Commentary Guide
Call Number Regions
Ruth is sometimes treated along with Joshua, Judges, and/or Esther in a single commentary.
Major Commentaries on Ruth
The Message of Ruth (Bible Speaks Today) by
The book of Ruth is a tale of charm and delight. Goethe called it "the loveliest complete work on a small scale, handed down to us as an ethical treatise and an idyll." Another writes, "No poet in the world has written a more beautiful short story."The book tells about very ordinary people facing very ordinary events. We meet Naomi, who underwent hardship in famine and bereavement but eventually won peace and security. We meet Ruth, a young foreign woman from Moab who attached herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and to Naomi's God. And we meet Boaz, who by marrying Ruth fitted into God's purpose's for history. Both King David and Jesus are numbered among their descendants.Theologically the story of Ruth is a story about God's providence. This David Atkinson demonstrates clearly in his passage-by-passage exposition.
Call Number: BS1315.3 .A85 1983ISBN: 0877842949Publication Date: 1985
Judges, Ruth (New American Commentary) by
THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features include:* commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION;* the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary;* sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages;* interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole;* readable and applicable exposition.
Call Number: BS1305.3 .B56 1999ISBN: 0805401067Publication Date: 1999
Ruth, Esther (Word Biblical Commentary) by
This landmark commentary by Dr. Frederick Bush fills a void in Old Testament studies. Ruth and Esther are among the most neglected books in the canon of Holy Scripture. None of the early church fathers wrote a commentary on Esther, and the list of serious contemporary analyses of both Ruth and Esther is woefully short. So pastors and scholars alike will welcome Dr. Bush's thorough treatment of these intriguing texts. Drawing upon recent studies on the genre and discourse structure of biblical narrative, Bush shows how the loving loyalty of Ruth, the kindness and sagacity of both Boaz and Naomi, and God's gracious provision of fruitfulness for field and womb provide a son to reverse the death and emptiness that had afflicted Naomi. It was an outcome of utmost significance, for it preserved the family line that ultimately led to David. In the course of his investigation, Bush deals at length with the difficult question of the role that the social customs of the levirate law and the redemption of the land play in this powerful story. Bush's careful linguistic study sheds new light on the difficult question of the date of the book. From its earliest days, the book of Esther has posed huge problems for Bible students. What do you do with a book of the Bible that never overtly speaks of God? Does a book this secular really belong in our Bibles? Some of the ancient rabbis said no. Is it possible that a "proto" version of Esther was amended in the Masoretic Text to make a solid case for the popular feast of Purim? Bush's exhaustive analysis of the literary structure of the book of Esther provides numerous clues that this may be so. While offering numerous insights into the technicalities of language and textual transmission, Bush also uses his expertise in Near Eastern studies to stir our hearts with a fresh look at the courage of Queen Esther and her loyal kinsman Mordecai. Like all the volumes of the Word Biblical Commentary, this commentary has been written for advanced Bible scholars. The clear division of technical notes from more popular explanation and comment sections makes it a useful tool for pastors and serious students of the Word. Readers with widely varying skills will welcome: use of the literary tools of narrative poetics and discourse analysis to help determine the theme, purpose, and theology of these stories extensive bibliographical sources to aid further study application of the tools of linguistic analysis to help in dating the text of the book of Ruth perceptive assessments of how both of these books reflect the self-awareness of the Jews as a resilient, resourceful people new insights into how and why Esther has come to us in its present form Dr. Bush's perceptive exegesis of these texts will fill a gap on the shelves of Old Testament scholarship.
Call Number: BS1315.3 .B87 1996ISBN: 0849902088Publication Date: 1996
Esther and Ruth (Reformed Expository Commentary) by
In Esther, God works in invisible ways to save his people; in Ruth, God's grace come to Naomi unexpectedly. The central message: Christ's sufferings and subsequent glory.
Call Number: BS1375.3 .D84 2005ISBN: 9780875527833Publication Date: 2005
Book of Ruth (New International Commentary on the Old Testament) by
The book of Ruth contains one of the Bible's best-known and most-loved stories. This major commentary by Robert L. Hubbard Jr. shows how the author of Ruth used, with great literary artistry, the story of Ruth and Naomi to convey important theological themes. In his introduction Hubbard discusses the issues of text, canonicity, literary criticism, authorship, date, purpose, setting, genre, legal background, themes, and theology, concluding with an outline of the book and a thorough bibliography. The commentary proper is based on Hubbard's own fresh translation and accented by copious footnotes on textual, philological, and literary matters. Gleaning the best from recent research on Ruth, Hubbard gives the story's rich literary, grammatical, and theological dimensions a careful, rigorous treatment. He allows for the possibility that the anonymous author was a woman and argues that the narrative itself aims to counter opposition to the Davidic monarchy in Israel and Judah during Solomon's reign. Throughout, Hubbard's sensitivity to the literary genius of Ruth's author and his coherent explication of the outworking of the book's theological themes make this volume an invaluable tool for anyone desiring to explore the intriguing story of Ruth in depth.
Call Number: BS1315.3 .H83 1988ISBN: 9780802825261Publication Date: 1989
Ruth (Old Testament Library) by
Kirsten Nielsen's commentary on the book of Ruth, now available in a new casebound edition, paints a rich and subtle portrait of its characters, carefully tracing the many connections between this story and other biblical passages, such as the stories of Judah and Tamar. This volume is a powerful addition to this critically acclaimed Old Testament Library series. The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.
Call Number: BS1315.3 .N54 1997ISBN: 0664220924Publication Date: 1997
Ruth (Interpretation) by
The narrative of the book of Ruth is a drama of ordinary human life, but the drama unfolds against a background of the providence and purposes of God. Katharine Doob Sakenfeld has written a commentary that makes very clear why the book of Ruth has such great importance as literature and as Scripture. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching is a distinctive resource for those who interpret the Bible in the church. Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry.
Call Number: BS1315.3 .S25 1999ISBN: 0804231494Publication Date: 1999
Ruth (Johns Hopkins Near Eastern Studies) by Call Number: BS1313 1979ISBN: 0801821541Publication Date: 1989
Judges and Ruth (NIV Application Commentary) by
The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's world, each passage is treated in three sections: Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context. Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible. Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved. This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.
Call Number: BS1305.3 .Y68 2002ISBN: 0310206367Publication Date: 2002
The Message of Ruth (Bible Speaks Today) by
The book of Ruth is a tale of charm and delight. Goethe called it "the loveliest complete work on a small scale, handed down to us as an ethical treatise and an idyll." Another writes, "No poet in the world has written a more beautiful short story."The book tells about very ordinary people facing very ordinary events. We meet Naomi, who underwent hardship in famine and bereavement but eventually won peace and security. We meet Ruth, a young foreign woman from Moab who attached herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and to Naomi's God. And we meet Boaz, who by marrying Ruth fitted into God's purpose's for history. Both King David and Jesus are numbered among their descendants.Theologically the story of Ruth is a story about God's providence. This David Atkinson demonstrates clearly in his passage-by-passage exposition.
ISBN: 9780877842941Publication Date: 1985- Book of Ruth (New International Commentary on the Old Testament) by
The book of Ruth contains one of the Bible's best-known and most-loved stories. This major commentary by Robert L. Hubbard Jr. shows how the author of Ruth used, with great literary artistry, the story of Ruth and Naomi to convey important theological themes. In his introduction Hubbard discusses the issues of text, canonicity, literary criticism, authorship, date, purpose, setting, genre, legal background, themes, and theology, concluding with an outline of the book and a thorough bibliography. The commentary proper is based on Hubbard's own fresh translation and accented by copious footnotes on textual, philological, and literary matters. Gleaning the best from recent research on Ruth, Hubbard gives the story's rich literary, grammatical, and theological dimensions a careful, rigorous treatment. He allows for the possibility that the anonymous author was a woman and argues that the narrative itself aims to counter opposition to the Davidic monarchy in Israel and Judah during Solomon's reign. Throughout, Hubbard's sensitivity to the literary genius of Ruth's author and his coherent explication of the outworking of the book's theological themes make this volume an invaluable tool for anyone desiring to explore the intriguing story of Ruth in depth.
ISBN: 9780802825261Publication Date: 1989
Ruth (Old Testament Library) by
Kirsten Nielsen's comments on the book of Ruth paint a rich and subtle portrait of its characters, carefully tracing the many connections between this story and other biblical passages, such as the stories of Judah and Tamar. This volume is a powerful addition to this critically acclaimed Old Testament Library series. The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.
ISBN: 9780664227302Publication Date: 1997
- Ruth Commentaries in the E-Book CatalogDiscover many more e-book commentaries on Ruth.
- The Message of Ruth: The Wings of Refuge. Bible Speaks Today. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984. [Also published under the title The Wings of Refuge: The Message of Ruth.]
- Judges, Ruth. New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.
- Ruth, Esther. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1996.
- Ruth: A New Translation with Introduction, Notes, and Commentary. Anchor Bible. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1975.
- Esther and Ruth. Reformed Expository Commentary. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2005.
- The Book of Ruth. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988.
- Ruth: A Commentary. Old Testament Library. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997.
- Ruth. Interpretation. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1999.
- Ruth: A New Translation with a Philological Commentary and a Formalist-folklorist Interpretation. Johns Hopkins Near Eastern Studies. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1979. [Also published as Ruth: A New Translation with a Philological Commentary and a Formalist-folklorist Interpretation, 2nd ed., Biblical Seminar (Sheffield, England: JSOT, 1989).]
- Judges and Ruth. NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.