Person Old and New Testament
Obed
Obed was the son of Boaz and Ruth, and the grandfather of King David. Mentioned in 6 verses across 4 books, first at Ruth 4:17.
Why it matters. Son of Boaz and Ruth
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Obed
Obed was the son of Boaz and Ruth, born in Bethlehem (Rut.4.17). His birth was a significant event in the story of Ruth, as it marked the restoration of Naomi's family line and the continuation of the lineage that would eventually lead to King David. Obed was the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David (Rut.4.21-22; 1Ch.2.12; Mat.1.5; Luk.3.32). His name means "servant" or "worshiper," possibly reflecting his family's devotion to God. Obed's life is not detailed in the Bible, but his role in the genealogy of David and ultimately Jesus Christ highlights the importance of his place in God's plan.
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.
- Children
- Jesse
Appears in Scripture
Named in 6 verses across 4 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.