ruth 1 through 4

Read Ruth 1 through 4 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for Ruth are:

Rut 1:1-4:17 {p} Ruth the Moabitess becomes grafted in as a mother in Israel
Rut 4:18-22 {p} The lineage of David

The book of Ruth forms one of the most beautiful chiastic structures I have seen yet:

1a) Rut 1:1-5, The death of Naomi’s husband and sons;

1b) Rut 1:6-18, Ruth refused to leave Naomi but bound herself to her because she loved her;

1c) Rut 1:19-22, Naomi: The LORD has dealt bitterly with me + brought me home empty;

1a) Rut 1:19, Naomi + Ruth journeyed until they came to Bethlehem;
1b) Rut 1:20, Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me;
central axis) Rut 1:21a, I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home empty;
2b) Rut 1:21b, Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has afflicted me?;
2a) Rut 1:22, Naomi + Ruth returned to Bethlehem from Moab at the beginning of the barley harvest;

1d) 2:1-4, There was a kinsman-redeemer of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, named Boaz;

1a) Rut 2:1, Boaz was a kinsman-redeemer of the family of Elimelech, a man of great wealth;
Rut 2:2, Ruth to Naomi: Let me go into the field + glean heads of grain after the reapers;
central axis) Rut 2:2b, And she said to her, “Go, my daughter;”
2b) Rut 2:3a, Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers;
2a) Rut 2:3b-4, She happened to come to the field of Boaz, of the family of Elimelech;

1e) Rut 2:5-18, Boaz made provision for Ruth/ Ruth made provision for Naomi;

1) Rut 2:5-16, Boaz made provision for Ruth to glean in his fields;

1a) Rut 2:5-7, Boaz inquired after Ruth from his servant;
1b) Rut 2:8-9. Boaz made provision for Ruth to glean in his fields;
1c) Rut 2:10, Ruth: Why have I found favor in your eyes, since I am a foreigner;
central axis) Rut 2:11-12, And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge;”
2c) Rut 2:13, Ruth: Let me find favor in your sight, for you have comforted + spoken kindly to me, a foreigner;
2b) Rut 2:14, Boaz made provision for Ruth at the noon meal;
2a) Rut 2:15-16, Boaz commanded his servants concerning Ruth;

2) Rut 2:17-18, She gleaned an ephah of barley + gave what she had gleaned to her mother-in-law;

1f) Rut 2:19a, Naomi: In whose field did you glean? May he be blessed who provided for you;

1g) Rut 2:19b, Ruth: “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz;”

central axis) Rut 2:20a, Naomi: “Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!”

2g) Rut 2:20b, Naomi: “This man is a relation of ours, a kinsman-redeemer;”

2f) Rut :21-22, Naomi blessed Ruth, and she gleaned in Boaz’ fields through the end of the harvest;

2e) Rut 3:1-18, Naomi made provision for Ruth/ Ruth made provision for Naomi;

1) Rut 3:1-14, Naomi made provision for Ruth to seek Boaz as her kinsman-redeemer;

1a) Rut 3:1-4, Naomi instructs Ruth to lay down at Boaz’ feet, for he is a kinsman-redeemer;
1b) Rut 3:5-8, Ruth to Naomi: All that you say to me I will do;
central axis) Rut 3:9, And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative;”
2b) Rut 3:10-13, Boaz to Ruth: I will do for you all you request;
2a) Rut 3:14, So Ruth lay at his feet until morning;

2) Rut 3:15-18, Boaz gave Ruth six ephahs of barley, that she not return empty-handed to her mother-in-law;

2d) Rut 4:1-13, Boaz redeemed Ruth in the sight of the elders of the city, and she became his wife;

2c) Rut 4:14, Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you without a Redeemer;

2b) Ruth 4:15, Naomi’s daughter-in-law Ruth, who loves her better than seven sons;

2a) Rut 4:16-17 {p} The Lord restores a family for Naomi through her grandson Obed.

There is so much to say and unpack in this structure! The LORD is our Redeemer, who provided a Kinsman-Redeemer for us in the descendant of Boaz and Ruth, Yeshua haMashiach, our Redeemer! We made our lot bitter through sin, but the LORD did not forsake His kindness to the living or the dead! He has not left us without a Redeemer. For the rest, that even when life looks its most bitter, the LORD has gone ahead of us and made provision for us … that as we give to others, we cannot stop up the blessing that the LORD pours out to us … please meditate on the matching pairs, and be blessed! ♥