ruth Summary and Overview

a friend, a Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, whose father, Elimelech, had settled in the land of Moab. On the death of Elimelech and Mahlon, Naomi came with Ruth, her daughter-in-law, who refused to leave her, to Bethlehem, the old home from which Elimelech had migrated. There she had a rich relative, Boaz, to whom Ruth was eventually married. She became the mother of Obed, the grandfather of David. Thus Ruth, a Gentile, is among the maternal progenitors of our Lord (Matt. 1:5). The story of "the gleaner Ruth illustrates the friendly relations between the good Boaz and his reapers, the Jewish land system, the method of transferring property from one person to another, the working of the Mosaic law for the relief of distressed and ruined families; but, above all, handing down the unselfishness, the brave love, the unshaken trustfulness of her who, though not of the chosen race, was, like the Canaanitess Tamar (Gen. 38:29; Matt. 1:3) and the Canaanitess Rahab (Matt. 1:5), privileged to become the ancestress of David, and so of 'great David's greater Son'" (Ruth 4:18-22).

(a female friend) a Moabitish woman, the wife, first of Mahlon, second of Boaz, the ancestress of David and Christ,and one of the four women who are named by St. Matthew in the genealogy of Christ. A severe famine in the land of Judah induced Elimelech, a native of Bethlehem --ephratah, to emigrate into the land of Moab, with his wife Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. This was probably about the time of Gideon, B.C. 1250. At the end of ten years Naomi now left a widow and childless, having heard that there was plenty again in Judah, resolved to return to Bethlehem, and her daughter-in-law Ruth returned with her. They arrived at Bethlehem just at the beginning of barley harvest, and Ruth, going out to glean, chanced to go into the field of wheat, a wealthy man and a near kinsman of her father-in-law, Elimelech. Upon learning who the stranger was, Boaz treated her with the utmost kindness and respect, and sent her home laden with corn which she had gleaned. Encouraged by this incident, Naomi instructed Ruth to claim at the hand of Boaz that he should perform the part of her husband's near kinsman, by purchasing the inheritance of Elimelech and taking her to be his wife. With all due solemnity, Boaz took Ruth to be his wife, amidst the blessings and congratulations of their neighbors. Their son, Obed, was 'the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.

RUTH (a friend, or, according to others, beauty), a Moabitish woman, Ruth 1:4, who married a son of Naomi and showed her strong attachment to her mother-in-law by leaving her own country and following her mother-in-law into Judaea. Her kindness was abundantly rewarded, as she soon found favor in the eyes of a kinsman, who afterward married her, through which event she became the ancestor of the royal family of David.

From Reuth, feminine of Reu, "friend." In beautiful contrast to Judges' end in internecine bloodshed, the book of Ruth is a picture of a peaceful, virtuous, filial obedience, and the rich reward of choosing the Lord at the sacrifice of all else. Orpah's end is shrouded in darkness, while Ruth is remembered to all generations as chosen ancestress of Messiah. Boaz' name is immoralized by linking himself with the poor Moabitess, while the kinsman who would not mar his own inheritance is unknown. Goethe said of this book, "we have nothing so lovely in the whole range of epic and idyllic poetry." Ruth is an instance of natural affection made instrumental in leading to true religion. A "blossom of pagandom stretching its flower cup desiringly toward the light of revelation in Israel." OBJECT. In Rth 4:18-22 the author shows his aim, namely, to give a biographical sketch of the pious ancestors of David the king. The book contains the inner and spiritual background of the genealogies so prominent in Scripture. The family life of David's ancestors is sketched to show how they walked in single hearted piety toward God, and justice and love, modesty and purity towards man. "Ruth the Moabite, great-greatgrandmother of David, longed for the God and people of Israel with all the deepest earnestness of her nature, and joined herself to them with all the power of love. Boaz was an Israelite without guile, full of holy reverence for every ordinance of God and man, and full of benevolent love and friendliness toward the poor pagan woman. From such ancestors was the man descended in whom all the nature of Israel was to find its royal concentration and fullest expression." (Auberlen). There is also involved a Messianic trait, prophetic of the coming world wide church, in the fact that Ruth, a pagan of a nation so hostile to Israel as Moab, was counted worthy to be tribe mother of the great and pious king David on account of her love to Israel and trust in Israel's God. Tamar and Rahab are the other two similar instances in Christ's genealogy (Genesis 38; Joshua 6:25; Matthew 1:3; Matthew 1:5). Ruth is historically a supplement to Judges and an introduction to 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, which give no account of David's ancestors. But the Hebrew canon puts Ruth in the hagiographa among the five megilloth (Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther), read in the synagogue at the feast of weeks. The three classes of the Old Testament Canon were arranged according to the relation in which their authors stood to God and the theocracy, and in which the books themselves stood in contents and spirit to the divine revelation. frontCANON.) Ruth is not a mere appendix to Judges, and differs from that book in style, contents, and design. The time passes beyond that of Judges. Time of composition. The close of Ruth shows it was written not earlier than David's having obtained that prominence as king which made his genealogy a matter of such interest. An interval of 160 or 170 years therefore elapsed between the events and this book's record of them. By this time the custom mentioned in Rth 4:7 of taking off the shoe in barter, which had prevailed, had fallen into desuetude, so that the writer feels it necessary to explain the custom to his readers. The Chaldaisms (ta aburi, tidbaqin; Rth 2:8; Rth 2:21; yiqetsorun; Rth 2:9; samti, yaradti, shakabti; Rth 3:3-4; Mara for Marah; Rth 1:20; laheen, 'agan; Rth 1:13) occur only in the speeches of the persons introduced, not in the writer's own narrative. He simply gives the forms and words used in common conversation, as he found them in the written documents which he used for his book, probably relics of the archaic language subsequently appropriated by Chaldee. The story is as follows. In a famine under the judges (whether caused by Eglon's occupation of Judah, or under Gideon, Judges 6:3-4, or in Eli's time) Elimelech and Naomi migrated to Moab, where Ruth married Mahlon their son. At the end of ten years, there being plenty in Judah, Naomi, now a widow and childless, returned; and Ruth in spite of her mother-in-law's suggestion that she should go back with Orpah (compare Luke 24:28), at the sacrifice of home and Moabite kindred (compare Luke 14:27-28), did cling to Naomi (Proverbs 17:17; Proverbs 18:24). Her choice was that of not only Naomi's people but chiefly of Naomi's "God" (Joshua 24:14-15; Joshua 24:19). The Lord, by Naomi's entreaty that she should return from following, tested her faith (compare 1 Kings 19:20); with "whither thou goest I will go" compare John 12:26; Revelation 14:4 middle; with Rth 2:11, "thou hast left the land of thy nativity and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore," compare Genesis 12:1; Acts 7:3; Acts 7:5. God's providence "under whose wings she was come to trust" (Rth 2:12; Psalm 17:8; Psalm 36:7) guided her to Boaz' field to glean. At Naomi's suggestion she claimed from him that he should perform the part of her late husband's near kinsman by purchasing Elimelech's inheritance and marrying her. The nearest kinsman having declined, Boaz did so. The date of the events is brought down to the time of Eli by the supposition that names have been omitted in the genealogical list of Boaz' ancestors. Without the insertion of such names Boaz would be 112 when Obed was born, and Obed and Jesse would beget sons at a similarly advanced age.