Ruth is one of the few women listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter one.

Her name means compassionate friend.

Her characteristics: Loyal, loving & compassionate

She was a Moabite woman who married an Israelite man when he and his family traveled from Bethlehem of Judah to the country of Moab because there was a famine in their land.

After the men in her life (husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law) died, she refused to go back to her mother’s house and instead chose to go to a foreign country, Bethlehem, with her mother-in-law, Naomi, and serve the God of the people of Isreal.

God blessed Ruth.

According to the Levirate Law, Boaz, a male descendant of Ruth’s deceased husband, bought back his land and acquired Ruth as his wife. They had a son named Obed. Ruth was King David’s great-grandmother.

⁵ “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. ⁶ And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. ⁷ But if the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.’ ⁸ Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, ‘I do not want to take her,’ ⁹ then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother’s house.’ ¹⁰ And his name shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal removed.’

Deuteronomy 25:5 – 10

Read more about her in the book of Ruth in the Bible and Matthew 1:5.

Learn more about women in the Bible on my blog at channettawilliams.com https://channettawilliams.com/women-of-the-bible-series-blog-1-of-7-daughters-of-zelophehad/

Who is your favorite woman in the Bible?