OT Lesson 20: Ruth
Posted by Karl D. on May 30th, 2010
Sunday School: Gospel Doctrine
Lesson: Ruth
Reading: Ruth, 1 Samuel 1
1 Introduction
1.1 Thinking About the Story
- What do you think of the story of Ruth?
- Do you like it? Do you like it better than other parts of the Old Testament? If so why? What makes it better to you?
- Do you take away a spiritual lesson from the story? What spiritual lesson do you learn?
- Is the story a source of strength or comfort? Why?
- Do you identify with the characters in the story? If so why?
- Do you identify with the themes of the story?
1.2 My Reaction
Maybe the feature of the narrative that sticks out to me the most is the ambiguity. I find the narrative full of ambiguity. There is ambiguity almost at every turn in terms of the characters actions, how they relate to each other, and particularly what motivates them. Now I like a story with a certain amount of ambiguity since to allows one to explore different interpretive possibilities more easily. Additionally, the amount of ambiguity points to the skill of the author and I certainly agree the story is finely crafted. On the other hand, this story may be too full of ambiguity for my liking.
- Do you agree with me that Ruth is a story full ambiguity? Explain why or why not.
- Do you like the ambiguity? Do you think it enhances the story or what lessons or insights you draw from the story?
2 Names
Read Ruth 1:1-5
1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
In the academic literature much energy appears to have been devoted to figuring out the meaning or etymology of the names of the people mentioned in the book of Ruth. My reading of the literature is that this is not easy or always clear cut in a direct etymological sense. Still, as near as I can tell it appears that the academic literature confirms at the very least that some wordplay is going on with the names1. The following table list names and either the meaning of the word or the possible wordplay:2
| Name or Place | Meaning or Wordplay |
|---|---|
| Bethlehem | House of bread |
| Elimelech | My God is King |
| Naomi | Pleasant |
| Mahlon | Sickness |
| Chilion | Consumption or Frail |
| Ruth | Maybe “companion” |
| Mara | Bitter |
| Boaz | In him is strength |
- What do you make of these different names? Are the meanings and wordplay important? Should we pay attention to it?
- Do they tell us anything about the nature of the story and how we should read the story?
- Does the wordplay tell us anything about each of these characters?
- Some of the names have obvious connections and are clearly symbolic (e.g., the names of the sons). What about Elimelech? Could his name be symbolically charged?
3 Backing Up: Inverted parallelism
The story can be outlined as an inverted parallelism (chiastic structure). Here is Linafelt’s outline of Ruth as a chiastic structure:3
A. Informal family history (oriented around tribe and family), 1:1-5
B. Informal kinship ties among woman, 1:6-18
Naomi and the woman of Jerusalem, 1:19-22
C. Ruth and Boaz in the field, 2:1-23
a. Exchange between Ruth and Naomi
b. Ruth goes to the field
c. Boaz seeks the identity of Ruth
d. Boaz deems Ruth worthy; gives her food and protection
e. Ruth returns and reports to Naomi
C' Ruth and Boaz at the threshing floor, 3:1-18
a. Exchange between Ruth and Naomi
b. Ruth goes to the threshing floor
c. Boaz seeks the identity of Ruth
d. Boaz deems Ruth worthy; gives her food and protection
e. Ruth returns and reports to Naomi
B' Formal kinship ties among men, 4:1-13
Naomi and the women of Bethlehem, 4:14-17
A' Formal family history (oriented around the monarchy). 4:18-22
- What does the outline and structure tell us about the book of Ruth?
- Does the structure gives us any hint about the overall message or point of the book?
- The book is symmetric? The makes the first half contrast the second half. What do you see as the important contrasting themes between the first half to the second half?
- Is this movement for informal to formal important?
4 Emptiness and Fullness
Read Ruth 1:1-5
1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
- What is ironic about leaving Bethlehem for Moab?
-
What is surprising about an Israelite going to Moab?
Read Deut 23:3-4:
3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever: 4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
- Bethlehem and Moab are clearly represent a reversal of expectations … in what other aspects of the story do we see a reversal of expectations? What other reversals of expectation do we actually see in the first five verses?
- Is the unexpected nature of an Israelite moving to Moab blunted somewhat by the fact that Elimelech and Naomi are living during the time “when the judges ruled?”
- These verses introduce two important contrasting themes: emptiness and fullness. On what levels are these themes developed? In these first five verses? Throughout the whole book of Ruth?
- What is strange about the two sons and their relationships with Orpah and Ruth? Is this important? Explain?
- Which one of the brothers is married to Ruth and why is this important?
5 Returning to Bethlehem
5.1 She Arose
Read Ruth 1:6-7:
6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
- How do we see the themes of emptiness and fullness develop in these verses?
5.2 The First Dialog
Read Ruth 1:8-10
8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
- Scholars, such as Robert Alter, believe that the first lines of dialog are very important in biblical literature. The first lines of dialog help reveal the character of the speaker. Suppose this is true. What is revealed about Naomi?
- Is there anything ironic or surprising about the speech?
- Do we get any insight into how Naomi views herself? Notice how she links herself with the “dead.”
5.3 A Plea to Go
Read Ruth 1:11-15
11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
- What do we learn about Naomi?
- How does Naomi’s tone change from her first dialog to this bit of dialog? If Alter is right that the first dialog reveals Naomi character more so than others, then what are we observing now?
- If you had to describe Naomi in one word what would it be and why?
- Is there a pattern to the list of reasons and imagery that Naomi gives or uses for explaining why her daughters in law should leave?
- What words does Naomi repeat a lot? Is this repetition important? What does it cause us, as the readers, to focus on?
- Orpah leaves but the author gives us no insight into what Orpah is thinking (which is the norm for a biblical literature). So what can we infer about Orpah decision? How do you react to Orpah’s decision given the sparseness of information about her inner mind and motivation for leaving?
- Is there anything in the narrative at all that reflects negatively on Orpah?
- Is Orpah or Ruth the reasonable one? Or more mildly, who makes the unreasonable decision?
- Ruth clearly contrasts with Orpah but does she also contrast with Naomi? Explain.
- Ancient and modern interpreters/commentators have usually been very hard on Orpah. What does such a negative interpretation have to assume? Is it fair?
- Because of the uncertainty and ambiguity with regard to the underlying motivations of Ruth and Orpah is this a time when the author wants us to insert ourselves into the narrative and ask what we would do? If not why not?
5.4 Ruth Explains
Read Ruth 1:16-18
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
- This is Ruth’s first real dialog. What does it reveal about her and her character? What does it not reveal? What is ambiguous?
- How does Ruth’s speech echo or build on the themes we have encountered so far in the narrative?
- What do you make of Naomi’s response? Is it ambiguous? Given Naomi’s response is it even possible to determine whether Naomi is pleased or displeased about Ruth staying? What do we have to assume in each case to support the argument? Does one side require less heroic assumptions?
6 The Women of Bethlehem
Read Ruth 1:19-22
19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
- What themes are prominent in these verses?
- The themes we pulled out of the narrative earlier become much more explicit here. How does that affect you, the reader? Do you think it makes the themes more impactful? Is it a good literary device on the author’s part?
- Is the author emphasizing the foreignness of Ruth in these verses? Why?
- What is ironic about Naomi’s emptiness? Is the author using the gap between what Naomi believes to be true and what the reader knows to be true?
7 Conclusion
We didn’t cover much of the book of the Ruth. My goal was to introduce some of the important themes. In addition, I was hoping to highlight some of the literary devices used by the author to help make future reading and study of Ruth more productive.
Footnotes:
1 Linafelt, Tod and Timothy L. Beal, 1999, Ruth and Esther, Bert Olam Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry, The Liturgical Press, 2-6
2 Linafelt, Tod and Timothy L. Beal, 1999, Ruth and Esther, Bert Olam Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry, The Liturgical Press, 2-6 and Coogan, Michael D. (Editor), 2001, The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Oxford University Press, 349.
3 Linafelt, Tod and Timothy L. Beal, 1999, Ruth and Esther, Bert Olam Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry, The Liturgical Press, 2-6