David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was the son of Obed. Obed was the son of Boaz. Boaz was the son of Salmon. Salmon was the son of Nahshon.
Parallel translations
- WEB the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
- KJV Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
- BSB the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,
- NKJV the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
- NASB the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The line passes through Jesse, Obed, Boaz, and other figures from Ruth's story. Jesus descends from the well-known ancestors of David.
Overview
These familiar names—Jesse, Boaz, and others—connect Jesus to the account in Ruth and to David's immediate forebears. They show God's grace working even through Gentile inclusion, as Ruth the Moabite enters the messianic line. The Savior's ancestry weaves together Israel's covenant story.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ruth 4:18–22Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,
- Isa 11:1–2A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
- Matt 1:3–6Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
- Ps 72:20This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.
- Num 1:7Of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
- 1 Sam 20:31For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you will not be established, nor will your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!”
- 1 Kgs 12:16When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents.
- Num 7:12He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah,
- 1 Chr 2:10–15Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;
- 1 Sam 17:58Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, you young man?” David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
- Acts 13:22–23When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
- Num 2:3Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 3:32 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.