Atomic Bible

Moabite woman, ancestor of David and Jesus

Ruth

Named in 13 verses across 2 books, first in Ruth 1:4.

רוּתRuth

ῬούθRuth

The name means “drunk; satisfied.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

Married to
Mahlon, Boaz
Children
Obed
People
Moab

About Ruth Written by AI

Ruth was a Moabite woman who married Mahlon, the son of Elimelech and Naomi, who had moved to Moab from Bethlehem due to a famine (Ruth 1:1 to 4). After the deaths of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion (Naomi's other son), Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem (Ruth 1:6 to 7). Ruth, despite Naomi's urging to return to her own people, insisted on staying with her mother-in-law, demonstrating remarkable loyalty and faith in the God of Israel (Ruth 1:14 to 18). In Bethlehem, Ruth worked in the fields, gleaning grain to support herself and Naomi (Ruth 2:2 to 3). She caught the attention of Boaz, a wealthy relative of Elimelech (Ruth 2:8 to 16). Following Naomi's advice, Ruth approached Boaz at the threshing floor, asking him to fulfill the role of a kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 3:1 to 9). Boaz, impressed by Ruth's character and loyalty, agreed to marry her after a closer relative declined to do so (Ruth 4:1 to 12). Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed, who became the grandfather of King David (Ruth 4:13 to 17). As an ancestor of David, Ruth is also mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). Her story exemplifies God's grace, providential care, and the inclusion of Gentiles in His plan of redemption.

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

A friend, a Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, whose father, Elimelech, had settled in the land of Moab. On the death of Elimelech and Mahlon, Naomi came with Ruth, her daughter-in-law, who refused to leave her, to Bethlehem, the old home from which Elimelech had migrated. There she had a rich relative, Boaz, to whom Ruth was eventually married. She became the mother of Obed, the grandfather of David. Thus Ruth, a Gentile, is among the maternal progenitors of our Lord (Matt. 1:5). The story of “the gleaner Ruth illustrates the friendly relations between the good Boaz and his reapers, the Jewish land system, the method of transferring property from one person to another, the working of the Mosaic law for the relief of distressed and ruined families; but, above all, handing down the unselfishness, the brave love, the unshaken trustfulness of her who, though not of the chosen race, was, like the Canaanitess Tamar (Gen. 38:29; Matt. 1:3) and the Canaanitess Rahab (Matt. 1:5), privileged to become the ancestress of David, and so of ‘great David’s greater Son’” (Ruth 4:18-22).

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names her

  1. Ruth 1:4

    who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years,

  2. Ruth 1:14

    Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

  3. Ruth 1:16

    But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

  4. Ruth 1:22

    So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

  5. Ruth 2:2

    And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.” “Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied.

  6. Ruth 2:8

    Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Do not go and glean in another field, and do not go away from this place, but stay here close to my servant girls.

  7. Ruth 2:21

    Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also told me, ‘Stay with my young men until they have finished gathering all my harvest.’”

  8. Ruth 2:22

    And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “My daughter, it is good for you to work with his young women, so that nothing will happen to you in another field.”

  9. Ruth 3:9

    “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

  10. Ruth 4:5

    Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi and also from Ruth the Moabitess, you must also acquire the widow of the deceased in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.”

  11. Ruth 4:10

    Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to raise up the name of the deceased through his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his brothers or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”

  12. Ruth 4:13

    So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And when he had relations with her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

  13. Matthew 1:5

    Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.