King James Version
Ruth
Ruth in the King James Version (1769), public domain in the United States.
Background and History
The chapters above are the King James text. This essay is the setting of Ruth: who is said to have written it, when and where, what happens in it, and how the text has been copied.
At a Glance
| Author | Samuel, in the Talmud. The book is anonymous. Critical scholars date it variously, some to the Persian period. |
|---|---|
| Date | Traditional 1011–931 BC, during or after David’s reign. Some critical scholars date it about 500–400 BC. |
| Place written | Not stated. The setting is Bethlehem, West Bank, and Moab, in modern Jordan. |
| Genre | A short narrative of loyalty and redemption. |
| Chapters | 4 |
| Verses | 85 in the King James Version |
| Key verse | Ruth 1:16Ruth 1:16 · King James VersionAnd Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:Ruth 1:16 · King James VersionOpen the Source |
Who Wrote It
The book is anonymous. It ends with the genealogy of David in Ruth 4:17–22Ruth 4:17–22 · King James Version4:17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
4:18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
4:19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
4:20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
4:21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
4:22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Ruth 4:17–22 · King James VersionOpen the Source (1), so it was written no earlier than David’s time. The Talmud in Bava Batra 14b says Samuel wrote it. (2) Since Samuel died before David became king, scholars who accept the tradition often say Samuel wrote the story and the genealogy was added. Critical scholars who date it after the exile read it as a response to the bans on foreign marriage in Ezra 10. Others point to its classical Hebrew style for an earlier date.
Who It Is Not
Ruth and Naomi are the main characters, not the authors.
When and Where
Bible Gateway gives 1011–931 BC, likely during David’s reign. (4) Ruth 1:1Ruth 1:1 · King James VersionNow it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
Ruth 1:1 · King James VersionOpen the Source (1) sets the story in the days when the judges ruled.
Audience and Setting
Israel under or after David. The purpose is to show God’s providence and the loyalty that brought a Moabite woman into David’s line.
Rulers at the Time
The story is set when the judges ruled. The genealogy ends with David, in Ruth 4:22Ruth 4:22 · King James VersionAnd Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Ruth 4:22 · King James VersionOpen the Source. This page does not print reign dates.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Famine and loss | Ruth 1 |
| Gleaning | Ruth 2 |
| Threshing floor | Ruth 3 |
| Redemption and genealogy | Ruth 4 |
| Composition | 1011–931 BC in one survey. (4) |
Places in This Book
| Ancient name | Modern-day location | References |
|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | Bethlehem, West Bank. | Ruth 1:1Ruth 1:1 · King James VersionNow it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.Ruth 1:1 · King James VersionOpen the Source |
| Moab | The plateau east of the Dead Sea, in modern Jordan. | Ruth 1:1Ruth 1:1 · King James VersionNow it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.Ruth 1:1 · King James VersionOpen the Source |
What Is Happening
Ruth 1 tells of famine, death, and Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi. Ruth 2 is gleaning in Boaz’s field. Ruth 3 is the night at the threshing floor. Ruth 4 is the redemption and the line to David.
Key Themes
Loyal love in Ruth 1:16–17Ruth 1:16–17 · King James Version1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Ruth 1:16–17 · King James VersionOpen the Source. The kinsman-redeemer in Ruth 3:9Ruth 3:9 · King James VersionAnd he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
Ruth 3:9 · King James VersionOpen the Source. God’s inclusion of Gentiles.
Apologetics Questions
Readers ask whether the threshing floor scene in Ruth 3 implies impropriety. The text presents Boaz as righteous and the request as one for marriage. Ruth’s place in the Hebrew canon among the Writings, rather than after Judges, is noted in Bava Batra 14b. (2)
How the Book Points to Christ
Ruth is an ancestor of Jesus in Matthew 1:5Matthew 1:5 · King James VersionAnd Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
Matthew 1:5 · King James VersionOpen the Source. Boaz as kinsman-redeemer is read as a picture of Christ who redeems. Jesus is God.
Text and Manuscripts
Ruth is among the books found at Qumran. (5)
Canon Reception
Never disputed. Josephus’s count of twenty-two is often explained by joining Ruth to Judges. (3)
Further Reading
References
- Book of Ruth, 1:1; 4:17–22Ruth 1:1 · King James Version
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
Ruth 1:1 · King James VersionOpen the Source. King James Version - Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b, 14b (The English on Sefaria is the William Davidson edition, which is copyrighted. This page paraphrases it and does not reprint it. The baraita gives the order of the Prophets and the Writings and asks who wrote each book.)
- Against Apion, 1.8Josephus, Against Apion 1.8 · William Whiston
For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from, and contradicting one another: [as the Greeks have:] but only twenty two books: which contain the records of all the past times: which are justly believed to be divine. And of them five belong to Moses: which contain his laws, and the traditions of the origin of mankind, till his death.
Josephus, Against Apion 1.8 · William WhistonOpen the Source (Flavius Josephus, Against Apion 1.8, translated by William Whiston. Josephus counts twenty-two books: five of Moses, thirteen of the prophets from Moses to Artaxerxes, and four of hymns and precepts.) - When Was Each Book of the Bible Written?, Ruth (Jacob Edson, Bible Gateway, 16 September 2024. The survey gives Ruth as 1011–931 BC (likely during reign of David). It is one editor’s approximation, not a manuscript date.)
- Dead Sea Scrolls, introduction, Biblical manuscriptsDead Sea Scrolls, biblical manuscripts · Israel Antiquities Authority
Among the Scrolls are partial or complete copies of every book in the Hebrew Bible (except the book of Esther).
Dead Sea Scrolls, biblical manuscripts · Israel Antiquities AuthorityOpen the Source (Israel Antiquities Authority. Biblical manuscripts from the Qumran caves date from the third century BC into the first century AD, and every book of the Hebrew Bible except Esther is represented.)
The King James Version (1769) is in the public domain in the United States.