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Ruth, book of
Ruth, book of A charming OT story, placed between the books of Judges and 1 Sam. as being a bridge between the two epochs in Israelite history—the judges and the monarchy. Ruth, a Moabitess, cared for her widowed mother-in-law Naomi, who in turn was instrumental in finding a husband for Ruth, whose husband had also died. The man chosen was from the tribe of Judah, by name Boaz (Ruth 2: 1), who was prominent and rich. The son born was called Obed (Ruth 4: 17) and was the grandfather of David. Because of the Moabite involvement, it has often been supposed that the book was written as a universalist tract (in the same spirit as Isa. 56: 6–8) in protest against narrow nationalism in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah after the Exile, when intermarriage with foreigners was prohibited (Neh. 13: 23–8). On the other hand, is it likely that at such a time after the Exile someone should deliberately ascribe a foreign ancestry to King David? Thus there is also an opinion that the book should be dated earlier—between the 10th and 8th cents. BCE, and not as late as 400 BCE—and could be a timeless story about vulnerable people in society.
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "Ruth, book of." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "Ruth, book of." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Ruthbookof.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "Ruth, book of." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Ruthbookof.html |
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Ruth, Book of
Ruth, Book of. This OT Book tells the story of Ruth, a Moabitess, who married a Hebrew in Moab. After her husband's death, she returned with her mother-in-law to Judah; Boaz, a kinsman of her former husband, took her under his protection and married her. Though the incident is set in the later days of the Judges (before 1000 BC), the Book is not earlier than the Exile (6th cent. BC). The genealogy at the end (4: 18–22) indicates one of the apparent aims of the author, namely to record the Moabite strain in David's ancestry. Ruth is thus an ancestress of Christ (Mt. 1: 5–16).
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Ruth, Book of." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Ruth, Book of." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-RuthBookof.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Ruth, Book of." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-RuthBookof.html |
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Ruth, Book of
Ruth, Book of. One of the Five Scrolls of the Hebrew Bible. Ruth tells the story of the Moabite Ruth who stays with Naomi, her Israelite mother-in-law, and subsequently meets the prosperous farmer Boaz, a kinsman of her former husband. They make a marriage of redemption and become the ancestors of King David.
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Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "Ruth, Book of." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Ruth, Book of." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-RuthBookof.html JOHN BOWKER. "Ruth, Book of." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-RuthBookof.html |
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