Ruth 4:17

The women are still to the front. As a rule the father or mother named the child. But it is the neighbours who here call him Obed, 'Servant,' anticipating that he would minister to all the wants of the aged woman who had been a true mother to Ruth. The book originally ended with the simple intimation of the manner in which all good wishes were fulfilled in him: 'He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.' The verses which follow may have been borrowed from 1 Chronicles 2:9 : in any case they were added later to bring out clearly the place of Boaz and David in the line of Judah. It is interesting to notice that notwithstanding Ruth 4:5; Ruth 4:10, though in agreement with 1 Chronicles 2:12, they do not regard Obed as Mahlon's son, but give him, to Boaz.