Besides Mary, the women mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy were either non-Israelite—Tamar (Matthew 1:3; Genesis 38:1–30), Rahab (Matthew 1:5; Joshua 2:1–24), Ruth (Matthew 1:5; Ruth 1:1–4:22)—or originally married to a non-Israelite (Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah: Matthew 1:5 2 Samuel 11:1–27). As a Moabite, Ruth would not even have been allowed in the temple; however, her descendant Solomon actually built the temple, and her descendant Jesus Christ built the temple of his people, the church (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:16). The mention of Rahab and Ruth shows two things. One is that God is blessing all nations in Christ, as he promised to Abraham. The second is that Christ is the focus of God’s history of redemption, not Israel.
Apart from Jesus’ mother, four more women are mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy: Tamar (Matthew 1:3), Rahab (Matthew 1:5), Ruth (Matthew 1:5), and Bathsheba (Matthew 1:5). At the time it was quite uncommon for women to be mentioned in a Jewish genealogy. On the other hand, it is here also striking that so many women are overlooked here: Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel, all of whom occupy a prominent place in Jewish literature. It is striking that here three non-Jewish women are mentioned, namely Tamar (Genesis 38:1–30), Rahab (Joshua 2:1–24), and Ruth, while Bathsheba was described as the wife of Uriah, a Hittite (2 Samuel 11:1–27). All of this points to the fact that Matthew wants to highlight that all the nations will share in the redemption accomplished by the Messiah (see Matthew 1:1, son of Abraham).1
That Salmon was married to Rahab is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Ruth was a Moabite, belonging to a people who were prohibited by law from entering the temple of the Lord unto the tenth generation (Deuteronomy 23:3–6). Yet it was her descendant in Solomon who built the temple and it was her descendant in Jesus Christ who erected the temple of the New Covenant (Matthew 16:18, 1 Corinthians 3:16).2
Twice the name of a woman is mentioned even though no reason can be assigned for it based on the men named in connection to them as was the case with Judah. It concerns Rahab and Ruth. Since they are named right after each other, the reason for their inclusion in the list must be similar. The similarity between them is that neither of them come from the family of Abraham or Judah. This indicates again that the history of God’s election is not about Abraham or Judah, but about Christ. In the messianic prehistory described here by Matthew, Abraham and Judah may have their appointed place, but if Jews should desire to boast about it later, these two names will decisively confront them with the fact that God also includes the Canaanite Rahab and the Moabite Ruth in the history of the Messiah. Deliverance did not come from the pure race.3
3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,