"Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go." — Ruth 1:16 (KJV)
The short answer
Ruth was a young Moabite widow who refused to abandon her grieving mother-in-law, Naomi, and followed her to Bethlehem. There her faithfulness met the kindness of Boaz, who redeemed and married her. Their son became the grandfather of King David, placing Ruth in the ancestry of Jesus.
The book of Ruth is one of Scripture's most tender stories — a quiet account set "in the days when the judges ruled," when Israel was often faithless and violent. Against that dark backdrop, God tells the story of an ordinary woman whose loyalty and trust became a thread in His great plan of redemption. Below, her life is traced through passages quoted exactly from the King James Version.
Where did Ruth come from?
Ruth was a Moabitess — a foreigner from a nation often at odds with Israel. When a famine drove an Israelite family from Bethlehem into Moab, their sons married Moabite women, and Ruth was one of them. Then tragedy struck: Naomi's husband and both sons died, leaving three widows with nothing. Naomi urged her daughters-in-law to return to their own people, but Ruth would not go.
"And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:" — Ruth 1:16 (KJV)
These are among the most famous words of devotion in all of Scripture. Ruth was not merely choosing a person; she was choosing a people and a God. She left behind everything familiar to bind herself to Naomi and to the LORD of Israel — a decision of faith with no guarantee of comfort on the other side.
How did Ruth meet Boaz?
Back in Bethlehem, the two widows were poor and hungry. Ruth went out to glean — to gather leftover grain behind the harvesters, a provision God's law made for the poor and the stranger. The field she came to belonged to Boaz, a wealthy and godly kinsman of Naomi's late husband. Boaz noticed the foreign woman's diligence and her reputation for kindness, and he blessed her.
"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)
Boaz saw in Ruth a soul that had come to shelter "under the wings" of God — the image of a bird gathering its young. He protected her, fed her, and made sure she gathered enough. What looked like chance was the quiet hand of providence, arranging a meeting that would change everything.
What is a kinsman-redeemer?
In Israel, a near relative could act as a "kinsman-redeemer" — buying back a family's lost land and raising up an heir for a dead relative, rescuing the family from ruin. At Naomi's urging, Ruth appealed to Boaz to take that role. Boaz willingly redeemed Naomi's property and took Ruth as his wife, honoring both the law and the woman's faith.
"So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son." — Ruth 4:13 (KJV)
The redemption of Ruth has long been read as a picture of Christ, our Redeemer, who buys back those who had no claim on Him. Boaz brings a destitute foreign widow into his household and covers her with his name — grace given to one who could never have earned it.
Why does Ruth matter in the story of the Bible?
The child born to Ruth and Boaz was no ordinary baby. The women of Bethlehem rejoiced with Naomi, whose emptiness God had turned to fullness, and they named the boy Obed.
"And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David." — Ruth 4:17 (KJV)
Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David — Israel's greatest king. A Moabite widow had become the great-grandmother of the king from whose line the Messiah would come. Centuries later, Matthew opens his Gospel by naming her among the ancestors of Jesus.
"And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;" — Matthew 1:5 (KJV)
Ruth's name stands forever in the genealogy of the Lord. Her story tells us that God delights to weave outsiders, widows, and the overlooked into His redemptive plan — and that faithful love, offered without applause, is never wasted in His hands.
Frequently asked questions
Was Ruth a Jew or a Gentile?
Ruth was a Gentile by birth. She was a Moabitess, from the nation of Moab, and she married into an Israelite family that had settled there during a famine. After her husband died, she chose to follow her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem and to embrace the God of Israel as her own. Through that faith and loyalty she was fully received among God's people, and she became the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5, KJV).
Why is the book of Ruth important?
The book of Ruth is important because it shows God's quiet providence at work through ordinary faithfulness. It is a story of loyalty, kindness, and redemption: Boaz acts as a kinsman-redeemer who buys back Naomi's land and takes Ruth as his wife, a picture that points forward to Christ redeeming His people. It also records how a foreign widow was woven into the royal line of David, showing that God's grace reaches beyond Israel to all who trust in Him.
"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)
Study Ruth for yourself
Ruth's story rewards slow reading. FlickerFaith is a Scripture-first study companion — open it to read the book of Ruth in full, trace how her line leads to David and to Christ, search related passages on redemption and loyalty, and ask honest questions as you go. It keeps you close to the Word, not away from it.
Keep reading
Meet more people of Scripture: Who was Esther?, Who was Job?, and Who were Adam and Eve? Ruth's line leads to the Redeemer — read Who is Jesus Christ? and the fall of man. You can also browse all Bible topics or return home.