Ruth 4:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab,

NIV: Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab,

NASB: Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab,

CSB: Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab,

NLT: Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab.

KJV: And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

NKJV: Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;

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.

Ruth 4:18–22 gives the genealogy from Judah's son Perez to David. Included are Nahshon, the leader of the tribe of Judah at the time of the exodus (Numbers 2:3), and Boaz, the hero of the story of Ruth. Not listed are a woman of unknown heritage who manipulated a man into fulfilling his responsibilities to her and his family (Tamar; Genesis 38), a Canaanite woman who betrayed her city for Yahweh (Rahab; Joshua 2; 6), and a Moabite woman who sacrificed everything for her Israelite mother-in-law (Ruth). What's not clear is if every generation is listed.

Ruth 4 provides one of the happiest endings of all the books of the Bible. It begins when Boaz holds a meeting with Naomi's next of kin. The unnamed man is willing to buy Naomi's land. Yet he doesn't want the risk of marrying a Moabite woman to give Naomi an heir. Boaz is actively seeking those obligations, so the townspeople praise him and Ruth. Before long, Ruth has a son and presents him to Naomi to continue the family of her late husband. The boy becomes the grandfather of Israel's greatest king, David, and the ancestor of the Messiah, Jesus.

Ruth 4 closes the story of how a Moabite woman came to be part of the genealogy of King David. Naomi, an Israelite from Bethlehem, fled a famine with her husband and two sons. The men died and Naomi returned to Israel with Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law. Ruth enlists the help of Boaz, an honored landowner, to buy Naomi's land and give her an heir. After Boaz negotiates with relatives, Ruth and Boaz marry. Naomi holds the boy born in the name of her husband's family. This child becomes the grandfather of David.

Though set in a time of violence and tragedy, the book of Ruth tells one of Scripture’s most uplifting stories. Naomi, an Israelite, leaves her home during a famine. While away, in Moab, her husband and sons die. Naomi convinces one of her Moabite daughters-in-law to leave her and seek a new life. The other, Ruth, refuses, declaring her love and loyalty to Naomi. When the pair return to Israel, they encounter Boaz. This man is both kind and moral; his treatment of Ruth secures Naomi’s future and becomes part of king David’s ancestry.