Ruth: A Migrant's Tale

The Book of Ruth is a four-chapter account in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) of the great-grandmother of David. This book summarizes the story and provides insights into its application over the years regarding converts, Jewish spiritual beliefs, art, and other contexts. 

The book starts with a summary of Ruth's story. The biblical account briefly explains why a Jewish family was in pagan territory:

In the days when the judges ruled, there was famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, with his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 

The family spends about ten years in Moab. The sons married Moabite wives. Ruth tells this without comment even though Jewish scriptures have a strong opposition to intermarriage, especially with Moabities. There is some suggestion from biblical texts that Israel and Moab had a peaceful relationship from time to time. But, there were also red flags. 

Genesis tells us Lot's daughters (after the family escaped Sodom and Gomorrah, the mother looking back and turning into a pillar of salt) got their father drunk to continue their line. From this arose the people of Moab. A people who did not follow the Jewish god with that sort of origin would not be ideal marriage material.  

Many would be interested in the details left out of the brief introduction before we were told the women were on the way back to Judah after the men had died. But, the Bible has many of these "lacunae." 

Fried Green Tomatoes shows the closeness of two women by having one named Ruth. She sends a letter to her future companion's family:

It's an obituary... oh no, honey, Ruth's mother died. And this is from the Bible, it's from the Book of Ruth. And Ruth said: "Whither thou goest, I will go. Where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people."

Ruth says this to Naomi, her Jewish mother-in-law after Naomi suggests her daughter-in-laws return to their people. Ruth adopted Naomi's people.  One does. Ruth sticks with Naomi. Her kindness and loyalty make her a "woman of valor" (Proverbs 31). 

Ruth's adoption of Naomi's ways later made her a symbol of converts to Judaism.  Her travels helped make her a symbol of the spirit of God found among the Jews in exile. She left her homeland to a foreign country like the Jews of the diaspora. 

A film version and some Jewish commentaries add more backstory. But, we do not know about Ruth's earlier life. Did she worship Moabite gods before this moment? Was Naomi and her husband upset that their children married foreign wives?  Was there something notable about Ruth's family?

The book explains how Ruth "gleaned" the remnants of the harvest. The poor and migrants had a right to the remainder of the harvest. This provides further symbolism, in poetry and art, with a pastoral theme. 

The symbolism found in names is shown by them being in Bethlehem ("house of bread"). It was Boaz's field, a well-off kinsman of Naomi.

Boaz is impressed with Ruth and treats her kindly. Naomi arranges for Ruth to meet up with Boaz on the threshing room floor, which has some erotic implications. Boaz was able to "redeem" the family line, first arranging with a closer relative to agree to give up their rights. Thus, things end happily, and we learn she is ultimately the ancestor of King David. 

The story of Ruth might explain why David has Moabite relations. If David did have some Moabite heritage, it would be suspicious given the problems between the two peoples. If his great-grandmother was a woman of valor and all, it might be okay!  

We are later told (working off the final version of the Bible) that he sent his parents to Moab for protection. The link provides more information about how Moab and Israel had a complicated relationship.  

Matthew later includes Ruth as one of the women referenced in his genealogy of Jesus.  Luke's genealogy leaves out the women. 

A Migrant's Tale could have provided more backstory regarding Ruth's Moabite origins. Otherwise, the summary of the biblical book was interesting. I was not as interested in reading the other discussions though did read the chapter on how Ruth later symbolized converts to Judaism.  

Ruth is a touching story with many intriguing parts. It is particularly a story about women, including women who show agency in their lives. When Matthew does not even mention Solomon's mother by name, the very fact he uses her name is notable. 

It also shows how Jewish beliefs honor the needs of migrants (for they were once strangers in Israel!)  and how outsiders can become insiders.  

Ruth also provides further insights into a different time, including a form of a ritual involving a sandal referenced in Loving Leah. I agree that the film is excellent (I watched it over three times) and I'm not even Jewish (though my name is Jewish-friendly!).