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Ruth, Book of

Morrish Bible Dictionary

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Easton's Bible Dictionary
• Ruth the Book of
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1910 New Catholic Dictionary
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This book is of great interest, giving, when Israel was nationally very low, a vivid picture of individual piety, as well as of courtesies in which in those days God-fearing men in various conditions in rustic life were not deficient. Ruth was a Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, one of the sonsof Elimelech and Naomi, who because of a famine in Israel had gone to sojourn in Moab. On the death of Elimelech and his sons, Naomi the widow returned to Bethlehem, accompanied by Ruth, who clave to her, declaring that Naomi's God should be her God, and Naomi's people should be her people.

In the time of barley harvest Ruth went to glean in the field of Boaz, a near kinsman of Elimelech and a rich man. Boaz observed and was gracious to her. She continued thus during the barley and wheat harvests. On the barley being winnowed, Boaz, after eating and drinking, lay down in a barn; and Ruth, instructed by Naomi, went and lay down at his feet. On his awaking, she declared that he was a near kinsman. He owned to this, but said there was one nearer than himself. On the circumstances being made known to the latter, and on his declining to redeem the inheritance, Boaz redeemed all that had belonged to Elimelech and his two sons, and took Ruth to be his wife. She bare a son named Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Ruth is mentioned in Matthew 1:5 , and in her and in Rahab we have a Moabitess and a woman of Canaan in the genealogy of Christ. The genealogy reflects no honour on Israel after the flesh.

The Book of Ruth may be taken as having a prophetic force: Naomi may represent Israel separated by death from 'God my king' (Elimelech), a widow and desolate among the Gentiles: Ruth, the remnant in which, on the ground of mercy, the nation will bear a son. Christ who as Israel's kinsman has the right of redemption, will take their cause in hand and bring it to a glorious issue.