Ruth
“Friend, companion; possibly 'refreshed'”
Summary
Ruth was a Moabite woman who, through her devoted loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi and her faith in Israel's God, became an ancestress of King David and of Jesus Christ.
☩Her History
Ruth was a woman of Moab who married Mahlon, one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, Israelites who had migrated to Moab during a famine. When Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion all died, Naomi resolved to return to Bethlehem. Though urged to remain in Moab, Ruth clung to Naomi with the memorable words: 'Entreat me not to leave thee... thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.' Her decision was remarkable given the ancient enmity between Moab and Israel and the exclusion of Moabites from the congregation of the Lord.
☩Her Marriage to Boaz
Arriving in Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest, Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz, a wealthy kinsman of Elimelech. Boaz showed her kindness, having heard of her devotion to Naomi, and blessed her: 'The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.' Following Naomi's counsel, Ruth approached Boaz at the threshing floor, invoking his role as kinsman-redeemer. After a nearer kinsman declined to redeem, Boaz married Ruth, and she bore him Obed, grandfather of King David.
☩Theological Significance
Ruth's inclusion in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:5) demonstrates that God's redemptive purposes extend beyond Israel to embrace Gentiles who come to Him in faith. Her story beautifully illustrates the kinsman-redeemer concept, foreshadowing Christ who became our kinsman through incarnation that He might redeem us. The book bearing her name shows God's providence working through ordinary circumstances to accomplish His purposes, and rewards faithfulness and loyalty with blessing beyond imagination.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Ruth," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Ruth," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Ruth," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).