Reflections on Ruth

I chose to dissect Ruth as a test subject for my biblical connections project because it is a short book that is fairly self contained. I didn’t expect to find anything surprising or insightful as I worked out how to standardize or automate my process for importing and tagging the text. Never underestimate the Bible.

Methodology

Warning: technical details ahead, skip to the next section if you’re not interested

I started by copying the text of Ruth from the LEB (Lexham English Bible) translation a file and line by line, verse by verse listing out all the connections based on my predefined list of connections. Every time a noun tied to another noun occurred, I made a note of it. It was slow work, and I had hoped to automate the process in the future (I am a software engineer after all), but after the discoveries and insights gained from the manual process, I realized the value of this approach.

After completing the manual list of connections, I imported it into my yaml definition files, imported that into the database, and generated the webpages with the visual connections.

For example, Ruth 1:1-2

And it happened in the days when ⌊the judges ruled⌋, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem of Judah went ⌊to reside⌋ in the countryside of Moab—he and his wife and his two sons.

Results in the following connections:

s_type,s_name,edge_type,t_type,t_name,ref_bible
person,Elimelech,mentioned-with,event,plague,Ruth 1:1
person,Elimelech,mentioned-with,group,judges,Ruth 1:1
person,Elimelech,married-to,person,Naomi,Ruth 1:1-2
person,Elimelech,resident-of,place,Bethlehem,Ruth 1:1-2
place,Bethlehem,member-of,place,Judah,Ruth 1:1
person,Elimelech,visited,place,Moab,Ruth 1:1
person,Naomi,visited,place,Moab,Ruth 1:1
person,Mahlon,visited,place,Moab,Ruth 1:1
person,Kilion,visited,place,Moab,Ruth 1:1

This process was repeated for every verse in the book of Ruth, resulting in a comprehensive list of connections that could be analyzed and visualized. If you’re still with me, the rest of the post is my reflections and insights from this exercise and way less technical.

Naomi - enemy of God

Naomi’s journey is one of bitterness and loss. She returns to Bethlehem empty, having lost her husband and sons. Her name, which means “pleasant,” is changed to Mara, meaning “bitter.” This transformation highlights her feelings of abandonment and despair. Yet, even in her bitterness, there is a glimmer of hope as she acknowledges God’s sovereignty.

I had always imagined that Elimelech and Naomi moved to Moab and settled there–to the point that I assumed they were both involved in the marriage of their sons to Moabite women. However, the text suggests that Elimelech died before their sons married. Naomi then chose to arrange the marriages of her sons to non-Judahite women, which further emphasizes her desperation and the cultural tensions at play.

Naomi begins her complaint of Yahweh before leaving Moab, stating that “Yahweh has gone out against me” (Ruth 1:13, LEB). Upon returning to Bethlehem, she goes on to say that “Shaddai has caused me to be very bitter… Yahweh brought me back empty-handed…Yahweh has testified against me and Shaddai has brought calamity upon me” (Ruth 1:20-21, LEB).

The evidence against Naomi is surprisingly strong in this light. She arranged the marriages of her sons to Moabite women, which was a significant departure from instructions (Torah) of Yahweh, and then she blames Yahweh for her misfortunes. Like the Israelites who claimed that Egyptian slavery was preferable to following Yahweh in the wilderness (Exodus 16:3), she claimed that she left Israel “full” (Ruth 1:21, LEB) when, in reality, she was fleeing famine out of desperation. I previously viewed Naomi as a tragic hero, but this perspective challenges me to consider her actions more deeply as a tragic villain.

Ruth - one of the barren

A few things stuck out to me as odd, and though not explicitly stated, led me to the firm conclusion that Ruth was barren. Not only was she barren, but I am convinced that she is intentionally compared with other barren women in the lineage of the Messiah–a theme that runs throughout the Bible. This comparison serves to highlight God’s miraculous intervention in the lives of those who are considered “less than” or “outsiders.”

Allow me to make my case.

First, Ruth and Orpah were married to Malon and Kilion for ten years (Ruth 1:4, LEB). During this time, they were unable to bear children, which was a significant source of shame and social stigma in their culture. An entire decade of marriage is long enough to establish a pattern of infertility. This detail is crucial for understanding Ruth’s character and her eventual actions. If they had borne children, those children would have been mentioned in the text because they would have continued the line of Elimelech (through Malon or Kilion), but they are conspicuously absent.

Second, when Ruth marries Boaz, “Yahweh enabled her to conceive” (Ruth 4:13, LEB). This divine intervention is significant, most women in the Bible just have a child because that is the normal way of operating, but Yahweh’s intervention highlights the miraculous nature of Ruth’s pregnancy and the importance of her role in the lineage of the Messiah. For example, “Yahweh remembered her. In due time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son” (1 Samuel 1:19–20). “Yahweh responded to [Isaac’s] prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived” (Genesis 25:21, LEB).

If this connection is accurate (and I think it is), it places Ruth alongside others in the biblical narrative like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary, all of whom experienced barrenness before giving birth to significant figures in Israel’s history.

Uncomfortable innuendos

Studying Hebrew has led to some uncomfortable innuendos in the text that challenge my American-Puritan assumptions. “Feet” in the Hebrew Bible often serves as a euphemism for genitals, which adds a layer of meaning to certain passages. For example, when Ruth uncovers Boaz’s feet (Ruth 3:7), it can be interpreted as a sexual advance, challenging my previous understanding of their relationship. Also “uncovers” can also be translated as “opens,” further complicating the imagery. So, late at night after Boas ate and drank until “his heart was good,” she waited until he fell asleep and uncovered his genitalia to lay down. The advance was not unclear to Boaz, even in an inebriated state. He even recognized the age gap and her youthfulness compared to his own (Ruth 3:10-11), which is significant because the age gap in marriages was typically fairly large already. Interestingly, he does not rebuke her or send her away, but instead praises her for her kindness and loyalty and requests that she “stay the night” (Ruth 3:13) presumably with him and his uncovered genitalia.

The wings of refuge

After that uncomfortable section, I was relieved to find a familiar image in the text. Ruth requests that Boaz spread the “wing of your garment over your servant” (Ruth 3:9, LEB). This is often translated as “cover me with your cloak,” which carries connotations of protection and security. But more significantly, this is not the first time that a wing of protection appears in the book of Ruth!

In Ruth 2:12, Boaz himself invokes this imagery when he says, “May Yahweh reward your work and may a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you came to take refuge” (Ruth 2:12, LEB). This connection between Ruth’s request and Boaz’s blessing reinforces the theme of divine protection and care for the vulnerable, particularly for those who are outsiders or marginalized.

The wing(s) of Yahweh show up in the Psalms as a metaphor for protection and refuge. For example, Psalm 91 says, “With his feathers he will cover you, and under his wings you can take refuge” (Psalm 91:4, LEB). This imagery emphasizes the nurturing and protective aspects of God’s character, which is mirrored in Boaz’s actions toward Ruth. It also highlights the interconnectedness of these themes throughout Scripture.

Example of Gentile inclusion in the kingdom

Ruth’s story is a powerful example of Gentile inclusion in the kingdom of God. As a Moabite woman, Ruth was an outsider in Israelite society, yet she becomes an ancestor of David and ultimately of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). Her faithfulness and loyalty to Naomi, as well as her willingness to embrace the God of Israel, demonstrate that inclusion in God’s family is based on faith and commitment rather than ethnic background.

Ruth was not only adopted into the kingdom of Yahweh, but she was specifically redeemed into the kingdom of promise. Her actions played a part: she worked hard, embodied kindness, dedicated her life to Yahweh, and demonstrated loyalty. But her actions did not purchase her redemption; it was ultimately a gift from God through Boaz.

Stories like these led Paul to write in Galatians 3:28-29, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Not because it is bad to be from any of those groups, but because the primary identity of a Jesus-follower is found in the everlasting Yahweh, not in identities that will pass away in a few hundred or thousand years. The plan was always to include non-Abrahamic people in the kingdom of promise–that was the original promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3).

Other small connections

I hesitated to write down connections to things like wheat, barley, wine-vinegar, etc, but I realized that these elements are also significant in the story in meditative literature.

For example, I can only think of one other biblical character heavily tied to wheat, barley, and Midian: Gideon. Gideon was found in a winepress, threshing wheat to hide it from the Midianites (Judges 6:11). Later, he sneaks up on the Midianite camp at night and hears about a dream depicting a barley loaf rolling into the camp and knocking over a tent (Judges 7:13). The 3-fold connection can’t be a coincidence, but I haven’t yet figured out the significance.

The offer of dipping bread in the bowl and wine-vinegar immediately made me think of Jesus’ last supper (Luke 22:19-20) and crucifixion (John 19:29). The bread and wine are staples of Jewish meals, but the dipping of bread in a bowl of something is a more intimate act. Again, I haven’t yet figured out the significance or if it is a coincidence.

Conclusions

All that said, I am amazed at the depth and richness of the book of Ruth. What I initially approached as a simple exercise in tagging and connecting verses turned into a profound exploration of themes like divine protection, inclusion, and redemption. Ruth’s story challenges me to reconsider my assumptions and to appreciate the intricate ways in which God’s plan unfolds throughout Scripture. I look forward to applying this method to other books of the Bible and uncovering more insights along the way.

Unfortunately, that means it will be far slower than I had anticipated, but I think the reflection and insights are worth the effort.