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Genealogy

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Holy Scripture › Genealogy

The question

In their gospels, both St. Mathew and St. Luke both named Boaz as the father of Obed, although despite being the biological father according to the Jewish customs, Obed should have been considered as son to Mahlon. Maybe St. Luke would name Boaz as the father since he wrote his gospel to the Greeks, but would it not make more sense if St. Mathew wrote his gospel to the Jews to recite the lawful father instead of the biological one?

The answer

Through the levirate marriage to Boaz, the close relative of Mahlon, Ruth keeps the paternal lineage of Mahlon to her children. However, Boaz (the head of the Sanhedrin Jewish High Court) was not only the biological grandfather to Christ, but was also a symbol of Christ the Redeemer. Thus, his spiritual role in the holy Book of Ruth identifies Boaz as both the biological, lawful, royal, and spiritual father to Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of the prophet David, to whom Christ is identified as the Son of David.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

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Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 2099 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.