From the Introduction: Described by Goethe as “the most charming little whole” of antiquity, Ruth has long been recognized for its literary quality. This beautifully composed narrative continues to attract readers across generations and boundaries of gender, class and ethnicity. In fact, the beauty of the book often distracts from the practical nature of the narrative. For all of its appeal, Ruth is, after all a story about family and survival. The marriage between Ruth and Boaz is a levirate marriage. The goal of this practice is to ensure the continuation and stability of the family line. Thus this “charming little whole” has as its subject preservation of life in the face of death and upholding memory to ward off the loss of identity. This story of survival is short; it consists of four chapters with elements of loss and recovery; famine and harvest, barrenness and fruitfulness, life and death. These elements afford the book a broad appeal as it speaks to various stages and seasons of life, all the while upholding the power of faithfulness against an ever-changing backdrop. Named after one of the major characters, the book of Ruth tells the story of Naomi of Bethlehem and her family “in the days when the judges ruled.” So much of what happens in Ruth happens where no one can see. Ruth binds herself to Naomi in the “in between place” of Moab and Judah. No one is there to witness it. Similarly, Ruth asks Boaz for redemption in the middle of the night when we presume everyone else is asleep. These events allow for the inclusion of Ruth as Boaz’s people, first as a gleaner and then as a wife. The pattern of what happens away from our observation and then bursts forth where we can see it draws on the images of planting and harvest, conception and birth. On a theological level, it suggests that even in the famine times, God is planting seed, preparing for the next harvest, even when we cannot see it. We must assume then, that whatever we know or recognize about the work of God is only a small piece of the larger whole. We cannot know it all. Chapters: Introduction A Dialogue of Determination Terms of Endearment A Cloaked Covenant A Dialogue of Identity Conclusion Even in famine times, God plants seed, preparing for the next harvest, even when we cannot see it. Judy Fentress-Williams (AB Princeton; MDiv and PhD Yale) is Professor of Old Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary since 2002 and taught previously at Hartford Seminary. She is author of several publications, including the Abingdon Old Testament Commentary: Ruth . Carolyn Pressler is Harry C. Piper Professor of Biblical Interpretation at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Professor of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University Princeton Seminary Theodore Hiebert is Francis A. McGaw Professor of Old Testament, McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL. He was an editor and translator of the Common English Bible. A leading scholar among theological educators, he has done groundbreaking work in the study of Genesis. Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Ruth By Judy Fentress-Williams Abingdon Press Copyright © 2012 Abingdon Press All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4267-4625-3 Contents Acknowledgments, Foreword, Introduction, Chapter One: A Dialogue of Determination, Chapter Two: Terms of Endearment, Chapter Three: A Cloaked Covenant, Chapter Four: A Dialogue of Identity, Conclusion, Select Bibliography, Subject Index, CHAPTER 1 A Dialogue of Determination Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God (Ruth 1:16b) With these words, Ruth the Moabite states her intention to stay with Naomi her mother-in-law, even as Naomi tries to send her away. There is something unfathomable about Ruth's pledge. It is unexpected and lacks reasonable motivation. Her words reflect an undeterred faithfulness that stands out against their dire circumstances of barrenness and widowhood. That is why Ruth's expression of fidelity composes one of the most beloved portions of Scripture and has secured a place in the Christian tradition, most notably in the marriage ceremony, to express a lifelong commitment. Ruth said these words to Naomi "on their way to go back to the land of Judah" (v. 7). It is the pivotal moment in the first chapter. It takes place when Ruth and Naomi are between their respective homelands, moving from Ruth's land to Naomi's home. It is when neither one is "at home" that Ruth makes a vow to Naomi that will demand a new understanding of family and home, changing both of their identities forever. "In the days that the judges ruled ..." (1:1-5) The story of Ruth begins "in the days that the judges ruled," with a man named Elimelech and his family, which includes his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. The family lives in Bethlehem, bu