Ruth

Composition

The book of Ruth is the eighth book in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is considered part of the historical books in the Christian Bible, and in the traditional Jewish Hebrew Bible, it is part of the third section known as the Writings or Ketuvim. Along with Song of Solomon, Lamentation, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, the book of Ruth is also in Jewish religious tradition part of the Five Megillot, the five biblical scrolls that are read in a synagogue at certain Jewish religious festivals. The scroll of the book of Ruth is read for the festival of Shavuot, or Pentecost, which is the Feast of Weeks that occurs fifty days after Passover is celebrated each year.

Jewish tradition places the prophet Samuel as the writer of the book of Ruth, but the book does not specifically name a writer, so some biblical scholars consider it to be anonymously written. The events of the book cover a period of eleven years during the time described in the book of Judges, when, after the settlement of the “promised land” in Canaan, the Israelites were governed by military leaders called “Judges” and not a king. Although some critics feel that the story of Ruth is merely a parable, most scholars agree that it is likely at least based on real people and events because specific names are given to the principal characters. The places and events are also historically accurate.

Although the time that the narrative takes place can be set, the text does not provide a definite date of authorship. Some biblical scholars feel that it was written during the reign of King Solomon of Israel, while others feel that it was most likely written between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. For either time, it was definitively written sometime after the events that take place in the narrative during the time of the Judges. The book mentions in 4:7 that the custom was different in the “former times” in Israel, and the book closes with a genealogy that dates to David. This helps to indicate that the timing of the writing was at least after David, who ruled as king in Israel from about 1000–962 BCE.

Summary

The book of Ruth opens with the narrative of a man named Elimelech and his wife, Naomi. The couple has two sons—Mahlon and Chilion—and the family immigrates to Moab to escape a famine. Elimelech dies, leaving Naomi a widow, and the two sons marry local Moabite women: Orpah and Ruth. After about ten years, both sons die, leaving both their wives childless. Because of this, Naomi decides to return to her people in Judah, so she tells her daughters-in-law that they should do the same and return to the house of their fathers. This is a kindness on her part, since it may mean that they could marry again and hope to have children and families. Orpah eventually sees the reason in this and leaves the household. Ruth, however, pleads to be allowed to accompany Naomi and promises to never leave her and serve her Hebrew God.

Naomi and Ruth then journey to the city of Bethlehem. Because the women are poor widows, Ruth goes to glean wheat and barley in a nearby field. Gleaning was an allowance for the poor to pick up any bits of grain or fruitage left behind by harvesters. Ruth gleans in the field of a wealthy man named Boaz, who also happens to be related to Naomi. Boaz notices Ruth’s hard work and makes sure that she is treated kindly by the harvesters. He also hears of her reputation as a fine woman who stayed with her mother-in-law to look after her, despite leaving her homeland behind to travel to a foreign land and live in certain poverty.

When Ruth tells Naomi of Boaz’s extraordinary kindness and shows her the extra grain he sent home with her, Naomi decides that he might be able to help them. She devises a plan to have Ruth marry Boaz, thus allowing an opportunity to save her inheritance and provide heirs. According to the Israelite tradition, a widow could be repurchased by the nearest male relation to carry on a deceased man’s family inheritance. Ruth does as Naomi suggests and goes at night to the threshing floor where Boaz is sleeping during the harvest. She uncovers his feet and lies down at them, waiting for him to awaken.

When Boaz realizes that it is Ruth who is there with him, and she makes her request that he act as a repurchaser, he is happy to help. He, too, understands that he is a close relative. However, he tells her that another man is closer still and has repurchasing rights over him. He assures Ruth that he will look into the matter, and if this man does not wish to marry her, he will marry her himself.

Early after rising, Boaz sends Ruth away secretly to preserve her reputation as an honorable woman and travels to the city gate to decide the matter of repurchase. The eligible male relative does not wish to marry Ruth because it may jeopardize his own inheritance, so he relinquishes the right by handing his shoe to Boaz. Boaz then makes his intentions known to the city elders that he will marry Ruth as her repurchaser.

Boaz and Ruth marry soon after this and subsequently have a son. Naomi is given care of the infant and names him Obed. The women in the city share in the joy that she feels in finally having an heir. The book ends with a genealogy showing the family line of Obed and indicates that his offspring is Jesse who is the father of the Israelite King David.

Themes

The book of Ruth is one of only two books named after women, the other being the book of Esther. Also unusual was that Ruth was a non-Israelite woman of foreign birth who converted to the Hebrew faith after marrying her husband. The theme of female ability and self-sufficiency is seen as Naomi and Ruth not only journey back to Judah from Moab, but also support themselves and eventually utilize the local tradition of repurchase to arrange for their inheritance to be saved and raise themselves out of poverty.

In line with this, the theme of the plight of the unfortunate childless widow is set in the opening of story. Naomi is left with two widow foreign daughters-in-law and no grandchildren after the death of her husband and both of her sons. This was a grievous misfortune in the times of the Israelites, as it was important to carry on the family line for purposes of economic support and inheritance. A woman’s worth was often measured by how many male children she bore. Naomi leaves to return to her homeland, and Ruth, who accompanies her, professes her faith in the Hebrew God and later proves by her actions a devotion to her mother-in-law. However, Naomi is still left economically poor with little hope of improving her situation.

This leads to the theme of proper treatment of the foreigner who converts to the Hebrew faith. Ruth is presented as a God-fearing, virtuous woman, despite being a foreigner. She was also from the people of Moab, who were known to be enemies of the Israelites and worship idols while engaging in practices that the Israelites found distasteful. The Israelite people, in general, were not to mix with foreigners, but the Law of Moses provided a provision for foreigners wishing to convert. Boaz’s treats the Moabite woman Ruth kindly, even to the point of marrying her to persevere her family’s inheritance. Thus, Boaz is rewarded for his kindness, and Ruth for her faith.

The concept of Levirate marriage, or marriage of a widow by a close male relative, was also well-illustrated in the book of Ruth. In this arrangement, the brother of a deceased man would be required to marry the widow to preserve his brother’s inheritance. Although in Ruth this provision is clearly well-known, it does not seem that it was forcibly imposed, and the redeemer had the option to decline the right. Since Naomi’s two sons were now dead, the custom was that the closest male relative would take the place as the redeemer. Although the closest living male relation was willing to buy back Naomi’s land, or in a sense mortgage it to provide her with money, he was not willing to act as a redeemer in marrying Ruth. His choice seemingly was based not on his personal feelings for Ruth, but his desire to keep his own inheritance within his family. This further illustrates the importance placed on inheritance and land ownership.

Bibliography

Clifford, Richard J. “The Book of Ruth Reminds Us to Take Seriously the Lives of Ordinary People.” America Magazine, 2021, www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/02/08/book-ruth-old-testament-lessons-239327. Accessed 19 April 2022.

“Introduction to the Book of Ruth.” Theology of Work Project, 2013, www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/ruth-and-work. Accessed 19 April 2022.

“Ruth.” The Society for Old Testament Study, 2015, www.sots.ac.uk/wiki/ruth/. Accessed 19 April 2022.

Weisberg, Dvora E. “Levirate Marriage.” Bible Odyssey, 2022, www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/levirate-marriage. Accessed 19 April 2022.