Person Old and New Testament
Boaz
Also known as Boaz =ESV, NIV; Booz =KJV
Boaz, a wealthy Bethlehemite, married Ruth and became an ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ. Mentioned in 23 verses across 5 books, first at Ruth 2:1.
Why it matters. Kinsman-redeemer who married Ruth, ancestor of David and Jesus
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Boaz
Boaz was a wealthy man from Bethlehem who played a significant role in the story of Ruth (Ruth 2-4). He was a relative of Naomi's deceased husband, Elimelech, and acted as a kinsman-redeemer for Ruth, a Moabite widow. When Ruth gleaned grain in Boaz's field, he showed her kindness and protection, recognizing her loyalty to Naomi (Ruth 2). Later, Naomi instructed Ruth to approach Boaz at night and request that he fulfill his role as a kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 3). Boaz agreed to marry Ruth, after ensuring that a closer relative did not wish to claim this right (Rut.4.1-12). Their marriage led to the birth of Obed, who became the grandfather of King David (Rut.4.13-17). Boaz is also mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matt. Rut.1.5; Luk.3.32), highlighting his importance in God's plan of redemption. Additionally, Boaz is associated with one of the two bronze pillars in Solomon's temple, which was named after him (1Ki.7.21; 1 Chr. 1Ki.2.11-12). His story demonstrates the importance of integrity, kindness, and faithfulness in fulfilling one's duties and God's purposes.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 23 verses across 5 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.