- BIB202 Historical Books
- 1:1-22 Moab (full) and Back (empty)
- 1:1-2 Setting: time of judges, Elimelech and family move to Moab b/c of famine in Bethlehem
- 1:3-5 Two daughters-in-law added, but all three males subtracted from the family
- 1:6-7 Naomi heads back to Bethlehem, b/c the Lord visited His people, providing food
- 1:8-14 Naomi tries to send her daughters-in-law back to Moab
v. 8 May the Lord show chesed to you as you have done to the dead and me"
v.9 "May the Lord grant you rest in the home of another husband"
- they didn't want to leave her, but she pressed them to leave
- v. 13 "It is more bitter for me b/c the Lord's hand has been against me"
- Orpah went back, but Ruth would not
- 1:15-18 Ruth refuses to leave her and confesses Naomi's God
- v. 16 "Where you go, I will go, where you stay, I will stay" cf. Num 9:18-22
- v. 16 "Your people will be my people and your God will be my God" cf. Exod. 6:7
- v. 17 "May the Lord deal with me if anything but death separates us"
- 1:19-22 They return to Bethlehem - Naomi complaining, but foreshadowing of hope
- the town was stirred up - "Can this be Naomi?"
- v. 20 "Don't call me pleasant, call me bitter, because the Lord has made my life very bitter."
v. 21 "I went away full, the Lord has brought me back empty"
- v. 21 "The Lord has afflicted/humbled me, the Almighty did bad/misfortune to me
- foreshadowing - barley harvest
- 2:1-23 In the Field
- 2:1 foreshadowing - Boaz
- near relative - from the clan of Elimelech
Great man of valor/virtue
- 2:2-3 Ruth goes to glean in Boaz's fields
- Ruth takes the initiative to provide for them both
- gleaning was a way provided in the Torah for the poor
she planned to go to the fields of anyone "in whose eyes I find favor" cf. v. 10, 13
- v. 3 "As it turns out" - clearly a reference to a 'coincidence' that wasn't a coincidence, but rather the providential hand of God
- lit. she happened to chance upon her chance/accident to the field of Boaz
- Boaz is again described as being from the clan of Elimelech - cf. 2:1
- 2:4-7 Boaz becomes aware of Ruth
- Boaz arrives and greets his people in the Name of the Lord and is blessed in the Name of the Lord
- Boaz asks about Ruth
- He is told that she is the Moabitess with Naomi, who has asked permission and has gleaned steadily all the day (i.e. not lazy)
- 2:8-13 Boaz talks to Ruth
- tells her to stay and work in his fields, because he has commanded her protection and access to drinking water
Ruth responds - "Why have I found favor in your eyes - being a foreigner?"
on "favor in your eyes" cf. v. 2, 13
- on "foreigner" self-designation puts herself on a very low social position/humility
- Boaz replies
- I have been told what you have done
- for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband
- how you have forsaken your father and mother an homeland
- how you have come to live with a people you did not know
- May the Lord bless you and pay you back
- May the Lord repay you for what you have done
- May you be richly rewarded by the Lord the God of Israel
You have come to take refuge under His wings (you should expect great blessings for this)
- Ruth replies
May I continue to find favor in your eyes - cf. v. 2, 10
- You have spoken kindly to me, though I am a nobody (I don't deserve your grace)
- 2:14-16 Boaz provides for her
- provides a meal
- provides special access to gleaning with full protection
- 2:17-19 Ruth tells her experience to Naomi
- finished gleaning
- took the food to Naomi
- Naomi was joyful at the amount of food and asked who had blessed her so much
- Ruth told her that it was Boaz
- 2:20 Naomi blesses Boaz and thanks the Lord
- May he [Boaz] be blessed by the Lord
- He [ambiguous, possibly Boaz (so NIV), but almost certainly the Lord] has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.
lit. he has not forsaken his chesed
That man is our close relative, he is our kinsman-redeemer (go'el)
- on the cultural practice of redemption of property, see Lev. chs. 25 & 27
- 2:21-23 Ruth continues in Boaz's fields
- Boaz invited her to continue
- Naomi recommends that she continue
- She continues
- She lived with her mother-in-law
- 3:1-18 At the Threshing Floor
- 3:1-4 Naomi plans to get Ruth a husband
Naomi takes the initiative "I should find you a place of rest where you will be provided for
- - i.e. a husband, cf. 1:9
- Boaz is the target - he is a kinsman
- Get dressed up, go to where he will be, and approach him in this certain way
- 3:5-9 Ruth follows the plan
- Ruth says she will do what Naomi says
- Ruth does what Naomi said
- Boaz responds to Ruth - asking who she is and what she wants
- Ruth proposes marriage
- I am your servant Ruth
- claims a title as Boaz's servant
- Spread the corner of your garment over me
cf. 2:12 "under wings" same language as "corner of your garment"
- asking to come under his protection/household
You are a kinsman-redeemer (goel)
- 3:10-11 Boaz responds affirmitavely
- The Lord bless you - my daughter
This chesed is greater than the earlier.
- you have not run after the younger men
- Don't be afraid, I will do all you ask
Everyone at the gate (the whole town) knows that you are a woman of valor/virtue cf. 2:1
3:12-13 Boaz brings up a closer relative (go'el) and promises she will be redeemed
I truly am a kinsman-redeemer (go'el)
but there is a kinsman-redeemer (go'el) nearer than I
If he wants to redeem (ga'al) good, let him redeem (ga'al)
but if he is not willing to redeem (ga'al), I myself will redeem (ga'al) you
- swears by the Lord "as surely as the Lord lives."
- 3:13-15 Ruth leaves in the morning with provisions
- Boaz - "Stay here until morning"
- She got up very early
- Boaz- "Don't make it public yet"
- He gave her six measures of barley and they left
- 3:16-18 Ruth reports to Naomi
- Naomi asks how it went
- lit. "who are you my daughter"
- Ruth told her everything Boaz did
- Ruth added "He gave me these six measures of barley,
saying 'Don't go back to your mother in law empty" - cf. 1:21
- Naomi said "Wait and see what happens, for he will not rest until the matter is settled today."
- 4:1-12 At the City Gate
- 4:1-2 Setting meeting with the un-named kinsman at the city gate
when the kinsman (go'el) came by
- Boaz said, "Hey so and so, come over here and sit down"
- goes out of his way to not name the man
- The un-named man came and sat down
- Boaz got ten elders of the town to sit there.
- 4:2-4 Boaz offers Elimelech's property for redemption and the man takes it
he said to the kinsman-redeemer (go'el)
- Naomi is selling the land that belonged to Elimelech
- I am telling you personally to buy it in the presence of the elders seated here
If you will redeem (ga'al) it, then redeem (ga'al) it
But if you will not redeem (ga'al) it, then tell me
For there is no one but you to redeem (ga'al) it
- and I am next in line
and he [the kinsman] said "I will redeem (ga'al) it"
- 4:5-8 Boaz informs that Ruth is part of the redemption, and the man declines it
- Boaz says, "When you get the property, you get the widow Ruth, to carry on the name of the dead with his inheritance"
- cf. Deut 25:5-6
the Kinsman-Redeemer (go'el) said, "I cannot redeem (ga'al) it, lest I would damage my own inheritance
"You redeem (ga'al) it yourself, I cannot redeem (ga'al) it
- Background on the ritual for the transation
- cf. Deut 25:5-10
The kinsman-redeemer (go'el) said to Boaz, "buy it yourself"
- 4:9-10 Boaz confirms the redemption before the elders at the gate
"today you are witnesses"
- that I have bought the property of Elimelech
- I have also acquired Ruth as my wife, to carry on the name of the dead with his inheritance
- cf. v. 5
- so that his name will not be cut off from his family
"today you are witnesses"
- 4:11-12 The elders confirm the redemption and bless Ruth and Boaz
The elders say "We are witnesses"
- May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house to be like Rachel and Leah, who bulit up the house of Israel.
May you have valor/virtue in Ephrathah and may your name be proclaimed in Bethlehem
- And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah
- cf. Gen. ch. 38 -example of Levirite marriage, like Ruth and Boaz
- through the offspring which the Lord will give you through this young woman
- 4:13-17 A Child is Born
- Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife
- and the Lord gave to her conception and she gave birth to a son
- The women said to Naomi
- Blessed be the Lord
Who has not left you today without a kinsman-redeemer (go'el)
- May His Name be proclaimed in Israel
- cf. v. 11
- and May He be to you the one who restores your soul and the sustainer in your old age
- on restores soul, cf. Psa 23:3
- For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth
- Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became his caregiver
- The women said, "Naomi has a son"
- They named him Obed, He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
- 4:18-22 Genealogy of David
- Perez was the father of Hezron
- Hezron was the father of Ram
- Ram was the father of Amminadab
- Amminadab was the father of Nahshon
- Nahshon was the father of Salmon
- Salmon was the father of Boaz
- Boaz was the father of Obed
- Obed was the father of Jesse
- And Jesse was the father of David
- -cf. Matt. 1:3-6
Theological Themes
- 1. Covenant Faithfulness
- Ruth is faithful to Naomi and becomes a faithful covenant member of Israel
- Answers the apparent contradiction of Deut. 23:3
- "No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, even down to the tenth generation
- Ruth converted, she was no longer a Moabite, but was an Esheth Chayil (woman of valor/virtue)
- Boaz is a faithful man, faithful to the Lord, showing generosity to strangers, upholding righteousness and covenant responsibility in the city
- The Bethlehemites are portrayed as faithful to the Lord, even in the time of the judges that is characterized by apostasy
- God is faithful to all.
- This is shown to Ruth - God pays back her faithfulness over and above what she deserves
- This is especially shown to Naomi - Naomi questions/doubts God's faithfulness, but those doubts are silenced (by far) in the end
- 2. Contrast Faithfulness
- The covenant faithfulness of certain characters is highlighted by contrast with other characters who had the same opportunity, but did something different
- Ruth is contrasted with Orpah, her sister-in-law, who did not return with Naomi and did not convert to the Lord
- Boaz is contrasted with the un-named kinsman who did not redeem Ruth and Naomi, even though he was a closer relative than Boaz
- 3. God's (behind the scenes) sovereign covenant faithfulness
- In Ruth, God does not work in an overtly miraculous way, but works through everyday occurrences, which could mistakenly be seen as just coincidences or the natural flow of secular history (no such thing)
- 1:6 The Lord visited His people by providing food/ending the famine
- 1:13, 20-21 Naomi sees her misfortune as ultimately coming from the Lord
- 2:3 the "accident" of Ruth ending up in the field belonging to Boaz is narrated in such a way to show that it was not an accident, but the working of the Lord
- 2:20 The Lord had not abandoned them, but rather has not stopped showing His chesed to them and their family
- 3:17 The Lord answers the charge that He had left Naomi "empty" by showing through mundane circumstances that He is faithful
- 4:14 The Lord has not left them without a redeemer, but paid back their misfortune with blessing that far outweighs it
- 4:16-22 This story, though self-contained and wonderful on its own, is part of a much bigger story that leads to David, and ultimately to Christ - a mundane story in a small town has universal consequences
- 4. David
- David is still in the future of this story
- But in the past of the author
- The author highlights that all this leads up to David
- David's story starts with faithful people who experience the blessing and sovereign intervention of the Lord
- Many Biblical heroes have birth narratives - Ruth is, in a sense, the birth narrative of King David