Jesse

The Bethlehemite whose youngest son was anointed king

Place in the genealogy

Matthew · name 14 · Abraham forward to JesusFrom Abraham to David: the promiseMatthew 1:5
Luke · name 44 · Jesus back to AdamFrom Jesse back to AbrahamLuke 3:32

Where Scripture records this person

1 Samuel 16:1-13Samuel comes to his house, and David is anointed among his brothers.
1 Samuel 17:12-20David is sent from Jesse's flock to his brothers at the battle line.
1 Samuel 22:3-4David places his father and mother under the king of Moab's protection.
Isaiah 11:1, 10A rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a root to which the nations seek.
Romans 15:12Paul quotes Isaiah's root of Jesse for the hope of the Gentiles.

Who this person is in Scripture

Jesse is an ordinary man of Bethlehem with eight sons and flocks to keep. Scripture shows him presenting seven sons to Samuel before mentioning the youngest, who is with the sheep, and it is that son God has chosen.

Isaiah later speaks of the as a shoot from the stem of Jesse, which is a striking way to say it: not from David the , but from David's father, the family before the throne existed.

Family, as Scripture gives it

Children: Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah, David, and his other sons, 1 Samuel 16:10

Jesse's wife is not named in Scripture. 1 Chronicles 2:13-16 lists seven sons and two daughters, while 1 Samuel 16:10-11 implies eight sons; the difference is not explained.

How Scripture connects this person to Christ

Isaiah names the the rod out of the stem of Jesse, and Revelation 22:16 has Jesus call himself the root and the offspring of David.

What this teaches

God's choice fell on the son his own father had not thought to call in. Scripture says God does not see as people see (1 Samuel 16:7).

Read in the Bible

Back to the genealogy of Jesus