Salmon

Salmon is a figure of the pre-monarchic genealogy who stands between the wilderness leadership of Nahshon and the rise of David's house through Boaz. He is the husband of Rahab and the father of Boaz, occupying a key node where the Davidic line absorbs an outsider into Israel's family record.

The Father of Boaz

The Ruth genealogy places Salmon at the hinge between Nahshon and Boaz: "and Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmah, and Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed" (Ru 4:20-21). The form of the name fluctuates across the genealogies — appearing as Salmah here in v.20 and as the cognate Salma in the Chronicler's parallel list — but the position in the family chain is constant.

In the Genealogy of Joseph

The opening genealogy of the first Gospel preserves the same line and adds the detail of Salmon's marriage: "and Ram begot Amminadab; and Amminadab begot Nahshon; and Nahshon begot Salmon; and Salmon begot Boaz from Rahab; and Boaz begot Obed from Ruth; and Obed begot Jesse" (Mt 1:4-5). The pairing is striking — Rahab the Canaanite woman of Jericho is named explicitly as the mother of Boaz, placing Salmon at the point where the Davidic genealogy receives a Gentile wife into its line.