The Book of Ruth

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The Book of Ruth

• APTS-BIB508-2006

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Literary Form

• "Most form critics call Ruth a novella. Closely
  related is the category of short story, connoting
  a brief fictional narrative of conscious
  craftship. With a beginning, middle, and end the
  plot moves through various scenes to climax and
  resolution. Words and actions reveal the
  characters. Sasson (1979) relates Ruth to the
  folktale as delineated in Russian formalism.
  Other designations include the comedy, saga,
  romance, and idyll. They all impose modern genres
  on an ancient story." Trible

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A Hebrew Short Story

• 1. "First, they were composed in a quite
  distinctive literary style, employing an artistic
  and elevated prose containing rhythmic elements
  which are poetic - a style which German scholars
  designate Kunstprosa."
• 2. "A second characteristic has to do with
  content. In general, the stories combine an
  interest in rather typical people, even if they
  are important people, with an interest in mundane
  affairs, even when these affairs turn out to be
  significant on a national scale."

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A Hebrew Short Story

• 3. "Third, these stories have a combination of
  purposes. They are by design both entertaining
  and instructive. Especially important they look
  at ordinary events as being the scene of Gods
  subtly providential activity."
• 4. ". . . fourth . . . . The hearer or reader,
  ancient or modern, finds himself delighting in
  the capacity of the creators of these stories to
  do what they are doing extremely well,
  appreciating not only the message of the story
  but also its artistry."

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A Hebrew Short Story

• 5. "he purpose of these stories was not simple
  entertainment but edification, indeed
  instruction, in the meaning of the new
  faith-commitment. The literary form was new, the
  people were new, the purpose was new. In fact,
  there is nothing like these stories known in the
  ancient Near East." Campbell

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A Hebrew Short Story

• 6. "Besides Ruth, OT examples of the short story
  include Gen 24 and 38, the Joseph Story (Gen
  37-50), episodes like that of Ehud (Jud 3.15-29)
  and Deborah (Jud 4), and the prose sections of
  Job (chs. 1-2, 42.7-17)." Hubbard

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Date

• "Although the Talmud established the dating of
  the book by assigning its authorship to Samuel
  (Baba Bathra 14b), modern critical study has had
  difficulty in establishing a widely accepted
  date." Childs

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Text Qumran

• ". . . two from Cave 2 and two from Cave 4 at
  Qumran. Two of the scrolls date from the middle
  of the first century BCE, or early first century
  CE, and one from the middle of the first century
  CE. Since the story is rather straightforward,
  and since there are few issues that would incite
  ideological change, all four text plus the one
  recorded in the traditional Masoretic Text
  exhibit the same language with only minor,
  unimportant variants." Abegg, Flint Ulrich

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Text Masoretic

• "The Hebrew text of Ruth contains relatively few
  difficulties." Sasson
• "The Hebrew text of Ruth has one oddity for which
  textual criticism provides a possible, but
  probably not the best, explanation. At first
  glance, the text evidences a kind of gender
  confusion, that is, gender disagreements between
  verbs and their subjects, and between suffixial
  pronouns and their antecedents." Hubbard

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Text Greek

• "Among non-Hebrew versions, the LXX apparently
  represents a somewhat literal, at times even
  slavish, translation of its Hebrew text. On the
  other hand, it has occasional paraphrases,
  reflecting a keen understanding of the Hebrew
  language. . . . behind it stands a pre-Christian
  Hebrew text that is either a form of the MT or
  one similar to it." Hubbard

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Date

• "Critics diverge widely on the date. Earlier
  scholars posited an exilic or postexilic time
  based on alleged Aramaisms, the remoteness of
  customs (cf. 4.7). discrepancies with the
  Deuteronomistic law, and the theme of
  universalism over against nationalism. With
  modified criteria, some contemporary scholars
  retain their dating. Many others, however, argue
  for a preexilic composition between the 10th and
  7th centuries B.C.E. They detect linguistic
  features, classical prose, legal and theological
  perspectives that fit these earlier period (see
  Campbell Ruth AB and Hals 1969). Still other
  critics, such as Sasson (1979), finds the date
  altogether elusive." Trible

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Canonicity

• "Despite a scene that was to abuse Auerback's
  vocabulary, "fraught with eroticism," Ruth's
  canonicity and inspired nature was never
  seriously questioned. Rabbi Simeon b. Johai (ca.
  125-170 A.D.) was quoted in Megilah 7a as saying
  "Ecclesiastes is among the lenient decisions of
  the School of Shammai and among the stringent
  decisions of the School of Hillel but all agree
  that Ruth, Song of Songs, and Esther 'defile the
  hands' i.e., were canonical'" Sasson

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Canonicity

• "But Ruth's connection with David and his
  ancestors, the beauty of Ruth's language, the
  nobility of its characters, the frequent mention
  of the divine name - all theres were elements
  which doubtless played a role in securing the
  scrolls place within Scriptures." Sasson

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Canonical Location

• "After Judges. This position, obviously
  influenced by the opening verse of Ruth ("During
  the time of the Judges . . . "), occurs in most
  of the non-Hebrew versions of the Old Testament.
  Josephus (Contra Apionem, I, 8, 38-42) speaks of
  twenty-two books in the Old Testament, comprising
  five of Laws, thirteen of Prophets, and four of
  Hymns and Precepts. To account for two books
  missing from out present roster, it is often
  presumed that Ruth and Lamentations must have
  been considered as appendixes to Judges and
  Jeremiah." Sasson

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Canonical Location

• "Among the Ketubim. Of the differing arrangements
  of Ruth within the Writings . . . .
• Preceding Psalms. This arrangement is witnessed
  in Baba Bathra 14b . . . .
• As Part of the Megillot (Festival Scrolls).
  Relatively late no earlier than the sixth
  century A.D. . . .
• 1. Chronological Sequence.
• 2. Festival Sequence. Canticles, Ruth,
  Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther or
  Ecclesiastes, Esther, Canticles, Ruth,
  Lamentations." Sasson

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Author

• "Though Jewish tradition assigned Ruth to the
  prophet Samuel, scholarship has remained properly
  silent on the subject. The author is unknown.
  Nevertheless, commentators have assumed a male
  gender for the storyteller, an assumption not
  unchallenged. Subject matter, the dominance of
  women characters, and point of view suggest a
  female presence in shaping the narrative (cf.
  Campbell Ruth AB, Brenner 1983)." Trible

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Purposes

• 1. "The major purpose of the narrative, as has
  been correctly described by several recent
  scholars (Humbert, Hertzberg, Hals) was to show
  the ways of God in the life of one family."
  Childs
• 2. ". . . the book has a political purpose to
  win the popular acceptance of Davids rule by
  appeal to the continuity of Yahwehs guidance in
  the lives of Israels ancestors and David."
  Hubbard

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Purposes

• "Attempts to specify a single purpose falter in
  light of the books richness and complexity. Many
  levels of meaning intertwine social, political,
  religious, and aesthetic. A representative list
  includes to maintain Israelite customs,
  inculcate legal duties, integrate law and daily
  life, legitimate David and his monarchy, tell a
  good story, encourage proselytes, promote
  universalism over against nationalism, elevate
  the virtues of friendship and loyalty, glorify
  family ties, preserve womens traditions, and
  witness to God at work. Two approaches, however
  are best avoided to interpret the book as
  protest literature and to relate its purpose to
  specific historical setting. Neither in tone nor
  content is it polemical, and the date is
  uncertain." Trible

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