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Bible #8

The Book of Ruth (The Holy Bible #8), NIV

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Book 8 of the Old Testament

Audiobook

First published January 1, 501

29 people are currently reading
391 people want to read

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Anonymous

791k books3,372 followers
Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
Profile Image for Andrea Cox.
Author 4 books1,744 followers
October 29, 2018
I never tire of reading Ruth's story. So romantic! So much to glean. And very neat that she is the great-grandmother of David.
March 17, 2016

I've read this book more times between 2016 and 2018, but I didn't mark it every time.

This morning, I felt like visiting an old friend. So I reread Ruth. I needed the encouragement of her story today, as I'm diving into edits of a story. It can be overwhelming, kind of like Ruth's journey into a land she didn't know and gleaning a field in which she wasn't sure if she'd be molested. Yet, I've got writing buddies who come alongside and help keep me pushing forward, just as Boaz told Ruth he'd asked his servants to treat her well and provide easy gleaning for her. So, so many good things in this four-chapter book. So applicable to many, many aspects of life.
October 29, 2018
Profile Image for Faith.
Author 5 books258 followers
March 16, 2018
Ruth has always been one of my favorite books of the Old Testament. The love story is so endearing! <3

“The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.”
‭‭Ruth‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬
Profile Image for Brittany.
1,300 reviews202 followers
July 5, 2025
“Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”

Profile Image for Katja Labonté.
Author 31 books342 followers
April 27, 2022
What a beautiful story, the little book of Ruth… so beautiful in so many ways! From desolation to joy… from beauty to ashes… and a lovely image of how God arranges the whole journey and makes it ten times better than we expected.

Ruth, willing to change countries & cultures & languages, to find a new family, to work hard and provide for her mother-in-law, to devote herself to and obey said mother-in-law, to do the right thing and pursue Boaz, to trust in a God she probably barely knew... all beautiful traits. She is a wonderful role model.

Boaz, a good, wise, loving man, who encouraged her when she needed it, protected her when she needed it, and took her in when she needed it. Another shining example.

And then there’s Naomi, convinced that God had been unfair to her, consumed with bitterness… and learning that “all things turn for good” in the end and God had blessed her abundantly.

“And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.”

Famines come, but don’t leave… God will visit you and give you all you need. <3
Profile Image for Shantelle.
Author 2 books372 followers
March 31, 2016
Short and sweet! Ruth is a powerful story of redeeming love. It tells about a marriage, and is like a picture of how God redeems us with His love and covenant with us.

Always enjoy reading about Ruth and Boaz! ^_^
Profile Image for Lylah.
101 reviews2 followers
June 20, 2022
"The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust." - Ruth 2:12

The book of Ruth is an absolute favorite of mine! Within it we see how when we dedicate our hearts and hands to God, he blesses us. Always in the most unexpected of ways. We also see how love is a sacrifice and service, never asking for something in return yet is always gifted with treasure.

Loved reading this book and HIGHLY recommend it!
Profile Image for Benjamin Stahl.
2,275 reviews73 followers
June 21, 2017
After the bloody recounts of Hebrew conquest in Joshua and Judges, this randomly poignant story could not be more welcome.
Profile Image for Arman.
360 reviews352 followers
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June 4, 2019
۱.
کتاب روت در میانه ی ناآرامي ها و تلاطم های دوران "داوران" می گذرد.
در این دوران، در بیت الحم قحطی رخ می دهد، و یکی از مردمان اسرائیلی آن جا همراه با همسر و دو پسرش به سرزمین موآب کوچ می کنند. در آن جا پسران وی با دو دختر موآبي (که بت پرست بودند) ازدواج می کنند.
بعد از مدتی آن مرد و دو پسرش می میرند. پس زن تصمیم می گیرد که به وطن شان در بیت الحم برگردد. یکی از عروس ها بنام "روت" نیز همرآه وی می شود.
روت که زنی زیبا و پاکدامن بود، در بیت الحم به خوشه چینی در مزرعه یکی از خویشان شوهرش، "بوعز" مشغول می شود. در آنجا بر طبق سنت یهودی، بوعز بعنوان نزدیک ترین قوم و خویش شوهر روت، هم زمین های خانواده را می خرد و هم با روت ازدواج می کند.
روت و بوعز، جد و جده ی داود شاه می باشند.

۲.
عده ای معتقدند که این کتاب بعدها بعنوان نسب نامه ای برای داود نوشته شده است.
کتاب روت می گوید که حتی زنی بیگانه و غیر اسرائیلی نیز با پرهیزگاری و توکل به یهوه، مورد رحمت وی واقع شده، و به قدری مرتبت می یابد که داود از نوادگان وی می شد، حتی بنا به روایات مسیحی(قدیس متي)، عیسی هم از نسل وی می باشد.

۳.
در ادبیات اروپا ژانری بنام "حماسه خانوادگی" وجود دارد که سیر وقایع یک خانواده را در خلال چند نسل از آن ها روایت می کند؛ مثل بودنبروک ها و یا آثار فاکنر(بعنوان نمونه آمریکایی آن) و صد سال تنهایی (بعنوان نمونه لاتین آن ).
در کتاب تواریخ هم شاهد یک حماسه ی خانوادگی هستیم که زندگی چند نسل از خاندان داود روایت می گردد. این حماسه، با کتاب روت و شرح زندگی روت آغاز می شود و در کتب بعدی ادامه پیدا می کند.
(پ نوشت: بعضی ها همه ی عهد عتیق را حماسه ی خانوادگی "ابراهيم" می دانند).

پ نوشت: برای آگاهی از دوران داوران اينجا را بخوانيد.
Profile Image for Loraine.
3,456 reviews
April 29, 2023
The Book of Ruth is one of my favorites from the Old Testament. A story of a young woman whose caring, devotion, and strong faith leads her to a wonderful life that becomes a part of Jesus' genealogy.
Profile Image for Amber.
321 reviews3 followers
April 13, 2024
One of the best books of the Bible. All about a kinsman redeemer that prepares us for the ultimate redeemer.
Profile Image for Phoebe Chartowich.
146 reviews
April 14, 2020
Short and sweet; I read this in one sitting.
Three years ago, I went to a conference on Ruth and gathered some insights on the book that make it easier to understand. Like the fact that Naomi and her family were disobeying God by living in Moab even after they had no need to. And Naomi renaming herself, something only God does, showing her idea that she had authority over her own life when she really didn't. So I understood Ruth a lot better than I would've if I hadn't gone to that conference.
Profile Image for Jules.
1,077 reviews234 followers
March 29, 2015
Part of my READ THE BIBLE WITHIN A YEAR challenge.

Wish me luck, as I've got a long way to go!

Ruth is a very short book, so I don’t have a lot to say in this review. However, it did come as somewhat of a relief after the traumatic experience of reading Judges.

Although it is a sad story in places, it is also a lot more positive than some of the other books of the Bible I’ve read so far. Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, is admirable.
Profile Image for Warren Fournier.
843 reviews159 followers
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April 30, 2022
The eighth book of the Bible is a short and tender story about what it may have been like to be a widow in the Iron Age Middle East. Ruth is not a Jew, but a Moabite who married into a Jewish family. But her husband dies and she decides to follow her kindly mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Bethlehem. This is a brave thing to do, since the God of Israel is not her God, the Israelites are not her people, and she is a widowed woman with no means. But one of Naomi's relatives, a man named Boaz, treats Ruth kindly and agrees to marry her.

This serves a redemptive arc for both Boaz and Ruth. In fact, redemption is mentioned times in this short text.

What I like about this chapter of the Old Testament is that here we take a break from the fire and brimstone and war and punishment to share a human moment in a life led 3000 years ago. And this was the first time I felt a bit of the Christian light begin to tentatively glow from the ancient words of the Septuagint. The Book of Ruth is a turning point because the heroine becomes a direct ancestor to David, and thus of the Christ. But she is not of the Tribes of Israel, and her position as a Gentile woman in this crucial Jewish lineage pathes the way for the idea that all nations will be represented in the Kingdom of God.

So this is a breath of fresh air to modern students of the Bible. Next up are the Books of Kingdoms.

NOTE:
I am in the process of rereading the Bible again after 20 years and will occasionally be leaving my initial thoughts here on Goodreads regarding some of the books as I go through them in the hopes that some of you may share your own thoughts and wisdom. And I think it will be interesting to look back on these reviews at different times of my life and see how I might have changed or grown.

I do not plan to leave ratings with these reviews as I feel that religious texts sacred and inspirational to global millions and which have driven the events of history should never be judged on the merits of entertainment, writing style, plot, and other measures of quality that go into ratings in this forum. These will just be honest summaries and feelings from my point of view, and in no way is it my intention to recommend one religious text over another.

So with that said, I shall dive deeper into the Bible and see what I can see. You are welcome to join me!
Profile Image for Becca.
437 reviews23 followers
December 12, 2018
My very favorite part of this story (and there are many favorite parts to choose from!) is Ruth's relationship with her mother-in-law. I know, we've all been over this aspect of the story many times. But it's something that never ceases to amaze me! That she would leave her home, her friends, everything familiar, to travel to a strange land with her mother-in-law is a remarkable testimony to a beautiful character.
Profile Image for Kaelie Elizabeth Masaschi.
83 reviews1 follower
December 9, 2024
Didn’t realize I could log books of the Bible for my reading goal #amazing!
Greatest book I’ve read this year, I loveeee Ruth & Naomi & smoking hot boaz
Profile Image for Trash Momma.
81 reviews3 followers
January 28, 2025
Doing some bible studying, and Ruth and Naomi are those girls
Profile Image for Molly.
166 reviews4 followers
May 11, 2025
So good that it’s too short! I want more details!
Profile Image for Abby.
90 reviews6 followers
November 12, 2025
a story of obedience and loyalty that led to a great blessing
Profile Image for R.J..
Author 4 books79 followers
March 17, 2021
A very short book Ruth is, but it is a beautiful story of dedicated, family love.

I know that a lot of people say that Ruth is their favorite book of the Bible, and while this story was a refreshing break from Judges, it's not necessarily a "favorite" of mine. I did love the relationship between Naomi and Ruth though, both as an example of relationships between in-laws, and just genuine friends in general. Right now, I'm just reading through the entire Bible to complete my goal of reading the Bible cover-to-cover, so I'm not studying the Words a lot. However, like Judges, I think I'd like to come back and do a deeper study into the culture of Israel during this particular historical era to better understand the context of the story.
Profile Image for Janice.
159 reviews
September 3, 2024
It is one of my favourite books of the Old Testament. And when I read in Ruth 3:16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." (Ruth is talking to her mother-in-law Naomi) this always has me singing the worship song "Where You Stay, I'll Stay" performed by Chris Tomlin.
Profile Image for Christy Ryan.
187 reviews17 followers
September 28, 2017
What's not to love about this short book of the Bible? It's a story of loyalty, a story of friendship and a love story. But, the greatest part: is it is a story of Redemption. From brokeness, loss and heartbreak to a life fully redeemed...the book of Ruth is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us.
Profile Image for Betsy Gant.
483 reviews49 followers
August 21, 2018
Read this during my lunch break today. So grateful for the life and example of Ruth.
Profile Image for Devon Elmore.
37 reviews
August 17, 2025
Reading Ruth immediately following Judges makes me realize just how dangerous the situation was for Ruth and Naomi. It also shows just how different a man Boaz must have been.
I also love how God reframed Naomi’s life. She said “the Lord has dealt bitterly with me” and then she is given a new set of blessings out of her sorrow. She is not only “redeemed” and given a son, but she is the grandmother/great-grandmother to King David.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews

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