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Selected Verse: Ruth 4:18 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ru 4:18	Strong Concordance	Now these are the generations [08435] of Pharez [06557]: Pharez [06557] begat [03205] Hezron [02696],
	King James	Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
these are the generations of Pharez--that is, his descendants. This appendix shows that the special object contemplated by the inspired author of this little book was to preserve the memory of an interesting domestic episode, and to trace the genealogy of David. There was an interval of three hundred eighty years between Salmon and David. It is evident that whole generations are omitted; the leading personages only are named, and grandfathers are said, in Scripture language, to beget their grandchildren, without specifying the intermediate links.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

these are the generations of Pharez--that is, his descendants. This appendix shows that the special object contemplated by the inspired author of this little book was to preserve the memory of an interesting domestic episode, and to trace the genealogy of David. There was an interval of three hundred eighty years between Salmon and David. It is evident that whole generations are omitted; the leading personages only are named, and grandfathers are said, in Scripture language, to beget their grandchildren, without specifying the intermediate links.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
It is probable that there was a family book for the house of Pharez, in which their genealogies were preserved, and important bits of history were recorded; and that the Book of Ruth was compiled from it. (See the note at Gen 2:4)

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
"These are the generations of Perez," i.e., the families descended from Perez in their genealogical order (toledoth: see at Gen 2:4). The genealogy only goes back as far as Perez, because he was the founder of the family of Judah which was named after him (Num 26:20), and to which Elimelech and Boaz belonged. Perez, a son of Judah by Tamar (Gen 38:29), begat Hezrom, who is mentioned in Gen 46:12 among the sons of Judah who emigrated with Jacob into Egypt, although (as we have shown in our comm. on the passage) he was really born in Egypt. Of this son Ram (called Aram in the Sept. Cod. Al., and from that in Mat 1:3) nothing further is known, as he is only mentioned again in Ch1 2:9. His son Amminidab was the father-in-law of Aaron, who had married his daughter (Exo 6:23), and the father of Nahesson (Nahshon), the tribe-prince of the house of Judah in the time of Moses (Num 1:7; Num 2:3; Num 7:12). According to this there are only four or five generations to the 430 years spent by the Israelites in Egypt, if we include both Perez and Nahesson; evidently not enough for so long a time, so that some of the intermediate links must have been left out even here. But the omission of unimportant members becomes still more apparent in the statement which follows, viz., that Nahshon begat Salmah, and Salmah Boaz, in which only two generations are given for a space of more than 250 years, which intervened between the death of Moses and the time of Gideon. Salmah (שׂלמה or שׂלמא, Ch1 2:11) is called Salmon in Rut 4:21; a double form of the name, which is to be explained form the fact that Salmah grew out of Salmon through the elision of the n, and that the terminations an and on are used promiscuously, as we may see from the form שׁריה in Job 41:18 when compared with שׁרין in Kg1 22:34, and שׁריון in Sa1 17:5, Sa1 17:38 (see Ewald, 163-4). According to the genealogy of Christ in Mat 1:5, Salmon married Rahab; consequently he was a son, or at any rate a grandson, of Nahshon, and therefore all the members between Salmon and Boaz have been passed over. Again, the generations from Boaz to David (Rut 4:21, Rut 4:22) may possibly be complete, although in all probability one generation has been passed over even here between Obed and Jesse. It is also worthy of notice that the whole chain from Perez to David consists of ten links, five of which (from Perez to Nahshon) belong to the 430 years of the sojourn in Egypt, and five (from Salmon to David) to the 476 years between the exodus from Egypt and the death of David. This symmetrical division is apparently as intentional as the limitation of the whole genealogy to ten members, for the purpose of stamping upon it through the number ten as the seal of completeness the character of a perfect, concluded, and symmetrical whole. The genealogy closes with David, an evident proof that the book was intended to give a family picture form the life of the pious ancestors of this great and godly king of Israel. But for us the history which points to David acquires a still higher signification, from the fact that all the members of the genealogy of David whose names occur here are also found in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. "The passage is given by Matthew word for word in the genealogy of Christ, that we may see that this history looks not so much to David as to Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed by all as the Saviour and Redeemer of the human race, and that we may learn with what wonderful compassion the Lord raises up the lowly and despised to the greatest glory and majesty" (Brentius).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

"These are the generations of Perez," i.e., the families descended from Perez in their genealogical order (toledoth: see at Gen 2:4). The genealogy only goes back as far as Perez, because he was the founder of the family of Judah which was named after him (Num 26:20), and to which Elimelech and Boaz belonged. Perez, a son of Judah by Tamar (Gen 38:29), begat Hezrom, who is mentioned in Gen 46:12 among the sons of Judah who emigrated with Jacob into Egypt, although (as we have shown in our comm. on the passage) he was really born in Egypt. Of this son Ram (called Aram in the Sept. Cod. Al., and from that in Mat 1:3) nothing further is known, as he is only mentioned again in Ch1 2:9. His son Amminidab was the father-in-law of Aaron, who had married his daughter (Exo 6:23), and the father of Nahesson (Nahshon), the tribe-prince of the house of Judah in the time of Moses (Num 1:7; Num 2:3; Num 7:12). According to this there are only four or five generations to the 430 years spent by the Israelites in Egypt, if we include both Perez and Nahesson; evidently not enough for so long a time, so that some of the intermediate links must have been left out even here. But the omission of unimportant members becomes still more apparent in the statement which follows, viz., that Nahshon begat Salmah, and Salmah Boaz, in which only two generations are given for a space of more than 250 years, which intervened between the death of Moses and the time of Gideon. Salmah (שׂלמה or שׂלמא, Ch1 2:11) is called Salmon in Rut 4:21; a double form of the name, which is to be explained form the fact that Salmah grew out of Salmon through the elision of the n, and that the terminations an and on are used promiscuously, as we may see from the form שׁריה in Job 41:18 when compared with שׁרין in Kg1 22:34, and שׁריון in Sa1 17:5, Sa1 17:38 (see Ewald, 163-4). According to the genealogy of Christ in Mat 1:5, Salmon married Rahab; consequently he was a son, or at any rate a grandson, of Nahshon, and therefore all the members between Salmon and Boaz have been passed over. Again, the generations from Boaz to David (Rut 4:21, Rut 4:22) may possibly be complete, although in all probability one generation has been passed over even here between Obed and Jesse. It is also worthy of notice that the whole chain from Perez to David consists of ten links, five of which (from Perez to Nahshon) belong to the 430 years of the sojourn in Egypt, and five (from Salmon to David) to the 476 years between the exodus from Egypt and the death of David. This symmetrical division is apparently as intentional as the limitation of the whole genealogy to ten members, for the purpose of stamping upon it through the number ten as the seal of completeness the character of a perfect, concluded, and symmetrical whole.

The genealogy closes with David, an evident proof that the book was intended to give a family picture form the life of the pious ancestors of this great and godly king of Israel. But for us the history which points to David acquires a still higher signification, from the fact that all the members of the genealogy of David whose names occur here are also found in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. "The passage is given by Matthew word for word in the genealogy of Christ, that we may see that this history looks not so much to David as to Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed by all as the Saviour and Redeemer of the human race, and that we may learn with what wonderful compassion the Lord raises up the lowly and despised to the greatest glory and majesty" (Brentius).

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Now these are the generations - The Targum gives a copious paraphrase on this and the following verses, I shall insert the principal parts in their proper places.

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⁴ These [0428] are the generations [08435] of the heavens [08064] and of the earth [0776] when they were created [01254], in the day [03117] that the LORD [03068] God [0430] made [06213] the earth [0776] and the heavens [08064],

²² And Obed [05744] begat [03205] Jesse [03448], and Jesse [03448] begat [03205] David [01732].

²¹ And Salmon [08012] begat [03205] Boaz [01162], and Boaz [01162] begat [03205] Obed [05744],

⁵ And [1161] Salmon [4533] begat [1080] Booz [1003] of [1537] Rachab [4477]; and [1161] Booz [1003] begat [1080] Obed [5601] of [1537] Ruth [4503]; and [1161] Obed [5601] begat [1080] Jesse [2421];

³⁸ And Saul [07586] armed [03847] David [01732] with his armour [04055], and he put [05414] an helmet [06959] of brass [05178] upon his head [07218]; also he armed [03847] him with a coat of mail [08302].

⁵ And he had an helmet [03553] of brass [05178] upon his head [07218], and he was armed [03847] with a coat [08302] of mail [07193]; and the weight [04948] of the coat [08302] was five [02568] thousand [0505] shekels [08255] of brass [05178].

³⁴ And a certain man [0376] drew [04900] a bow [07198] at a venture [08537], and smote [05221] the king [04428] of Israel [03478] between the joints [01694] of the harness [08302]: wherefore he said [0559] unto the driver of his chariot [07395], Turn [02015] thine hand [03027], and carry me out [03318] of the host [04264]; for I am wounded [02470].

¹⁸ By his neesings [05846] a light [0216] doth shine [01984], and his eyes [05869] are like the eyelids [06079] of the morning [07837].

²¹ And Salmon [08012] begat [03205] Boaz [01162], and Boaz [01162] begat [03205] Obed [05744],

¹¹ And Nahshon [05177] begat [03205] Salma [08007], and Salma [08007] begat [03205] Boaz [01162],

¹² And he that offered [07126] his offering [07133] the first [07223] day [03117] was Nahshon [05177] the son [01121] of Amminadab [05992], of the tribe [04294] of Judah [03063]:

³ And on the east side [06924] toward the rising [04217] of the sun shall they of the standard [01714] of the camp [04264] of Judah [03063] pitch [02583] throughout their armies [06635]: and Nahshon [05177] the son [01121] of Amminadab [05992] shall be captain [05387] of the children [01121] of Judah [03063].

⁷ Of Judah [03063]; Nahshon [05177] the son [01121] of Amminadab [05992].

²³ And Aaron [0175] took [03947] him Elisheba [0472], daughter [01323] of Amminadab [05992], sister [0269] of Naashon [05177], to wife [0802]; and she bare [03205] him Nadab [05070], and Abihu [030], Eleazar [0499], and Ithamar [0385].

⁹ The sons [01121] also of Hezron [02696], that were born [03205] unto him; Jerahmeel [03396], and Ram [07410], and Chelubai [03621].

³ And [1161] Judas [2455] begat [1080] Phares [5329] and [2532] Zara [2196] of [1537] Thamar [2283]; and [1161] Phares [5329] begat [1080] Esrom [2074]; and [1161] Esrom [2074] begat [1080] Aram [689];

¹² And the sons [01121] of Judah [03063]; Er [06147], and Onan [0209], and Shelah [07956], and Pharez [06557], and Zerah [02226]: but Er [06147] and Onan [0209] died [04191] in the land [0776] of Canaan [03667]. And the sons [01121] of Pharez [06557] were Hezron [02696] and Hamul [02538].

²⁹ And it came to pass, as he drew back [07725] his hand [03027], that, behold, his brother [0251] came out [03318]: and she said [0559], How hast thou broken forth [06555]? this breach [06556] be upon thee: therefore his name [08034] was called [07121] Pharez [06557].

²⁰ And the sons [01121] of Judah [03063] after their families [04940] were; of Shelah [07956], the family [04940] of the Shelanites [08024]: of Pharez [06557], the family [04940] of the Pharzites [06558]: of Zerah [02226], the family [04940] of the Zarhites [02227].