Heroic Women of the Hebrew Scriptures Week 3 – Ruth Part 1

I. Ruth Chapter 1

a. Vs. 1 – Tragedy #1: famine.

i. These events are roughly in the time of Jephthah and Samson. Late 12th century.

ii. Bethlehem had no natural springs, so they used cisterns for water. Thus, they were susceptible to climate issues.

iii. Famine – a reminder that YHWH’s blessing on the land is removed when the people are disobedient and forget Him.

iv. Time of the Judges – when Israel forgot YHWH and there was violence and injustice in the land, especially injustice and violence against women.

v. When Israel (or anybody) neglects to follow YHWH, then women, in this highly misogynistic and patriarchal society, are the targets of neglect, violence, and abuse.

vi. The man took his wife and sons to Moab.

1. Genesis 19:30-38

2.

b. Vs. 2 – names:

i. Elimelech - God is king

ii. Naomi – sweet delight, delightful, lovely

iii. Mahlon – sickness

iv. Chilion – destruction

c. Vs. 3 - Tragedy #2 – Elimelech dies in Moab.

d. Vss. 4-5 The boys took Moabite wives.

i. Deuteronomy 7:2-4 – not aimed directly at Moab, but certainly this was frowned upon back home.

ii. Numbers 25:1-5

iii. Deuteronomy 23:3-6

iv. Names:

1. Orpah – Stubborn

2. Ruth – friend, refreshment

e. Vs. 5 Tragedy #3 – The boys die.

i. This is devastating for Naomi

ii. She has lost all her social and economic status.

iii. Since she was past the age of childbearing, there was no hope for her to be remarried.

iv. She was completely dependent on society (and a foreign one at that) for support.

f. Vs. 6 – Decision to return home.

i. This makes sense for Naomi because she would have a better chance of support from begging back with her own people.

ii. The famine was over, so there was hope for food.

g. Vss. 7-9 Ruth and Orpah’s decision.

i. It was their duty as daughters-in-law to stay with their mother-in-law.

ii. Naomi relieves them of this duty.

1. They are both still of childbearing age and can remarry.

2. Naomi blesses the women with YHWH’s kindness חֶסֶד chesed (not the Moabite god Chemosh).

h. Vss. 10-13 Naomi’s impassioned speech.

i. At first, the women refuse to leave their mother-in-law. Both of them are obviously very fond of her.

ii. Vss. 11-13a Naomi is too old to have more sons – what she is driving at is that the two will share in her poverty as widows with no hope of remarriage (and thus producing children).

iii. 13b – “The hand of YHWH has gone out against me.”

1. Naomi offered no explanation as to why she thought God was her enemy. Perhaps, like Job, she could not really understand the calamities that had struck her.[1]

2. These concluding words arise from a conviction that underlies the whole of this book, namely, that things do not happen by chance. God is a sovereign God and he brings to pass what he will. Thus Naomi can ascribe responsibility for what has befallen her to no-one but him. The hand of the Lord is an anthropomorphism in fairly common use. The Old Testament uses parts of the body freely to express inward states and the like, and does this even when speaking of God. Gods handis a way, then, of speaking of God’s activity. The verb gone out is sometimes used of an army going out with hostile intent, and this may be behind the usage here (cf. BDB). Naomi cannot encourage the girls to stay with her. Yahweh is her enemy.[2]

i. Vs. 14 – Orpah goes. Ruth stays.

i. Orpah is doing the sensible thing – no judgment should be passed on her because she was in a situation where she would be an outcast in Judah (like Naomi was in Moab) with no hope of a future.

ii. Ruth clung (דָּבַק dabaq – cling, hold fast, joined together, stay close, stick together) to Naomi.

j. Vs. 15 - Naomi pleaded with Ruth to return.

k. Vss. 16-17 – Ruth’s speech.

i. Ruth is not only clinging to Naomi, but she is clinging to Israel and YHWH.

ii. Ruth’s destiny is tied up in Israel and with YHWH.

1. May YHWH punish me and do so severely if anything separates you and me.

l. Vss. 19-22 – the women start to live out what they think is going to be their destinies.

i. Naomi (delightful, lovely) changes her name to Mara (bitterness)

ii. Vs. 21 – Naomi reiterates that YHWH is behind all of her misery.

iii. Vs. 22- being in Bethlehem (a small town of maybe 200 people), at the beginning of the harvest (foreshadowing coming events!).

II. Ruth Chapter 2

a. Vss. 1 – Boaz

i. Boaz (quickness) is a relative of Elimelech.

b. Vss. 2-3 Ruth wants to go and gather fallen grain from the harvest.

i. Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19-22.

ii. She went to gather grain in a field that “just so happened” to belong to Boaz.

iii. Through tragedy – God is making provision.

c. Vss. 4-7 Boaz discovers Ruth.

i. Vs. 7 - The level of work shows Ruth’s character she is doing to support Naomi.

d. Vss. 8 – 9 Boaz’s provision

i. Don’t go to another field.

ii. Stay in this field.

iii. Stay with the women.

iv. The other workers will not abuse her.

v. Partake of the water.

vi. Boaz is protecting Ruth and providing for her and Naomi.

e. Vss. 10-19 Ruth’s response and Boaz’s further provision.

i. Vs. 10 – Ruth cannot understand why a powerful Jewish man would care for her in this way since she is an illegal alien.

ii. Vss. 11 – 12 – Ruth’s character and her care for Naomi preceded her and spoke powerfully to the type of woman she was.

1. Vs. 12 – Compare this verse of blessing to the other verses where Naomi states that God is her enemy.

iii. Vss. 13-19 even more provisions from Boaz

1. Vs. 13 – Ruth states her lowly position again

2. Vs. 14 – Boaz provides a meal for her.

3. Vs. 15 – Boaz protected her dignity.

4. Vs. 16 – Boaz provided extra provisions for her.

5. Vss. 17-18 – Ruth enjoyed the bounty of Boaz’s provision.

6. Vs. 19 – Naomi enjoyed the provision of Boaz

f. Vss. 20-23 Who is this Boaz guy?

i. Vs. 20 – Naomi provides a blessing for Boaz and declares him to be ָּאַל gaal, a family redeemer. (more on that next week).

ii. Vss. 21-22 Naomi agrees that Ruth should do what Boaz tells her to do.

iii. Vs. 23 – Ruth does what Boaz tells her to do, and she reaps the benefits of that.

[1] Huey, F. B., Jr. 1992. “Ruth.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, 3:522. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

[2]Arthur E. Cundall and Leon Morris, Judges and Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 7, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1968), 249–250.