Ruth is Scripture, but also one of the most moving love stories. While it's quite likely the book comes to use through the work of Samuel, it uncertain whether he composed to story. It's obvious he was not the last editor, as there is mention of Ruth's connection to King David, who rose after Samuel's death.
Ruth 1 -- A man of the Tribe of Judah -- Elimelech -- living during the period of Judges fled with his family to Moab to escape a famine in Israel. This meant a journey of roughly 50 miles, assuming they went the better route north of the Dead Sea. Recall the Moab is on the eastern shore of that sea, with her northern border at the River Arnon, about halfway down the coast.
While there, Elimelch died, and their two sons married local women. This was not contrary to the Law of Moses, provided the women adopted Judaism. We can assume they did, insofar as the Law was kept back then. Then the two sons died, and the household was not but widows. In ancient times, this was a guarantee of poverty. Naomi had had enough misery and tragedy, and proposed to release her daughters-in-law back to their own people, as they were young enough for some hope of remarriage.
On the way home, she persuaded Orpah to accept this idea, but Ruth would have none of it. She had become thoroughly attached to her mother-in-law, and risked a great deal to help her survive. When they arrived in Bethlehem ("House of Bread"), at the beginning of the barley harvest, everyone marvelled to see her return, speaking her name, which meant "Pleasant." She insisted they call her " Mara," meaning bitterness. Don't mistake her words as blaming God in our modern sense. She had accepted her fate, and was still trusting Jehovah to take care of her. She clearly knew in Whose hands her fate rested. Her comment is in the same vein as Job's "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away."
2:1-3 -- One of Elimelech's relatives fared much better financially. His name was Boaz and he owned a great deal of land. In ancient times it was common for grain harvest to leave a few stray heads laying here and there. Conditions of agriculture would produce a crop that was thin in spots, short stalks here and there, and so forth. Given that most landowners paid day laborers to harvest their crops, these areas were bypassed. The method of harvest was to cut an arm-load of what amounts to tall dry grass, tie them in a bundle (sheaf) with a few loose stalks, and leave them standing in the field. At the end of the day, these would be gathered and stacked for processing later. The entire process resulted in stray stalks falling out here and there. In Leviticus 19:10ff Jehovah clearly demands that such losses were to be left for the poor to glean, especially widows. While they would thus have to work a bit harder to get much grain, one could usually gather enough to make it worthwhile.
Ruth suggested Naomi let her glean in the fields. These fields were all in one area, with markings, but apparently no fencing, between different ownders. Ruth could ignore the boundaries, but at one point found herself in the section belonging to Boaz. As relatives, Naomi and Ruth had an even stronger claim on his leavings than the simple demands of the Law. By this kinship Boaz was supposed to make some minimal effort to take care of Naomi, but the obligation was a moral one, not a matter of Law. Boaz was not the nearest relative living.
2:4-23 -- When Boaz made his inspection that day, after a hearty greeting of the reapers, he asked about the young woman gleaning. His steward identified her as his relative, and he immediately stated his intent to extend his favor on her efforts. His stated reason was that he knew well her circumstances, and that she had taken on herself a burden of responsibility in caring for an elderly widow. He offered far more hospitality than was necessary, or even customary. Her humility is genuine, and we have a picture of two people with unusually high character. Then he ordered his workers to be sloppy enough in harvesting to ensure she got plenty without much work. She brought home and "ephah" of barley grains, roughly the same volume as about 5 gallons of water (22 liters). Naomi was impressed, and asked whose field had yielded so much. When Ruth mentioned the name Boaz, Naomi recognized him as her husband's relative, using a phrase implying he had right of redemption (Leviticus 25:25ff). So Ruth stayed in his fields for the duration of the harvest.
3:1-5 -- We get a picture here that Ruth was still quite young. Though a known to be a despised Moabite, she has quickly established herself as honorable. With no other family network to work on her behalf, Ruth has only Naomi to arrange a second marriage for her. Tradition has it Boaz was already quite old, and apparently a bachelor still. There is a suggestion in the text his wealth and good reputation were not enough to overcome some unknown deficiency that kept him single. Ruth could have easily gone after a younger and more desirable man, and surely Boaz assumed she would. The only family within reach of Ruth was her mother-in-law, so it fell to Naomi to arrange a marriage for her.
3:6-13 -- Keep in mind the cultural settings that placed significan barriers in the way. There were few situations in which an honorable man would address a woman not of his household or employed by him. Naomi cannot approach him about a marriage proposal, because that's the province of men only. She instructs Ruth in the customs reagarding this, then suggests Ruth do something that would normally be scandalous. At the end of a good harvest, Boaz would spend the night on the threshing floor, ostensibly to guard his grain, but it was a good excuse to sleep on high ground during the season of cool breezes. As soon as reputable folks were in bed asleep, Ruth approaches Boaz and lies down at his feet. During the night he awoke and was startled by the form lying at his feet. When he asked who it was, she identified herself, and essentially proposed marriage. That is, she asked him to execute the levirate obligation to raise up children in his cousin's name (Deuteronomy 25:5ff). The concept was that a family line not die out if it could be helped. In this case, Boaz would be the nearest eligible relative, except for one other man. Boaz praised her on the grounds that she once again took the more honorable course. She chose a lonely elder bachelor over any number of younger eligible men.
3:14-15 -- The most difficult thing for us to grasp here is the completely different perpective folks had toward marriage in those days. We are taught to think of romantic love as a powerful force that takes its own path, often in complete disregard of common sense. We assume happiness is invariably bound to what amounts to irresponsible passion. The ancient Hebrew saw love as devotion and trusted passion could grow from that. Any man who could redeem her would have to be wealthy. Ruth could have sought out a younger, more desireable redeemer and had a long marriage and the attendant social opportunities. In seeking out Boaz, she was sacrificing all that, giving a few years' happiness to someone who had given up hope on marriage. However, to maintain her high honor, he suggested she could stay only until dawn neared and then must depart before she was recognized. He also had her take home as much grain as a human could possibly carry, as a gift for Naomi in recognition of the part she played in this.
3:16-18 -- She managed to arrive while it was still dark, as evidenced by Naomi's question. Upon hearing Ruth's story, Naomi was certain it was only a matter of time. Boaz was not the sort of man to put off such important business.
4:1-8 -- It was apparently that same day Boaz went to the city courts. That is, he went where legal business was conducted, as publicly as possible, in an area near the city gate reserved for such things. It was common to find retired men of honor sitting there, and these acted as a people's jury, but with some judicial powers. Ten men were the traditional minimum requirement for many things: a synagogue could be formed, some capital sentences could be passed, and the marriage blessing could be pronounced before God. In the presence of such a council, pulled aside the relative who had first right of redemption on Elimelech's property. When the man declared his intent to redeem it, Boaz advised him the property had other obligations attached, which the man found disagreeable: having to marry Ruth and raise up children in her husband's name, which was essentially was in Elimelech's name. He would also assume responsibility for Naomi's welfare. He could use the land, but could not keep it once those children were of age to take possession. The man suffered no dishonor; his refusal was on the grounds of risking his own family inheritance. He simply couldn't afford it on those terms. To publicly seal his passing of rights, the man took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz, to "stand in his place" on this matter. From the context, we can assume that custom died out before the Monarchy.
4:9-22 -- Boaz summed up the legal action before this court of ten men. At this point, Ruth was legally his wife, and he received the marriage blessing. The announcement would spread like wildfire in the little town. In essence, the family name and property of Boaz and Elimelech were combined into a single household. Their son, Obed, was the heir of both. Naomi sealed the the inheritance beyond any challenge when she adopted Obed as her own son (v.16). The author closes by reciting the family lineage by going back to Pharez. He was the son of Judah, by Tamar, his Canaanite daughter-in-law (Genesis 38).
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Ed Hurst
22 February 2004
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