JUSTIN JACKSON
Introduction
“Where’s my Red Sea moment?” “Why can’t God do something like He did in Exodus in my life?” Sometimes when we read the Bible, the miraculous works of God (like parting the Red Sea to deliver His people) don’t always track with the mundane experiences of our lives. In Exodus, God’s people walk through water, see a pillar of fire protecting them, and receive mysterious manna as their daily bread. For me, it’s different. In place of Red Sea redemptions, I get commutes, emails, a mortgage, taxes, messy dinners with little kids, discipleship meetings, and a host of other things that fill my days. The Bible is so chock-full of the miraculous, how can it help me with a life that is–well–less than miraculous and more on the mundane side of things?
This is why the Book of Ruth is so important. Ruth is God’s gift to His people, reminding them that His “big” redemptive moments do not always happen in big, miraculous ways. Redemption marches forward even in mundane, unremarkable moments. While it may not seem like anything big is happening, an Exodus-like redemption is unfolding in and through the lives of ordinary, boring people who lead ordinary, humdrum lives.
Ruth gives us no super-villain Pharaohs. No Nile Rivers turn into blood, no mountains shake and quake as the voice of God booms in the clouds, and no bread falls from Heaven. In Ruth, everything is pretty normal. In place of characters like Moses and Aaron, who can and work wonders, we get two widows and an old farmer named Boaz. Still, without all the miraculous bells and whistles found in Exodus, the book of Ruth tells the story of an Exodus-like redemption. In Exodus, redemption is overt, while in Ruth it’s more covert–but it’s still a redemption on par with the one we find in Exodus. God, in His glory, buried Exodus treasure in Ruth, and it’s the glory of the preacher to dig it up and put it on display for the church to see.
As a young pastor, who was struck by the mundaneness of what real ministry looked like, Ruth was a powerful encouragement. At the small church I was serving, nothing happened quickly, and when it did, it was pretty ordinary. Sure, God was working, but on a typical Monday, it felt like God’s hand was hidden and His work frustratingly slow. Ruth gave me a message I desperately needed to hear. God is working out His extraordinary plan in ordinary moments, and just because I don’t see a Red Sea split in half doesn’t mean Exodus-sized redemption isn’t happening. In fact, the sweetest redemptions are the ones we can’t see as they’re unfolding.
Preaching Outline
There are a number of ways you can outline Ruth. I’ll provide an outline for a longer series and then one for a shorter series.
Seven Mile Road (Pastor Ajay Thomas, 2015): “Redeeming Love”
- Naomi’s Suffering & Lament (Ruth 1:1–5)
- Redeeming the Widow & the Barren (Ruth 1:1–5)
- Ruth’s Vow (Ruth 1:6–18)
- Ruth & Naomi as In-laws (Ruth 1:19–22)
- God’s Providence (Ruth 2:1–3)
- Redeeming Love (Ruth 2:4–13)
- Boaz the Man (Ruth 2:14–16)
- Ruth the Woman (Ruth 2:17–23)
- Ruth & Boaz (Ruth 3:1–18)
- The Redeemer (Ruth 4:1–12)
- Redeemed (Ruth 4:13–22)
Stonegate Church (Pastor Justin Jackson, 2025)
I’ve taught Ruth in several settings, including a sermon series at my former church and a new Bible study at Stonegate. I recommend a five-part sermon series outline that follows the location changes.
- In Moab: Bitterness (Ruth 1)
- In Bethlehem: Sovereign Serendipity (Ruth 2)
- At the Threshing Floor: A Midnight Redemption (Ruth 3)
- At the City Gate: From Empty to Full (Ruth 4:1–17)
- The Genealogy: A Story Within the Bigger Story (Ruth 4:18–22)
Key Themes
God’s Hidden Hand and Sovereign Serendipities
Unlike most narrative-style books of the Old Testament, God is a silent character in the book of Ruth. God’s direct action is mentioned only twice in the whole book (not counting Naomi’s accusations that the Almighty has dealt bitterly with her). The first mention of God’s hand is in 1:6, “the LORD had visited His people and given them food,” and the second is found in 1:13, “the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.” Other than that, God’s hand and movements are inconspicuous and invisible, but “invisible” doesn’t mean absent or non-existent. Ruth shows us that even as a silent, backstage character, God is the main character, the primary mover. By analogy, when you read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, a subtle disappointment sets in. Sherlock Holmes the main character–is nowhere in the story! It’s all about Watson, and some stranger who lurks in the swampy marshes near the mansion. It’s not till the end of the story that you find out that Sherlock Holmes was there the whole time. He was “hidden in plain sight”–conspicuously inconspicuous. In the same way, Ruth hides the hand of God, and it’s not until the end and with a second reading that you see His subtle, silent movements throughout the narrative.
For example, while God’s not mentioned in Ruth 2, Ruth “happens” (qrh) or “chances” upon Boaz’s field, and “behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem.” It’s a serendipity better than even the best Hallmark movie can contrive. Ruth “just so happens” to stumble, accidentally, into her future husband’s field. It’s serendipitous, but it’s too serendipitous to be random. It’s sovereign serendipity. It looks completely random and maybe even accidental from an on-the-ground perspective, but from a heavenly perspective, it’s anything but accidental. God’s hidden hand moves as Ruth’s feet stumble into the field of redemption. As Ronald Hals argues, “The labeling of Ruth’s meeting with Boaz as ‘chance’ is nothing more than the author’s way of saying that no human intent was involved. For Ruth and Boaz, it was an accident, but not for God. The tenor of the whole story makes it clear that the narrator sees God’s hand throughout.”[1]
The same can be said for when Boaz goes to look for the kinsman who is next in line to redeem Elimelech’s land. Finding the man, gathering the elders, and assembling a group of witnesses so that a transaction could happen was no small task, and could have easily taken days to get everything in place. In Ruth, the whole thing happens quickly: “Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by” (4:1). Here, the word “behold” (hinneh) expresses “surprise” but it also gives a head nod to the silent hand of God. Abraham’s servant was sitting by a well, praying, when “behold,” Rebekah came out to water his camels (Genesis 24). Jacob was coming to visit Laban when “behold,” Rachel came walking toward the well with the sheep (Genesis 29). Just as God orchestrated events in such a way that “behold,” Isaac gets a wife and Jacob meets Rachel, so God secretly worked so that Boaz would have a wife by the end of the story.
Ruth capitalizes on the hidden hand of God theme through these “sovereign serendipities,” and shows us that just because we don’t see God working doesn’t mean He’s not there, moving things along according to His plan. In the Bible, God sometimes speaks and tells people to go from one place to another. He sometimes shakes mountains and causes fiery hail to fall from the sky. Still, that is not the only way He works. He also works through famines, the death of a husband, the sadness that drives a widow back to her homeland, the seemingly accidental meetings that lead to a marriage, and a marriage between two ordinary people that subtly progresses the messianic lineage closer to King Jesus.
Exodus-Like Redemption
Let me tell you the story about a group of people who were driven out of the Promised Land due to a famine. They flee and sojourn (gwr) in a foreign land, where life becomes even more difficult. During their time there, Hebrew little boys (yeled) die, leading to great bitterness (mara). Over time they “go out” (ys’) and embark on a journey to “return” (swb) to the Promised Land. To survive, they glean and gather their food from the ground. They “eat and are satisfied.” As they come into the land, their “redeemer” (goel) “redeems (g’l) and acquires (qnh) them” to become His people and spreads His “wing” (kānāp) over them in a marriage-like covenant. The result is that the once bitter people are given an inheritance, and their emptiness is filled. If this little synopsis reminds you of the original Exodus, there’s a reason. All these words are found in connection with the Exodus narrative. However, this description also fits the book of Ruth.
The Hebrew author’s language is deliberately crafted to make you think, “Exodus.” It’s a strange move to describe married men as “lads” (yeled)–unless the author is making a subtle connection to the Hebrew “lads” who died during Israel’s sojourn in Egypt. It’s odd that he would describe Ruth as “the one who returned” (hašabah) when there’s no indication she had ever been to Israel–unless he’s using the word “return” as a thematic tie linking Ruth’s “exodus from Moab” to the original exodus.[2] Above all, the strangest move is to say that Boaz “redeemed” and “acquired” (i.e., bought) Ruth to become his bride. Nowhere else in the Hebrew Tanakh is the word “acquire” used in the context of marrying a woman.[3]
By all accounts, it’s weird for an author to use the word “acquire” in the way Ruth’s author does. That is, until we see that the author is using “redeem” and “acquire” together to form an intentional “word-pairing.” Word-pairing is a literary technique that pairs two words together to evoke a specific connotation. For example, when paired together, the words “work” (‘abad) and “keep” (šmr) carry a priestly or temple connotation. The priests “work and keep” the temple in the same way that Adam and his bride “worked and kept” Eden. This pairing links Eden with the temple and the temple to Eden, so that when you think of one, you will also think of the other.
That’s what Ruth’s author is doing when he pairs the words “redeem” and “acquire” together in chapter 4. The only times you find these two words, “redeem” and “acquire” linked together are in passages that speak of the Exodus. Outside of Ruth, “redeem and acquire” is found in Exodus 15:13–17 and Psalm 74:2, both of which describe the original Exodus from Egypt.
It’s as if the Hebrew author is “wordsmithing” his narrative to give it a deliberate Exodus sound. The question is, why? While it’s not clear why, I believe it’s to show that Exodus-like redemptions do not come only through big, miraculous, Red Sea-splitting moments. God can also accomplish exoduses through the mundane moments in His people’s lives. Sometimes God’s work shouts an Exodus redemption, and at other times, Exodus redemption comes in a soft whisper. Overt or inconspicuous, miraculous or mundane, earth-shaking or ordinary, God is working an Exodus-style redemption for all His people.
Abrahamic Faith and Blessing
Abrahamic faith and blessing is another important theme. In many ways, Ruth is a female Abraham. Like Abraham, she leaves her “father’s house” and her “native land” (Ruth 2:11) to come to a “people she did not know.” Reg Grant writes, “[The author’s] wording in 2:11 is so close to the wording of Genesis 12:1 as to make the connection with Abraham unmistakable.”[4] Robert Alter adds, “It is a woman, and a Moabite, who reenacts Abraham’s long trek from the east to Canaan. She will become a founding mother of the nation as he was the founding father.”[5]
Even Ruth’s statement, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16) sounds like the covenantal formula associated with Abraham and the Patriarchs: “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God” (see Genesis 17:7 and Exodus 6:7). It’s as if Ruth is taking up the promise given to Abraham’s family and applying it to herself.
There are other ways the book of Ruth subtly compares Ruth the Moabite to the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of Israel. For example, like Sarai, Rebekah, and Rachel, Ruth was once barren–a detail shared by all the early matriarchs of Israel. She was married to Mahlon for ten years without having any kids. When God gives Ruth conception, we should immediately be thinking about the connection with the Genesis narratives. As Hubbard writes, “The divine gift of conception recalls the unique experiences of Israel’s early mothers, especially Rachel and Leah, and linked Ruth to them.”[6] This helps explain why the people bless Boaz and Ruth’s marriage by saying, “May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel” (Ruth 4:11, emphasis added).
Again, why would the author go to such great lengths to connect Ruth with Abraham and the patriarchs? I believe it stems from the theme of God working in and through ordinary people. By faith, a Gentile like Ruth can follow the footsteps of Abraham and receive the blessing promised to his family. By faith, a Moabite widow can grow to become like the matriarchs of Israel. Just as God’s extraordinary redemption can progress through ordinary moments, so also His extraordinary redemption can extend through ordinary people.
Problem Passages
The Threshing Floor (Ruth 3)
Some aspects of Ruth may seem odd to modern readers. For example, what in the world is Naomi suggesting Ruth do in Ruth 3? And what happened on the threshing floor? Did Boaz and Ruth commit adultery?
In Ruth 3, Naomi asks, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor” (v. 1). Naomi then instructs Ruth to “wash” and “anoint herself” and go to him on the threshing floor. For any reader, Naomi’s instructions are suspect. Is Naomi telling Ruth to seduce Boaz? It’s certainly possible that was Naomi’s intent, but it’s highly unlikely that Ruth sexualized the threshing floor moment.
Many commentators suggest that “uncovering Boaz’s feet” is an ancient sexual euphemism. While it certainly may be true that feet may have at times carried sexual connotations, it’s a step too far to say that it always means sex. Our over-sexualized culture is far too happy to read euphemism into any narrative, and in this case, it’s an unnecessary reading into the text. Worse, this interpretation unjustly defames the character of our protagonists.
It’s difficult to see how Boaz can call Ruth a “worthy woman” (“worthy” refers to someone of noble character) if she’s seducing him into adultery. The entire Bible, particularly Proverbs, would balk at the idea of a worthy person employing such tactics. Furthermore, Boaz, who is also referred to as “worthy,” shows that his greatest concern is to do the right thing. He fulfills justice by allowing gleaners to glean, kindness by giving more than what’s required, preventing oppression from happening in his field, and refusing to marry Ruth without first confronting the nearer kinsman redeemer. At the end of Ruth 3, Boaz shows incredible concern for Ruth’s reputation. He goes to great lengths to make sure no one inappropriately misjudges Ruth’s character for coming to Boaz at night (which makes all the overly sexualized interpretations out there pretty ironic). Boaz committing adultery with Ruth on the threshing floor would be a massive breach of character, and an unexpected one at that, seeing how Boaz’s character guides everything else he does in the narrative. In that light, it’s best for interpreters not to read too much into the text, especially when there’s nothing there.
In this case, “feet” means feet. Ruth uncovers Boaz’s feet, which means she basically steals his blanket. Boaz “shudders” (hrd) awake–it’s cold and his blanket’s fallen off. When he finds Ruth at his feet, he asks who she is, and she responds by saying, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer” (3:10). It’s important to note that the corner of an eligible bachelor’s robe is called a kanaf (or a “wing”), and in marriage, the man covers the woman with the corner of his kanaf as a symbol of her coming “under his wing” for provision and protection. By removing Boaz’s kanaf and lying down next to it, it’s as if Ruth placed a wedding ring on his nightstand to give the man a clear hint at what she’s after. She’s not looking for sex. She’s looking for marriage. Even more specifically, she’s looking for redemption.
Cultural Distance
In addition to Naomi’s strange instructions, modern readers may also struggle with the unique cultural differences. There’s so much cultural distance between the modern world and the ancient Near East that many people will struggle to understand some aspects of the story. In a world of life insurance policies and social security systems, people need preachers to paint a picture of Ruth and Naomi’s difficulty. When preaching about Ruth, it’s crucial not to assume your listeners are familiar with concepts like gleaning or kinsman redemption.
Kinsman redemption is such an “old-world” concept that most people today will struggle to understand it. Why couldn’t Boaz just marry Ruth? Why did he need to go through all that trouble with the other redeemer? Space doesn’t permit a detailed explanation for all nuances found in Ruth’s compilation of the Kinsman Redeemer and inheritance laws. Suffice it to say that if you preach through Ruth, you will want to spend at least a little time framing what a kinsman-redeemer (go’el) is and what role it plays in the book of Ruth.
Most modern readers who are unfamiliar with ancient Near Eastern culture will likely be scratching their heads in Ruth 4 when the nearer kinsman removes his sandal and gives it to Boaz. In our context, we don’t typically exchange shoes when we purchase a new home, so what’s going on?
Scholars are not entirely sure why or how the shoe-exchange action started, but Ruth’s author makes it clear that it was “to confirm a transaction” (4:7). I’ll give you my theory, but first we need to revisit what was expected of this nearer kinsman. In Ruth, kinsman redemption and land inheritance are interlocking themes.
In the Old Testament, the laws of kinsmen redemption were intended to remind Israel of Yahweh’s role as their redeemer. Just as God redeemed vulnerable Israel, the kinsman redeemer steps in to help his relative’s vulnerable widow. When Boaz first approaches the nearer kinsman about acquiring the land, the man is willing to make the purchase. However, when he finds out that the land comes with a widow, he retracts: “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it” (4:6).
The order of events is important in displaying the quality (or in this case, the lack of quality) of the nearer redeemer. When the man thought he was about to grow his assets, he was more than willing to act and acquire the land, but the moment he realized he’d have to sacrifice his own assets to redeem Ruth, he backed out. He was more than happy to be the beneficiary of a wealthy relative, but he was unwilling to be the benefactor for a vulnerable widow. His choice was inherently selfish, which is why the Hebrew author does not bother to include the failed redeemer’s name. He is “Mr. So-and-So,” who, because of his failure to act faithfully, does not deserve to be remembered.
The shoe exchange marks a transaction, but it also symbolizes the failed redeemer’s loss of inheritance. In the Pentateuch and ancient Near Eastern contexts in general, where a person walked, symbolized ownership.[7] In Genesis 13:17, Abraham was commanded to “walk through the length and breadth of the land,” symbolically taking possession of it. Wherever Abraham’s feet walked, there was his inheritance (cf. Deuteronomy 11:34). As “Mr. So-and-So” hands over his sandal, he symbolically hands over his right to claim the land and fails to make it his own as his ancestors had done. He is faithless and selfish, and therefore, in LaCocque’s words, he is “dispossessed” of his relative’s inheritance.[8] So, the sandal exchange signifies a business transaction, but it also symbolizes a spiritual dispossession because of the man’s faithless action.
It will take a bit of explanation to help your people understand what’s happening in the sandal exchange, but the point is powerful. God has called us to be little-r “redeemers” who model him, the capital-R “Redeemer.” In our lives, we have the opportunity to rehearse microcosmic redemptions that point to the greater redemption that Yahweh accomplishes for His people. The failed redeemer failed to model Yahweh faithfully, and yet, praise God for faithful redeemers like Boaz, who are not afraid to sacrifice for the sake of another’s redemption.
Preaching Christ from the Book
Boaz and the Preview of the Ideal Davidic King
While the word “king” is found nowhere in Ruth, the theme subtly overshadows the narrative. For one thing, the author is careful to link the events that occurred in Ruth and Naomi’s lives with the birth of David. Also, the author subtly hints at the theme of kingship through Boaz.
Boaz is an Israelite par excellence, but he also carries many of the attributes that will be expected of future Davidic kings. Boaz is an early preview of what faithful Davidic kings will be like. Psalm 72 associates justice and kindness with the Davidic King’s reign. The King gives justice to the poor, shows compassion to the needy, and “redeems” their lives. He blesses people, and people call him blessed. Boaz previews the Davidic King by proving himself to be a man of justice, allowing the poor to glean (Psalm 72:2), lavishing kindness on the needy (telling his reapers to leave behind entire sheaves of barley), ensuring his fields remain free from oppressors (cf. Ruth 2:8 and Psalm 72:4), and redeeming the needy. Boaz’s field is a miniature model of the Davidic Kingdom that’s to come with the rise of the royal Son–a kingdom where the poor receive justice, the needy receive overwhelming kindness, oppressors are crushed, and redemption is accomplished.
By being the ideal redeemer (go’el), Boaz displays Yahweh’s justice, kindness, and concern for the vulnerable. He also foreshadows the perfect Davidite–Christ himself. The fact that Boaz redeems a Gentile woman tilts the narrative toward Jesus even more. Boaz reminds us of the perfect Davidic redeemer, who establishes justice for the poor, lavishes kindness on the vulnerable, rids the land of oppression, feeds his people until they are satisfied (and there are leftovers), fills the empty-handed, redeems, and purchases a bride with the cost of His own blood. Boaz’s redemption leaves tracks that point us to the Savior–Christ Himself.
Why You Should Preach Ruth
Our congregations are filled with ordinary people leading ordinary lives. Think about who you are preaching to–stay-at-home moms, teachers, accountants, administrators, people who are disabled or sick, and some who are struggling just to make ends meet. People are looking for a Red Sea moment in their lives and are often disappointed when one doesn’t come. Over time, they can become disillusioned because their miraculous redemption moment never seems to come.
The book of Ruth can help change people’s paradigm. God does provide Red Sea redemptions. However, He also accomplishes redemption in quieter, more subtle ways. Exodus-like redemptions can come through loss and mourning, famine and hardship, barrenness and the gift of marriage. God is not limited. He can shout the Exodus on the shores of the Red Sea, but He can also whisper the Exodus in the boring, mundane fields of Bethlehem. Whatever the case, miraculous or mundane, our Redeemer is always working, and His redemptive purposes are steadily marching on.
Commentaries and Resources
Recommended Commentaries
Atkinson, David. The Message of Ruth. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1983.
Block, Daniel I. New American Commentary. Volume 6, Judges, Ruth. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 1999.
Campbell, Edward F. AB. Volume 7, Ruth: A New Translation with Introduction, Notes, and Commentary. New York: Double Day, 1975.
Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. A Commentary on Judges and Ruth. Kregel Exegetical Library. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2013.
Cundall, Arthur E. and Leon Morris. Tyndale Old Testament Commentary. Volume 7, Judges and Ruth. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2008.
Evans, Mary J. Judges and Ruth. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2017.
Hawk, L. Daniel. Ruth. Apollos Old Testament Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2015.
Holmstedt, Robert D. Ruth: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text. Waco: Baker University Press, 2010.
Hubbard, Robert L., Jr.. The Book of Ruth. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988.
LaCocque, André. Ruth. A Continental Commentary. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004.
Lau, Peter H. W. and Gregory Goswell. New Studies in Biblical Theology. Volume 41, Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2016.
Matthew, Victor H. Judges and Ruth. New Cambridge Commentary. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2004.
McKeown, James. Ruth. Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2015.
Nielsen, Kirsten. Ruth: A Commentary. Louisville: Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. 1997.
Taylor, Marion Ann. Ruth, Esther. Story of God Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020.
Younger, K. Lawson, Jr. Judges and Ruth. NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.
Ziegler, Yael. Ruth: From Alienation to Monarchy. Maggid Studies in Tanakh. Jerusalem: Koren Publishers Jerusalem, 2015.
Articles
Cohen, Abraham D. “The Eschatological Meaning of the Book of Ruth: ‘Blessed Be God: Asher Lo Hishbit Lakh Go’el.” Jewish Bible Quarterly 40, no. 3 (2010): 163–170.
Dearman, J. Andrew. “David, the Book of Ruth, and Its Place in a Larger National Storyline.” Southeastern Theological Review 5, no. 2 (2014): 157–170.
Dearman, J. Andrew and Sabelyn A. Pussman. “Putting Ruth in Her Place: Some Observations on Canonical Ordering and the History of the Book’s Interpretation.” Horizons in Biblical Theology 27, no. 1 (2005): 59–86.
Embry, Brad. “‘Redemption-Acquisition’: The Marriage of Ruth as a Theological Commentary on Yahweh and Yahweh’s People.” Journal of Theological Interpretation 7, no. 2 (2013): 257–273.
Goswell, Gregory R. “The Book of Ruth and the House of David.” Evangelical Quarterly 86, no. 2 (2014): 116–129.
Jackson, Justin. “The One Who Returned: A Retrospective and Prospective Reading of Ruth.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 63, no. 3. (2020): 435– 454.
Leithart, Peter J. “When Gentile Meets Jew: A Christian Reading of Ruth and the Hebrew Scriptures.” Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity 22, no. 4 (2009): 20–24.
[1] Ronald M. Hals, Theology of the Book of Ruth (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1969), 11–12.
[2] Murray D. Gow, The Book of Ruth: Its Structure, Theme and Purpose (Leicester: Apollos, 1992), 101, n.8.
[3] Yael Ziegler, <em