In brief
Obed is the son of Boaz and Ruth the Moabite, born in Bethlehem after Boaz’s act of redemption. The women of the town tell Naomi that this child will restore her life and sustain her in her old age; it is the neighbor women who give him his name (Ruth 4:14-17). The book of Ruth adds at once that he was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Obed thus becomes the grandfather of King David, and the Gospel of Matthew places him in the genealogy of Jesus Christ: Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth (Matthew 1:5).
What does the name Obed mean?
Obed is a Hebrew name generally understood to mean servant or one who serves. The Bible does not explain it, but it specifies that it was Naomi’s neighbor women who gave it (Ruth 4:17). He should not be confused with Obed-edom, in whose house the ark of the Lord was placed in the time of David (2 Samuel 6:10-11).
The story of Obed
The redemption at the gate of Bethlehem
Ruth 4:1-10Boaz goes up to the town gate and gathers ten elders. The relative who has the right of redemption before him gives it up, because he would also have to marry Ruth. Boaz then acquires everything that belonged to Elimelech and takes Ruth as his wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead man on his inheritance. The birth of Obed is part of this act of redemption carried out publicly before witnesses.
A blessing spoken over the house of Boaz
Ruth 4:11-12The people and the elders bless Boaz: may the Lord make his wife like Rachel and Leah, and may his house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah. They wish him offspring and a name in Bethlehem. Without knowing it, they foretell Obed and, through him, a royal line.
The birth of Obed
Ruth 4:13Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. The Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. The text credits the conception to the Lord himself. After famine, bereavement and exile, God gives a child to a Moabite widow who has become a member of his people.
A son has been born to Naomi
Ruth 4:14-17The women bless the Lord who has not left Naomi without a redeemer: this child will restore her life and nourish her in her old age. Naomi takes the child in her arms and becomes his nurse. The neighbor women exclaim that a son has been born to Naomi and name him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
In the line of Perez
Ruth 4:18-22The book ends with a genealogy: from Perez to Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, then Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David. Obed is the link that joins Ruth’s faith and Boaz’s kindness to Israel’s greatest king.
In the genealogy of Jesus Christ
Matthew 1:5-6Matthew opens his Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus and names two foreign women: Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse, Jesse fathered David. Obed, son of a Moabite woman, is thus among the ancestors of the Messiah. Luke 3:32 also cites him.
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What Obed teaches us
- God writes stories larger than what you can see: the birth of a child in Bethlehem was preparing for King David and the Messiah.
- Obed is born of a redemption; remember that your own new life comes from what Christ paid for you.
- Naomi, who called herself bitter, receives a grandson on her lap; God can restore your life after grief.
- Obed’s life is not told, yet his name counts in God’s plan; a quiet life can bear immense fruit.
Key verses
The neighbor women name the child Obed and say that a son has been born to Naomi. The verse immediately links his birth to Jesse and David: the story of Ruth leads to the monarchy.
The women announce that this child will restore Naomi’s life and sustain her in her old age. Obed is presented as a gift from God to a widow who had lost everything.
Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth. Matthew places Obed, son of a Moabite woman, in the genealogy of Jesus Christ: God’s grace goes beyond the borders of Israel.
Sermons about Obed
- Boaz Pictures Christ: The Redeemer the Law Could Never BeBoaz and Ruth have a son, Obed, whose name means servant. Obed becomes the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. The sermon connects this birth to Rahab and to the grace offered to the excluded.
- From Mara to Joy: Glean by Faith, God Repays You DoubleAt the end of the book, Ruth gives birth to Obed, future father of Jesse and grandfather of David. Naomi, who wanted to be called Mara, holds a grandson in her arms: the name she wanted to erase is given back to her.
- Ruth: Gleaning by Faith When You Can't See a ThingFour chapters after losing everything, Naomi holds a baby on her lap: Obed, the grandfather of King David and an ancestor of Jesus. From generation to generation, God prepares what you cannot yet see.
- Christmas: God Answers the Cry, "I Want Love"The Christmas service opens with the genealogy of Matthew 1: Boaz fathers Obed by Ruth, Obed fathers Jesse. Why does God bring his Son down from a line that includes a Canaanite woman and a Moabite woman?
Frequently asked questions
Who was Obed in the Bible?
Obed is the son of Boaz and Ruth the Moabite, born in Bethlehem after Boaz redeemed Elimelech’s inheritance and married Ruth. Naomi’s neighbor women give him his name (Ruth 4:17). He is the father of Jesse and the grandfather of King David. Matthew 1:5 and Luke 3:32 cite him among the ancestors of Jesus Christ.
What does the name Obed mean?
Obed is generally understood to mean servant in Hebrew. The Bible does not comment on this meaning, but it specifies that it was Naomi’s neighbor women who named the child, saying that a son has been born to Naomi (Ruth 4:17). The name distinguishes him from Obed-edom, the man in whose house the ark was placed in the time of David.
Where can I find the story of Obed in the Bible?
Obed appears at the end of the book of Ruth, in Ruth 4:13-22, which tells of his birth, his place on Naomi’s lap and the genealogy from Perez to David. He is also cited in 1 Chronicles 2:12, in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5 and in that of Luke 3:32. His own life is not told.