Jesse in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

jes'-e (yishay, meaning doubtful; according to Gesenius it = "wealthy"; Olshausen, Gram., sections 277 f, conjectures yesh yah, "Yahweh exists"; Wellhausen (1 Sam 14:49) explains it as 'abhishay (see ABISHAI); Iessai; Ruth 4:17,22; 1 Sam 16; 17; 20; 22; 25:10; 2 Sam 20:1; 23:1; 1 Ki 12:16; 1 Ch 10:14; 12:18; Ps 72:20; Isa 11:1,10 ( = Rom 15:12)); Mt 1:5,6; Acts 13:22): Son of Obed, grandson of Boaz, and father of King David. The grouping of the references to Jesse in 1 Sam is bound up with that of the grouping of the whole narrative of David and Saul. See SAMUEL, BOOKS OF. There seem to be three main veins in the narrative, so far as Jesse is concerned. (1) In 1 Sam 16:1-13, where Jesse is called the Bethlehemite. Samuel is sent to seek among Jesse's sons successor to Saul. Both Samuel and Jesse fail to discern at first Yahweh's choice, Samuel thinking that it would be the eldest son (1 Sam 16:6), while Jesse had not thought it worth while to call the youngest to the feast (1 Sam 16:11)...