Jesse
“Wealthy or firm; possibly Yahweh exists”
Summary
A Bethlehemite of the tribe of Judah, grandson of Ruth and Boaz, and father of King David, from whose lineage the Messiah was prophesied to come.
☩Family Background
Jesse was the son of Obed and grandson of Boaz and Ruth the Moabitess, making him a descendant of the union between Salmon and Rahab of Jericho. Through this lineage, Jesse descended from Nahshon, who was chief of the tribe of Judah at the time of the Exodus, and ultimately from Perez and the great house of Judah. His designation as "the Ephrathite of Bethlehem-Judah" indicates that he belonged to a very old and established family in that region. Jesse had eight sons, of whom David was the youngest, and two daughters, Zeruiah and Abigail.
☩The Anointing of David
Jesse was elderly and a man of some substance in Bethlehem when the prophet Samuel came to his house under divine direction to anoint a king to replace Saul. His property consisted chiefly of sheep, which were tended by David, the youngest son. When Samuel arrived, Jesse presented seven of his sons, but none was God's choice. Only after Samuel inquired if there were more sons was David called from keeping the sheep and anointed as the future king. Though Jesse witnessed this momentous event, it is uncertain whether he lived to see David's ascension to the throne.
☩Prophetic Significance
Jesse's name is immortalized in messianic prophecy, particularly in Isaiah 11:1, which speaks of "a shoot out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch out of his roots." This prophecy pointed to the Messiah arising from Jesse's line even after David's royal dynasty had been reduced to obscurity, like a tree cut down to a stump. The "root of Jesse" became a title for the Messiah, quoted in Romans 15:12 as fulfilled in Christ. Though his son David eclipsed him in fame, Jesse's name endures as a symbol of the humble origins from which God chose to bring forth both Israel's greatest king and the King of Kings.
Related Verses46 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Jesse," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Jesse," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Jesse," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).