Mothers on the Margin?: The Significance of the Women in Matthew's Genealogy

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, "she of Uriah" and Mary all initially occupy places on the margins and consequently represent both those who are outsiders to Israel and those on the margins within Israel. The inclusion of these women in Matthew's gospel serves to signal the importance of those on the margins in the ministry of the Messiah and to anticipate Matthew's rhetoric concerning the broadening of Israel's boundaries to include Gentile outsiders.