Original Word: רוּת
Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration: Ruwth
Pronunciation: rooth
Phonetic Spelling: (rooth)
KJV: Ruth
NASB: Ruth
Word Origin: [probably for H7468 (רְעוּת - neighbor)]

1. friend
2. Ruth, a Moabitess

Ruth

Probably for r'uwth; friend; Ruth, a Moabitess -- Ruth.

see HEBREW r'uwth

Word Origin
from raah
Definition
"friendship," a Moabite ancestress of David
NASB Translation
Ruth (12).

רוּת proper name, feminine Ruth (for רְעוּת, i.e. friendship, Syriac , Thes Lag^{BN 84, 156; Or. ii. 41} Kö^{ii. 1. 481}); — Moabitess, ancestress of David, Ruth 1:4,14,16,22; Ruth 2:2,8,21,22; Ruth 3:9; Ruth 4:5,10,13; Ρουθ.

Person and Setting

Ruth is introduced in the Book that bears her name as a Moabite widow who becomes the daughter-in-law of Naomi, an Israelite from Bethlehem. Her account unfolds “in the days when the judges ruled” (Ruth 1:1), a turbulent era of spiritual and social instability. Against this dark backdrop, Ruth shines as a portrait of loyal love, demonstrating that genuine faith can flourish even in foreign soil and that God’s redemptive purposes extend beyond ethnic boundaries.

Occurrences and Narrative Arc

The personal name רוּת appears twelve times, exclusively within Ruth 1–4. These occurrences trace a clear progression:

1. Introduction and decision (Ruth 1:4-18). After the deaths of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion, Naomi urges her Moabite daughters-in-law to remain in Moab. Orpah departs, but Ruth “clung to her” (1:14) and utters her famous confession of covenant loyalty (1:16-17).
2. Arrival and gleaning (Ruth 1:22–2:23). Ruth’s diligence in gleaning grain in Boaz’s field (2:2, 2:8, 2:21-22) reveals both her initiative and Boaz’s generosity.
3. Request for redemption (Ruth 3:1-18). Lying at Boaz’s feet, Ruth requests, “Spread your cloak over your maidservant, for you are a kinsman-redeemer” (3:9).
4. Redemption and legacy (Ruth 4:5-13). Boaz secures Ruth’s redemption before the elders, marries her, and she bears Obed, grandfather of David.

Covenantal Loyalty (חֶסֶד, hesed) Illustrated

Ruth’s account revolves around acts of faithful love, a quality the narrator attributes both to the LORD and to the characters. Ruth shows hesed toward Naomi by forsaking homeland and family; Boaz shows hesed toward Ruth by protecting and redeeming her; God shows hesed toward His people by turning widowhood and barrenness into fruitfulness. Ruth’s pledge, “Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16), signals more than familial devotion; it marks a wholehearted conversion and entrance into the covenant community.

Role in the Line of Messiah

Ruth’s inclusion in the Davidic genealogy (Ruth 4:17–22) and later in Matthew 1:5 establishes her as an essential link in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Through her, God demonstrates that the promised Seed would come not only through Israel but for the nations, fulfilling Genesis 12:3. The kinsman-redeemer motif embodied by Boaz anticipates the ultimate Redeemer, who would purchase a people for God “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

Typological and Theological Themes

• Redemption: Boaz’s willingness to pay the cost of land and lineage foreshadows Christ’s redemptive work.
• Inclusion of Gentiles: A Moabite becomes an ancestress of Israel’s greatest king and of the Messiah, affirming God’s heart for the outsider.
• Providence: Seemingly ordinary events (“she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz,” 2:3) reveal divine orchestration.
• Rest: Naomi seeks “security” for Ruth (3:1), a concept ultimately realized in Messiah’s invitation, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Practical Lessons for Ministry and Discipleship

1. Commitment to God overrides cultural and national barriers.
2. Faith expresses itself through tangible deeds—gleaning, providing, protecting.
3. God honors integrity: Ruth’s purity at the threshing floor contrasts sharply with the moral chaos described in Judges.
4. Small acts of obedience can have multi-generational impact; Obed’s birth carries forward the covenant promises.
5. The church is called to be a Boaz-like community, welcoming the vulnerable and participating in God’s redemptive mission.

Later Biblical and Historical Reception

Jewish tradition reads Ruth during Shavuot (Pentecost), celebrating both harvest and Torah reception, themes echoed in the narrative. Early Christian writers highlighted Ruth as a type of the church gathered from the Gentiles. Reformers cited Ruth to emphasize sola fide, noting her acceptance by faith into Israel. Modern missions draw on her account to illustrate cross-cultural evangelism and hospitality.

Summary

Ruth stands as a testimony that steadfast love, faith, and divine providence triumph amid suffering and displacement. Her twelve mentions chronicle a journey from widowhood in Moab to motherhood in Bethlehem, weaving her into the fabric of redemption history and calling believers to emulate her trust and devotion.

וְר֖וּת וְר֨וּת ורות ר֑וּת ר֜וּת ר֣וּת ר֨וּת רוּת֙ רות Rut rūṯ veRut wə·rūṯ wərūṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts