Bible Person

Obed

Meaning: a servant; workman · Male · 6 cross references

Obed is the son of Boaz and Ruth and the father of Jesse, placing him directly in the line to David. Though he is not a narrative actor in adulthood, his birth is the resolution of Ruth's restoration story. First appears in Ruth 4:17.1

AI summary: Obed matters because the cross references present his birth as the joyful turning point from Naomi's emptiness to renewed family hope. He embodies the fruit of Boaz's redemption, Ruth's faithfulness, and God's quiet provision through ordinary kinship structures. Later genealogies preserve him as a crucial link between Bethlehem's family story and Israel's royal line. Taken together, the material presents Obed as a child of restoration whose place in the genealogy reaches all the way to David and beyond.1

Central Figure

Obed

Meaning: a servant; workman

A son of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:21, 22), and the grandfather of David (Matt.