (Exodus 12:40). Considering Moses lived to 120 (Deuteronomy 34:7), it's not outside the realm of possibility, but it's certainly possible and even likely the historians left some of the generations out.

The line of names is consistent in Ruth 4:18–22, 1 Chronicles 2:5–15, and Matthew 1:3–6. Luke differs. He lists Perez, Hezron, Arni, Admin, Amminadab, Nahshon, Sala [Salmon], Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David (Luke 3:31–33).

It's possible that Arni, Admin, and Ram were men involved in another levirate marriage like Boaz and Ruth or Judah and Tamar, but there's another option. "Arni" in Luke 3:33 in the Septuagint is rendered "Ram," "Arran," or "Haran" depending on the translation. The NASB, CSB, and NIV use "Ram." The CSB and NIV leave out "Admin" entirely. "Admin," "Adokimos" in the NASB, means unapproved or worthless. So, more likely, Luke's Gospel changes Ram's name to "Arni" or "Aram," and Admin was left out of Hebrew records because he was an embarrassment to the family.