Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• Outline
  I. Naomi's predicament ch. 1A. The deaths of Naomi's husband and sons 1:1-5B. Naomi's inability to provide husbands for Ruth and Orpah 1:6-14C. Ruth's profession of faith in Yahweh 1:15-18D. Naomi's weak faith 1:19-21E. Hope ...
• I. NAOMI'S PREDICAMENT ch. 1
  As is often true in literature, the structure of the piece sometimes reveals the purpose of the writer. This is certainly the case in the Book of Ruth. The writer constructed the whole book with a chiastic (crossing) structur...
• II. NAOMI AND RUTH'S PLANS chs. 2--3
  Chapter 1 in a sense prepares for chapters 2-4 that constitute the heart of the book. Chapter 1 presents a problem, but chapters 2-4 provide the solution. The key to the solution on the human level was the planning of Naomi a...
• A. The plan to obtain food ch. 2
  Chapter 2 has its own chiastic structure.41ARuth and Naomi (2:2-3)BBoaz and the reapers (2:4-7)CBoaz and Ruth (2:8-15a)B'Boaz and the reapers (2:15b-16)A'Naomi and Ruth (2:19-22)Boaz's conversation with Ruth is the focus of t...
• 1. God's providential guidance of Ruth 2:1-7
  The motif of God's providence, His working out His own plan through the circumstances of life, which runs through the Book of Ruth, is especially strong in this pericope.The writer introduced Boaz as a kinsman (lit. acquainta...
• 4. Ruth's blessing of Naomi physically 2:17-23
  At the end of the day Ruth beat out and winnowed the grain she had gleaned. She had collected about three-fifths of a bushel of barley, "the equivalent of at least half a month's wages in one day"(v. 17).48Ruth also took the ...
• B. The plan to obtain seed ch. 3
  Having obtained food and safety the two women could look beyond their immediate physical needs to their greater need. Whereas Ruth took the initiative in proposing a plan to obtain food (2:2), Naomi now suggested a plan to ge...
• C. God's provision of a son 4:13-17
  Verse 13 is a key verse in the book because it records the fulfillment of Naomi and Ruth's plans to obtain rest (2:2; 3:1-5).82A son was indispensable to the continuation of the line of Boaz as well as that of Mahlon and Elim...
• 2. A petition for future deliverance 129:5-8
  The psalmist encouraged the Israelite pilgrims to pray for continuing deliverance. The mention of Zion, the pilgrim's destination, recalled the place where God dwelt, the most important place in Israel. Those who hated Zion w...