The Story of Ruth

Ruth 1-4

Bethlehem in Judah 犹大伯利恒 (Ruth1:1)

• Bethlehem-Judah: a town in Palestine, about 5 miles south of Jerusalem

• Called Ephrath (Gen. 35:19; 48:7)• Part of the land allotted to Judah (Judges

17:7)• Called Bethlehem Ephratah (Micah 5:2),

Bethlehem in Judaea (Matt. 2:1), and the town of David (Luke 2:4)

• Birthplace of David and Jesus Christ

Ephrathite (Ruth 1:2) 以法他人• a citizen of Ephratah, the old name of Beth

lehem, or Bethlehem-Judah.

Narrative structure 叙事结构• Part One (Ruth 1:1-6): prologue （序）• Part Two (Ruth 1:7-4:13): body （正文）• Part Three (Ruth 4:14-17): epilogue

（“跋”或“尾声”）• Part Four (Ruth 4:18-22): coda （结尾） -

genealogy 家谱

Hebrew Marriage Customs

• Levirate marriage 取寡嫂制，叔娶嫂制（ Deuteronomy 申命记 25:5-10) ：死者如去世时仍无子嗣，他的弟兄，或在死者无弟兄的情况下，他的至近亲属，有义务娶死者的妻子，让她怀孕生子；这头一个男孩子要算死者的，以便死者有血脉留在人间；在这个孩子长大成人后，他就接过死者原来的产业或土地，这个至亲同死者的妻子接下去再生养的孩子就算是他自己的了。 (Ruth 1:11-13; Ruth 4:3-6)

Questions for review (Chapter 1)

Part One

1.Why did Elimelech take his family to the land of Moab which worshipped gods different from Israel's God?

2.What wives did the two sons marry? What happened to the father and his two sons?

3.Why did Naomi (the wife and mother) decide to return to Bethlehem in Judah?

Questions for review (Chapter 1)

Part Two1.What did Naomi ask her two daughters-in-law to

do when she decided to go back to her native country, Bethlehem?

2.What reason did Naomi give for leaving her?3.How did the two daughters-in-law respond?4.When did Naomi stop persuading Ruth to leave

her?5.What did Naomi ask her country people to call h

er when she returned to Bethlehem? Why? 6.What season was it when they got back to Bethl

ehem?

Questions for review (Chapter 2)

1.What did Ruth decide to do to help provide for the family?

2.In whose field did Ruth glean ears of barley and wheat?

3.How did Boaz treat Ruth? 4.Why was Boaz so good to Ruth? 5.What did Ruth do to the leftover of her foo

d?6.What did Naomi decide to do when Naomi

learned what Boaz did to Ruth?

Questions for review (Chapter 3)

1.What did Naomi advise Ruth to do one night?

2.How did Boaz react when he found Ruth sleeping at his feet at midnight?

3.How did Ruth reply to Boaz’s question?

Questions for review (Chapter 4)

1.How did Boaz obtain the right to marry Ruth? (Ruth 4:1-12)

2.What did Naomi get after Boaz married Ruth?

Character of Ruth• What do you think of Ruth's treatment of h

er mother-in-law?• What role did she play in her contact with

Boaz? - not quite obedient and passive• Why was she accepted and even respecte

d by Israel? - her filialness to Naomi her mother-in-law,

kindness, industry, sensibility ... - her belief in Israel's God - Yahweh / Je

hovah

Theme and significance of the story

• In religion - 对犹太教排斥外族和异教政策的纠正；前瞻《新约》基督教的普世观

• In history - Ruth 对婆婆的孝顺和对亚卫的忠诚为她赢得以色列人的尊敬，成为犹太民族和基督教历史上重要的祖先：

- great grandmother of King David

- ancestress of Jesus Christ

Theme and significance of the story

• In morality - 强调对耶和华的忠诚和对亲属和邻人的关爱

- Faith in God will be rewarded; betrayal to God will be punished

- proper treatment of relationship between婆媳、兄弟妯娌、夫妻父子、族人亲属

Preview of David's Stories

阅读：• David Stones Goliath to Death (1 Sm 17:1-

54)• David and Bathsheba (2 Sm 11, 12:1-25)• Amnon and Tamar (2 Sm 13:1-21)思考：• 上帝如何看待大卫与拔示巴的私情？• 暗嫩与他玛的故事与大卫故事的内在联系