This volume includes an introduction to ruth, as well as notes, outlines, and lessonsuseable for personal or group study. You can find the best commentary on ruth for you using the tools on the right side. Hubbard pays particular attention to the skillful literary devices and unique theological perspective of ruth, using them to propose a new date and purpose for the book. These are the opening words of one of the most magnificent declarations of loving loyalty to be found anywhere in the literature of all mankind. Ruth 3 commentary meaning summary sermon explaining the. The setting of the book is the spring barley harvest, hence its long association with the festival of pentecost, which pictured this early harvest. But the book of ruth also looks forward to the time of david, a moabite descendant who enters a levirate marriage with abigail. Feeding our families is holy work, and anyone who has the means to help others feed their families becomes a blessing from god. Like 1sa 12, it gives a series of intimate glimpses into the.
The book of ruth reflects a time of peace between israel and moab contrast jdg 3. Famine has hit bethlehem, which forces elimelech and his wife, naomi, to move east to moab with their two sons to get some grub. New commentary on book of ruth a refreshing approach to. The events in the book of ruth take place at the time of the festival of the barley harvest ruth 1. The book of ruth reminds us that ordinary work such as agriculture is a faithfilled calling, whether it is performed by wealthy landowners or povertystricken foreigners. Concept of a godly remnant in apostate and rebellious times overview of ruth gospel love story focuses on the redemption of ruth inclusion of the gentiles. Ruth 3 commentary meaning summary sermon explaining the book. Book of ruth, old testament book belonging to the third section of the biblical canon, known as the ketuvim, or writings. Ruth chapter 1 coffmans commentary of the new testament. This new volume on ruth attempts to follow a similar method for reading a biblical book canonically. Commentary on the book of ruth ruth 1 1now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land and a certain man of bethlehem in judah went to sojourn in the land of moab with his wife and his two sons. The other festival scrolls are song of songs, lamentations, ecclesiastes and. This was a time when the people of israel had abandoned gods ways and fallen into idolatry, horrific social conditions, and a disastrous civil war, as told in the chapters of judges immediately preceding the book of ruth in christian bibles.
The sons marry two local girls, ruth and orpah, during this time. There is no special book in the bible about mary, but god has given us this lovely book about ruth. Designing to return to bethlehem, she addresses her daughters in law, ver. This volume is a powerful addition to this critically acclaimed old testament library series.
The book of ruth follows the book of judges in our bibles because its setting was in that time period. The book of ruth is named for the moabite woman who commits herself to the israelite people by an oath to her motherinlaw naomi and becomes the greatgrandmother of david by marriage to boaz of bethlehem. Matthew henry 18 october 1662 22 june 1714 was an english commentator on the bible, who published his works in 1706, sixvolume exposition of the old and new testaments 17081710 or complete commentary, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the bible. That the book of ruth stands most fitly in the place where it is actually found must have been felt by the spiritual mind. Commentary on the book of ruth relevant bible teaching. Obviously, the author was familiar with israels greatest king. Then he said, blessed are you of the lord, my daughter. This book is beautifully designed by god to show how his grace can sustain a faithful testimony of individuals at a time when the general condition of things is low and naturally discouraging. An easyenglish bible version and commentary 1200 word vocabulary on the book of ruth. This volume includes an introduction to ruth, as well as notes.
Two passages from the torah give the background of the festival emphasis added. Exploring two vastly different pictures of the israelite people as displayed in the books of judges and ruth, dr. Ruth 4 commentary summary sermon explaining the book. Its with great excitement and eager expectation that we begin this study. The book of ruth abbreviated rth is included in the third division, or the writings ketuvim, of the hebrew bible. The new american commentary is for the minister or bible student who wants to understand and expound the scriptures. Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. The book of ruth contains one of the bibles bestknown and mostloved stories. The book may have been written by samuel and was probably penned during the time of david.
Written for sunday school teachers, ruth the moabitess is a compilation of thoughts on the person and book of ruth from some of the best commentaries and writers of the nineteenth century and earlier. Ruth, a moabitess, stands out as a refreshing contrast to the declension of israel in the time of the judges. This thorough commentary mines recent research to give the book of ruths literary, grammatical, and theological dimensions a rigorous treatment. It is unlikely that it was written before the time of david cp. The great significance of it is that, ruth does not say elohiym god as foreigners do, but yahweh jehovah, indicating that ruth is the follower of the true god. This was a country not far from israel on the east side of the dead sea.
Robert hubbards commentary on ruth is a model of how commentaries should be written. Ruth with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. When we open to the 3 rd chapter of the book of ruth were coming into the middle of several story lines in the bible. It is a groundless tradition of the jews that ruth was the daughter of eglon king of moab, yet the chaldee paraphrast inserts it. Like 1sa 12, it gives a series of intimate glimpses into the private lives of the members of an israelite family. James mckeown wrote the genesis commentary in the two horizons series. They are living as members of gods family because they respect and obey him. Naomi was still entreating ruth to return, but ruth replied to that with a command of her own, entreat me not to leave thee. Commentary on the book of ruth by matthew henry old. We continue in our ruth 4 commentary ruth 4 commentary. For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go.
Jesus, the greatest of all kings, came from bethlehem from the same family. Concept of a godly remnant in apostate and rebellious times overview of ruth gospel love story focuses on the redemption of ruth. F25 the book of ruth is so written that one naturally anticipates that the narrative will subsequently reveal some special reward from jehovah for this most remarkable. The book may have been written by samuel and was probably penned during the time of david a dreadful time in a strange country. T he book of ruth contains an interesting story about a moabite woman who was redeemed into a hebrew family. The book of ruth is one of the historical books of hebrew scripture, our old testament of the bible. A word list at the end explains words with a star by them. Several parallels between ruth the story of david can be made, but it is not clear to me how this relationship works. So a man from bethlehem in judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of moab, along with his wife and two sons. This could only happen through boaz marrying ruth and providing children to carry on the name of elimelech. The book of ruth gives us a glimpse into the hidden work of god during the worst of times.
Intro to ruth biblica the international bible society. Thus she is an ancestor in the messianic line that leads to jesus. The jewish publication societys highly acclaimed bible commentary series provides a critical linebyline commentary of the biblical text, which is presented in its original hebrew, complete with vocalization and cantillation marks, as well as the jps english translation. Introduction to the book of ruth, new american bible. Ruth 1 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. When ruth beat out her days work of gleaning she had acquired two thirds of a bushel, whereupon, she left the field and went into the city with the grain 2.
The story is set in the time of the judges, a time characterized in the book of judges as a period of religious and moral degeneracy, national disunity and frequent foreign oppression. A study of the book of ruth coalition for christian outreach. From this family came boaz and, later, great king david. He helps us recognize how weve been squeezed into the mold of society. Ruth bible story summary what christians want to know. And in those chapters we saw the godly man from bethlehem named boaz being very kind. Block offers sound scholarly methodology, capable research, and applicable exposition. Introduction, outline, and selected bibliography for the book of ruth, by david malick at the biblical studies foundation. The book of ruth new international commentary on the old testament, 1989. Story of ruth first obviously were landing in the middle of the book of ruth. The first verse of the book points to the time of the judges and the very last verse points to king david. Jun 24, 2015 ruth is a righteous person in a dark age of violence. The book of ruth is a love story, not so much between a young man and a young woman, but between a young woman and her motherinlaw.
The book of ruth, which appears in the third section of the hebrew bible, ktuvim, writings, is a beautiful folktale written in four short chapters. New commentary on book of ruth a refreshing approach to bible. Ruth 1 commentary james burton coffman commentaries on the. And a certain man of bethlehem, judah, went to dwell in the country of moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The first chapter of ruth is very important because our appraisal of ruth, naomi, and soon boaz in the first chapters of ruth will greatly shape our understanding of the rest of the book. There are those who attempt to guild the lily as they read the book of ruth, desperately seeking some basis for making a pious israelite of naomi. Tragedy strikes the family of ruth and naomi ruth 1. Ruth is one of the five festival scrolls, also known as the megilloth, in the writings section of the old testament. By affirming the storys outcome as a divine providence, hubbard says, the. Ruth was married to mahlon something like 10 years.
Because of a famine in israel, a hebrew family moved to moab. The jewish publication societys highly acclaimed bible commentary series provides a critical linebyline commentary of the biblical text, which is presented in its original hebrew, complete with vocalization and cantillation marks, as well as the jps english translation the moving story of ruth, with its themes of loyalty, loving kindness hesed, and redemption, is one. The critical allegation against the book of ruth that makes it a production of some postexilic narrator bases their theory on the false proposition that the names of elimelechs sons are fictitious, invented for them centuries later and designed to fit what happened to them, but leon morris cites plenty of proof that the names mahlon and. Indeed it is apparent to every attentive reader of scripture. Ruth boldly, yet humbly and properly, sought her rights. This commentary has been through advanced checking. And so like all the other scriptures, as paul says romans 15.
From alienation to monarchy, as well as the two other commentaries that have been published so far in the maggid studies in tanakh seriesone on the book of jeremiah and another on the book of joshuaare good examples of studies of the bible that make use of the methods of literary analysis. Free bible commentary on book of ruth in easy english. Ruth 1 commentary james burton coffman commentaries on. There, they set up shop, eat some food, and live for about ten years. The book tells of ruths accepting the god of the israelites as her god and the. It also presents a delightful account of the remnant of true faith and piety in the period of the judges, relieving an otherwise wholly. First obviously were landing in the middle of the book of ruth. Our story opens on a nice jewish family with a problem. Matthew henry 18 october 1662 22 june 1714 was an english commentator on the bible, who published his works in 1706, sixvolume exposition of the old and new testaments 17081710 or complete commentary, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the bible, covering the whole of the old testament, and the gospels and acts in the new testament. Kirsten nielsens comments on the book of ruth paint a rich and subtle portrait of its characters, carefully tracing the many connections between this story and other biblical passages, such as the stories of judah and tamar. For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.
The book of ruth connects the book of judges with the books of samuel. Link to eerdmans and an interview with mckeown at eerdworld. These two issues are addressed in the book of ruth. It manages to deal with both details and the big picture.
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