Both the Hebrew, the Greek and the English title of this book are the same. It is named after the key character of the book. The name "Ruth" is not a Jewish name. Various meanings have been suggested as to the meaning of the name, but none are certain.

a. The Hebrew Bible is divided into three parts.

c. The Septuagint & the Vulgate.

In Josephus’ accounting of the books of the Hebrew Scriptures, Ruth is deemed as a part of the book of Judges.

Although there is an association with the Judges, Ruth does not share any of the great and momentous deeds, the clamor of battle, or the spiritual failings which are so prevalent in that book.

If Judges is a book of FAILURE, then Ruth is a book of QUIET VICTORY.

There seems to have been a significant passage of time between the events which the book of Ruth describes and the recording of those events.

The story of Ruth is presented in a chiastic format. It begins "when the judges governed." It ends with the genealogy of the reigning King.

What this meant for an agricultural economy is difficult for us to comprehend. A famine involved complete financial devastation and could lead ultimately to starvation.

The name "Bethlehem" is two words meaning "House of Bread." The small town is located on the spur of an east-west ridge 4 miles to the south of Jerusalem. It is surrounded on three sides by lush, fertile farmlands. It is bad enough when famine strikes. But when famine strikes the "House of Bread" then things can become desperate. This was the problem which arose. There was no bread in the House of Bread.

Out of the worst kind of circumstances, God is able to weave something wonderful. Ruth is a lesson that you should not judge the circumstances until the last chapter is over. Indeed, this book would be a book of tragedy were it not for the last chapter.

Moab was located to the east of the Dead Sea, its northern boarder being the Arnon River and its southern boarder being the Zered Wadi. Rising up from the Dead Sea, 1200 feet below sea level, the land rises up to a large plateau.

These were the descendants of Lot through his incestuous relations with his daughter. Moab had refused the Israelites permission to pass through their land in the days of Moses. During the days of the Judges, the Moabites had invaded the territory of Israel until being driven out by Ehud. Moab was now considered to be an accursed nation.

Now the nation of accursed people becomes a haven for this Hebrew man and his family. The cursing will be ultimately turned into blessing.

There is a lesson here. It is that God can use anyone. He loves to confuse the orthodox by using the kind of people we wouldn’t use. He brings a Messiah out of Nazareth, a King out of Bethlehem, disciples from a fishing boat, and the Son of God from a rough-hewn cross.

If there were newspapers published at that time they would have taken no notice of this family of four as they made their way to Moab. They would have reported on the latest events on the national scene. Their stories would have been on the famine, or on the prospects for another raid by the Amorites. But in God's economy, the story of Ruth is the real story.

Elimelech means "My God is King" and stands in contrast to the kingly name Abimelech "My father is King." And yet, when things got tough, this man had departed from the inherited land of his king and went to find a home in Moab.

Where things worse for Elimelech and his family than they were for the other inhabitants of Bethlehem who stayed behind? We do not know. We DO know that neither Elimelech nor his sons ever saw their homeland again.

After Elimelech had died, his two sons found for themselves wives among the Moabites, something that was forbidden in the Law (Deuteronomy 7:1-3; 23:3).

The book of Ruth neither commends nor condemns the actions of Elimelech and his sons. The point is not whether they sinned. The point is what God brought about in the midst of tragedy.

Here is the lesson. You can’t call a tragedy a tragedy until the entire story is known. And the entire story is never known this side of heaven.

There are few things more tragic than a widow. One of them is a widow who has also lost her children. That was not a day of social security or life insurance. Such a state would leave Naomi unprotected in a harsh world.

Here was a woman who had lost it all. People may have looked at her and said, "Your God must be judging you." But not all bad things happen as a result of punishment.

Naomi determines to return home to Bethlehem. Why? Because there is food there. And perhaps for another reason as well - because the "Lord had visited His people."

What makes a place home? Not a house. Or familiar surroundings. It is the presence of those whom you love. You have a home. It is a city - the new Jerusalem.

Naomi is not acting out of self-interest. To have her daughters-in-law with her would be a financial advantage. They were young and marriageable.

We live in a society that teaches the looking out for "number one." Even when people come to church, they are so often only looking for a place to meet their own needs. But the Bible never says that the church exists only to meet your needs. That ego-centric philosophy is merely a reflection of our society.

This retort of Naomi is Hebraic humor. She is saying, "I have nothing more to offer you." Under the Levitical Law, a widow who had borne no children was to be given to the surviving brother of the deceased so that she might through such a union bear heirs to the estate of the deceased. But in this case there were no surviving brothers. And Naomi says, "There aren’t any on the way."

Most women would be weeping if they found that they were going to have to remain with their in-laws. In-law jokes are a reflection of our fallen nature. They go all the way back to the Garden of Eden when God said that a man would have to leaven his father and mother (Genesis 2:21).

But it doesn’t have to be that way. We have a picture here of two daughters-in-law who loved their mother-in-law so much that they were willing to go and live with her in poverty. Perhaps the reason there are so few Ruths today is that today there are so few Naomis.

Orpah finally is convinced to return to her people. Ruth determines otherwise.

The book of Judges is a book of Heros. But the actions of Ruth are no less heroic. She is turning her back on her family, her people, and the country of her birth to go and live in a place where she shall be considered a second-class citizen.

This is a solemn oath. It is a commitment of loyalty, not only to Naomi, but to the Lord. Are you loyal to your friends, even when they are wrong? I don’t mean being a "yes-man." I DO mean continuing to look out for their best interests.

British Prime Minister Lord Melbourne criticized the newspaper for their lack of support of his government. They wrote back, "We always support you when you are right." He replied, "I don’t need your support when I’m right. I need it when I am wrong."

There is enough wrong in the midst of us to go for a long way. We need to be loyal to one another, even when we are wrong.

There is a play on words here. The name "Naomi" seems to carry the idea of "sweet" or "pleasant." It is used in the Proverbs where we read...

Naomi had been known as the one who is pleasant. But now she insists that she be known as Mara, "bitter." It seems as though Naomi had kept everything bottled up back in Moab. But now she is back home. And home is where you can let it all out. She is bitter. And her bitterness is directed against God.

 We read of no condemnation from the people. Home is where you can be yourself and not be condemned for it. We aren’t home yet. Our home is in heaven. But we have a home away from home. It is called the church.

We tend to think in terms of a harvest taking place in the fall. But in Palestine, the first harvest began in the spring. There was even a feast to commemorate this harvest. It was known as the Feast of the Firstfruits.

Indeed, the book of Ruth came to be associated with this particular feast.

Barley is typically harvested a month prior to the wheat harvest. Barley was cheaper than wheat. It was used for the feeding of animals. It was also eaten by the poor.

It is into this setting that we read of the return of Naomi and Ruth. Even though Ruth had never been to Bethlehem, it is still described as a "return."

Boaz was "a man mighty of wealth." He also happened to be a relative of the deceased Elimelech. Here we see the "accident" of God’s providence. Things don’t happen just by chance. They happen because there is a divine design. Accidents do happen, but they are not just accidents, for they are a part of God’s providence.

Notice that Ruth is called "Ruth the Moabitess." This title shall be used a total of 5 times throughout this book.

Ruth’s request was considered acceptable among the poor of Israel. The Law actually provided for the poor to enter a field on the heels of the reapers.

This was the Israelite version of social security. The Law mandated that the leavings of the field reapers were to be left behind for the poor and the illegal alien to take. Ruth fit into both of these categories. She had no other means of caring for herself and Naomi.

The significant point of the story is that she happened to pick the field which belonged to Boaz. The Hebrew says that she "chanced a chance" or "her chance chanced."

There is a lesson here. It is that chance is not blind - its path is directed under the eyes of the Lord. God is not only concerned with kings and princes and great battles. He is also concerned with the mundane and the everyday happenstances. They are all within the realm of His plan.

Boaz arrives and sees Ruth working in the fields. We can tell from his statements that he is immediately interested in her.

By the time we get to verse 11, we find that Boaz has done some detailed investigation of Ruth. He has asked around about her. And he is taken by what he has heard. In verse 8, he refers to her as "my daughter," indicating that he was considerably older than she.

There is a play on words here which does not come through in our English translation.

Ruth is cognizant of the special attention which is being accorded her. She knows that she is a foreigner. And to make matters worse, she is from Moab. Moab has been an enemy of Israel.

Ruth is...

There is nothing in the Law that says Boaz has to go to the lengths which he has gone. Her question is a legitimate one.

The words of Boaz to Ruth are strikingly similar to that which the Lord spoke to Abraham.

While Ruth is not a physical descendant of Abraham, she shows herself to be a SPIRITUAL descendant of him by demonstrating the faith of Abraham. And so, he pronounces the Lord’s blessing upon Ruth. As we read this, we should remember that these are not the words of a seminary theologian. These are farmers. Boaz isn’t trying to impress anyone. This is how he defines himself.

There is a lesson here. If Christ is a part of your life, then He will also be a natural part of your conversation. This shouldn’t have to be forced. It is a testimony to our fallen nature that we have to LEARN a system for presenting the gospel.

Notice the lack of division between the secular and the sacred. Ruth hadn’t been doing church work. She had been working in the field. Common labor. We need to recognize God’s sovereign working in every facet of our lives. He is interested in your work, your chores, and your play. He really is.

Notice also who was it who rewarded Ruth’s work. It looks from the passage as though Boaz did. It was his field, his servants, and his grain.

But he gives the credit to God. Why? Because that is how God works. Remember when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush? He announced that He would deliver Israel.

Who was going to deliver Israel? God was! He said it very clearly. But then he says to Moses, "I will send YOU to Pharaoh." Moses says, "I thought that you were going to go!" There are times when we see the burning bush or the pillar of fire. But more often than not, He works through the familiar. And He usually acts through people. If God is going to work in your church, He is going to do it through you.

Ruth returns to the city where she and Naomi are staying, sharing her meal with her and reporting on the day’s activities. Naomi reveals that "the man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives" (2:20).

The phrase "He is one of our closest relatives" is literally, "He is our redeemer clan." It means that Boaz was, by virtue of his relationship with Elimelech, in the position to redeem the estate of Elimelech and to fulfill the duty of a kinsman redeemer by marrying Ruth.

You see, the custom both among the Jews and throughout the ancient world was that, if a man died without having any heirs, it was the duty of his younger brothers or his nearest surviving male relative to take his widow and have children by her who would carry on his family name.

Boaz was one of those surviving male relatives. But as we shall see in the next chapter, he was not the closest.

Naomi’s question, "My daughter, shall I not seek security (Hebrew is "rest") for you" points to the fact that the lot of a widow was a difficult one. Gleaning was at best a haphazard livelihood. Therefore, Naomi wishes something better for her daughter-in-law.

Naomi instructs Ruth as to her preparations; she is to look her best. Her best clothes would be none too fancy. But it appears they were able to afford a little perfume, as the word "anoint" indicates. Naomi gives Ruth some very practical and down-to-earth advice.

Christians ought to be the most practical people around ("wise as serpents, innocent as doves"). Naomi knows how men think. The reason most women would rather have beauty than brains is because most men can see better than they can think. So she tells Ruth to wait until Boaz has finished eating and drinking.

Note: She has already picked out Boaz as the future husband for Ruth, even though she is no doubt aware of the fact that there is a nearer kinsman (identified in chapter 4). Perhaps that she knew that this man was already married and was therefore not the best choice (Ruth 4:6).

At harvest time people would camp out. As the owner of the land, Boaz would have had a place to himself, with his servants sleeping at other places in the vicinity.

The word "softly" means "quietly". It was used of David when he stole in and cut a piece from Saul's robe (1 Samuel 24:4). Ruth waits until Boaz is sound asleep and then she comes to him.

Boaz was startled by something, so he turned, or bent over, and saw Ruth lying at his feet. In reply to Boaz’ question, Ruth identifies herself as a maidservant, again taking a lowly position. Ruth uses a very expressive metaphor here in asking him to spread his covering over her. The word "covering" here is the same word which is used in Ruth 2:12 where we read, "May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose WINGS you have come to seek refuge." The term can describe both a "wing" as well as the edge of a garment.

She calls Boaz a "close relative." This makes her request a formal one, and she's looking to him to resolve the legal question of redemption.

Keil and Delitzsch say that the word "skirt" refers to the corner of the blanket which Boaz had over him. A man and wife sleeping together would share this blanket. The act of covering Ruth with part of the blanket would have been symbolic of a proposal of marriage (Ezekiel 16:8).

However, Boaz did not take this action. There was a legal question to be resolved before Boaz could marry Ruth. But Boaz does begin the process here that eventually leads to their marriage.

Boaz’s reply is immediate and positive. He thinks that Ruth has shown more kindness now than when she first came to the fields. The earlier kindness was that shown by Ruth in not leaving Naomi and in gleaning to provide for their needs. To this she has now added a further evidence of her regard for family relationships.

Ruth has not followed natural inclinations but has shown a responsible attitude to the family in looking to her Go’el for marriage.

Boaz knows that she could have married some other eligible young man in Bethlehem; but she did not let these types of personal inclinations rule her. This seems to indicate that Boaz was not a young man. There was likely a significant age difference between them.

The word translated "city" is literally "gate." As we shall see in the next chapter, the city gates was the usual place of public assembly, the place for business, judgment, and for receiving news.

Ruth is described as a "woman of excellence." The term is nearly identical to the description of Boaz in Ruth 2:1 as a man of wealth." It is also used in Proverbs 31:10 to describe an "excellent wife."

Boaz affirms that he certainly is a kinsman; but he goes on to point out that there was a man nearer of kin then he. Ruth may have been unaware of the complexities of the family relationships and the legal implications.

Boaz binds his word with an oath. Indeed, this was the strongest possible oath - "As the Lord lives." To break such an oath would be to break the third commandment and thus take the name of the Lord in vain.

The phrase, "before one could recognize another" was an idiom used to describe the time before dawn. Though they had done nothing immoral during the night, Boaz takes steps to protect Ruth’s reputation.

There is a principle here. Christians are not merely to do what is right. They are also to avoid the APPEARANCE of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Boaz does not want Ruth to go back empty-handed; so he provides her with another generous gift of grain. The amount mentioned is, literally, "six of barley", with no unit of measure given.

Naomi would also have been encouraged to see another gift of grain from Boaz, which would mean that Boaz certainly would carry out the matter to the end they wanted.

Boaz had said "Go not empty-handed to your mother in law." Remember that Naomi said that "the Lord had brought me home again empty" (Ruth 1:21). Now Naomi's empty days were over.

This chapter contains some rather quaint customs. But the principles go back to the Mosaic Law.

a. Land Ownership and the Law.

b. Levirate Marriage.

c. The Kinsman-Redeemer.

The gate of a town or village played a large part in the cities of Judah in these times. Excavations reveal that cities in Palestine were very closely built, with no large open spaces like the Roman forum or the Greek agora. There was some space at the gate for people to gather and do business, and the gate was the center of city life.

Boaz was in the right place to conduct legal business.

The idea here was to gather a sort of jury to hear the transaction and exercise some kind of judicial function.

Elders had far-reaching powers. In this case, the matter was relatively minor, and the elders really had little to do or decide. But any transaction that was witnessed by the elders, and attested to by them, was of absolute validity.

Boaz addresses the kinsman and informs him that Elimelech, who was related to both of them, owned some land near Bethlehem, and that the land had to be redeemed in Naomi's favor.

We are not told how the land might have changed hands over the years; it may be that Elimelech sold the land to someone just before he took his family to Moab.

The title to the land would have stayed with Elimelech's family, and such a purchase would have been equivalent to a lease. To redeem the land at this time would have required a payment to the occupant for the balance of his lease. Upon Elimelech's death, the ownership of the land would have passed to his sons.

This passage shows very clearly the sequence of inheritance: first, sons; then, daughters; then, brothers; then, uncles; then, the next nearest kinsman. The widow is not mentioned in the line of inheritance! On the other hand, it seems from this passage in Ruth that Naomi had legal rights to the land and could realize some money from it. But Ruth was the widow of Mahlon and would have had similar rights.

Verse 4 makes it clear that the kinsman is the nearer relative and Boaz is the next directly in line.

The kinsman is quite ready to buy the land and is prepared to come up with the money. However, Boaz brings up a slight complication.

The problem was that the ownership of the land was bound up with the requirement of a Levirate marriage. To take the land, one must also take Ruth.

The fact that marriage with Ruth must accompany the redemption of the field changed the whole picture for the kinsman.

It is not clear what prevented the kinsman from fulfilling his obligation. He was ready to buy the field, so the money was not an issue. But he could not marry Ruth. There are several possible reasons for this:

Whatever the reason, the kinsman was emphatic about it, even repeating his statement so there would be no doubt.

The author of Ruth describes this as a "custom in former times." This indicates that this ritual was no longer practiced in his day.

Keil and Delitszch suggest that the custom arose from the fact that fixed property was taken possession of by treading upon the soil, and thus, taking off the shoe and handing it to another was a symbol of the transfer of a possession or right of ownership.

In this case, there was only a symbolic transfer of the rights to purchase a property, not a transfer of the land itself.

The act of handing over the shoe to Boaz was undoubtedly designed to indicate visually to the elders that a formal agreement had been reached.

Here Boaz begins his speech to the elders and people. They listen in an official capacity as leaders of the city and as legal witnesses before the "court." Boaz says he will "raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance" that is, he will provide a son who will carry on the name of the deceased. Then he states the same proposition in the negative, "that the name of the deceased may not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place." Boaz concludes by reminding his hearers that they are all witnesses.

The court session ends with a statement from all the witnesses, the people and the elders. First, they affirm that they are indeed witnesses. This seems very much like jury proceedings in which the jury announces a decision.

It is interesting, that although they are citizens of Bethlehem, and thus descended from Judah, son of Leah (Genesis 29:35), they place Rachel before Leah.

The reference to Perez is especially interesting, because Perez is not usually regarded as an example of fruitfulness. But there is a reason that Perez is mentioned. It is because the circumstances of his birth are similar to these circumstances.

In each instance, moreover, the "husband" was advanced in age and sired sons when the prospects for doing so would ordinarily be bleak. Both Tamar and Ruth bore sons in the Davidic/messianic line.

When Jacob was dying, he pronounced the following blessing upon Judah:

God delights in working through the one whom is normally considered to be rejected. This is seen in the genealogy of the Messiah as given in Matthew 1. There are four women mentioned in that genealogy.

There is also a double blessing directed toward Boaz. He is told in verse 11, "May you achieve wealth (literally - "make strength", same word which is translated "excellence" in Ruth 3:11) in Ephratah and become famous (literally - "call a name") in Bethlehem."

Note that the child born is regarded as God's gift. This has a direct impact upon how we are to view such issues as abortion.

The Lord "enabled her to conceive." Though she had previously been married, that marriage had not been blessed with children. Ruth had hitherto been barren.

While the book of Ruth opens with Naomi’s bitterness, it now closes with Naomi’s blessedness. She was blessed because she finally had a grandchild. This child would be reckoned as Mahlon’s.

It is because of this that Naomi is said to have a Redeemer. Note that the redeemer is not Boaz. The redeemer is the child which had been born. It is the birth of this child that would take away Naomi’s reproach of childlessness. It is this child who would take care of her in her old age. And it is this child of whom it is said, "May his name become famous (literally - "be called") in Israel."

Do you see the point? It is through the birth of a baby born in Bethlehem that Naomi is going to find her redemption. This baby has a name which shall be proclaimed both in Israel and throughout the world. For whoever calls upon this name shall be saved.