Matthew 1-4

1. The Story of Ruth
Richard Fix gives a compelling argument that Ruth may have not been a Moabite after all but really a Jew. Fix's primary argument hinges on God's command forbidding interrmarriage with the Moabites along with a reexamination of the geography of the land designated as "the country of Moab." Consequently, his final argument that "elohim" refers to "judges" rather than "gods" and "God is not as compelling and deserves further research.


2. The Truth about Rahab
R.K. Phillips makes a compelling case that the Rahab in Jesus' genealogical record in Matthew 1:5 is not Rahab the Harlot, as has been assumed by many, if not most, theologians.


3. Historical Meaning of 42 Generations in Matthew 1:17
An interesting discussion on the seeming inaccuracy of Matthew in counting 42 generations for Jesus' genealogy.