Ruth

A young Moabite widow, who, because of her selfless devotion to her mother-in-law Naomi, and to Naomi's God, gained a husband and a child, a place in Jewish history and became the great-grandmother of David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

Ruth faces the problems of widowhood

Ruth 1:3–5 See also Ruth 1:6–13

Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons, who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.

Ruth commits herself to Naomi

Ruth 1:16–17 See also Ruth 1:18, Ruth 1:22, Ruth 2:11

But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

Ruth and Boaz

Boaz allows Ruth to glean in his fields

Ruth 2:8–9 See also Ruth 2:14–23

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Do not go and glean in another field, and do not go away from this place, but stay here close to my servant girls. Let your eyes be on the field they are harvesting, and follow along after these girls. Indeed, I have ordered the young men not to touch you. And when you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”

Ruth asks Boaz to be her ``kinsman-redeemer''

Ruth 3:9 The kinsman-redeemer was the closest male relative who had responsibility to marry a widow within the family and thereby protect the interests of needy members of the extended family.

“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

Boaz negotiates with a nearer relative of Ruth's

See also Ruth 4:1–8

Boaz marries Ruth

Ruth 4:9–10 See also Ruth 4:11–13

At this, Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to raise up the name of the deceased through his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his brothers or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”

She has a son who is presented to Naomi

Ruth 4:13 See also Ruth 4:17

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And when he had relations with her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

Ruth is included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:5–6

Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,