Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Ruth
Ruth is a jewel set in the dark days of the Judges: a quiet story of famine and loss that turns into redemption and joy. A Gentile widow's faith, and the kindness of a kinsman-redeemer named Boaz, place her in the ancestry of David and of Jesus. This commentary walks through it verse by verse.
About This Commentary
Ruth tells how God works redemption through ordinary faithfulness and hidden providence. A famine, a foreign marriage, a widow's loyalty, a wealthy relative's kindness, and the timing of a harvest all weave together into a story of loss redeemed. At its center is Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer who buys back what was lost and takes Ruth as his bride, a living picture of Christ, who redeems those who could never redeem themselves.
This commentary covers Ruth verse by verse, with the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, verified background, and an Apostolic reading. Ruth the Moabitess, an outsider by birth, becomes an ancestor of David and is named in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5), a shining sign that grace was always meant to reach the nations. References are given at the foot of each chapter.
All four chapters of Ruth are now complete, from famine and loss in Moab to the redemption by Boaz and the birth of Obed in the line of David and of the Messiah.
Author
Not named in the book; Jewish tradition associates it with Samuel.
Setting
'In the days when the judges ruled', in Moab and Bethlehem.
Key Theme
The kinsman-redeemer (Boaz), a picture of Christ our Redeemer.
Reach
Ruth the Moabitess in the line of David and of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).
Translation
King James Version (KJV) throughout.
The Chapters
Ruth Commentary
The chapters below are available now. The rest are being written and will open here as they are finished and verified.
Ruth 1:1-22
Your People, Your God
Famine and loss empty a family in Moab, and a Moabite widow named Ruth clings to Naomi and to Naomi's God in one of Scripture's great confessions of faith.
Read Chapter 1 →Ruth 2:1-23
Under Whose Wings Thou Art Come to Trust
Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz, a near kinsman, whose lavish grace to a Gentile stranger, protection, provision, and "handfuls on purpose", pictures the kindness of Christ. Naomi's hope revives: "the man is near of kin unto us," a redeemer.
Read Chapter 2 →Ruth 3:1-18
Spread Thy Skirt Over Thine Handmaid
Naomi seeks rest for Ruth, who at the threshing floor asks Boaz to spread his skirt over her as kinsman-redeemer. He pledges to redeem her lawfully, and Naomi counsels the faith of quietness: "Sit still, until thou know how the matter will fall."
Read Chapter 3 →Ruth 4:1-22
A Kinsman, a Bride, and the Line of David
At the gate the nearer kinsman cannot redeem "lest I mar mine own inheritance," but Boaz buys back the estate and takes Ruth as his bride. A son, Obed, restores Naomi's life, and the book closes revealing him as the grandfather of David, in the line of the Messiah.
Read Chapter 4 →