דברי הימים א, פרק ב׳, פסוק י״א

The family lineage recorded here serves as a historical bridge, connecting the generation that participated in the Exodus from Egypt with the generations that established themselves in the Land of Israel. The individual named Salma is the same person recognized elsewhere in biblical history as Salmon or Salmah [מלבי״ם]. His son, Boaz, belonged to the group that crossed into the land and settled it [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

According to traditional sources, Boaz is identified as the Judge Ibzan of Bethlehem. This identification creates a substantial chronological difficulty. Nahshon, the grandfather of Boaz, died during the second year of the Exodus, and his son Salma was among those who arrived in Israel. If Boaz was born at the time of the entry into the land, roughly three hundred years would have elapsed by the period Ibzan served as a judge, which occurred after the death of Jephthah. Consequently, this timeline suggests that Boaz was three hundred years old when he united with Ruth. This is an astonishing figure, considering that even Abraham questioned how a man of one hundred could father a child.

The explanation for this timeline is that fathering a child at such an extreme age was a clear, open miracle. Because of this, the historical record notes that God granted the conception, emphasizing that the pregnancy occurred exclusively through direct divine intervention. Immediately after this miraculous event, Boaz passed away. The name Ibzan is also understood as a descriptive title highlighting his immense self-control. It conceptually means the father of all who are cool-tempered. This refers to the specific night at the threshing floor when a young woman lay beside him. Despite the situation, he remained entirely composed, completely conquering his natural desires and refraining from touching her [רש״י].