Ruth

About Ruth

Ruth was a Moabite woman who married Mahlon, the son of Elimelech and Naomi, who had moved to Moab from Bethlehem due to a famine (Rut.1.1-4). After the deaths of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion (Naomi's other son), Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem (Rut.1.6-7). Ruth, despite Naomi's urging to return to her own people, insisted on staying with her mother-in-law, demonstrating remarkable loyalty and faith in the God of Israel (Rut.1.14-18). In Bethlehem, Ruth worked in the fields, gleaning grain to support herself and Naomi (Rut.2.2-3). She caught the attention of Boaz, a wealthy relative of Elimelech (Rut.2.8-16). Following Naomi's advice, Ruth approached Boaz at the threshing floor, asking him to fulfill the role of a kinsman-redeemer (Rut.3.1-9). Boaz, impressed by Ruth's character and loyalty, agreed to marry her after a closer relative declined to do so (Rut.4.1-12). Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed, who became the grandfather of King David (Rut.4.13-17). As an ancestor of David, Ruth is also mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Mat.1.5). Her story exemplifies God's grace, providential care, and the inclusion of Gentiles in His plan of redemption.

Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.