Moore, M. S. (2012). Ruth. In W. W. Gasque, R. L. Hubbard Jr., & R. K. Johnston (Eds.), Joshua, Judges, Ruth (p. 293-299). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
Later Jewish tradition states that Samuel was the author (Baba Bathra, 14b). However, this has been questioned because Samuel died before David became king (1 Sam. 28:3). At the same time, Ruth never states that David was the king (Ruth 4:22), so Samuel’s authorship cannot be ruled out. Like Judges (see “Introduction to Judges”), Ruth was probably written around the time of Samuel—perhaps by one of his disciples.
The book of Ruth carries many similarities with the final chapters of the book of Judges (chs.17-21). Only in Ruth, the tables are turned: Instead of a young woman being brutalized, she is cared for and married; instead of the nation falling apart because of the brutalization of a young man, the nation is brought together in the person of David (Ruth 4:17, 22). Therefore, whoever wrote Ruth seems to be showing a literary and historical connection between the despair under the judges and the hope under the new king.
Ruth mentions David by name in the final verse of the book (Ruth 4:17, 22). Since this is a genealogy, the book must be dated to during or after the time of David (~1,000 BC).
Critics date the book to as late as the 6th century BC. This late date is largely influenced by the JEDP theory (see “Authorship of the Pentateuch”). Boaz marries a foreign woman which is precluded by Deuteronomy 25. Since critics date Deuteronomy late, they feel it necessary to date Ruth late as well—perhaps just before the time of Josiah’s reform. However, several elements of the book fit quite well with a much earlier dating:
Levirate marriage was common in the ancient Near East, which have been verified from the Nuzi tablets. One account is of a father who was arranging a marriage for his son, and he specifies that if his son dies, then the woman would marry one of his other sons.
The passing of a “sandal” to verify a contract (Ruth 4:7) is attested in the Nuzi tablets.
Furthermore, the fact that David’s great-grand mother was a Moabitess is implicit evidence that the story is not fictional—namely, why would a Hebrew storyteller invent such an outrageous concept? The historical principle of embarrassment would apply to this detail, which is the crescendo of the book.
Critics were once confident that Ruth’s use of Aramaisms must imply a late-dating of the book. However, more recently, scholars have recognized that Aramaic dates to far earlier than was once thought. Moreover, the language of Ruth doesn’t match the Hebrew used in Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, or Chronicles, which implies an early date.
Boaz shows many similarities with Jesus. Based on this, many interpreters see him as a “type” or foreshadowing of Christ.
Requirement | Fulfillment in Christ |
Be a blood relative | Christ born of a woman |
Be able to purchase forfeited inheritance | Christ had the merit to pay the price for sinners |
Be willing to buy back the forfeited inheritance | Christ willingly laid down His life |
Be willing to marry the wife of the deceased kinsman | The Church, as the Bride of Christ |
However, we feel that we should show hermeneutical restraint on this point. Since the NT authors never make this connection, we are reticent to come to this conclusion.
(1) God is sovereign over history—even when we cannot see it. Like the biblical figures of Esther and Joseph, Ruth just so happens to be at the right place, at the right time. During the time of the Judges, it appears that God is relatively inactive. One might wonder what he was doing. On one level, this book is a short story about a romance between Ruth and Boaz. However, at the end of the book, we discover that their marriage brings about the most important king in Israel’s history: King David. David pulls Israel out of this time of chaos and anarchy. Therefore, even though it doesn’t appear that God is doing a whole lot during this time, we find that his attention to this half Moabite woman becomes incredibly important for her well-being and for the nation of Israel. Michael S. Moore writes, “The book of Ruth is a bright light in a dark world.”
(2) God helps and heals the least likely people. Ruth was a Moabitess, who would’ve ordinarily been despised by the people of Israel. But God saw her faith and blessed her despite these cultural barriers. As Leviticus states, “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” (Lev. 19:34).
(3) God uses the least likely people to fulfill his purposes. Without Ruth, we wouldn’t have King David. Without David, the nation of Israel would have stayed in moral anarchy.
Moore, M. S. (2012). Ruth. In W. W. Gasque, R. L. Hubbard Jr., & R. K. Johnston (Eds.), Joshua, Judges, Ruth (p. 293-299). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
See Archer for a fuller explanation and refutation of this thesis. Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A survey of Old Testament introduction (3rd. ed., p. 307). Chicago: Moody Press.
See footnote. Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A survey of Old Testament introduction (3rd. ed., p. 308). Chicago: Moody Press.
See footnote. Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A survey of Old Testament introduction (3rd. ed., p. 308). Chicago: Moody Press.
Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A survey of Old Testament introduction (3rd. ed., p. 308). Chicago: Moody Press.
Mark Rooker writes, “Scholars early in the twentieth century tended to view alleged Aramaisms as evidence of late writing. This line of argument has weakened considerably because of the fact that the Aramaic language and influence was operative earlier in the biblical period than was once assumed.” Merrill, Eugene H., Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2011), 300.
Merrill, Eugene H., Mark F. Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2011), 303.
Archer, G., Jr. (1994). A survey of Old Testament introduction (3rd. ed., p. 308). Chicago: Moody Press.
Moore, M. S. (2012). Ruth. In W. W. Gasque, R. L. Hubbard Jr., & R. K. Johnston (Eds.), Joshua, Judges, Ruth (p. 293). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
