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NOVEMBER 2, 2015
DREW DIXON
The book of Ruth is a brief but beautiful story which moves from despair to delight, beginning
with famine and death and ending with harvest and life. Many commentators consider Ruth to be a
novella1 which was intended to entertain and instruct.2 One commentator notes that Ruth displays
a unique level of coherence and was likely the work of a single storyteller skilled at crafting a tale.3
It has been said that good storytelling shows rather than tells its audience. If this is true, the book of
Ruth does not disappoint. Pressler observes that more than half of the story consists of dialogue.4
The narrator gives the audience little instruction allowing us to simply peer into the conversations and
The literary nature of the book has led to much interpretive ambiguity. This is evidenced by
the assorted midrashic interpretations of Ruth. Mordechai Cohen suggests that the ambiguity may be
intentional, expressing something that could not be expressed in unambiguous language.5 Angel
embraces ambiguity as an interpretive method and insists that it is preferable to weigh the differing
opinions against one another in order to appreciate how these viewpoints can co-exist so that a
more complex, comprehensive understanding of the text and its messages can emerge.5 With this in
mind, we can see that reading Ruth with Jewish eyes may prove wonderfully enriching.
This paper will first highlight issues of purpose that have arisen in the Jewish tradition and
then develop an understanding of the book of Ruth in its Jewish liturgical context as a text read during
1 Carolyn Pressler, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 261.
2 Katharine Doob Sakenfeld, Ruth (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1999), 2.
3 Pressler, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, 261-62.
4 Ibid., 263.
5 Hayyim Angel, "A midrashic view of Ruth amidst a sea of ambiguity," Jewish Bible Quarterly 33, no. 2 (April
2005): 92.
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the Festival of Weeks. Seeing Ruth in this context provides a richer look at the themes of the
providence of God, the nature of community, and the embrace of Jewish culture which emerge from
the book.
ISSUES OF PURPOSE
Many commentators seek to establish the date and purpose of the writing. Several have
suggested that it was written during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah as a polemic against their
prohibition to intermarry.6 However, Beattie suggests that the lack of polemical rhetoric poses a
weakness for this view.7 Other Jewish commentators have interpreted Ruth as a story intended to
exemplify legal procedure for Torah marriage laws. There are a wide variety of views on this matter:
some interpreting the marriage between Ruth and Boaz as levirate; others legally binding the marriage
to the redemption of the land. Brenner discusses all of these views further and concludes that legal
precedent is not a likely purpose for the book because simply fulfilling legal requirements removes
Another proposed purpose is the establishment of Davids genealogy. This is a key issue for
Jewish interpretation, as David is the chief monarch of Israel and messianic forefather for the Jewish
people. Abraham Cohen notes that belief in the Davidic line's perpetuity is a central component of
messianic belief in Judaism.9 Beattie admits that this theory is a little more durable than most,10 but
notes that many have denied it as a central purpose. A reason to doubt this as a central purpose of the
6D.R.G. Beattie, Ruth, Book of, in Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation, ed. John H. Hayes (Nashville, TN:
Abingdon Press, 1999), 427. Murray D. Gow,Ruth, Book of, in Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, ed.
Kevin J. Vanhoozer, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: BakerAcademic, 2005), 705. Sakenfeld, Ruth, 2.
8 Athalya Brenner, A Feminist Companion to Ruth, (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993), 165-167.
9 Abraham D. Cohen, "The eschatological meaning of the book of Ruth: 'blessed be God: asher lo hishbit lakh
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book is that scholars are divided over whether the genealogy is original to the story or was appended
by a later hand.11 Regardless, the reality of Ruth as an ancestor of David has remained central to
much midrashic interpretation. Brenner explains that many have assigned Ruth royal origins as
daughter of Moabite King Eglon.12 This midrash certainly reinforces a high view of the Davidic
dynasty by showing that it is royal on both sides, the fathers and the mothers.13
Issues around the date and purpose of Ruth are highly contested by commentators and display
the reality of just how ripe the story is for interpretation. Each of these proposed purposes, as
interesting as they may be, seem to miss the core themes that emerge from the narrative while
simultaneously dismissing the characters within that narrative as mere means to a legal or patriarchal
end. The remainder of the paper will focus on placing the book of Ruth in its liturgical context and
LITURGICAL CONTEXT
While it is helpful to consider rabbinic commentaries and midrash of Ruth, there is much to
be gained by simply placing the book in its liturgical context. In the Hebrew Bible, Ruth is located
among the Megillot which is a set of five Festival Scrolls read on major holy days of the Jewish
calendar. Ruth is read during Shavuot, known as the Feast of Weeks.14 The following description of
Shavuot and its surrounding practices will serve as a frame for understanding the emerging themes of
Shavuot, which means weeks, is called the Fest of Weeks because it occurs seven weeks
after Passover. This places it sometime in the late spring or early summer at the end of the barley
13 Ibid., 164.
14 Sakenfeld, Ruth, 7.
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harvest and beginning of the wheat crop.15 Many commentators suggest that Ruth is read at Shavuot
because this is the time when the story occurs (Ruth 2:23).16 If read during this time of year, the story
would fittingly reflect the recent experience of the community which has emerged from the dead of
winter, labored through the spring, and is now reaping the harvest of the summer. The plot of the
story has a similar progression from the deaths of chapter one, to the gleaning and plotting of chapters
two and three, finally climaxing in a harvest of marriage and birth in the final chapter.
As a harvest festival, the people brought the firstfruits of their barley and wheat as grain
offerings. During the festival, the priest would wave sheaves of grain before the Lord (Leviticus 23:11).
Liturgically, these actions have multiple layers of meaning: on the one hand it is the people giving God
their firstfruits as worshipful thanksgiving for harvest; on the other hand the sheaves represent the
law which God gave the people as firstfruits of the promise to lead them into the Promised Land.17
Many traditions during Shavuot build on this theme and reinforce the memory of receiving
Torah. One such practice is to adorn the synagogue with plants and flowers, which reminds the
people that Torah [is] a Tree of Life (Prov. 3:18).18 Another is that dairy foods are a common dish
during Shavuot, which reminds the people that Torah is like milk, which nurses an infant to life.18
Additionally, it has long been traditional to inaugurate the education of a Jewish child on
Shavuot,19 thus beginning their instruction in Torah. Some modern, non-orthodox synagogues have
even begun the practice of confirmation on Shavuot in which teenagers who have completed their
formal religious school studies confirm their loyalty to the teachings of Torah.19 Overall, Shavuot is
15 Ronald L. Eisenberg, The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2004), 298.
16 Sakenfeld, Ruth, 7.
18 Ibid., 300.
19 Ibid., 302.
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a time when the whole Jewish community remembers its distinctiveness as the Jewish people chosen
A final emphasis is that by placing this story in its liturgical context we shift from reading it as
a primarily historical or literary text to a primarily spiritual and communal one. Liturgy, by its very
nature, moves the focus away from the text alone to also include the experiences and interactions of
that texts audience. For example, discussing the historicity of Jesus birth is quite distinct from
participating in a Christmas pageant. One is primarily historical and narrative, while the other is
communal and spiritual. To this point, some have suggested, with its extensive use of dialog, that Ruth
may have been written as a stage play.20 This story may have been acted out, like a Christmas pageant,
in a synagogue gathering during Shavuot. We will now turn to investigate the themes that emerge from
the book of Ruth while placing them in the context of liturgical communal worship.
NARRATIVE THEMES
PROVIDENCE OF GOD
By placing the text of Ruth in the context of a worship gathering, the central focus of that
gathering becomes a central focus of the book, namely God. In all the discussions of interpretations
around a text, it can be easy to lose track of God as a real person and presence around and within it.
But the worshipping community is bound to see Gods presence more clearly when they read this text
as worship.
Many commentators have noted divine providence as a central theme in the Book of Ruth.
This is most clear in the claims of Gods direct action at the beginning and end of the book. The first
chapter proclaims that God has visited his people and given them food (1:6) and the final chapter
proclaims that the Lord gave [Ruth] conception and she bore a son (4:13). Though these are the
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only two direct statements of Gods action within the story, they are likely intended to (literally) frame
Gods providence can also subtly, and somewhat humorously, be seen in 2:3 when Ruth
happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. Sakenfeld observes that the narrator
allows us to imagine that Ruth arrived in Boazs field by chance But in this story God is at work
behind the scenes; what appears as chance is better to be understood as divine providence.21 If this
were being acted out as a stage play, this moment in the narrative surely would have evoked a knowing
Another key text that may emphasize the activity of God is the blessing in 2:20: May [Boaz]
be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead! This blessing, like
much of the rest of Ruth, is ambiguous. Whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead?
Angel observes how the reader is left unsure if Naomi recognized God for orchestrating the upward
turn of events, or whether Naomi blessed Boaz for his efforts in treating Ruth well and for his potential
as a redeemer.22 This ambiguity, as Cohen suggested, is likely intentional. Does this blessing recognize
Boaz or the Lord? Yes. Which leads us to a second theme in the book of Ruth.
NATURE OF COMMUNITY
In addition to the providence of God, most commentators identify the characters in the story
of Ruth as displaying exemplary faithfulness. Though the previously discussed narrative ambiguity
allows for three dimensional characters with varying levels of ambivalence, they generally exemplify
faithful ideals. Indeed, the theme of abundant kindness and faithfulness may be the most obvious
theme throughout the book. Multiple commentators referenced Rabbi Zeiras words, For what
21 Ibid., 40.
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purpose was it written? To teach how great is the reward of those who do deeds of kindness.23
Sakenfeld describes that the Hebrew term for the kind of extraordinary behavior witnessed in this
story is hesed,24 which Gow defines as, exceptional acts of one human to anotheroutside the normal
run of perceived duty, and arising out of personal affection or goodness.25 In other words, hesed is a
deep character trait that causes someone to act in kindness above and beyond expectation. Two of
the primary characters, Ruth and Boaz, display this hesed throughout the story.
The first chapter is a time for Ruth to shine. After the death of their husbands, Naomi, Ruth,
and Orpah begin back toward Bethlehem. But Naomi sends Ruth and Orpah back with a blessing of
hesed: Go, return each of you to her mothers house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have
dealt with the dead and with me (Ruth 1:8). After this first dismissal, both daughters-in-law decline.
After a second, Orpah departs with a kiss but Ruth clings to Naomi (1:14). When Naomi tries a third
time to send Ruth away she insists on remaining: Do not urge me to leave you or to return from
following you (1:15). From here, Ruth declares her faithfulness to Naomi as if making vows. It would
appear that Ruth is living into Naomis wish for hesed even more than Naomi intended. Ruths
In the second chapter we meet Boaz and see his embodiment of hesed. First, he sees Ruth
gleaning in his field and offers her protection (2:8-9). Second, he invites Ruth to join the workers for
lunch and makes sure that she has more than enough to eat (2:14). Finally, he instructs his workers to
allow her to glean not only in the field but also among the sheaves which had already been gathered
(2:15). To top it all off, he even pulls out some of the already harvested grain for her to glean (2:16).
Each of these actions displays Boazs kindess (hesed) with increasing generosity. When Ruth returns
23 Angel, Jewish Bible Quarterly, 91. Beattie, Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation, 427. Gow, Dictionary for Theological
Interpretation of the Bible, 704.
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home and tells Naomi of her day in the field, Naomi again responds with another blessing of hesed:
May [Boaz] be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead! (2:20).
The final explicit use of the word hesed in the narrative occurs during the nighttime exchange
between Ruth and Boaz. After Ruth essentially proposes to Boaz and lays out the plan to redeem
Naomi, Boaz responds with yet another blessing: May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You
have made this last kindness greater than the first (3:10). This exclamation sets up all the action of the
final chapterthe negotiations of land redemption, the marriage of Ruth and Boaz, and the birth of
manner that demonstrates this heroic concept of some form of hesed Their exemplary behavior is
somewhat reminiscent of that of the patriarchs and matriarchs.26 In fact, the men who witnessed
Boazs negotiations similarly proclaim in another blessing: May the Lord make the woman, who is
coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel (4:11). The
characters within the story truly exemplify the nature of an ideal community living out hesed.
It is important to note that, though the book of Ruth primarily displays hesed in human
relationships, it always appears in the context of blessings which invoke God. The word hesed
inextricably draws together our first theme of Gods providence and our second theme of ideal
community. The word hesed is highly liturgical in nature and becomes even more so as we consider the
The word hesed occurs as a rich refrain throughout much Jewish liturgy in reference to Gods
kindness. Zobel explains that what Gods kindness means for Israel found concentrated and
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pregnant expression in two liturgical formulas.27 The first is found in the divine self-proclamation to
Moses in Exodus 34: I am the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6). Variations on this phrase are found throughout the
Hebrew Bible in narrative, poetry, and prophetic literature (Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8, Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2;
Neh. 9:17).30
The second formula is found primarily in the Psalms and is more suited to liturgical
incorporation. A prime example is in Psalm 136 where his steadfast love endures forever is the refrain
of every verse. It is also found in Psalm 100:5, 106:1, 107:1, and 118:1, 29.28 The heavily liturgical
connotations of hesed make its presence in Ruth prime for reading at a community festival. One can
only imagine how, at the mention of hesed throughout the narrative, the phrase his steadfast love endures
forever might have echoed through the peoples minds and hearts. This story is one great example
A final theme emerging from the book of Ruth is an embrace of Jewish culture. Several
commentators note that throughout the story Ruth is often referred to as the Moabite (1:22; 2:2, 6,
10, 21; 4:5, 10). This story is not merely about the courageous acts of a faithful womanit is about
Many Jewish commentators pick up on this theme and interpret the story as an example of an
ideal proselyte, though Brenner notes that the Jewish attitude toward conversion is quite different
from that of actively proselytizing religions such as Christianity; converts are not solicited, and when
prospective converts present themselves they are discouraged at first, and must prove their sincerity
27 Griefswald Zobel, hesed, in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament 5, ed. G. Johannes Botterweck and
28 Ibid., 58.
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and conviction.29 It is in this very light that the exchange between Naomi and Ruth in chapter one is
interpreted. Brenner goes on to explain how talmudic sources understand Ruths vows in 1:16-17
as confessions of the Jewish faith.30 The Targum of Ruth even inserts Ruths desire to be a proselyte
By placing Ruth in its liturgical context, we can see how this reading is appropriate to the
aforementioned practice of inaugurating Jewish children into formal Torah education and confirming
teenagers who have completed it. Sylvia Rothchild explains how meaningful the story of Ruth was in
forming her own Jewish identity as a young girl. As an adult teaching young Jewish girls she explained,
I wanted nothing less than to convince them that Judaism was a gift they should not refuse and that
they would not want to part with it if they knew what it offered I decided that the story of Ruth
and Naomi and the holiday of Shavuot could provide the focus for our discussions.32 The book of
Ruth tells the story of an eager proselyte and reading it during Shavuot offers an opportunity for
conversion of new proselytes and also for longtime Jews to reenact their vows when God first gave
them Torah: All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do (Exodus 24:3).
By reading Ruth with Jewish eyes we are reminded of Gods providence, encouraged to live
as a faithful community, and provided the opportunity to welcome the outsider and reaffirm our own
faith. Placing the book in its liturgical context has uncovered fresh layers of meaning. May it also stir
30 Ibid., 150.
31 D.R.G. Beattie, The Targum of Ruth, in The Aramaic Bible 19, ed. Martin McNamara (Collegeville,
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Angel, Hayyim. "A midrashic view of Ruth amidst a sea of ambiguity." Jewish Bible Quarterly 33, no. 2
(April 2005): 91-99.
Beattie, D.R.G. Ruth, Book of. In Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation, edited by John H. Hayes, 426-
428. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1999.
. The Targum of Ruth. In The Aramaic Bible 19, edited by Martin McNamara, 1-37.
Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1994.
Brenner, Athalya. A Feminist Companion to Ruth. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993.
Cohen, Abraham D. "The eschatological meaning of the book of Ruth: 'blessed be God: asher lo
hishbit lakh go'el'." Jewish Bible Quarterly 40, no. 3 (July 2012): 163-170.
Eisenberg, Ronald L., and Society Jewish Publication. The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions. Philadelphia:
Jewish Publication Society, 2004.
Gow, Murray D. Ruth, Book of. In Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, edited by Kevin
J. Vanhoozer, 704-708. Grand Rapids, Michigan: BakerAcademic, 2005.
Pressler, Carolyn. Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.
Rothchild, Sylvia. Growing Up and Older with Ruth. In Reading Ruth: Contemporary Women Reclaim a
Sacred Story, edited by Judith A. Kates and Gail Twersky Reimer, 144-155. New York, NY:
Ballantine Books, 1994.
Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob. Ruth. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.
Zobel, Griefswald. hesed. In Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament 5, edited by G. Johannes
Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, 44-64. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1986.
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