RUTH.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE.
A  1-16. ELIMELECH'S FAMILY. THE DEPRESSION.
B 1:19-22. SYMPATHY WITH NAOMI, IN GRIEF.
C 2:1-22. BOAZ AND RUTH.
C 3:1-4:13. RUTH AND BOAZ.
B 4:14-17. SYMPATHY WITH NAOMI, IN JOY.
A 4:18-22. ELIMELECH'S FAMILY, THE UPLIFTING.

  For this books place in the Hebrew cannon see The Structure of the Books of the Old Testament According to the Hebrew Scriptures.. The second of the five Megilloth, or Scrolls. Read at the feast of Pentecost. Their order determined by the order of the feasts. Written as being necessary for the link in affords in the Genealogy of David and Christ "the son of David", Matt. 1:5-16. Placed in the Cannon after Judges by the Sept. Followed by all the versions.

  The two books with names of women: Ruth, a Gentile, marries a Hebrew husband; Ester, a Jewess, marries a Gentile husband. Two tokens that Gentiles, as such, were to be blessed only through Abraham's seed, according to Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 26:4. Ps. 72:17. Acts 3:25.

THE

BOOK OF RUTH.

1:1-18. ELIMELECH'S FAMILY. THE DEPRESSION.
A  A1  1-3. Departure from Beth-lehem.
     B1  4,5. Daughter-in-law. Bereavement.
   A2  6,7. Departure from Beth-lehem.
     B2  8-18. Daughters-in-law. Colloquy.

about 1336 B.C.
Ruth 1)

1 Now it came to pass in the days (Occurs 5 times. Always denotes impending trouble, followed by happy deliverance. Cp. Gen. 14:1. Est. 1:1. Isa. 7:1. Jer. 1:3.) when the judges ruled (doubtless, in the early days, before the sin of Judg. 1 developed the later internal disorders, and outward oppressions.), that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 And the name of the man was Elimelech (= My God is king), and the name of his wife Naomi (= My pleasant one), and the name of his two sons Mahlon (= sick) and Chilion (= pining), Ephrathites (Ephrath was the ancient name of Bethlehem, where Rachael was buried [Gen. 35:19; 48:7]) of Bethlehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab (Canaanitish wives forbidden [Deut. 7:3], but not Moabitish wives; though a Moabite man might not enter the congregation of Yehovah. See Deut. 23:3]); the name of the one was Orpah (= fawn), and the name of the other Ruth (= beauty. Wife of Mahon the elder): and they dwelled there about ten years.
1336-1326 B.C.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left survivor of her two sons and her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab (this was in 1326 B.C., the year before the second jubilee 1325-1324): for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD (Yehovah) had visited his people in giving them bread.
7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

8-18. DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW. COLLOQUY.
B2  a1  8,9-. Advice to leave her.
      b2  -9,10. Reception. Refusal of both.
    a2  11-13. Advice to leave her.
      b2  14. Reception. Refusal of Ruth.
    a3  15. Advice to leave her.
      b3  16-18. Reception. Resolve of Ruth.

8 And Naomi said to her two daughters in law, "Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, according as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 The LORD grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them;

and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 And they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people." (This liberty was allowed by the laws of Khammurabi, see Gen. 16:3)

11 And Naomi said, "Turn again, my daughters: why will you go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should have said, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13 Would you tarry for them till they were grown? would you stay for them from having husbands? no, my daughters; for it grieves me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me."

14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clove to her.
15 And she said, "Behold, your sister in law is gone back to her people, and to her gods: return you after you sister in law."

16 And Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you: for wherever you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge: your people shall be my people, and your God my God: (Elohim)
17 Where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part you and me."
18 When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking to her.

19-22. SYMPATHY WITH NAOMI. IN GRIEF.
B  C  19-. Bethlehem. Arrival.
    D  -19. Sympathy given.
    D  20,21. Sympathy rejected.
   C  22. Bethlehem.

19 So those two went until they came to Bethlehem. (= house of bread)

And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, "Is this Naomi?"

20 And she said to them (she was addressing the women), "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty (Shaddai) has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went out full and the LORD has brought me home again empty: why then call do you me Naomi, seeing the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. (Therefore at the Passover)

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