Ruth
Trying to survive when the odds are against you can be difficult. Read the story of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi to find out how a brave and loyal woman survived under difficult circumstances to become the great-grandmother of King David.
Start readingWhat makes Ruth special?
Ruth is a beautiful story that teaches many things, among them:
Why was Ruth written?
The story of Ruth showed the people it was written for, the people of Israel, how God can use not only the Jews but people of other nations to work out God's plans in the world. Ruth was not from any of the tribes of Israel but from Moab. She left the security of her own family to live in Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi and to take care of this childless widow. The last verses of the story (4.13-22) tell how Ruth and her descendants became ancestors of Israel's greatest king, David.
What's the story behind the scene?
The story of Ruth tells about events that happened during the time of the judges, which was a period of around two hundred years before David became king of Israel in 1000 b.c. (See the Introduction to Judges JDG 1.0). Many of the Hebrew terms and customs that are mentioned in the story come from this time, but some of the language and laws at work in the book come from as late as 250 b.c. This may mean that the final version of the story was written down centuries after the time when the events in the story took place.
How is Ruth constructed?
Ruth is like a short story with interesting characters and a plot that leads to a happy conclusion. But, it is a story with an important message about God and God's people. It can be divided into two main sections:
Chapters
4 chapters