Ruth

A Story of Redemption

The Book of Ruth received its title in honor of the heroine of the story and is essentially a character study of three people—Naomi, Ruth and Boaz—and how they interacted with each other, the people around them, and with God. The name “Ruth” may mean “friendship,” “comfort,” or “refreshment.” The Book of Ruth likely was put in its final form after David became king in Hebron, in 1011 B.C., since he is recognized as a very important figure in the genealogy.

The writer is unknown to us, but it may have been Samuel, one of Samuel’s contemporaries, or someone else. The structure and unity of Ruth argue for it being the product of one writer, rather than a composite put together by many hands over a long time. A few writers have suggested that the writer was a woman—perhaps Naomi—but this suggestion is only speculation since there is no solid data to support it.