The book does not identify the author. According to Jewish tradition the author was Samuel, and there is a suggestion that the author could be Solomon due to the lineage in the last chapter which ends with David. Therefore when the book of Ruth was completed David had already been appointed King. The events of Ruth occurred sometime between BC 1160 and BC 1100, during the latter period of the Judges (Ruth 1:1), a time of religious and moral degeneration.
Analysis
v13–17 The marriage and birth of the firstborn
son, Obed
Theme
During the times of the judges when “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judg 21:25) apostasy and wickedness prevailed in Israel. Yahweh’s plan to take out a people for His Name was not thwarted and we see Him calling the Gentiles into the Hope of Israel. The book of Ruth is a sharp contrast with the previous book in the Bible, the book of Judges. It is about a family which suffered tragedy, and yet found happiness and good fortune in the end. Ruth is the main character, a young woman from Moab, who became the great-grandmother of David and an ancestor of our Lord (Ruth 4:21–22; Matt 1:1,5 ). The story is written straightforwardly and very beautifully. However, there are types for us living during the closing times of the Gentiles, when natural Israel has rebelled against God, and the Gentiles are waiting for their Redeemer.
Ruth 1
The first chapter introduces us to the time of the story of Ruth. During the times that the judges ruled an Israelite, Elimelech, and his wife Naomi, Chilion all died. Naomi blessed her daughtersin- law and decided to return to the land of Judah because she had heard the famine was ended. She told her daughters-in-law to return to their own families, and to stay in Moab. They were distraught at this suggestion and both Orpah and Ruth said that they would stay with Naomi and go with her to Judah. Naomi insisted that they return to their own families and remarry, as she was not going to have any more sons for them to marry and was grieved at the apparent harshness of Yahweh against them. At this point Orpah agreed and returned to her people and her gods. However Ruth gave the wonderful statement showing her true character: “Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (1:16). Ruth was willing to forsake her previous life and change allegiances to the God of Israel. The two of them returned into Israel at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Ruth 2
We are introduced to Boaz, who was a kinsman of Elimelech. Ruth was providentially led to his field to glean the ears of corn after the reapers had completed their work, as permitted under the Law, in cases of extreme poverty. Ruth was an industrious worker, and this drew the attention of Boaz. Boaz enquired of his servant who was in charge of the reapers about Ruth, and he learned that she was the daughter-in-law of Naomi who had returned from Moab. Boaz was impressed that this young girl had cared for her mother-in-law even after the death of both their husbands, and had left her homeland to come into a new and foreign country. Boaz ensured that she continued to glean in his field, and that she was not only cared for by his maidens and young men, but that they left some extra corn for her.
At the end of the next day of gleaning the fields, Ruth talked with Naomi about Boaz and how this man was kind to her. Naomi knew that he was a near kinsman and could see the hand of Yahweh in guiding Ruth to glean in his field. She gave Ruth instructions to continue gleaning there.
Ruth 3
Naomi believed that Boaz would continue to help them in their need as she knew Boaz was a faithful Israelite who was kind and honoured the Law of Moses. Ruth’s real need, though, was ‘redemption’. Under the Law of Moses, if a man died childless, his brother was required to raise up seed in the dead man’s name. Naomi instructed Ruth to draw Boaz’s attention to her need. When he lay down to sleep Ruth was to uncover his feet and lie down there. This was the custom of the time. Ruth behaved honourably, showing by her action her submissiveness to Boaz as her lord.
Boaz woke up in the middle of the night and was startled to see a woman lying at his feet. Ruth explained that he was the near kinsman who had the right to redeem her. Boaz was touched at this and praised Ruth for preferring him over the younger men. He could see that Ruth was a virtuous woman, and although not of the seed of Israel, was doing what the Law of Moses required. Boaz reassured her that he would do what was required, and said that all the people knew that she was a virtuous woman. However, there was one problem to overcome. It was true that Boaz was a near kinsman, but there was a kinsman nearer than him who could perform the role of redeemer. If he refused to take the kinsman’s role of redemption, then Boaz was willing to do it.
Ruth 4
Boaz went to the place where business was conducted at the gate of the city. There he met the nearer kinsman who had the right to redeem Ruth. He took with him ten men of the elders of the city, a quorum. Boaz, on behalf of Naomi, offered for sale a piece of land which belonged to Elimelech. The nearer kinsman agreed to redeem the land. Then Boaz reminded him that he must also redeem the wife of the dead, Ruth the Moabitess, to raise up seed for the dead. The kinsman then declined the purchase as he claimed it would mar his own inheritance.
The kinsman took off his shoe and gave it to Boaz (cp Deut 25:7–10). The transaction was made amicably, and with the shoe being given to Boaz the transaction was sealed; Boaz was free to purchase the land and to take Ruth as his wife. Boaz proclaimed this to the witnesses present.
Interestingly the witnesses openly prayed to Yahweh to make Ruth like the houses of Rachel and Leah, “which two did build the house of Israel”, and also to be like the house of Pharez, of the tribe of Judah, being the tribe Boaz was from. This is a wonderful endorsement of the faith shown by Ruth the Moabitess.
Boaz and Ruth had a son, Obed, and the story of Ruth concludes with Naomi taking the child, laying him in her bosom and becoming his nurse. Naomi had told Ruth to return to her people as she herself would not have further children whom Ruth could marry (1:12–13), but now Naomi was able to hold and nurse the child of Ruth. Yahweh had rewarded her faithfulness by turning her bitterness into joy.
The book then concludes with an appendix of the generations of Pharez, showing that the child Obed, born to Boaz and Ruth, was the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David, the king. Yahweh promised David that his seed would arise to build a house for His name, and that Yahweh would establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. Thus, because of her faith, Ruth the Moabitess was grafted into the hope of Israel, she being also in the lineage of David, and hence of our Lord Jesus Christ.