By both believers and non-believers alike, I think it is safe to say that the Bible has a reputation for being male-dominant, especially in today's feminist, gender equality minded society. Allow me to provide a brief disclaimer: although I am a young woman, and proud to be one in this age, I am by no means a feminist. Thus, I hope that this provides some insight on the more feminine side of the Bible that often seems to be forgotten. We'll explore the book of Ruth — a small, yet powerful book in the Old Testament — where the role of women is incredibly strong. I find it to be a very touching story!
To begin, the book of Ruth is the first extended female account in the Bible. As I stated earlier, readers can easily say that the majority of the Bible has a strong male perspective, especially since God’s chosen prophets and rulers were predominantly men. Although it only takes up four chapters, there is a lot of valuable information in the book, bringing an excellent female account into the Bible.
The narrative begins with Elimelech and Naomi moving from their hometown of Bethlehem to the land of Moab in order to escape famine. Their two sons marry a Moabite woman each — Ruth and Orpah. All of the men die, leaving the three women on their own. Naomi urges Ruth and Orpah to return to their hometowns, but Ruth refuses. “Wherever you go, I will go…May YHWH punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17 HSCB), she says to Naomi. Ruth vowed to stay with Naomi. When they returned to Bethlehem, she provided and took care of her. The bond between Ruth and Naomi is one of the most touching friendships in the Bible. It shows love and dedication. Interestingly, according to Herbert Lockyer in "Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary," Ruth means “friendship."
As the narrative continues, the reader finds Ruth in the fields of Boaz, where she works long and hard in order to provide for her mother-in-law. Boaz grows to favor Ruth, and he supplies her with extra barley to take home to Naomi. This aspect of Ruth’s life is “a beautiful example of the providence of God," says Lockyer. Eventually, Ruth and Boaz marry and God blesses her with being the beginning of the line of King David. This is one of the main purposes of the story of Ruth. As observed by J.D. Douglas in the "New Bible Dictionary," another important purpose is illustrated through the racial tolerance of Ruth’s Moabite immigration into Israel.
The book of Ruth provides a strong female perspective on the early days of the Israelites settling of the Promised Land. There are many elements of the time period one would not otherwise know found in the text. First of all, it shows that without a husband, women were powerless during this time period. A husband had the job, earned the money, grew the crops, etc. In more general terms, he did the hard, manual labor, while the woman in the house raised the children and took care of the house. Without a husband, a woman had no income, and during this time period, that meant no life. Ruth was very strong despite these circumstances. In fact, she overcame them.
Second, one can witness the strength of the bond between two women. The friendship between Ruth and Naomi is one to admire and aspire to. The key word of the book is “redeem,” and it is clear that Ruth redeems Naomi in more ways than one. The two friends compliment each other, and they are both faithful women of God, as observed by William MacDonald in the "Believer's Bible Commentary."
Third, and lastly, the relationship between Ruth and Boaz is not entirely male-dominating. Boaz willingly helps Ruth as she provides for Naomi. He does not dictate her. MacDonald sees Ruth as very independent.
In conclusion, the role of women in the book of Ruth is a very strong one, and it does balance out the general dominance of the male perspective in the Bible. The account is very short, but it holds many truths of the time period and also relationships that may continue to apply even now. Ruth, through faith, overcame the hardships of her time and God continued to bless her throughout her life: the best blessing being at the head of the line of David, which led to Jesus. Through her story, we catch a glimpse of one of the strongest women in the Bible.
