A season of famine, death & bitterness

Going to Moab

1:1-5

During the time when the Judges ruled:

• There is a famine, so a family from Bethlehem go to live in Moab [where there is food]
• v4, The sons get married

The family:

1. Elimelech [father] & Naomi [mother]
2. Mahlon [son] & Ruth [daughter-in-law; a Moabite; named as Mahlon’s wife in 4:10]
3. Chilion [son] & Orpah [daughter-in-law; a Moabite]

• (v3, v5) All three men die in Moab, leaving Naomi alone without husband or sons

The journey home to Bethlehem

1:6-7

• The famine [in Judah] has ended; Naomi begins a journey home with her 2 daughters-in-law

1:8-18

• [On the journey home] Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to return to their mothers’ homes, as Naomi cannot provide new husbands for them;

[In God’s Law, if a wife became a widow without having had a child, then the brother of her deceased husband should marry her in order to provide a child who would become the legal heir of the deceased, see Dt 25:5-6. Naomi realised that another son of hers should marry Ruth, but subsequently Boaz takes on this role, see Ruth 4:10]

• Orpah returns to Moab but Ruth refuses to leave

1:19-21

• Arriving in Bethlehem, Naomi [translated as ‘Pleasant’] asks people to instead call her ‘Mara’ [translated as ‘Bitter’] because she, ‘went away full, but God brought her back empty’

A season of harvest, new life & happiness

Meeting Boaz in the fields during harvest

1:22

• Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem just as the barley harvest is beginning

[The barley harvest is celebrated by having the Feast-of-Firstfruits, see Lev 23:9-14 for details]

2:1

• Boaz is [introduced as] a rich relative of Elimelech (Naomi’s husband)

[The ESV describes Boaz as 'worthy' instead of rich. The Hebrew word can be translated either way. The KJV refers to the wealth of Boaz, but it also translates the same Hebrew word as 'worthy' in 1 Kgs 1:52, KJV. The Hebrew word actually means 'force', and can indicate a 'force' of resources or a 'force' of character. The remaining story shows that Boaz was both rich and worthy]

2:2-3

• Ruth goes to pick up gleanings, and comes to a field belonging to Boaz

[Because of God’s Law, the Israelites did not harvest all of their crops; they left “gleanings” behind so that the poor and needy could freely take whatever remained, see Leviticus 19:9-10 & Deuteronomy 24:19-22]

2:4-17

• Boaz notices Ruth gleaning in his field; he is kind to her because of her kindness to Naomi

2:18-23

• Naomi is delighted when she hears that Ruth has met Boaz because he is a relative of Elimelech and a kinsman-redeemer; she tells Ruth to stay in his fields

[God’s Law insisted that land must not be sold to someone outside of the tribe, see Num 36:7-9. Furthermore, if land was ever sold because the owners became poor, God allowed for it to be redeemed (bought back) by the nearest relative (a kinsman-redeemer) so that the land could always return to its rightful owners, see Lev 25:23-28]

Proposing to Boaz at the threshing room

3:1-5

• Naomi instructs Ruth to visit Boaz at night [as she believes that he is a suitable husband for Ruth]

3:6-15

• Ruth visits Boaz while he is asleep. When he awakes, she asks him to ‘spread his garment over her.’

[This is a phrase symbolic of marriage. For some reason the ESV has translated the word 'garment' as 'wings', but the KJV retains the traditional rendering, see 3:9 (KJV). The same Hebrew words are used in Ezek 16:8 where the significance of the imagery becomes clearer]

• Boaz blesses Ruth and tells her to go home & that he will take action

3:16-18

• Ruth tells Naomi what happened; Naomi is confident that Boaz will act immediately

Boaz settles the matter at the town gates

4:1-8

• Boaz has to give first refusal to buy Naomi’s land to another kinsman-redeemer

[This is land which would have originally been inherited by Mahlon & Ruth, then given to their child. To ensure Ruth’s first-born remains heir to the land, anyone buying it will also have to marry Ruth & provide her with a child who can inherit the land] 

• The other man chooses not to buy the land as he would have to marry Ruth [contrast 4:7-8 with Dt 25:7-10];

4:9-12

• Boaz purchases the land;
• the witnesses [to the legal transaction] bless Boaz & Ruth

Ruth and Boaz marry and have a family

4:13-17

• Boaz & Ruth marry and have a son called Obed
• The women bless God & encourage Naomi

4:18-22

• Genealogy of Boaz: From Perez [son of Judah, Gen 46:12], to Boaz, to [King] David

Josh / Jdg / RUTH / 1-Sam / 2-Sam