RUTH
The third of the 12 historical books
Ruth is the 5th book in the JPS of the Ketuvim (the Writings)
(Within the Ketuvim are the 5 Megillot (The 5 Scrolls), Ruth is the 2nd of the 5 scrolls)
The Hebrew title Ruth A modification of the Hebrew word “Reuit” meaning friendship
The Greek title Routh The Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name.
The Latin title Ruth The transliteration of the Greek word “Routh”
The author of Ruth isn’t given anywhere in the book, but...........
The Talmud attributes the writing of Ruth to Samuel, but this is unlikely since David appears in Ruth 4:17-22. Until David was made king over Israel, his family lineage was of little importance to the rest of Israel. Samuel died before David was crowned king over all Israel. (1 Samuel 25:1).
Ruth was probably written during the reign of David, but before the reign of Solomon since Solomon isn’t mentioned in the genealogy in Ruth 4:17-22. And Solomon wasn’t chosen to be the next king of Israel until just before David died, and it wouldn’t have been assumed that Solomon was to be king because he had several older brothers.
Chapter Summary of the book of Ruth
Chapter 1 - Naomi goes to Moab; husband and sons die; Naomi returns to Israel with Ruth
Chapter 2 - Ruth gleans Boaz’ fields; Boaz instructs that she is to be not hindered in gleaning
Chapter 3 - Naomi seeks to have Boaz purchase her lands and marry Ruth
Chapter 4 - Boaz marries Ruth, Boaz genealogy recounted.
RUTH 1:1-5
1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.
3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.
5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.
The author is careful to record which Bethlehem was being spoken of, as there were two villages of Bethlehem in Israel, one in Judah (Bethlehem Ephrata) and the other in lower Galilee, about 10 miles west of the coastline. Bethlehem Ephrata, would be the future birthplace of king David and Jesus Christ.
Elimelech (My God is King); Naomi (Pleasant); Mahlon (Sick); Chilion (Pining).
The fact that both Mahlon and Chilion are named as sickly indicates that they were of frail constitution, which could explain the fact that they died apparently while still fairly young. This would have left Naomi destitute, with two daughters-in-law to try to support.
It is ironic that they moved from Bethlehem (Hebrew: House Of Bread) to Moab because of the famine.
RUTH 1:6-15
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread.
7 Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each to her mother's house. The LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
9 "The LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
10 And they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people."
11 But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 "Turn back, my daughters, go for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons,
13 "would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!"
14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law."
Naomi heard the famine in Israel was over and wanted to return to her homeland and her people. She encouraged her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab and remarry within their own people, that they might not remain widows the rest of their lives.
She knew how difficult it is to leave everything behind and move to a land with a different language and culture. There was no security in those days for an unmarried woman, especially one who had no immediate relatives to take her in. Naomi didn't want her daughters-in-law to suffer with her.
RUTH 1:16-18
16 But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after 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.
17 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."
18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.
This has been proclaimed to be one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible, and I have to agree. Ruth was willing to give up everything she grew up with in order to follow Naomi. She knew the cost of this decision, freely chose to move to Israel, care for Naomi, and serve Naomi's God.
RUTH 1:19-22
19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"
20 But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 "I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Bethlehem was about 30 miles from the border of Moab, but depending on where in Moab they were residing, the trip could have been longer. Remember also, Bethlehem is in the hill country of Judah and considering that they more than likely had to walk, the trip could have taken several weeks.
Naomi having lost her husband and both sons has her believing that God has dealt bitterly with her. She calls herself Mara (bitter) as a result.
The beginning of the barley harvest would have been in the month of Abib (Nisan) which is about March/April time frame. The harvest begins after Passover and during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
RUTH 2:1-7
1 There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.
2 So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter."
3 Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, "The LORD be with you!" And they answered him, "The LORD bless you!"
5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?"
6 So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, "It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.
7 "And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house."
Gleaning of fields was a common practice in Israel. The poor would go after the reapers and would gather up any grain that fell to the ground, or that was left in the corners of the fields or vineyards so that they might have something to eat.
God had specifically commanded this as a statute for Israel to follow;
LEVITICUS 19:9-10
9 'When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.
10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
DEUTERONOMY 24:20-22
20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.
21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.
22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.
Ruth was willing to do the humiliating and dangerous job of gleaning in the fields to provide for Naomi and herself. It was humiliating because only the poorest of the people gleaned the fields and dangerous because some of the reapers were not honorable. Sometimes women were raped and/or beaten and there were no witnesses out in the field.
Boaz got his first glimpse of Ruth and was curious as to who she was. He then finds out that she is with Naomi, the widow of a kinsman of his. He also found out that Ruth is willing to work hard so Naomi wouldn't have to do this difficult work to survive.
Boaz - "In Him is Strength"
RUTH 2:8-16
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.
9 "Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn."
10 So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?"
11 And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
12 "The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."
13 Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."
14 Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, "Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.
15 And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
16 "Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."
The kind nature of Boaz is shown here in that he is willing to go beyond the commandment of the Lord concerning the gleaning of his fields for Ruth and Naomi's sake. He deeply respects and admires her for her devotion and love for Naomi and her adopted people.
While Boaz was under no commandment to care for Ruth, he commanded that she be allowed to eat and drink with the reapers, something that was rarely if ever done.
Boaz's kindness and integrity are further displayed when he commanded the reapers not to harm or rebuke Ruth, and to also deliberately allow grain to fall out of the sheaves for her to gather. This would make it far easier for her to gather the heads of grain.
It was a common practice during ancient times to have bowls of sour wine (vinegar) set out during meal times, and the people would dip pieces of bread into the bowls of wine and eat. This is exactly in the fashion that the Last Supper was celebrated, just before Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.
RUTH 2:17-18
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
18 Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.
An ephah of grain was about a bushel (roughly 35 liters), or about 8 gallons dry measurement.
This was an impressive amount, considering that Ruth had to do the back-breaking work of remaining bent down to gather the grain, put it into a bag, then beat out the grain from the chaff at the end of the day.
RUTH 2:19-23
19 And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz."
20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!" And Naomi said to her, "This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives."
21 Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also said to me, 'You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.'"
22 And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field."
23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.
Naomi begins to see that the Lord hasn't abandoned her, but that He brought her back to Bethlehem for a reason, and had made provision for her there and Ruth as well.
Note that Boaz also allows Ruth to glean the wheat harvest which followed the barley harvest, ensuring that they had food throughout the summer.
RUTH 3:1-9
1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?
2 "Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
3 "Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
4 "Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do."
5 And she said to her, "All that you say to me I will do."
6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her.
7 And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
8 Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.
9 And he said, "Who are you?" So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative."
Naomi was growing older and she knew that Ruth had no legal rights in Israel, being a foreigner and a widow. So she devised a plan that would take care of both her and Ruth at the same time, namely by having Boaz marry Ruth. There is more to this, so hold that thought for a few minutes.
Winnowing the harvest was a method of removing the husks (chaff) from the heads of grain. The grain heads were beaten with sticks to remove the grains from the husks. Then winnowing forks were used to toss the grain into the air, where either the wind or a draft created by fanning of blankets would blow the lighter chaff away from the grain.
Ruth laying at Boaz' feet, under his blanket, this would signify to all that she was placing herself under his personal protection. And as she was the widow of an Israelite she could seek to claim protection from a near relative of her late husband. It was a calculated risk, for seeing as she was a foreigner, he was not under law or commandment to care for her.
When Boaz takes no further steps toward marriage, Naomi steps in to remind Boaz of the custom of kinsman-redeemer or goel (kinsman who redeems).
NUMBERS 27:8-11
8 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.
9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.
10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.
11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ” And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
There were conditions that needed to be met for a man to perform the duty of a redeemer;
1) He must be related by blood to those he redeems.
RUTH 2:1
1 There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.
2) He must be able to pay the price of redemption;
Boaz was a wealthy man already.
3) He must be willing to be a redeemer;
RUTH 3:11
11 "And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.
4) He must be free himself in the eyes of the Law of Moses to perform the action;
RUTH 4:9-10
9 And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi.
10 "Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day."
RUTH 3:10-18
10 Then he said, "Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.
11 "And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.
12 "Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I.
13 "Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning."
14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, "Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor."
15 Also he said, "Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it." And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.
16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "Is that you, my daughter?" Then she told her all that the man had done for her.
17 And she said, "These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, 'Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law."'
18 Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day."
As a foreigner, Ruth did not have to go to Boaz, she could have sought to marry anyone she wished. Boaz was apparently older than Ruth by some years, but he understood that Ruth was seeking to follow God's commandment concerning childless widows in Israel;
DEUTERONOMY 20:5-6
5 "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband's brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
6 "And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
Also if Naomi died, the property she had inherited from her dead husband would need to be redeemed by a near kinsman. Boaz immediately understood the matter, but warned Ruth that there was a kinsman of closer relation that he who could perform the request, and he needed to be given the chance to do so first.
Boaz then gives Ruth a huge amount of barley (about 50 gallons dry measure!) to take back to Naomi to tide them over until the issue had been settled.
RUTH 4:1-4
1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, "Come aside, friend, sit down here." So he came aside and sat down.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.
3 Then he said to the close relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.
4 "And I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it."
God had set down strict commandments concerning the selling of property in Israel;
LEVITICUS 25:23-28
23 'The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.
24 And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.
25 'If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold.
26 Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it,
27 then let him count the years since its sale, and restore the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he may return to his possession.
28 But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his possession.
If a person sold property, it was to remain within the tribe that first inherited it. Every 50 years, all bought land was to be returned to the original owners, unless bought back (redeemed) ahead of time.
NUMBERS 36:7-9
7 So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife of one of the family of her father's tribe, so that the children of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers.
9 Thus no inheritance shall change hands from one tribe to another, but every tribe of the children of Israel shall keep its own inheritance."
After her husband died, Naomi was the owner of the property he had possessed. But she had sold it for money to take care of both herself and Ruth. Thus if Naomi died before the property was redeemed, Ruth would have nothing in the way of security.
If a redeemer kinsman bought the property, it would remain in the hands of the redeemer kinsman until either they restored it to the original owner, or until the Jubilee year.
By having Ruth marry Boaz and by having Boaz redeem the property, Ruth would be taken care of for the rest of her life, Boaz would own Naomi's property as a reward, and Ruth would see to it that Naomi was cared for the rest of her life. However there was a closer kinsman than Boaz, so the nearer kinsman had to be given the opportunity for redemption first.
RUTH 4:5-6
5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance."
6 And the close relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it."
Apparently the nearer kinsman couldn't afford to buy the inheritance property of Naomi and her sons without selling some of his own property to pay for it. Therefore he passed his right of redemption to Boaz.
RUTH 4:7-12
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.
8 Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he took off his sandal.
9 And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi.
10 "Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day."
11 And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
12 "May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman."
Boaz bought all of the property of Naomi and her sons in accordance with the commandment of the Lord, and he also married Ruth so that she might have children to carry on the line of her dead husband, also by commandment of the Lord;
DEUTERONOMY 25:5-6
5 "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband's brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
6 And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
Boaz wouldn't have had a problem marrying a foreign woman, after all his mother was Rahab the Canaanite harlot from Jericho.
RUTH 4:13-22
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.
14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!
15 "And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him."
16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.
17 Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi." And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron;
19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;
20 Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon;
21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;
22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.
It is interesting that Rahab the harlot from Jericho was the mother of Boaz;
MATTHEW 1:2-6
2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.
5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
6 and Jesse begot David the king.
Ruth in turn would become the great-grandmother of king David.
Truly the Lord blesses both men and women who follow Him in faith and honor!!
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