1. Name and Meaning
• Name: Salmon (Hebrew: שַׂלְמוֹן, Salmôn)
• Meaning: Possibly “clothed” or “peaceable,” related to the Hebrew root shālôm meaning “peace” or “completeness”
2. Genealogical Placement and Lineage Role
• Position: Twenty-ninth generation from Adam; nineteenth generation after the flood in the Messianic line
• Father: Nahshon – tribal prince of Judah during the Exodus
• Son: Boaz – notable figure in the book of Ruth; part of the direct Messianic line
• Lineage Role: Link between the wilderness generation and the period of conquest and settlement; through his marriage to Rahab, his line continues directly to David and Jesus
3. Life Summary and Historical Setting
• Belonged to the tribe of Judah during Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land
• According to Matthew 1:5, married Rahab of Jericho—a Gentile who showed faith in Israel’s God (Joshua 2; 6:25); though not detailed in narrative, this union symbolised grace and inclusion
• Lived during the early period of Israel’s settlement in Canaan, possibly during the time of Joshua or early Judges
4. Theological and Christological Significance
• His marriage to Rahab highlights God’s redemptive inclusion of Gentiles in the Messianic line, anticipating the universality of the Gospel
• Appears in both Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies of Christ, underscoring his place in salvation history
• Typologically prefigures Christ’s acceptance of the faithful outsider and the blending of grace with heritage
5. Legacy and Interpretive Reflections
• Though not mentioned in narrative accounts, Salmon is honoured as the patriarch through whom the godly line of Boaz and David continued
• Rahab’s inclusion brings his household into the theological theme of redemption by faith
• Often seen in Jewish and Christian traditions as a quiet but faithful transmitter of the covenant
6. Summary Insight
• Salmon, though not a narrative figure, plays a profound theological role by marrying Rahab and continuing the Messianic line—foreshadowing the redemptive inclusion of all nations in Christ.
7. Biblical References
• Matthew 1:4–5
• Luke 3:32
• Ruth 4:20–21
• 1 Chronicles 2:11