Ruth was a Moabite woman who, through steadfast loyalty to Naomi, turned to the God of Israel. Her marriage to Boaz placed her in the lineage of the Messiah.
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Life & Story
Ruth emerges in the era when Israel was taking possession of the promised land and being governed by judges, a time when people did whatever seemed right to them. After her husband and father-in-law died in the land of Moab, her mother-in-law Naomi resolved to return to Bethlehem. As Naomi urged her two daughters-in-law to return to their own homes, Ruth made her famous choice: she refused to leave, declaring that wherever Naomi went she would go, that Naomi's people would be her people, and Naomi's God would be her God (Ruth 1:16). This pledge embodied hesed—covenant loyalty and lovingkindness beyond obligation—and stands as one of the most striking confessions of faith in the Old Testament. Upon arriving in Bethlehem, Ruth began to glean in the fields of Boaz. Her diligence and humility drew Boaz's attention, and as a close kinsman he fulfilled the role of redeemer. According to Scripture, Boaz took Ruth as his wife, and Jehovah gave her conception and she bore a son (Ruth 4:13). That son, Obed, became the grandfather of David, placing Ruth within the messianic line. Her account carries profound significance for the themes of Gentile inclusion and God's provision of salvation through a redeemer.