The Book of Ruth
Four chapters carry Ruth from grief to an unexpected place in King David's family line. In the era of the judges, famine drives Naomi's family from Bethlehem to Moab, where her husband dies and later her two sons. Ruth, the Moabite widow of one son, will not part from Naomi, and the two reach Bethlehem as the barley harvest starts.
The book moves through four scenes: the road back from Moab, the field where Ruth gleans behind the harvesters of Boaz, a night at the threshing floor, and the town gate, where Boaz takes on the duty of a kinsman-redeemer and marries Ruth. It closes with the birth of their son Obed and a short family line that runs to King David. Matthew later names Ruth in the genealogy of Jesus.
Ruth matters because ordinary kindness carries the whole story. There are no battles or prophets, yet readers in many traditions see God at work in the small turns of the plot. The Your Bible App study walks through Ruth in the order the book unfolds, in short, fun rounds that make the story stick.
Key people
Ruth
A Moabite widow who binds herself to Naomi, her people and her God, and becomes the great-grandmother of David.
Naomi
A widow of Bethlehem who goes away full and comes back empty, and ends the book holding a grandson.
Boaz
A respected relative from the clan of Elimelech who shows Ruth kindness in his field and redeems the family land.
Orpah
Naomi's other Moabite daughter-in-law, who turns back to her own people on the road.
Obed
The son born to Ruth and Boaz, who becomes the grandfather of King David.
Themes
Loyal kindness
The Hebrew word hesed, steadfast and loyal love, surfaces at the turning points of the story.
Redemption
A close relative steps in to buy back family land and keep a dead man’s name alive.
Empty to full
Naomi comes back from Moab empty, and the story moves through a full harvest to a newborn son laid in her lap.
The outsider welcomed
A woman from Moab is received into Israel and into the family line of David.
God at work in ordinary life
God is rarely shown acting openly, yet the story presents him as caring for this family through everyday events.
Key verses
But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.”
Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a kinsman-redeemer. May his name become famous in Israel.
Ruth quiz: sample questions
At the start of the book, a man of Bethlehem in Judah leaves home with his wife and sons because of hardship. Where does the opening verse say he went?
- To Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon
- To reside in the land of Moab
- To Nineveh, the great city
- Down to Egypt, to buy grain
- To Haran, to Laban his mother's brother
Show the answer
Answer: To reside in the land of Moab
Why: The opening verse says a famine in the land drove a man of Bethlehem in Judah to go and reside in Moab. The other destinations belong to other stories in Scripture.
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
When Naomi arrives back in Bethlehem, she tells the women of the town to call her by a different name. Which name does she choose, and what reason does she give?
- Rachel, because she weeps for her lost children
- Ichabod, because she says the glory has departed from Israel
- Jerubbaal, because she says a god should contend for her
- Hannah, because she has poured out her soul in grief
- Mara, because she says the Almighty has made her life bitter
Show the answer
Answer: Mara, because she says the Almighty has made her life bitter
Why: Naomi means pleasant, and on her return from Moab she asks to be called Mara, a name tied to bitterness. She says the Almighty has dealt bitterly with her after the loss of her husband and her sons.
“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.
At the threshing floor Boaz measures out barley for Ruth to carry back to Naomi. How much does the book say he gave her?
- Six measures of barley
- Two measures of barley
- Twelve measures of barley
- Twenty measures of barley
- Ten measures of barley
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Answer: Six measures of barley
Why: Boaz poured six measures of barley into Ruth's shawl before she returned to Naomi in the town.
And he told her, “Bring the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured in six measures of barley and placed it on her. Then he went into the city.
At the close of the book the women of Bethlehem bless Naomi. What do they say Ruth is worth to her?
- Worth more to Naomi than ten brothers
- Better to Naomi than two sons
- Worth more to Naomi than twelve servants
- Better to Naomi than three daughters
- Better to Naomi than seven sons
Show the answer
Answer: Better to Naomi than seven sons
Why: The women tell Naomi that her daughter-in-law, who loves her and has borne a son, is better to her than seven sons.
He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
Frequently asked questions
What is the main message of the book of Ruth?
Ruth shows loyal kindness at work in an ordinary family and hope rising out of loss. It also traces the family line that leads to King David.
Who wrote the book of Ruth?
The book does not name its author. Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud credits Samuel, while many scholars treat the author as unknown and debate when it was written.
How long does it take to read Ruth?
Ruth is one of the shortest books in the Bible. Most readers finish it in a single sitting.
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