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The book of Ruth is usually appended to the Prophetic/historical Book of Joshua although it appears in the Hagiograph in the Hebrew bible. It tells the story of Naomi, a woman of Bethlehem who travels with her husband to Moab during a period of famine. Her husband and two married sons die and, returning to Bethlehem, she encourages her daughters-in-law to stay in their native Moab but one of them (Ruth) refuses. Ruth gleans on the land of Boaz who exercises his claim to marry her once a prior claim is renounced. She is thus one of only four women in the otherwise male line of David and then Jesus (Matthew 1:5-6).
The book is a novella in four chapters which demonstrates a high degree of symbolism; all the names have meanings significant to the story: Elimelech - my God is king (foreshadowing the lineage of David); Naomi - my gracious one; Mara - the bitter one; Mahlon - sick; Chilion - weakening or pining; Orpah - nape of neck, or back turner; Ruth - friend; Boaz - strength; Obed - servant.
There are two themes:
- Redemption. This involves recovery from the famine, the claiming of kinship marriage (though not of a brother of the deceased), and the retention of land. God stands by the oppressed
- Hesed (loving-kindness). Naomi blesses her two daughters-in-law (Ruth 1:8); Boaz and Ruth demonstrate Hesed to their family members, i.e. love without expectation of reciprocity and beyond measure. Jews assign particular significance to the idea of a convert who understood her obligations and converts themselves value the book. for Christians it has the additional significance of describing an ancestor of David and, therefore, Jesus.
Recently the book has been subjected to feminist criticism which has taken two forms: first, atheist or agnostics have seen it as an unacceptable portrayal of a woman forced to glean and then submit herself to be the wife of a rich kinsman; but since the movement for the ordination of women in the Church, the story has been seen as a model of unswerving service to God and the Law.
We might, therefore, ask the following questions:
- Is the book of Ruth anything more than an idyllic but anachronistic story?
- How would we explain its significance to a contemporary audience?
- How would we frame a contemporary story to reflect Ruth's deeper meaning?
KC iv/08
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Added: 7th November 2006