The book of Ruth

[MobilityCat]

The Book of Ruth has a quiet but strong feminist message. It shows the strength and agency of its main women, Ruth and Naomi:
Ruth chooses to stay with Naomi after losing her husband, showing great loyalty. She works hard to provide for them and takes bold steps to secure their future by approaching Boaz.
Naomi uses her knowledge to guide Ruth, showing how women can lead and support each other.
Ruth, a Moabite and outsider, becomes part of Israel’s history and even an ancestor of King David. This challenges the norms of excluding women and foreigners. The strong bond between Ruth and Naomi highlights the power of women supporting one another during tough times. The story celebrates women’s courage, intelligence, and impact, even in a male dominated society.

I agree. I love it!

I always loved Ruth.

But the women literally have no agency. Women have no value in this society unless they exist in relation to a man, and then only as conduits to inheritance via sons. Being widowed is dangerous. You end up gleaning because you’ve lost your dead husband’s land. You are supposed to remarry asap, if young enough. Ruth does exactly what she’s supposed to, only in Bethlehem — marries her nearest male relative, who is legally obliged to marry her, after a nearer relative passes, by the simple act of handing on one of his sandals to the next man, to symbolise the transfer of a chattel.

Christians and Jews are supposed to see it as Ruth choosing the true God over returning home to remarry, but it’s also just a grim tale of women in patriarchy.

While it's true that women in the context of Ruth's story lived within a patriarchal system with limited rights and opportunities, your interpretation overlooks Ruth's remarkable personal agency and value beyond her relationship to men.Ruth actively chooses to stay with Naomi, her mother in law, rather than returning to her own family and homeland after being widowed. This is a bold decision, as it meant leaving her own culture and security to embrace a life of uncertainty in a foreign land. Her famous declaration, "Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people, and your God my God," emphasised her autonomy in making this choice. Ruth doesn't passively wait for Boaz or anyone else to dictate her future. She takes initiative by going to glean in the fields to provide for herself and Naomi, demonstrating both resourcefulness and determination. Later, she actively follows Naomi’s advice to approach Boaz in a way that respectfully yet assertively signals her interest in marriage. Finally, while the sandal exchange might seem to reduce her to a "chattel," the act itself was a formal legal custom of the time, rather than a reflection of Ruth’s personal value. Importantly, the text portrays Boaz’s respect and admiration for Ruth, praising her loyalty, kindness, and character. Ruth’s actions ultimately place her in the genealogy of David and, by extension, Jesus, marking her as a pivotal figure in a significant biblical narrative. Far from being a mere passive participant in a male dominated society, Ruth is presented as a courageous, proactive, and virtuous woman who navigates her circumstances with dignity and wisdom.

Ruth is only important because of the lineage of sons who descend from her, therefore she has to be presented as wise and virtuous and choosing the ‘right’ god. She gleans and lies down by Boaz’s feet because the alternative is starvation, and she lies down by Boaz’s uncovered feet (probably genitals, commentators think) overnight, deliberately compromising herself, on Naomi’s instructions, so that Naomi’s dead husband’s land can be redeemed by a levitate marriage. I suppose it functions mostly as a parable about how foreign convert wives can be serious about their faith.

Love this! Two strong yet gentle women demonstrating great faithfulness, loyalty and kindness to each other, but more, faithful to God and trusting Him in all their circumstance.

Thank you! Their faithfulness, loyalty, and trust in God truly shine as a powerful example for us all. I'm so grateful for this reminder of how we can support each other as sisters in the Lord !

I think both interpretations are valid. It's true that Ruth was living in a patriarchal society which didn't value her for herself. But also true that she comes across as a canny woman who did her best with the cards she was dealt. She does seem to really love Naomi and want to support her when she wasn't morally or legally obliged to. The people who wrote the book of Ruth and the people who read it now can have different view points and both be true. That's also why I love Esther.

Let's not argue, I understand your perspective, and respect it. We may see things differently what looks like a stone to one person might appear as a diamond to another.

Esther is another beautiful example of God’s providence and faithfulness and I can see why you love it! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

I agree with Fink, I believe both interpretations are valid

Yes, and Amen.

Naomi ( meaning “my delight” from a root word meaning pleasantness, delighfulness, beauty, favour) was horribly devastated by her triple bereavement, grief and loss.

“ And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
Ruth 1: 19-21

(Mara means “bitterness”)

And yet…

She is never referred to as Mara In the narrative, nor directly by any of her compatriots.

Her self image in the moment of her grief saw only her present bitterness of suffering, but God seeing beyond time, restored the fortunes of “my delight” beyond what she had previously experienced in a way reminiscent to me of His dealings with His servant, Job.

Her painful moment of suffering and loss was not the end of her story.

She thought her name should henceforth always be Mara.
Hearing herself being called Naomi must have stung, in her time of anguish.
But in the end, Naomi was the most prophetic and appropriate name she could have and be remembered by, right through to our present day.

I take comfort from this.

I agree entirely. The name "Naomi,, ultimately reflects the transformative journey of her life. While she felt bitterness and anguish in her struggles, her story's conclusion is one of restoration and hope, making "Naomi" a fitting and enduring legacy.

In the Bible really women came into their element as prophetesses God's Servants.
It is a shame that this position has been in decline in the modern era. I would suggest Herbert's Lockyer book "All the Women of the Bible" for anyone interested in women in the Bible. You might be able to pick up a cheap copy of Amazon. I do have this book and there is a quite sizeable section on Ruth in it.

I will post about the prophetesses below

Women prophets were present in the Old Testament and the New Testament. A prophet means that someone proclaims a divine message from God. In the Old Testament, Miriam was a prophetess (Exodus 15-20) "Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron.... Sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider. He has thrown into the Sea!"
So to was Deborah in the Old Testament a prophetess (Judges 4:4). Deborah was a prophetess and judge and she led the children of Israel to peace for forty years by her prophesies she gave to Barak to go to battle against Sisera. Huldah was also a prophetess (2 Kings 22:14) (2 Chronicles 34:22). Huldah was sought out by King Josiah to authenticate the Book of Law. In the Old Testament Noadiah is also a female prophetess (Nehemiah 6:14). Herbert Lockyer in his book "All the Women of the Bible" (pg 41) describes prophets and prophetesses as being the media between God and his people Israel in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, Anna (Luke 2:36) was referred to as a prophetess. So to did Philip the evangelist have four daughters who were prophetesses (Acts 21:3).

The Bible also mentions false prophetesses, women who claimed to speak for God but were misleading or deceptive. Here are some of the worst. Jezebel is described as a false prophetess in the church of Thyatira. She led people into immorality and idolatry, symbolizing corrupting influence within the church. Her name possibly refers back to Queen Jezebel of the Old Testament, who also promoted idolatry and opposed God's prophets. Noahdiah is identified as a false prophetess who opposed Nehemiah and tried to intimidate him while he was rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. She is accused of aligning with Nehemiah's enemies to hinder God’s works. Some women in Ezekiel's time claimed to be prophetesses but were condemned by God. In Ezekiel 13:17-23 we read that these women used lies, magic charms, and false visions to mislead God’s people and profit from their deception. These false prophetesses serve as warnings against misusing spiritual authority. They remind us to test all teachings and prophecies against God’s Word (1 John 4:1) and to remain vigilant against deception in matters of faith.

Interesting.

I think for some women true prophetesses of God can show them that women in history have also been strongly involved with ministry. Some people can just look at the 12 disciples and note that are no women in there and not heard of the true prophetesses and think a woman was just domisticated and to serve a man. There roles was a bit different than Jesus' disciples, that was a ministry position though that some women fulfiled as well. Some women did follow Jesus around, but they were not part of the 12 and they were helpful in other ways. Such as Joanna, Priscilla and Phoebe.

Joanna Luke 8: 1-3 23:55 24:10
Priscilla Acts 18:2 18 26 Romans 16:3 1 Corinthians 16:19 2 Timothy 4:19
Phoebe Romans 1 6 1: 2

I am particularly drawn to Anna, the prophetess (Luke 2:36-38).

“Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”

She’s an elderly single woman (specifically a widow) only mentioned for three verses but there’s such a wealth of information and significance in what Dr Luke chose to record there.

Her name means “grace”
Her father’s name means “face of God”
Her tribe’s name means “blessed” / “happy”

These details seem to me to frame Anna as a living, prophetic ‘picture’ of several portions of the Psalms - particularly …

Psalm 27: 4-5, 8
“One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock…
… When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”

Psalm 84: 4
“Blessed (happy) are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You.”

Psalm 92: 13-15
“Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

I see her whole life as being a prophetic symbol of ultimate meaning and usefulness to God’s purposes, in spite of earlier sad circumstances (somewhat similar to Naomi).

So we see a humble woman of low social status, living what some may have considered a rather pitiful life, yet utterly devoted to God and honoured by Him to be one of only two people (as far as we know) within the entire Temple complex to recognise the Messiah and to be further distinguished with the privilege of speaking of Him to all who “looked for redemption in Jerusalem”.

I love the story about Anna as well and she is a good role model for some women today. My rector at church who is much younger than me really likes her story as well and thinks it should be used more often to share with women. She was a great age like that over 80 ++ and just dedicating her life solely to God like that. I think people of great age when they dedicate their life to their faith, can another stage of holiness in their life. I do wish my church could be open all the time. It is written every moment she almost spent at the Temple. Today in many church's scared of theft, damage and may be salaries need covering as well, they do not open many like that anymore. I certainly would like to attend more I can just living a five minutes walk from a church I attend.

I come on yesterday to try and add some information about Ruth from my book.. Oh dear I saw how much it was and backed out with the scanning. You didn't see that one lol.

This attached entry is shorter on Anna, which hopefully someone will find informative and useful

You can click and save the above images and enlarge them to be read in your own time.

Thanks for posting these- I just read them, what a blessing! xx

Feminism has no place in the Word of God

Sorry, was meant for the OP

The Bible itself doesn’t explicitly use “isms,” but over time, theologians and scholars have coined various "isms" to describe concepts, doctrines, or movements derived from or related to biblical teachings.

I agree with and wholeheartedly support your reflection on Anna, the prophetess. Her story is a profound example of how God honors faithfulness, devotion, and persistence, regardless of societal status or circumstances. The significance of Anna’s life and testimony, though mentioned briefly, carries a wealth of spiritual depth. Her unwavering commitment to prayer, fasting, and worship highlights a life centered on seeking God, which resonates with the Psalms you’ve drawn parallels to. It’s remarkable how her life echoes Psalm 27's call to "seek His face" and dwell in His presence, and Psalm 92's assurance that those rooted in God will flourish and bear fruit, even in old age. Anna’s name, her lineage, and her role as a widow living in complete devotion frame her life as a prophetic picture of grace, perseverance, and hope. Her recognition of the Messiah is especially moving. It reminds us that God reveals His greatest truths to those who earnestly seek Him, regardless of age, status, or gender. She becomes an emblem of faithfulness rewarded, a picture of spiritual vitality, and an encouragement to all who may feel overlooked or diminished in the world's eyes. Anna’s life also shows how God can bring ultimate purpose and honor out of loss. Her declaration of Jesus as the Redeemer to those awaiting hope in Jerusalem highlights her role as a humble but powerful voice in God’s plan. Her story is an enduring reminder that faithfulness to God, especially in the hidden, quiet places, is never wasted. It inspires us to live lives fully devoted to Him, trusting that He uses our dedication in ways far greater than we might imagine.