The book of Ruth is one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman, and one of the most beautiful stories in Scripture. It is set "in the days when the judges ruled" (Ruth 1:1) — a dark time — yet it shows quiet faithfulness, kindness and God's care working through ordinary people. In just four chapters it moves from tragedy to joy.
Chapter 1: Loss and loyalty
During a famine, a man from Bethlehem named Elimelech moved with his wife Naomi and their two sons to the land of Moab. There the sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then tragedy struck: Elimelech and both sons died, leaving three widows.
Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem and urged her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab with their families. Orpah tearfully agreed, but Ruth refused to leave Naomi. Her words are among the most famous expressions of loyalty ever written:
"Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." (Ruth 1:16, KJV)
Ruth, a foreigner, chose to belong to Naomi's people and to trust Naomi's God.
When they arrived in Bethlehem, Naomi was so bitter with grief that she said, "Call me not Naomi [pleasant], call me Mara [bitter]: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me" (1:20).
Chapter 2: Kindness in the fields
It was the beginning of the barley harvest. God's law allowed the poor to glean — gather grain left behind by the harvesters (Leviticus 19:9–10). Ruth went to glean and, "as it happened", came to the field of Boaz, a wealthy relative of Elimelech.
Boaz noticed Ruth and showed her great kindness. He told her to stay in his fields, protected her and told his workers to leave extra grain for her. He blessed her: "The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust" (2:12).
When Naomi heard, hope returned. Boaz was one of their "near kinsmen".
The kinsman-redeemer
To understand the story, we need the idea of the kinsman-redeemer (Hebrew go'el). Under Israel's law, a close relative had a duty to help a family member in trouble — for example, by buying back land that had been sold, or by marrying a childless widow to continue the family line (Leviticus 25:25; Deuteronomy 25:5–10). The redeemer had to be a relative, able to pay, and willing to act.
Chapter 3: A bold request
Following Naomi's advice, Ruth went to the threshing floor at night where Boaz was sleeping, lay at his feet, and asked him to "spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman" (3:9) — a request for marriage and protection. Boaz was moved by her loyalty and agreed — but there was a closer relative who had the first right.
Chapter 4: Redemption and joy
At the town gate, Boaz met the nearer relative before the elders. That man was willing to buy Elimelech's land but not to marry Ruth. So Boaz redeemed the land and took Ruth as his wife.
God blessed them with a son, Obed. The women of Bethlehem rejoiced with Naomi: "Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman" (4:14). Naomi, once bitter and empty, now held a grandson in her arms.
The book ends with a short genealogy: Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David (4:17–22). This quiet family story becomes part of Israel's royal line.
Key themes
- Loyal love (hesed). The Hebrew word hesed — steadfast, loyal love — runs through the book. Ruth shows it to Naomi, Boaz shows it to Ruth, and God shows it to them all.
- God's hidden providence. God is rarely mentioned as acting directly, yet he is at work behind every "chance" event.
- Welcome for outsiders. Ruth, a Moabite, is welcomed into God's people — a sign that God's grace reaches all nations.
- Redemption. Boaz redeems what was lost, at his own cost.
Ruth and Jesus
Ruth appears in the family line of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). Christians also see Boaz as a picture of Jesus, our Redeemer: he is our relative (having become human), able to pay the price, and willing to redeem us at great cost (Galatians 4:4–5; 1 Peter 1:18–19).
Lessons for today
- Loyalty and kindness matter, especially in hard times.
- God is at work even when we can't see him.
- Bitterness can be turned to joy.
- God's family includes people from every nation.
Continue with Samuel: prophet, priest and judge, or go back to the book of Judges. Ruth's story is also a lovely one to share at weddings — see our Bible gift guide.