Ruth ends with a genealogy from Perez down to David. It lists ten generations, including Boaz, Obed, and Jesse. The genealogy is in Ruth 4:18–22.
Ruth closes with a short genealogy that runs from Perez down to David (Ruth 4:18–22). After the story has secured Naomi’s family line through Boaz and Ruth’s child, the book steps back and lists the generations in a steady rhythm: each man fathers the next. These verses function as the book’s final frame. The narrative has just resolved the central problems—land, a surviving family line, and Naomi’s restored standing—through Boaz’s public action at the town gate and through the birth of Obed.
These verses end Ruth by switching from story to a short genealogy: a named line of descent beginning with Perez and ending with David (Ruth 4:18–22). The repeated “became the father of” language (Hebrew verb behind “begat,” H3205) highlights continuity across generations rather than describing events.
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with Ruth 4:18-22, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
18Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,
19and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab,
20and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon,
21and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed,
22and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.