An Overview of Ruth Questions

1. What is the condition of Israel as the book of Ruth begins?

• “Now it came to pass in the days when

the judges ruled

, that there was

a famine in the land

. And a

certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons”

(Ruth 1:1).

2. How does Ruth come into the life of Naomi?

• She married Naomi’s son becoming her daughter in-law (Ruth 1:4).

3. Why does Naomi choose to leave Moab?

• Her husband was dead (Ruth 1:3).

• Her sons had died (Ruth 1:5).

• She heard that the Lord ended the famine in Israel (Ruth 1:6).

4. Why did Naomi allow Ruth to come with her?

• Naomi tried to get Ruth to leave with Orpah back to their mother’s house (Ruth 1:8). However, Ruth was

of a different mind: “And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but

Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods:

return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, 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: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also,

if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she

left speaking unto her” (Ruth 1:14-18).

5. Why did Naomi want to be called Mara?

• “And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with

me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the

LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me” (Ruth 1:20-21)?

• She will not get her desire. The name Mara only appears here in her request throughout all sixty-six

books making up the “Bible”.

6. What are some things we find out about Boaz as we begin chapter two of the Book of Ruth?

• He was a kinsman of Naomi’s husband (Ruth 2:1; cf. 1:2).

• He was mighty and wealthy (Ruth 2:1).

• He was mindful of the Lord (Ruth 2:4).

• He was observant, noticing Ruth in his field (Ruth 2:5).

7. Did Ruth look for handouts since she was a stranger in the land?

• No, she wanted to work to gain favor (Ruth 2:2-3; 7).

8. Why did Ruth find grace in the eyes of Boaz?

• “Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace

in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz answered and

said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of

thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come

unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 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” (Ruth 2:10-12).

9. How did Naomi respond to Ruth’s report about her working for Boaz?

• “And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou?

blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had

wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. And Naomi said unto her daughter

in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi

said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen” (Ruth 2:19-20).

10. Using Ruth 1:8-9, explain what Naomi’s goal is as we begin Ruth chapter three?

• To find a husband for Ruth (Ruth 3:1). Finding rest in the house of her husband (Ruth 1:8-9) defines

this here in chapter three.

*** To have a better understanding of chapter three, read through the remainder of the book. Notice
especially Ruth 4:10. Consider also the implication’s made and how they fit into what we studied in
Deuteronomy 25:5. Now back to our questions...

11. Was Ruth instructed by Naomi to “pretty up” a bit when presenting herself to Boaz as a potential bride?

• Yes: “Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the

floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking” (Ruth 3:3).

12. Did Boaz react badly to Ruth’s surprising him at his feet?

• At first he was scared (Ruth 3:8), but then he praised her moral conduct (Ruth 3:10-11).

13. Was there someone closer in relation to Ruth than Boaz who could have taken her to be his wife?

• Yes, (Ruth 3:12).

14. Did Boaz issue any promises to Ruth?

• Yes, he promised if she were not taken by another near in kin that he would take on the duty (Ruth 3:

13).

15. When did Naomi believe Boaz would act upon his words?

• That same day that Ruth returned to Naomi (Ruth 3:18).

16. Did Boaz deal openly to gain Ruth as his wife seeing that there was one nearer to her that could have rights to
her?

• Yes: “Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz

spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat

down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. And he

said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which

was our brother Elimelech's: And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before

the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may

know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. Then said

Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the

wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot

redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it”

(Ruth 4:1-6).

17. What custom was there in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing?

• “Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to

confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel”

(Ruth 4:7).

18. What was said about Ruth being Boaz’s wife among the people and the elders?

• “And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the

woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do

thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom

Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman” (Ruth 4:11-12).

19. How significant will the child of Boaz and Ruth be?

• “So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her

conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left

thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer

of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee

than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto

it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his

name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez

begat Hezron, And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and

Nahshon begat Salmon, And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse

begat David” (Ruth 4:13-22).

• “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham... And Salmon

begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse” (Matthew 1:1; 5).

20. Does the account of the life of Ruth prove that conversion to the Lord is more significant than one’s genealogy?

• To be clear, the seed was passed on through Boaz.

• Still, the conversion of Ruth to the Lord shows what means more to our God (Ruth 1:16, Psalms 51:13,

and Isaiah 1:27).

21. To see Ruth (a Moabite woman) be willing to follow the Lord, what kind of example was Naomi to her?

• She was, by implication, a marvelous example (I Peter 3:1-6).

• Furthermore, she would have led Ruth to be a woman far above other women of the Moabites who

drove the children of Israel to sin (I Kings 11:1-4 and Nehemiah 13:23-27).

Having A Basic Understanding of Some Old Testament Truths
Part 39 – The Book Of Ruth

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