The Story Of Ruth

Introduction

The publication of Ruth sensitively depicts bonding and devotion between two women. [But also don't overlook publication of Judith for a surprising overturning of male/female functions: Judith sneaks into the foe camps, slashes off the head of Holofernes, the foremost of the enemy armed detachment, comes back and receives a hero's greeting, and then inhabits out the remainder of her days with her maidservants, declining all male suitors] The final pledge of Ruth to Naomi - more moving in the monarch James type than any other [including the Hebrew evidently] - is often used in heterosexual wedding ceremony ceremonies. But it is made between two women. This story may or may not be a lesbian story: many commentators reject such an interpretation, but others [such as Tom Horner in David Loved Jonathan supports a lesbian reading. Quite apart from the lesbian reading of this passage, note that the Bible reveals a foremost interior argument in the publication of Ruth. The point of the article is that Ruth becomes the grandmother of monarch David, - but Ruth was a Moabite women. The Deuteronomic cipher, probably taken up about the time of Ezra and Nehemiah accuses marriages between Jews and non-Jews - a reflection of the troubles and nationalism of post-exilic Judaism. Interestingly Deuteronomy and the publication of Nehemiah do not agree as to the details - but both publications would exclude King David from the congregation of the Lord - because he was within ten generations of a Moabite, and Nehemiah would omit Jesus of Nazareth!

The Story of Ruth

Women are often tricked in an vitally idle, household role, praised for purity and need of sexual yearn, pampered as ornaments, but granted no productive life purposes other than demonstrating a few communal graces and bearing young kids, as is established by the Judeo-Christian ethic and is strengthened in the story of Ruth. Though the story of Ruth appears in the Old Testament, its relevance is not limited by its datedness, but serves as a direct parallel to the predicament of the modern woman.

Though Christianity no longer dominates so visibly as it did prior to secularization and modernization, its remains a strong undercurrent in that its influence is still felt in contemporary Western society. Likewise, in the story of Ruth, God is not a physical presence but is felt in the affected decisions Ruth makes and in the path her life takes. Ideals still prevalent in society today are drawn from the male-dominated Christian ethic. Thus, God plays a more subdued, but at the same time no less powerful role both in society today and in the story of Ruth. This is evidenced in Ruth's decision to stay with her mother-in-law upon the death of her husband.

Ruth does this not according to her own desires, of which none are made known to the reader, but rather acts upon the desires of God, man, and society in accordance to what has been deemed “right”.

The decision to remain ...