Jesse

Jesse was the father of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ. He was the grandson of Ruth and Boaz. On instructions from the Lord, the prophet Samuel went to Bethlehem to select a new king from among Jesse’s eight sons. After the oldest seven were rejected Jesse brought David in from caring for the sheep. David was anointed by Samuel to replace Saul as king of Israel. The title "son of Jesse" soon became attached to David. Sometimes it was used in a spirit of ridicule or mocking in regard to David’s humble origins. The prophet Isaiah spoke about "a Rod from the stem of Jesse" and of a "Root of Jesse." These were prophecies of the Messiah to come. See 1 Samuel 16:1-13, 18-19-20; 1 Chronicles 2:13-16; 1 Samuel 20:27; 1 Kings 12:16; Isaiah 11:1, 10; and Romans 15:12.

REFERENCES
	Character Sketch by Sandra Vincent, Copyright ©1998-2000 WORD SIGHT Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary Ronald F. Youngblood, General Editor, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995, Nashville/Atlanta/London/Vancouver Who's Who in the Bible Joan Comay and Ronald Brownrigg, Wings Books, 1993, New York/Avenel/New Jersey Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1996, Wheaton, Illinois