Commentary on the book of Ruth

“Commentary on the Book of Ruth” (2 questions) is part of the essay “Questions on the Eight Books”, which the bl. Theodoret of Cyrus dedicated it to his “beloved son Hypatius,” the chorebishop. The work was written after 453 and is compiled in the form of questions and answers. Basically, only difficult passages of Scripture are explained. Blzh. Theodoret explains that the tale of Ruth was written “for the sake of the Lord Christ; because from Ruth He came forth in the flesh.” Question 1. Why was the story of Ruth written? First, for the sake of the Lord Christ; because He came from Ruth according to the flesh. Why did the divine Matthew, writing his genealogy, pass over women famous for virtue, Sarah, Rebekah and others, but mentioned Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and even the wife of Uriah, teaching by this that the only begotten Son of God became man for the sake of all people, both Jews and other nations, both sinners and righteous. For Ruth was a Moabite, and Bathsheba illegally entered into an alliance with the king. Rahab was a harlot, but through faith she received salvation; Tamar also shines with it. It was not out of voluptuousness that she had contact with her father-in-law, but seeing that he did not want to marry her son, she took away the seed in order to produce a blessing. Therefore, after this seed she did not receive another, but loved the celibate life. Anyone can see that Ruth, out of piety, left her parents and followed her mother-in-law. It is said: “Ruth’s speech, do not let him leave you, or turn back to me from you, but where you go, I will go, and where I am, I will be: your people, my people: And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried: so may the Lord do to me, and so shall he add, for death will separate between me and you” ( Rufus 1, 16–17). And she said this more than once when her mother-in-law exhorted her to return to her parents. For Naomi said to her daughters-in-law: “Turn, my daughters, will you go with me everywhere? Or will I still have a son in my womb, and you will have husbands? Come back, my daughters, because I have grown old and will not give birth to my husband, even if I had said that I have hope, that I may be a husband and give birth to sons, will you wait for them until they grow up? and will you refrain from being to another man? Nor, my daughters, was I more bitter than you, for the hand of the Lord came out against me” (Ruth. 1:11-13). I do not carry in the womb, says Naomi, to wait for you to marry those born of me; I can’t even get married in my old age in order to wait for my marriage, the birth of my children and their age, because God’s wrath has befallen me. Therefore, although for the sake of the Master the tale of Ruth had to be written; however, this story in itself is sufficient to bring all sorts of benefit to those who know how to use such stories; because he describes to us the grave misfortunes and commendable patience of Naomi, the chastity and love of her daughters-in-law for her mother-in-law, especially Ruth, who, out of heartfelt piety and in memory of her husband, preferred an elderly and decrepit woman to her parents. But this story also shows us the virtue of Boaz. For he not only generously gave Ruth the fruits, but also consoled her with the words, saying: “Do not go to gather any food in the fields, but here cleave to my young women” (Ruth. 2:8). Having commanded her to eat and drink with the harvesters, he added: “It was announced to me by the proclamation that you did great things with your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and you came among people whom you had not known since yesterday and the third day. Yes, the Lord will reward your work, and may your reward be fulfilled from the Lord God of Israel, to Him you came to trust under His wings” (Ruth. 2:11-12). This blessing was fulfilled because she received a full reward from the Lord, becoming the foremother of the Blessing of Nations. And Boaz not only gave her food, but also took the trouble to serve her, ordering no one else to serve her, but having himself prepared the yarn and bread, he presented it to her in great abundance; because Ruth, having had enough, took the excess to her mother-in-law, and she gratefully returned blessings to the absent benefactor. For she said: “Blessed be he who knows you” (Ruth. 2:19); because he satisfied the skinny soul, as he did by doing this, that is, he did not look at your poverty, but at the Lawgiver, who commanded to take every care for widows. Question 2. Others blame both Naomi and Ruth, the former because she suggested, and the latter because she obeyed and fulfilled, that is, she slept at the feet of Boaz. Ruth, having heard what her mother-in-law said: “that snake is our husband, and he is from our husbands” (Ruth. 2:20), remembered his great favor, and thought that Boaz, as a relative of her husband, wanted by law to enter into marriage with her in order to preserve the memory of the deceased. This can be seen from what follows. It is said: “Ruth spoke to her mother-in-law: and she said to me: to my maidens, until they finish all the harvest that I have” (Ruth. 2:21). And Naomi, having heard these words, instructs her to sleep at the feet of Boaz, not in order to sell her beauty. The opposite of this is shown by the words in which the advice is given. She said: “Yes, you will come and open at his feet, and lie down: and this story is for you, even as you have done” (Ruth. 3, 4). So she trusted her husband’s chastity and truthfulness. And the deeds confirmed what was said. According to the suggestions of her mother-in-law, when everyone was asleep, Ruth lay down at the feet of Boaz. He asked: who is this? Ruth recalled the relationship with the deceased. Boaz praised her action, but did not change her chastity, and left it to the law to introduce them into marital communication. He said: “Blessed are you of the Lord God, for you have blessed your last mercy more than the first, so that you do not follow in the footsteps of young men, whether poor or rich” (Ruth. 3:10). By your actions you showed that you did not enslave yourself to lust; otherwise you would have gone to the youth, talking not about wealth, not about poverty, but only about satisfying lust. On the contrary, you came to a man who, judging by his years, could be your father. For this is what the word means: daughters. Even Boaz called her by this name twice. “And now, daughter, do not be afraid: I have said all the things that I will do to you: for all the tribe of my people know that you are a woman of strength, and truly I am a snake” (Ruth. 3:11-12). No one will reproach me. And you are praised by everyone, and I will marry by kinship, and not by intemperance. Since there is another neighbor nearby, I must first talk to him so that, if he wishes, he can marry you according to the law. And if he does not wish, I will place the marital yoke on you. Such is the virtue of this man! If some beautiful maiden came to him at night, he would remain chaste and leave the matter to the law. He did not accelerate the marriage contrary to the law, but proposed marriage to his closest relative. Then, when he refused the marriage, he then married this praiseworthy wife. Boaz’s conversation with his closest relative is also worthy of surprise. He did not speak directly about marriage, but spoke about acquiring fields. Then, when he accepted this offer with pleasure, Boaz added a word about marriage, saying: justice requires that the one who takes possession of the fields after the deceased takes his wife for himself, and preserves the memory of the deceased through the birth of a child. Since, due to marriage, he renounced the offered fields, and according to the law, he took off and gave up his boot; then Boaz took Ruth as his wife. And that, not serving voluptuousness, he agreed to enter into marriage, this is clear from the praiseworthy words he uttered. “And Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that all that was possessed, even Elimelech, and all the trees of Heleon and Maalon, were of the hand of Naomi: therefore I will take Ruth the Moabite wife of Maalun to be my wife, that I may raise up the name of the dead man for his inheritance, that the name of the dead man may not perish from his brethren, and from his tribe.” Rufus 4, 9–10). Both piety and accuracy in what was said are worthy of surprise. I am not breaking the law, he says, by taking a Moabite woman as my wife; On the contrary, I fulfill the Divine law, trying to ensure that the memory of the deceased is preserved not faded. The elders approved the marriage with a blessing; They said this: “May the Lord grant to your wife who comes into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who both created the house of Israel; create power in Ephrath, and the name in Bethlehem will be famous among all people. And let your house be like the house of Perez, which Tamar begat to Judah, and the Lord will give you of your seed by this handmaid” (Ruth. 4:11-12). The words of blessing suggest that Boaz had another wife. Therefore, the elders mentioned both Rachel and Leah together, and added: “having both created the house of Israel.” What was said: “create power in Ephrath, and the name will be in Bethlehem” is glorious among all people, foreshadows that saving birth through which Bethlehem became famous among all people. They mentioned Tamar because she, too, being a foreigner, gave birth to Perez, from whom King David and his Descendant and Lord, Son and Lord descend. From Ruth was born Obed, the father of Jesse, who begat David. The women who brought the baby Obed to Naomi said: “Blessed is the Lord, who will not scatter thy little life this day: thy name shall be called in Israel, and it shall be unto thee that he that converteth his soul” (Ruth. 4:14-15). And this, according to the literal understanding, means the consolation of Naomi, but according to the truth itself, the conversion of the universe. For from here the salvation of the universe blossomed. Explaining difficult passages of divine scripture, optional. You might be interested in: