Book of Ruth: A Commentary

The Book of Ruth in the Old Testament is much valued by Jews. It is about a Moabite young woman who elected to join her mother-in-law, who moved back to Bethlehem after ten years in Moab. Ruth promised to follow Naomi's God, and to love Him. Both the women were widows - Naomi was now too old to have children, so held out no hope of finding an husband, Ruth was much younger, so able to bear children. A prince of Israel, a kinsman of Naomi's dead husband, named Boaz, heard about Ruth and her decision to be a full proselyte, and eventually married her, saving her (and Naomi) from a lifetime of menial work in the fields. Thus a former pagan was chosen by God to become great-grandmother to David, and part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.