cheenc03a.pdf

RUTH, BOOK OF
The view here taken renders it probable that the story Israelites often intermarried with lerahmeelites and
of Ruth as it now stands is not of very early post-exilic Mi5riter. Besides, in order to in impression
g, Origin. origin. For the feeling of bitterness towards on the Tewr it would be necess.vv for the dwellin* of
the Miariter and their neighbourr, on account Boa. td have been in Judah, ndt in a district wiich
of their long-continued oppression of Israel, apparently in poscexi1ic timer war not in Jewish occuprtion. The
persisted till close on the Greek period. The date of latest editor did no doubt arrauee the eeoeraohical .~ 0 ~
the traditional elements, out of which, with imaginative statements accordingly; but the author himself, as we
freedom, the present story of Ruth may have been have sen, placed Boaz in the Jerahmeelite Negeb.
partly compaed, is quite another pint. As in the Surely no one who thoroughly appreciates the charm
case of Job (see JOB [BOOK],§ 4) and Jonah (see JONAH of this book will be satisfied with the ~revalent theorv
[BOOK]. 5 4 f) some of these elements may have been of its object. There is no .tendency. about the book,
derived from mvtholoev , ", or fdk-lore lco Wi. AUP it represents in no drgier any party programme. And
364 f ). Ar Stucken points out,' . ~uth'correr~ondr even if the writer started with the object of illustrating
exactly to Trmnr: she obtains Boaz by taking him the life of David, he forgot this when he began to
unawares (Ruth , 3). ~,. as Tamar obtains Tudah ice". ,~ SRi. ~~, write, and only thought of it again as he war about to
A dim coniciousners of this connection shows itself in lay down the Den. . Tustl~ . does Robertson Smith remark,
'the martiage acquires an additional interest
when we know that Ruth was David's great-grandmother,
hut the main interest ir independent of that.
bf whim ir recorded (simply out of interest in avid) and lies in the happy issue of Ruth and Naomi from
by the nwrator.
their troubles through the loyai performance of the
The 'altogether peculiar' character of Ruth among kinsman's . Dart bu , Boar. Doubtless the writer meant
the historical and quasi-historical narratives has been his story to be an example to his own age, as well as
pointed out by Ewald, who ir 'led to conclude that this an interesting sketch of the past: but this is effected
story is only one takcn from a larger series of similar rim~lv ., bv , dercribine the exemolarv . , conduct of Naomi.
pieces by the same author, and that through mere Ruth, Boaz, and e