Date

5-22-2024

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Chair

Joseph Cathey

Keywords

Book of Ruth, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Wisdom Literature, intertextuality, wisdom, Megilloth, fear of Yahweh, hesed, go'el, proper portion, discipline and hope, friendship and family loyalty, hard work, entreaty, inappropriate touching, true reward, humility, generosity, kindness, redemption, obeying instructions, worthy woman/wife, city gate, building up a house

Disciplines

Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

This dissertation proposes and argues that the Book of Ruth is better situated in Wisdom literature because of its didactic wisdom themes. Prominent wisdom themes will be analyzed and compared intertextually with the Book of Ruth, which provides Ruth’s understanding of YHWH. The research methodology evaluates the intertextuality, or inter-themes, between the Book of Ruth and the Wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes), the primary source. Peer-reviewed sources (scholarly commentaries, academic peer-reviewed journals, and scholarly biblical dictionaries) are used to evaluate and support the findings uncovered in the primary source. Semantic field and range studies are performed with the help of biblical Hebrew lexicons and lexical aids. The dissertation stems from the awareness that Ruth’s placement in the Old Testament differs between the Greek and Christian Bibles and the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Ruth is one of five scrolls in the Megilloth collection. This is significant because the Greek and Christian Bibles place Ruth after Judges and before 1 Samuel, which satisfies judicial and genealogical purposes. However, the Megilloth’s chronological order places Ruth first of the five scrolls, follows Proverbs, and precedes Ecclesiastes. Therefore, this chronological order has Ruth as the solution to the question posed in Proverbs 31:10, “An excellent wife, who can find?” Chapter one begins with an introduction highlighting prominent historical, literary, and theological elements of the Book of Ruth, followed by a description of the Megilloth with an explanation of the liturgical and chronological ordering. Finally, intertextuality is discussed, touching on the associated theories and methods. Chapter two is an overview of Wisdom literature. It will be investigated to analyze its genre, portrayal in Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Ruth, and its association with Old Testament theology. Finally, how wisdom is perceived in the ancient Near East, and its influence on Wisdom literature are explored. Chapter three evaluates fifteen didactic wisdom themes in the Book o Ruth. These themes will be evaluated to show their relevance to furthering the concept of a moral character properly situated within Yahweh’s standards. Biblical verses applicable to each theme will be analyzed, which will include looking at semantic fields and ranges and lexical comprehension of essential biblical Hebrew terms. Chapters four through six give a comparative study between Wisdom literature and Ruth. Specifically, how each Wisdom book treats the prominent wisdom themes and how Ruth treats the same themes are discussed. The comparative study focuses on specific verses relating to each theme, key terms are excised and studied, and thematic significances are given attention with a detailed explanation. Chapter seven focuses on how the Book of Ruth comprehends YHWH, though He is not visibly active in the biblical text. The ‘fear of Yahweh,’ divine sovereignty and providence, the concept of ḥesed, and the role of gō’ēl are evaluated in Ruth’s context. Finally, Chapter eight concludes the evaluation and ties together the crucial points from each chapter. The limitations of the research and its relevancy in understanding the book are presented.

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