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A Sample Biblical Narrative: The Story of Ruth - Page 2

© alberto esmeralda

III. Conclusion: The Sons of Judah, from Perez to David (4,18-22). A genealogy that traces the line of Judah's sons through Perez to David. Perez was Judah's son through a daughter-in-law, Tamar who claimed the seed for her husband's child directly from her father-in-law (Gen. 38). The addition of this genealogy is anti-climactic, coming as it is after the declaration that Obed "became father of Jesse, who became father of David". But the inclusion of Obed's genealogy within the line of Perez, who was born of a levirate union between daughter-in-law and father-in-law, makes for a quite interesting perspective.

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Strange Customs and Ideas

The story of Ruth, though short and fast can be difficult for the first timer. This is due mainly to the fact that it portrays customs and ideas that are strange. Some of these "strange" ideas and customs are: (a) The Concern for Land and Progeny; (b) The Role of the Next of Kin (The Go ’el); (c) The Levirate Law.

The Concern for Progeny and Land

In ancient Israel womanhood and motherhood were so closely related that to be childless meant to be cursed. Motherhood is the perfection of virginity. So one can understand why Jeptha's daughter had to mourn her "virginity" (her unperfected femininity) just before she would be offered in sacrifice. So too, one can understand why Hannah and leah wanted so much to have children for their husbands. Naomi's case is special in that she, not only loses her husband also her sons. At a time when life after death was unknown, to have childrent meant the continued existence of one's name in the land of the living. With the loss of Mahlon and Chilion, the name of Elimelech would have been forgotten, and Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, would be forgotten along with it. It is in this light that Naomi calls herself Mara’ (Bitter) at the beginning of the story: it is a name that reflected the state of her soul and the manifested the pain that she felt at the loss of her womanhood. Closely connected with the issue of progeny is that of the land. We know from Boaz that Naomi is selling the land of Elimelech. The NAB explains that it is due to poverty that the land is being sold, an explanation which is conjectural, not textual. Whatever the reason might be, the loss of one's land meant the loss of one's living space within the land of Israel. It is for no small matter that the inspired book documents how the land of Israel was apportioned according to tribes, clans and families. No Israelite is to be without a piece of land in Israel. Even the law makes provisions for cases when one is forced to sell his land: e.g. the next of kin must redeem it so that the land remains within the clan or tribe.

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