Jesse

Jesse is best known as David’s father. Ruth 4 closes with a quiet family line: Obed “is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” So Jesse’s grandmother was Ruth, the woman from Moab who stayed with Naomi. First Chronicles 2 lists his sons, with David “the seventh.” Scripture tells us little about Jesse himself in these verses; his place is in the line that leads to Israel’s greatest king. Begin with the book of Ruth to see how the story of his family starts.

6 verses

Ruth

Ruth 4:17

And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:13

And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,

1 Chronicles 2:14

Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,

1 Chronicles 2:15

Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:

1 Chronicles 2:16

Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

1 Chronicles 2:17

And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Firm, or a gift, a son of Obed, the son of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:17, 22; Matt. 1:5, 6; Luke 3:32). He was the father of eight sons, the youngest of whom was David (1 Sam. 17:12). The phrase “stem of Jesse” is used for the family of David (Isa. 11:1), and “root of Jesse” for the Messiah (Isa. 11:10; Rev. 5:5). Jesse was a man apparently of wealth and position at Bethlehem (1 Sam. 17:17, 18, 20; Ps. 78:71). The last reference to him is of David’s procuring for him an asylum with the king of Moab (1 Sam. 22:3).

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(wealthy), the father of David, was the son of Obed, who again was the fruit of the union of Boaz and the Moabitess Ruth. His great-grandmother was Rahab the Canaanite, of Jericho. (Matthew 1:5) Jesse’s genealogy is twice given in full in the Old Testament, viz., (Ruth 4:18-22) and 1Chr 2:5-12 He is commonly designated as "Jesse the Bethlehemite," (1 Samuel 16:1,18; 17:58) but his full title is "the Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah." ch. (1 Samuel 17:12) He is an "old man" when we first meet with him, (1 Samuel 17:12) with eight sons, ch. (1 Samuel 16:10; 17:12) residing at Bethlehem. ch (1 Samuel 16:4,5) Jesse’s wealth seems to have consisted of a flock of sheep and goats, which were under the care of David. ch. (1 Samuel 16:11; 17:34,35) After David’s rupture with Saul he took his father and his mother into the country of Moab and deposited them with the king, and there they disappear from our view in the records of Scripture. (B.C. 1068-61.) Who the wife of Jesse was we are not told.