Engraving-style illustration of Ruth: Ruth gleaning in the barley field.

Bible Characters · Judges

Ruth

The Moabite widow who refused to leave her mother-in-law Naomi, took refuge under the wings of Israel's God, and became the great-grandmother of King David.

Judges13 references in 2 booksIn theological review

The facts, as Scripture gives them

Lived
Dates not given in Scripture.
Region
Moab, then Bethlehem in Judah. (Ruth 1:1-6; Ruth 1:19)
Standing
A Moabite who made Naomi's people her people and Naomi's God her God. (Ruth 1:16)

Key verses

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.

Ruth 1:16 (BSB)

May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.

Ruth 2:12 (BSB)

What they did

  • Refused to turn back to Moab: wherever you go, I will go; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. (Ruth 1:16-17)
  • Gleaned behind the harvesters in the field of Boaz, who showed her kindness and protection. (Ruth 2:2-13)
  • Came to Boaz at the threshing floor at Naomi's instruction and asked him to spread his wing over her as redeemer. (Ruth 3:7-9)
  • Married Boaz after the nearer redeemer declined, at the gate of Bethlehem. (Ruth 4:9-13)
  • Bore Obed, the grandfather of David. (Ruth 4:17; Ruth 4:21-22)

Family

Spouse
Mahlon (Ruth 4:10); Boaz (Ruth 4:13)
Children
Obed (Ruth 4:17)

Connected to

  • Naomi: Her mother-in-law, whom she would not leave (Ruth 1:16-17)
  • Boaz: Her kinsman-redeemer and second husband (Ruth 2:1; Ruth 4:13)
  • Orpah: Her sister-in-law, who kissed Naomi and turned back to Moab (Ruth 1:14)

Mentioned in

Ruth, Matthew.

Every reference (13)

Ruth 1:4 · Ruth 1:14 · Ruth 1:16 · Ruth 1:22 · Ruth 2:2 · Ruth 2:8 · Ruth 2:21 · Ruth 2:22 · Ruth 3:9 · Ruth 4:5 · Ruth 4:10 · Ruth 4:13 · Matthew 1:5

Review status: in-theological-review. Every Contend profile passes a human theological review against the Statement of Faith before it is published as approved teaching. This profile is in that queue. Sources: Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain), verified verse by verse. Name and reference data: STEP Bible (TIPNR), Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0.