Matthew 1:5 kjv

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

Matthew 1:5 nkjv

Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,

Matthew 1:5 niv

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

Matthew 1:5 esv

and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,

Matthew 1:5 nlt

Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.

Matthew 1 verses

Matthew 1 5 Meaning

Matthew 1:5 continues the genealogy of Jesus, highlighting Salmon as the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. It then records Boaz as the father of Obed, born of Ruth. Finally, Obed is listed as the father of Jesse. This verse is significant for explicitly including two Gentile women, Rahab and Ruth, in the direct messianic lineage, preceding King David. It underscores God's sovereignty and grace, extending salvation and inclusion beyond the confines of Jewish ethnicity, foreshadowing the global reach of the Gospel.

Matthew 1 5 Context

Matthew chapter 1 opens with "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham." The primary purpose of this genealogy is to establish Jesus's legal claim to the Davidic throne and his identity as the long-awaited Messiah, a descendant of Abraham through whom all nations would be blessed. It divides the lineage into three groups of fourteen generations, highlighting key periods in Israel's history. Verse 5 is part of the first section, leading from Abraham to David. Its unique contribution within this patriarchal list is the deliberate mention of Rahab and Ruth, two Gentile women, both associated with significant acts of faith and entering the covenant community under unexpected circumstances. This serves not only to confirm the ancestry but also to subtly foreshadow the inclusivity of the Messiah's kingdom, contrasting with a purely Jewish or conventional interpretation of God's chosen line. The historical context for the original Jewish audience would have included a deep reverence for patrilineal genealogies and an expectation of a Messiah of pure Israelite descent. The inclusion of Rahab (a Canaanite harlot) and Ruth (a Moabitess, a perpetually excluded group) would have been striking and counter-cultural, underscoring God's unconventional grace and the unexpected paths of His redemptive plan.

Matthew 1 5 Word analysis

• and (καί, kai): A simple conjunctive, continuing the list of progenitors in a clear, sequential manner, indicating the unbroken chain of descent.
• Salmon (Σαλμών, Salmōn): The male ancestor. Little is directly stated about Salmon in Scripture beyond his role as the father of Boaz. His primary significance here is as a link in the genealogy, especially due to his union with Rahab.
• begot (ἐγέννησεν, egennēsen): Greek aorist indicative verb from γεννάω (gennaō), meaning 'to father,' 'to beget,' 'to give birth to.' This term consistently emphasizes direct biological fatherhood throughout the genealogy. Its repeated use maintains a formal, factual, and legalistic tone appropriate for a genealogical record.
• Boaz (Βοόζ, Booz): A central figure in the Book of Ruth. He is presented as a "man of standing" (Ru 2:1), a righteous and wealthy kinsman-redeemer who marries Ruth. His inclusion directly links the Davidic line to an exemplary figure of generosity and justice.
• of (ἐκ, ek): A Greek preposition meaning 'out of,' 'from,' 'by.' In this genealogical context, it serves specifically to denote the mother who bore the child, highlighting the female link in the procreation, which is highly unusual and intentional in a patriarchal genealogy.
• Rahab (Ραχάβ, Rhachab): A pivotal and striking inclusion. She was a Canaanite woman and a prostitute from Jericho (Jos 2:1). Her remarkable story involves her faith in the God of Israel (Heb 11:31) and her brave act of protecting the Israelite spies, leading to her and her family's salvation during the destruction of Jericho (Jos 6:25). Her inclusion highlights divine grace overriding human background and ethnicity, anticipating the call of the Gentiles. Her past as a "harlot" is a stark reminder that God's grace extends even to those considered outcast, making His plan dependent not on human purity or lineage but on His sovereign choice and the individual's faith.
• Ruth (Ρούθ, Routh): A Moabitess, another Gentile woman. Her story is chronicled in the biblical Book of Ruth, where she demonstrates exceptional loyalty, faith, and humility toward her mother-in-law Naomi and to the God of Israel. Moabites were forbidden from entering the assembly of the LORD (Deu 23:3), making her inclusion particularly profound as an act of divine sovereignty and grace. She marries Boaz through the principle of kinsman-redemption and becomes the great-grandmother of King David, further solidifying the theme of God's broad salvation and inclusion.
• Obed (Ὠβήδ, Obed): The son of Boaz and Ruth. His birth brings great joy to Naomi (Ru 4:14-17), marking the continuation of the family line and laying the groundwork for the Davidic dynasty.
• Jesse (Ἰεσσαί, Iessai): The son of Obed and the father of King David. His significance is immense as the immediate patriarch of the royal line from which the Messiah was prophesied to descend (Isa 11:1).

Words-group Analysis:

• Salmon begot Boaz of Rahab: This phrase is exceptionally significant for breaking two traditional genealogical conventions. Firstly, it explicitly names the mother, Rahab, in a predominantly patrilineal list. Secondly, Rahab is a Gentile and a former prostitute. This highlights Matthew's theological agenda: to show God's inclusive plan of salvation extending beyond Jewish ethnicity and conventional social norms, reaching those typically considered outside the covenant or of scandalous background. Her inclusion prefigures the call of Gentiles into the Christian faith. It's a testament to divine grace and unexpected lineage.
• Boaz begot Obed of Ruth: Similar to the previous phrase, the inclusion of "Ruth" emphasizes the second Gentile woman in the direct Messianic lineage. Ruth was a Moabitess, belonging to a nation excluded by Deuteronomic law. Her inclusion reinforces the theme of God's grace transcending national boundaries and legal proscriptions. It underscores that God’s plan of salvation is not limited by human conventions or historical exclusions, highlighting that faith and loyal commitment to the God of Israel can bring about incorporation into His family and plan. Boaz and Ruth's story is a beautiful narrative of divine providence, love, and redemption.
• Obed begot Jesse: This concludes the verse, pointing directly towards Jesse, the father of David. This maintains the traditional, expected sequence after the significant inclusions of Rahab and Ruth. It emphasizes that despite the unconventional additions, the line steadily progresses towards its pivotal point: the birth of King David, establishing the Davidic covenant from which the Messiah would spring.

Matthew 1 5 Bonus section

The prominence given to Salmon's marital union "of Rahab" and Boaz's "of Ruth" contrasts sharply with the vast majority of biblical genealogies, which rarely name the mothers, or only do so for specific patriarchal purposes (e.g., Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah). Matthew, however, deliberately includes these four specific women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah/Bathsheba). A shared characteristic of these four women is an unconventional or scandalous element to their entry into the lineage or their social standing:

• Tamar acted disguised as a prostitute.
• Rahab was a prostitute.
• Ruth was a Moabite (a forbidden nation), who proposed marriage in an unusual way.
• Bathsheba (implied) was involved in adultery with David.These deliberate inclusions by Matthew underscore that God's grace and redemptive plan operate not within strict human moral or racial conventions, but sovereignly and redemptively through imperfect individuals and situations. This serves as a quiet polemic against a legalistic or ethnocentric view of Messiah's lineage, prefiguring a Messiah whose kingdom would embrace the morally ambiguous and ethnically diverse, consistent with God's original promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth.

Matthew 1 5 Commentary

Matthew 1:5, within the concise and deliberate genealogy of Jesus, serves as a powerful theological statement. The routine "begot" (ἐγέννησεν) is interjected with two radical inclusions: Rahab and Ruth, both Gentile women. Rahab, a Canaanite harlot, and Ruth, a Moabitess, were ancestrally outside the covenant and socially marginalized, yet by faith, they were grafted into the lineage of Israel's greatest king, David, and ultimately the Messiah, Jesus. This is not a mere factual record but a narrative choice by Matthew to highlight key aspects of God's character and plan.

The inclusion of these women, alongside Tamar and the "wife of Uriah" (Bathsheba), reveals that God's plan is not pristine according to human standards, but deeply rooted in His grace and sovereignty. It shows that God works through unconventional means, broken backgrounds, and non-Jewish individuals, preparing the way for the radical inclusivity of the Gospel, which calls people "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev 5:9). Their stories of faith and divine intervention prefigure the mission to the Gentiles that will be a hallmark of the early church. Matthew subtly defends Jesus's claim as Messiah not by a perfect human lineage, but by demonstrating God's consistent ability to use all people—Jew or Gentile, saint or sinner—to fulfill His eternal purposes. This verse confirms the promise that salvation is truly by grace, for all who believe, transcending ethnic, social, and gender barriers, rooted deeply in the surprising and redeeming acts of God throughout history.