The Book of Ruth is a short biblical narrative set during the time of the judges, focusing on loyalty, kindness, and redemption. After a famine drives an Israelite family to Moab, Naomi is left widowed along with her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. Naomi returns to Bethlehem, urging the younger women to stay behind, but Ruth famously pledges her unwavering loyalty to Naomi and to Naomi’s God. In Bethlehem, Ruth supports them by gleaning leftover grain in the fields, where she comes under the protection of Boaz, a wealthy and honorable relative of Naomi’s late husband.
Through Naomi’s guidance, Ruth approaches Boaz as a potential “kinsman-redeemer,” someone who can legally restore the family line and property. Boaz agrees to marry Ruth after another closer relative declines, securing Naomi’s family’s future. The book concludes with Ruth and Boaz’s marriage and the birth of their son, Obed, who becomes the grandfather of King David. In this way, Ruth—an outsider and a foreigner—is woven into Israel’s sacred history, highlighting themes of faithfulness, inclusion, and God’s quiet providence working through ordinary acts of devotion.
