Ruth, the great-grandmother of King David

Ruth 1:16-2:23. Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi and came back with her from Moab to the land of Israel after the famine. She married Boaz about 1120BC, which was at the time of the 8th Judge or ruler Jair, and became the great-grandmother of King David.

Ruth in Hebrew means: friendship.
Ruth lived about 1150BC to 1100BC.

Boaz in Hebrew means fleetness, strength. We can think of him as a kinsman redeemer. He redeemed Ruth just as Jesus redeemed us.

Their first son Obed was the father of Jess, who was the father of King David.

Background Reading:

Naomi and Ruth

1:16 But Ruth answered, “Stop urging me to abandon you and to turn back from following you. Because wherever you go, I’ll go. Wherever you live, I’ll live. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I’ll die and be buried. May the LORD do this to me—and more—if anything except death comes between you and me.”

18 When Naomi observed Ruth’s determination to travel with her, she ended the conversation. 19 So they continued on until they reached Bethlehem.

Naomi and Ruth Arrive in Bethlehem

Now when the two of them arrived in Bethlehem, the entire town got excited at the news of their arrival and they asked one another, “Can this be Naomi?”

20 But Naomi replied, “Don’t call me ‘Naomi’! Call me ‘Mara’! That’s because the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. 21 I left here full, but the LORD brought me back empty. So why call me ‘Naomi’? After all, the LORD is against me, and the Almighty has broken me.”

22 So Naomi returned to Bethlehem from the country of Moab, along with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabite woman. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Ruth 1:16-22
Continued Ruth 2:1-4:22.

More information:

All the names and places in the book of Ruth have meanings. The story of Ruth and Naomi back in the land of Israel starts about Passover time or the month of Nisan or about March, at the start of the barley harvest, which is early spring in Israel. The story continues after the wheat harvest, which starts 50 days later in the month of Sivan, or say in May-June. Only two books in the Bible have a female name; the other is the book of Esther, which is about a Jewish girl who becomes a queen of Persia.


Other slides in this module: