Information for the Book of
Ruth
Significant sections:
THE BOOK OF RUTH
I. A BROAD INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORICAL BOOKS:
A. A Recurring View of History based upon YHWH's
covenants:
1. A Western view of history is primarily linear as
it traces events in a chronological line from A to
Z with cause and effect viewed in naturalistic
terms
2. An Ancient Near Eastern view of history is
primarily cyclic (often around the regular cycle
of seasons) with cause and effect viewed in
supernatural terms
3. The Ancient Near Eastern neighbors of Israel
sought to direct (or control) their historical
cycles of destiny by the recitation of appropriate
incantations or omens
4. Israel was forbidden in their Law to practice
divination, omens, and incantations, therefore,
they sought to direct (or control) their history
by conforming to their covenant with YHWH
5. Therefore theology and history merged for Israel
through the covenants of YHWH, and the historical
books unfold YHWH's sovereign, covenant work in
history:
a. Cause and effect are understood in view of
God's covenant response to human activities
and decisions:
1) Note the cycles of Judges
2) Note the apostasy in the books of Kings
b. In particular, the Abrahamic and Mosaic
covenants explain YHWH's sovereign unfolding
of history for Israel
B. The Theology of the Historical Books is
Deuteronomistic:
1. The concept of a Deuteronomistic History was a
development of the earlier source-critical
approach to the Pentateuch (JEDP), but first found
its detailed expression in 1943 by Martin Noth in
his work The Deuteronomistic History (Sheffield,
England: JSOT, 1981)
2. A classic Deuteronomistic History would affirm
that the historical books of Deuteronomy--2 Kings
were the editorial work of prophets during the
eighth century B.C. in order to promote religious
reform which did not occur until after Josiah read
the book (cf. 2 Ki. 22-23)
3. The problems of this classic approach are enormous
for the conservative student of scripture
including deception concerning Mosaic authority
for Deuteronomy, and a rewriting of history for
political purpose by the eighth century prophets
4. There are many levels upon which one can address
the veracity of the classic Deuteronomistic
approach1 including the fact that 2 Chronicles 34
places the reforms of Josiah before the discovery
of the book of the Law in the temple. Therefore,
it seems best to reject the historical
reconstruction of a classic Deuteronomistic
History
5. Nevertheless, the theological emphasis of a
Deuteronomistic History is valuable for
understanding the historical books because
Israel's history is viewed in terms of her loyalty
to the covenant--especially Deuteronomy 27--30:
a. Obedience to the Mosaic Law and faith in YHWH
will bring blessings and prosperity of the
Mosaic covenant
b. Disobedience to the Mosaic Law and a refusal
to trust in YHWH will bring cursing (cf.
Deut. 4; Josh. 23; Judges 2:11-23; 1 Sam. 12;
2 Sam. 7; 1 Ki. 8; 2 Ki. 17:7-23)
c. Nevertheless, Israel is continually
disobedient and deserving of judgment, but
God does not completely destroy the nation
because of his covenant with Abraham (Gen.
12)
C. The Design of the Historical Books: To reveal God who
works in accordance with his covenants
1. Western societies write history for information's
sake, or to learn lessons from others, or to
analyze elements of naturalistic cause and effect
2. Ancient Near Eastern societies often wrote history
as a tool of propaganda in order to honor those in
power with "historical" accounts which ignored the
negative and embellished the positive
3. However, Israel's historical approach hardly could
be considered to be with the design of propaganda
(even for the Davidic dynasty) since it includes
so much of the faults of its rulers (including
David--2 Samuel)
4. The design of Israel's historical literature was
to teach about the way in which YHWH, their
covenant God, acted in history--especially in view
of Israel's failures and unfaithfulness:
a. Legal literature declared God's will which
was designed to mold the moral, spiritual,
and ethical direction of the nation
b. Historical literature was a revelation
(record) of the sovereign work of God in
accordance with his covenants in history
c. Prophetic literature was a declaration of the
will of God in history in judgment of the
nation's historical dealings and in promise
of God's future blessing
d. Although Israel was unfaithful to their
Mosaic covenant with YHWH and often received
the judgment due them from their suzerain-
Lord, YHWH was also committed to his people
and delivered them in accordance with his
promises to Abraham with an eye to a New
Covenant which He would work in their hearts
II. AUTHOR: It is reasonable to ascribe authorship of the book
of Ruth to the prophet Samuel (or Nathan)
A. Strictly speaking this work is anonymous since no
author is named
B. External Evidence: Though not definitive, the external
evidence allows for Samuel as the author of Ruth
1. The Talmud ascribes authorship to Samuel,2 but it
is very difficult to date this conclusion
2. Many argue against the possibility of Samuel as
author because they hold to a late date for Ruth
for some of the following reasons:
a. The explanation of levirate marriage (4:7),
but if the custom had ceased during Samuel's
day, he would have needed to explain its
meaning for his generation and for those to
follow
b. The genealogy "presupposes" that David was a
well known figure at the time that it was
written, but if this would have been written
later, surely Solomon would have also been
mentioned
c. Proposed purposes of post-exilic, ethnic
toleration in view of reforms by Ezra's and
Nehemiah, but the ethnic emphasis may well be
explained by the portions of the Law which
existed in Samuel's day (Deut. 23:3
[Moabite]; Gen. 38:1ff [Tamar's treachery];
Deut. 25:5ff [Leverite marriage]) and in fact
would have historically undone Ezra's reforms
d. The presence of Aramaisms, but these are not
necessarily an indication of a late date
since they were present in Palestine from at
least the Amarna Age (Fourteenth century
B.C.3
3. It is reasonable to adhere to an early date for
the book of Ruth which allows for Samuel, or
possibly Nathan, as its author (see below)
C. Internal Evidence: Internal evidence allows for Samuel
as the author of Ruth
1. The brevity of the genealogy in 4:18-22 argues for
an earlier, rather than a later date of
composition which could well align with Samuel
a. If the book was written from a time period
while David was popular or later during
Israel's "Golden Age" while Solomon was king,
Solomon would have surely been added to the
list
b. Samuel knew well of the division which his
anointing of David (1 Sam. 16) would cause
between the northern and southern tribes of
the nation (2 Sam. 1--5), therefore, he
demonstrated that David was from the line of
Judah fulfilling Jacob's prophecy (Ruth
4:12,18; cf. Gen. 38; 49:8-12)
2. The author of Ruth uses ancient Hebrew prose
idioms and classical syntactical forms4
3. The setting of the book captures the period of the
judges in a uniform manner which would be very
familiar for Samuel
4. The attitude of the Law towards foreign marriages
(Deut. 23:3) allows for an early date during
Samuel's life
5. The only passages concerning levirate marriage
which are referred to are those which would have
pre-dated Samuel (Gen. 38:1ff; Deut. 25:5ff)
6. The Hebrew style of Ruth is not only different
from Esther, Chronicles, Nehemiah, or Jonah, but
is on a level with the best portions of Samuel5
III. DATE: During the early Monarchy (c. 1000 B.C.)
A. The Book of Ruth offers no direct identification
concerning its date
B. Ruth does site its setting with the time of the Judges
("when the judges judged" myfpvh fpv ymyB ) (1:1), and
probably occurred toward the end of the period:
1. This probably was not when Ehud led Israel out
from under the Moabite oppression (Judges 3)
2. This may well have been during the later portion
of the book of judges--especially since the
genealogy is only three generations before David6
3. The time when the "judges judged" is also the time
when two other accounts from the Bethlehem Trilogy
occurred (e.g., Micah and the Levite [Judg. 17--
18], and the Levite and His Concubine [Judg. 19--
21]); The Book of Ruth is the third work of the
trilogy7Even though all three accounts concern
Bethlehem-Ephraim, the first two accounts focus
upon the flawed ancestors of Samson and Saul
respectively; the third account is meant to focus
upon the loyal ancestors of David!
C. The earliest date that Ruth could have been written was
when David was anointed King (1 Sam. 16)
D. The latest that Ruth was probably written was during
the pinnacle of David's fame since a later date would
have probably required the inclusion of Solomon's name
in the genealogy8
E. Therefore, the book was probably written during the
early monarchy of Saul or David, but before the
selection and/or enthronement of Solomon (c. 1000 B.C.)
F. During David's reign there was a time when David showed
favor to the Moabites (1 Sam. 22:3)
G. The custom of exchanging the shoe (4:7) may have been a
later gloss to explain the activity to later readers,
or more probably was included by the writer because he
lived close enough to the change-over to explain the
custom for present and future readers who no longer
practiced the custom.9 The custom does not conflict
with Deuteronomy 25 because in Ruth 4:7 the sandal is
being used for a different purpose--to confirm the
transaction
IV. AUDIENCE: The United Nation of Israel:
A. If Ruth was written by Samuel, then it was written to
endorse David as God's chosen king for Israel after
Saul
B. If Ruth was written by Nathan, then it was written to
establish David before the newly established kingdom of
Israel
V. Purposes of the Book of Ruth:
A. To provide a biographical sketch of the pious ancestors
of David the King (which the books of Samuel do not
provide)
B. To contrast the reproach brought upon Bethlehem in
Judges 17--21 with the account of the righteous in
Bethlehem
C. To emphasize the fulfillment of God's covenant promises
through Judah at a time when the nation Israel had lost
her first king--Saul from the line of Benjamin
D. To demonstrate how YHWH supplies for the enormous needs
of his people both individually and nationally in
accordance with his covenant promises
___________________________
1 See Kitchen, Ancient Orient and Old Testament.
2 Bab. Bath., 14b.
3 See R.K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, 79,
1061; John Bright, A History of Israel, p. 109.
4 Harrison, IOT, 106.
5 S.R. Driver, Introduction, 454.
6 See Merrill, Kingdom, 182, n. 97.
7 Merrill, Kingdom, 178-188.
8 Keil and Deiltzsch, The Books of Joshua, 2:569.
9 See a similar case in 1 Sam. 9:9; Cundall & Morris, Judges
& Ruth, pp. 234-235; see also the Nuzi parallels from c. 1500
B.C. which make a late date difficult as discussed by E. A.
Speiser, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 77
[Feb. 1940], pp. 15-18, and E. R. Lacheman JBL LVI [1937]: 53-56.