Book of Ruth

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This article is about the ancient Hebrew religious text. For the 20th-century English language novel, see The Book of Ruth (novel). For the 2009 film, see The Book of Ruth: Journey of Faith.
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The Book of Ruth (Hebrew: מגילת רות‎, [məˈɡɪləs rus], Megilath Ruth, "the Scroll of Ruth", one of the Five Megillot) is a book of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. In the Jewish canon it is included in the third division, or the Writings (Ketuvim); in the Christian canon it is treated as a history book and placed between Judges and 1 Samuel.[1] It is named after its central figure, Ruth the Moabitess, the great-grandmother of David, and, according to the Gospel of Matthew, an ancestress of Jesus.

The book tells of Ruth's accepting the God of the Israelites as her God and the Israelite people as her own. In Ruth 1:16 and 17 Ruth tells Naomi, her Israelite mother in law, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." The book is held in esteem by Jews who fall under the category of Jews-by-choice, as is evidenced by the considerable presence of Boaz in rabbinic literature. As well, the "Book of Ruth" functions liturgically, being read during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot ("Weeks").[2]

The book is traditionally ascribed to the prophet Samuel, but does not name its author.[3] A date during the monarchy is suggested by the book's interest in the ancestry of David, but Ruth's identity as a non-Israelite and the stress on the need for an inclusive attitude towards foreigners suggest an origin in the 5th century BCE, when intermarriage had become controversial (as seen in Ezra 9:1 and Nehemiah 13:1).[4]

Contents

Structure[edit]

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld: "Ruth in Boaz's Field", 1828

The book is structured in four chapters plus an appendix tracing the descent of David from Ruth:[5]

Act 1: Prologue and Problem: Death and Emptiness (1:1–22)

  • Scene 1: Setting the scene (1:1-5)
  • Scene 2: Naomi returns home (1:6-18)
  • Scene 3: Arrival of Naomi and Ruth in Bethlehem (1:19-22)

Act 2: Ruth Meets Boaz, Naomi's Relative, on the Harvest Field (2:1–23)

  • Scene 1: Ruth in the field of Boaz (2:1–17)
  • Scene 2: Ruth reports to Naomi (2:18-23)

Act 3: Naomi Sends Ruth to Boaz on the Threshing Floor (3:1–18)

  • Scene 1: Naomi Reveals Her Plan (3:1-5)
  • Scene 2: Ruth at the threshing-floor of Boaz (3:6-15)
  • Scene 3: Ruth reports to Naomi (3:16-18)

Act 4: Resolution and Epilogue: Life and Fullness (4:1–22)

  • Scene 1: Boaz with the men at the gate (4:1–12)
  • Scene 2: A son is born to Naomi (4:13–17)

Genealogical appendix (4:18–22)

Summary[edit]

Naomi entreating Ruth and Orpah to return to the land of Moab by William Blake, 1795

During the time of the Judges when there was a famine, an Israelite family from Bethlehem—Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Chilion—emigrate to the nearby country of Moab. Elimelech dies, and the sons marry two Moabite women: Mahlon marries Ruth and Chilion marries Orpah.

The two sons of Naomi then die themselves. Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. She tells her daughters-in-law to return to their own mothers, and remarry. Orpah reluctantly leaves; however, Ruth says, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me." (Ruth 1:16–17 NKJV)

The two women return to Bethlehem. It is the time of the barley harvest, and in order to support her mother-in-law and herself, Ruth goes to the fields to glean. The field she goes to belongs to a man named Boaz, who is kind to her because he has heard of her loyalty to her mother-in-law. Ruth tells her mother-in-law of Boaz's kindness, and she gleans in his field through the remainder of the harvest season.

Boaz is a close relative of Naomi's husband's family. He is therefore obliged by the Levirate law to marry Mahlon's widow, Ruth, in order to carry on his family line. Naomi sends Ruth to the threshing floor at night and tells her to "uncover the feet" of the sleeping Boaz. Ruth does so; Boaz awakes and asks,"Who are you?" Ruth identifies herself, then asks Boaz to spread his cloak over her. (The phrase "spread your cloak" was a woman's way of asking for marriage (Ezekiel 16:8); for a man to spread his cloak over a woman showed acquisition of that woman).[6] Boaz states he is willing to "redeem" Ruth via marriage, but informs Ruth that there is another male relative who has the first right of redemption.

The next morning, Boaz discusses the issue with the other male relative, Ploni Almoni ("so-and-so"), before the town elders. The other male relative is unwilling to jeopardize the inheritance of his own estate by marrying Ruth, and so relinquishes his right of redemption, thus allowing Boaz to marry Ruth. They transfer the property and redeem it by the nearer kinsman taking off his sandal and handing it over to Boaz. (Ruth 4:7–18)

Boaz and Ruth get married and have a son named Obed (who by Levirate customs is also considered a son or heir to Elimelech, and thus Naomi). In the genealogy which concludes the story, it is pointed out that Obed is the father of Jesse, and thus the grandfather of David. This also places Ruth among David's ancestors.

Composition[edit]

The book is traditionally ascribed to the prophet Samuel, but there is some consensus that it began as an oral tale[7][8] - there has even been speculation that the author might have been a woman[9], but this view is nowhere near universal. It has been placed anywhere between the age of the Judges to the Hellenistic period, but a substantial number of scholars date it to the Persian period (6th-4th centuries BCE).[9] Most modern scholars believe the final genealogy linking Ruth to David to be a post-exilic Priestly addition, as it adds nothing to the plot; nevertheless, it is carefully crafted and integrates this book into the history of Israel that runs from Genesis to Kings.[10]

Themes and background[edit]

Social background: Levirate marriage and the "redeemer"[edit]

The Book of Ruth illustrates the presence of God's grace in the life of a woman who would otherwise be excluded from Jewish life due to her nationality (she was a Moabitess). The marriage of Boaz and Ruth was of a type known as a Levirate marriage. Since there was no heir to inherit Elimelech's land, custom required a close relative (usually the dead man's brother) to marry the widow of the deceased in order to continue his family line (Deuteronomy 25:5–10). This relative was called the go'el, the "kinsman-redeemer". As Boaz is not Elimelech's brother, nor is Ruth his widow, some scholars refer to the arrangement here as "Levirate-like".[11]

Naomi's plan to provide security for herself and Ruth by arranging a Levirate marriage with Boaz is not overtly sexual: Ruth is to go to the threshing floor, wait until Boaz has finished eating and drinking, and to lie at his feet. The custom of covering a woman with the skirt of a man's garment is still practiced in the Middle East to this day.

Now a complication arises in the story: another man is a closer relative to Elimelech than Boaz. This man has first claim on Ruth. It is resolved through the custom that required land to stay in the family. A family could mortgage land to ward off poverty, but the law required a kinsman to purchase it back into the family (Leviticus 25:25ff). Boaz meets the near kinsman at the city gate. The man first says he will purchase Elimelech's (now Naomi's) land, but, upon hearing he must also take Ruth as his wife, withdraws his offer. Boaz thus becomes Ruth and Naomi's "kinsman-redeemer."[11]

Mixed marriage[edit]

The book can also be read as a political parable relating to issues around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (the 4th century BCE).[5] The spiritual nature of the story is established from the beginning: the husband and father is Elimelech, meaning "My God is King", and his wife is Naomi, "Pleasing", but after the deaths of her sons Mahlon, "Sickness", and Chilion, "Wasting", she asks to be called Mara, "Bitter".[5] The reference to Moab raises questions, since in the rest of the biblical literature it is associated with hostility to Israel, sexual perversity, and idolatry, and Deuteronomy 23:3-6 explicitly excludes Moabites from "the assembly of the Lord".[5] Despite this, Ruth the Moabitess marries a Judahite and even after his death still regards herself a member of his family; she then marries another Judahite and bears a child who will become an ancestor of David.[12] In direct contradiction to Ezra-Nehemiah, where marriages between Jewish men and non-Jewish women are broken up, Ruth teaches that foreigners who convert to Judaism can become good Jews, foreign wives can become exemplary followers of Jewish law, and there is no reason to exclude them or their offspring from the community.[12] These events occurred during the time of the judges, a time when people did what they thought was right without regard to the law of Moses.

Hesed[edit]

Hesed, "loving kindness", and implying loyalty, is woven throughout Ruth, beginning at 1:8 with Naomi blessing her two daughters-in-law as she urges them to return to their Moabite families. She says, "May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me." Both Ruth and Boaz demonstrate hesed to their family members throughout the story. These are not acts of kindness with an expectation of measure for measure. Rather, they are acts of hesed that go beyond measure and demonstrate that a person can go beyond the minimum expectations of the law and choose the unexpected. However, the importance of the law is evident within the Book of Ruth, and the story reflects a need to stay within legal boundaries. Boaz, in going beyond measure in acquiring the property (demonstrating hesed), redeems not only the land but both Naomi and Ruth as well. The two widows now have a secure and protected future.

Genealogy: the descent of David from Ruth[edit]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Elimelech
 
 Naomi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Boaz
 
 
 
 Ruth
 
 
 
 Mahlon
 
 
 
 Orpah
 
 
 
 Chilion
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Obed
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Jesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 David
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Coogan 2009, p. 8.
  2. ^ Attridge 2006, p. 383.
  3. ^ Hubbard 1989, p. 47.
  4. ^ Leith 2007, p. 391.
  5. ^ a b c d West 2003, p. 209.
  6. ^ Attridge 2006, p. 387.
  7. ^ Allen 1996, p. 521.
  8. ^ Rowell 1989, p. 146.
  9. ^ a b Grabbe 2006, p. 105.
  10. ^ West 2003, p. 211.
  11. ^ a b Allen 1996, p. 521-522.
  12. ^ a b Grabbe 2006, p. 312.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Allen, Leslie C. (1996). "Ruth". In LaSor, William Sanford; Hubbard, David Allan; Bush, Frederic William et al. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802837882. 
  • Atteridge, Harold W. (2006). The HarperCollins Study Bible. HarperCollins. 
  • Baylis, Charles P. "Naomi in the book of Ruth in Light of the Mosaic Covenant". Bibliotheca Sacra 161, no. 644 (October–December 2004): 413–431.
  • Block, Daniel I. Judges, Ruth. NAC 6. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999.
  • Bos, Johanna. Ruth, Esther, Jonah. Paperback ed. Westminster John Knox Pr., 1986.
  • Brenner, Athalya, ed. Ruth and Esther: A Feminist Companion to the Bible. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999.
  • Bush, Frederic W. Ruth, Esther. WBC 9. Dallas: Word Books, 1996 and in 1998.
  • Buttrick, George Arthur and board, eds. The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 4. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1962.
  • Callaham, Scott N. "But Ruth Clung to Her: Textual Constraints on Ambiguity in Ruth 1:14," Tyndale Bulletin 63 (2012): 179–197.
  • Carmody, Denise Lardner and John Tully Carmody. Corn & Ivy: Spiritual Reading in Ruth and Jonah. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Trinity Press International, 1995.
  • Leith, Mary Joan Winn (2007). "Ruth". In Coogan, Michael D.; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann et al. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195288803. 
  • Gow, Murray D. The Book of Ruth: Its Structure, Theme and Purpose. Leicester: Apollos, 1992.
  • Harris, J. Gordon, Cheryl A. Brown, and Michael S. Moore. Joshua, Judges, Ruth. NIBCOT 5. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2000.
  • Grabbe, Lester L. (2004). The History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period, Volume 1: Yehud, the Persian Province of Judah. Continuum. ISBN 9780567089984. 
  • Hubbard, Robert L. Jr. (1988). The Book of Ruth. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802825261. 
  • James, Carolyn Custis. The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2008.
  • Korpel, Marjo C.A. (2001). The Structure of the Book of Ruth. Royal Van Gorcum. ISBN 9789023236573. 
  • Larkin, Katrina J.A. Ruth and Esther. England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd., 1996.
  • Lau, Peter H. W. Identity and Ethics in the Book of Ruth: A Social Identity Approach. BZAW 416. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2011.
  • Nielsen, Kirsten. Ruth: A Commentary. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997.
  • Olson, Harriett Jane, ed. director. The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume II, 2nd ed. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1998. 891–896.
  • Roop, Eugene F. Believers' Church Bible Commentary. Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 2002.
  • Rowell, Gillian M. (2002). "Ruth". In Kroeger, Catherine Clark; Evans, Mary J. The Ivp Women's Bible Commentary. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830814374. 
  • Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob. Ruth. Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1999.
  • Saxegaard, Kristin M. Character Complexity in the Book of Ruth. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2010.
  • Webb, Barry G. Five Festal Garments. NSBT 10. Leicester: Apollos, 2000.
  • West, Gerald (2003). "Ruth". In Dunn, James D.G.; Rogerson, John William. Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802837110. 
  • Younger, Lawson K. (2011). Judges, Ruth. Zondervan. ISBN 9780310872870. 

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