E h 1-11-. In detail.
i -11,12. Prayer.
h 13. In sum.
1326 B.C.
Ruth 4)
1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and he sat down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by (the next of kin, who has the right of redemption. See Ex. 6:6, and 13:13); to whom he said, "Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here." And he turned aside, and sat down.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit you down here." And they sat down.
3 And he said to the kinsman, "Naomi, that is come again out of the fields of Moab, sells the parcel of the field, which was our brother Elimelech's:
4 And I thought to advertise to you, saying, 'Buy it in the presence of such as seated here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it: but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside you; and I am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it."
5 Then said Boaz, "What day that you buy the field of the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance."
6 And the kinsman said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance: you redeem my right to yourself; for I cannot redeem it."
7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor: and this was a testimony in Israel. (a custom that grew up outside the law)
8 Therefore the kinsman said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself". So he plucked off his shoe.
9 And Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, "You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.
10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the people of this city of his place ("gate" is a figure of speech for the people assembling there): you are witnesses this day.
11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do you worthily in Ephratah, and proclaim a name in Bethlehem:
12 And let your house be like the house of Pharez (cp. Gen. 38:29. 1 Chron. 2:4. Matt. 1:3), whom Tamar bare to Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give you of this young woman.
1325 B.C.
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. (In the second jubilee year [1325-1324] B.C.)
B k 14,15. Blessing by women.
l 16. Naomi's joy.
k 17-. Naming by women.
14 And the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, which has not left you this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
15 And he shall be to you a restorer of your soul, and a nourisher of your old age: for your daughter in law, which loves you, which is better to you than seven sons, has born him."
16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it.
17 And the women, her neighbors gave it a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi;"
A m -17. Obed, Jesse, and David.
n 19-21. The generations of Pharez.
m 22. Obed, Jesse, and David.
and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Pharez (the son of Judah): Pharez begat Hezron,
19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon (Prince of Israel in the wilderness [1 Chron. 2:10), and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21 And Salmon (married Rahab [Matt. 1:5]. Nephew of Aaron) begat Boaz (married Ruth), and Boaz begat Obed,
22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Judah=Thamar
l
Parez
l
Hezron
l
Aram
l
Amminadab
l
------------------------------
l l
Elisheba Nahashon
l
Salmon
(nephew of Aaaron, m. Rahab)
l
Boaz
(married Ruth)
l
Obed
l
Jesse
l
David
If Salmon married Rahab in the year of the entry into the land (1451 B.C.); and the birth of David was in 990 B.C.; then, according to the above Table of Generations, the period of 461 years is covered by only four lives; namely Salmon, Boaz, Obed, and Jesse.
The inference therefore seems clear that, as in a Royal line it is not necessary to include every link (as it is in the case of an ordinary man), certain names are omitted in this pedigree, in order that "the generations of Pharez" may be reckoned as ten generations, to accord with the principle which we observe from Adam to Zedekiah (Adam to Naoh, 10; Shem to Abraham, 10; Solomon to Zedekiah, twice 10). So here Pharez to David is given in ten generations.
We see the same principal at work in other Tables of our Lord's ancestry, names are omitted in order to make uniform reckonings.
For example, in Matt. 1:1-17 we have 3 counts of "fourteen generations"; see note there. In v.1 we have the whole given in 2 links (David and Abraham). Ruth herself is omitted in v.17 above.