Ruth

Ruth is the Moabite woman whose story is told in the Book of Ruth — a Gentile widow who remained loyal to her mother-in-law Naomi, embraced the God of Israel, and became the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ. She is a type of the Gentile Church embracing the God of Israel (CCC 762).

The Story

After her Israelite husband died in Moab, Ruth refused to leave her widowed mother-in-law Naomi: "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 1:16). Returning to Bethlehem with Naomi, Ruth gleaned grain in the fields of Boaz — a kinsman-redeemer who married her. Their son Obed became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Ruth as Type of the Church

Ruth, a Gentile who embraces the God of Israel out of love and loyalty, prefigures the Gentile Church — the nations "grafted in" to Israel through faith. Her words to Naomi are one of the most beautiful expressions of covenant loyalty in Scripture, and her inclusion in Jesus's genealogy (Matthew 1:5) signals that the Messiah comes to save all peoples, not Israel alone (CCC 762).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a kinsman-redeemer? In ancient Israelite law, a close male relative (kinsman-redeemer, or go'el) had the obligation to redeem a relative who had fallen into poverty — buying back lost land, marrying a widowed relative to preserve the family line. Boaz's role as Ruth's kinsman-redeemer is a type of Christ as the Redeemer of humanity (CCC 580).