This is the first article in a series about various women in the Bible.

Who was Ruth?

Ruth's name is a contraction of reuth, which can mean "the act of seeing," "something worth seeing," or "friendship. She was a woman from Moab, a nation God cursed because they rejected him and committed idolatry. Due to this curse, the Moabites were not allowed to enter the Lord's assembly. Ruth was under this curse and became a foreigner in the land of Bethlehem, where the Jews lived. She most likely lived during the time of the book of Judges. Naomi, a widowed woman, was her mother-in-law, and she traveled with her to Bethlehem.

What Ruth did

Naomi told both her daughter-in-laws (Ruth and Orpah) to return home because her life turned bitter.

11 But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons[g] who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband.

Ruth stuck beside Naomi when Orpah returned home and wouldn't abandon Naomi despite her pleas. She vowed to stick beside her until death.

Do not persuade me to leave you
or go back and not follow you.
For wherever you go, I will go,
and wherever you live, I will live;
your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God.
Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
May Yahweh punish me,[k]
and do so severely,
if anything but death separates you and me.
-Ruth 1:16-17

After they arrived in Bethlehem, Ruth asked permission to gather fallen grain behind someone who allowed her. She gathered grain behind harvesters in a portion of land that belonged to Boz, who was a relative from Naomi's husband's family.

Boaz noticed her service towards Naomi and said the Lord would reward her kindness. He gave her roasted grain to eat and asked his men to let Ruth continue gathering grain. Ruth took the grain back to Naomi and continued gathering the grain until the barley and wheat harvests finished.

“Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” - Ruth 2:11-12

Naomi instructed Ruth to wash, put on her best clothes, go to the threshing floor, and lie down at Boaz's feet. Ruth did everything Naomi said and told Boaz that he was her family redeemer. She did this because it was custom for a brother to marry his deceased brother's wife, who did not have children, in order to have a son and continue the family line.

“I am Ruth, your slave,” she replied. “Spread your cloak[c] over me, for you are a family redeemer.” - Ruth 3:9

Boaz once again said the Lord would bless her kindness. He later bought the land that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon from Naomi and took Ruth as his wife.

Why her actions matter

Ruth could have left Naomi alone like Orpah did. Naomi even begged Ruth to leave her, yet Ruth stayed by her side. As a result, Ruth demonstrates family loyalty and faithfulness, which Boaz and the Lord saw. Ruth also exhibits obedience as she obeys Naomi's instructions. In addition, she continued the covenant God made with Abraham by marrying Boaz. This family line continued through David and preserved the seed of the Messiah, just as God promised.

18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez:
Perez fathered Hezron.
19 Hezron fathered Ram,[f]
who fathered Amminadab.
20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon,
who fathered Salmon.
21 Salmon fathered Boaz,
who fathered Obed.
22 And Obed fathered Jesse,
who fathered David.
-Ruth 4:18-22

How Ruth's story points to Christ

In the same way Boaz was Ruth's kinsman redeemer, Christ is our Kinsman redeemer. Jesus redeemed all of humanity and bought the church back as his bride. He bought us back from darkness and into his eternal kingdom (Colossians 1:13-14).