Bible Characters
Who Was Ruth in the Bible? The Moabite Widow in the Line of David
Ruth was a woman from Moab who married into an Israelite family, stayed with her widowed mother-in-law Naomi after her own husband died, and moved to Bethlehem, where she married Boaz. Her son Obed was the grandfather of King David (Ruth 4:17). She lived during the time of the judges (Ruth 1:1), and she is one of the few women named in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 1:5).
Quick Facts About Ruth
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | Uncertain; often linked to "friend" or "companion" |
| Testament | Old Testament |
| Key books | Ruth 1-4; Matthew 1:5 |
| Time period | Period of the judges, roughly 12th-11th century BC (traditional dating) |
| Known for | Loyalty to Naomi, marriage to Boaz, great-grandmother of King David |
Famine and Loss in Moab
The book opens with a famine in the land of Judah. A man from Bethlehem named Elimelek took his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, to live in Moab (Ruth 1:1-2). Moab lay east of the Dead Sea, and its people descended from Lot (Genesis 19:36-37).
Elimelek died, and his two sons married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth (Ruth 1:3-4). About ten years later, both sons also died, leaving three widows (Ruth 1:4-5). Ruth was the wife of Mahlon (Ruth 4:10).
Who Was Ruth in the Bible? Her Choice on the Road
When Naomi heard that the LORD had provided food for his people in Judah, she set out to return home with both daughters-in-law (Ruth 1:6-7). On the way, she urged them to go back to their mothers' homes and prayed that the LORD would give them rest in the home of new husbands (Ruth 1:8-9).
Both women wept and refused at first. Naomi pointed out that she had no more sons for them to marry (Ruth 1:11-13). Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye and returned, but Ruth clung to her (Ruth 1:14).
Ruth's reply is recorded this way:
"But Ruth replied, 'Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.'" (Ruth 1:16)
She went on to say that she would die and be buried where Naomi died, and she called on the LORD to deal with her severely if anything but death separated them (Ruth 1:17). This was a commitment to Israel's God, not only to Naomi. When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined, she stopped urging her (Ruth 1:18).
Arrival in Bethlehem
The two women arrived in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning (Ruth 1:22). The town was stirred by their return. Naomi told the women to call her Mara, meaning "bitter," because the Almighty had made her life bitter (Ruth 1:19-21).
Gleaning in the Field of Boaz
The Law of Gleaning
The Law of Moses told landowners not to harvest to the edges of their fields or pick up what the harvesters dropped. That grain was to be left for the poor, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19). Ruth was both a foreigner and a widow.
Meeting Boaz
Ruth asked Naomi's permission to glean and ended up in a field belonging to Boaz, a relative of Elimelek (Ruth 2:1-3). When Boaz arrived and asked about her, his foreman said she had worked steadily from morning with only a short rest (Ruth 2:5-7).
Boaz told Ruth to stay in his field, instructed his men not to touch her, and invited her to drink from the water jars (Ruth 2:8-9). When she asked why he showed kindness to a foreigner, he said he had heard what she had done for Naomi and how she had left her own parents and homeland (Ruth 2:10-11). He prayed that the LORD, under whose wings she had come to take refuge, would reward her (Ruth 2:12).
At mealtime he gave her roasted grain, and afterward he told his workers to pull out stalks from the bundles for her to pick up (Ruth 2:14-16). She gathered about an ephah of barley that day (Ruth 2:17).
Naomi Recognizes God's Hand
When Naomi learned that the field belonged to Boaz, she blessed the LORD and explained that Boaz was one of their guardian-redeemers (Ruth 2:19-20). Ruth continued gleaning in his fields through the end of the barley and wheat harvests (Ruth 2:23).
The Threshing Floor
Naomi then told Ruth to wash, put on perfume, and go to the threshing floor where Boaz was winnowing barley. After he lay down, she was to uncover his feet and lie down, and he would tell her what to do (Ruth 3:1-4). Ruth did as instructed (Ruth 3:5-7).
At midnight Boaz woke and found her there. Ruth asked him to spread the corner of his garment over her, since he was a guardian-redeemer (Ruth 3:8-9). This was a request for marriage and protection.
Boaz praised her kindness, noting that she had not gone after younger men, and he said all the people of the town knew she was a woman of noble character (Ruth 3:10-11). He told her there was a closer relative who had the first right to redeem, but promised that if that man would not, he would (Ruth 3:12-13). He sent her home before dawn with six measures of barley (Ruth 3:14-15).
Redemption at the Town Gate
Boaz went to the town gate, where legal matters were settled, and sat down with the closer relative and ten elders (Ruth 4:1-2). He explained that Naomi was selling Elimelek's land. The relative first agreed to buy it, but when Boaz added that he would also acquire Ruth to maintain the name of the dead with his property, the man declined because it might endanger his own estate (Ruth 4:3-6).
The relative removed his sandal and gave it to Boaz, which was the custom for confirming a transfer (Ruth 4:7-8). Boaz declared before the elders that he had bought the property and had acquired Ruth as his wife (Ruth 4:9-10). The elders and people blessed the marriage and prayed that Ruth would be like Rachel and Leah (Ruth 4:11-12).
Ruth, Obed, and the Line of David
The LORD enabled Ruth to conceive, and she gave birth to a son (Ruth 4:13). The women of Bethlehem praised the LORD for giving Naomi a guardian-redeemer and said Ruth was better to Naomi than seven sons (Ruth 4:14-15). They named the boy Obed (Ruth 4:17).
The book ends with a genealogy from Perez to David: Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David (Ruth 4:18-22). To follow that line forward, see who was David in the Bible and who was Solomon in the Bible.
Matthew's genealogy of Jesus names Ruth directly: Boaz was the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth (Matthew 1:5). The same verse names Rahab as the mother of Boaz. You can read about her in who was Rahab in the Bible.
Key Lessons From Ruth's Life
- Faith in Israel's God. Ruth chose Naomi's God as her God and sought refuge under his wings (Ruth 1:16; 2:12).
- Faithful love to family. Boaz and the women of Bethlehem both pointed to her kindness toward Naomi (Ruth 2:11; 4:15).
- Diligent work. She gleaned from morning with little rest (Ruth 2:7).
- God's care for outsiders. The gleaning laws provided for the foreigner and widow, and Ruth, a Moabite, was brought into Israel (Leviticus 19:9-10; Ruth 4:13).
- God's providence in ordinary events. The book shows events such as a harvest, a field choice, and a legal transaction leading to the line of David (Ruth 2:3; 4:17).
Where Ruth Appears in the Bible
- Ruth 1: loss in Moab and the return to Bethlehem
- Ruth 2: gleaning in Boaz's field
- Ruth 3: the threshing floor
- Ruth 4: redemption, marriage, and genealogy
- Matthew 1:5: named in the genealogy of Jesus
The book of Ruth sits between Judges and 1 Samuel in the Protestant Old Testament. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears among the Writings. Jewish tradition attributes the book to Samuel, though the text itself does not name an author.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ruth in the Bible?
Ruth was a Moabite widow who stayed with her mother-in-law Naomi, moved to Bethlehem, and married Boaz (Ruth 1-4). She became the great-grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:17).
Why is Ruth important?
Ruth is an ancestor of King David and is named in the genealogy of Jesus (Ruth 4:17; Matthew 1:5). Her story also shows a foreigner who committed herself to Israel's God and was received into His people.
What is a kinsman-redeemer?
A kinsman-redeemer, or guardian-redeemer, was a close relative who could buy back family land and help preserve a family line (Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 4:5). Boaz filled this role for Naomi and Ruth.
Who were Ruth's husbands?
Ruth's first husband was Mahlon, son of Elimelek and Naomi, who died in Moab (Ruth 1:5; 4:10). Her second husband was Boaz of Bethlehem (Ruth 4:13).
Who was Ruth's son?
Ruth's son was Obed, the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David (Ruth 4:17).