Obed

A baby born to a grieving grandmother earns a small place in Scripture. After Ruth married Boaz, the neighbour women said of the child, “There is a son born to Naomi,” and they called his name Obed, “the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17). So Obed stands between Boaz and Jesse in the line that leads to King David, and Matthew 1:5 repeats it in the family tree of Jesus: “Booz begat Obed of Ruth.” Beyond his place in that line, the Bible tells little about him. His story is really the close of the book of Ruth, which is short and worth reading to the end.

9 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.

Ruth 4:18

Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

Ruth 4:19

And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

Ruth 4:20

And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,

Ruth 4:21

And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

Ruth 4:22

And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:12

And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse,

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:1

And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.

Matthew

Matthew 1:5

And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Serving; worshipping. (1.) A son of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:21, 22), and the grandfather of David (Matt. 1:5).

(2.) 1 Chr. 2:34-38.

(3.) 1 Chr. 26:7.

(4.) 2 Chr. 23:1.

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(serving).

(1.) Son of Boaz and Ruth the Moabitess and father of Jesse. (Ruth 4:17) (B.C. 1360.) The circumstances of his birth which make up all that we know about him are given with much beauty in the book of Ruth. The name of Obed occurs only (Ruth 4:17) and in the four genealogies, (Ruth 4:21,22; 1 Chronicles 2:12; Matthew 1:5; Luke 3:32)

(2.) A descendant of Jarha, the Egyptian slave of Sheshan, in the line of Jerahmeel. (1 Chronicles 2:37,38) (B.C. after 1014.)

(3.) One of David’s mighty men. (1 Chronicles 11:47) (B.C. 1046.)

(4.) One of the gate-keepers of the temple; son of Shemaiah the first-born of Obed-edom. (1 Chronicles 26:7) (B.C. 1017.)

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(5.) Father of Azariah, one of the captains of hundreds who joined with Jehoiada in the revolution by which Athaliah fell. (2 Chronicles 23:1) (B.C. before 876.)

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Dictionary entries from Easton's Bible Dictionary and Smith's Bible Dictionary. Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.