Basic Narrative of the Old Testament (Clifford)
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PLEASE NOTE
This web page is meant to facilitate group study along the lines encouraged by Fr. Clifford. So please feel free to add pertinent general information from class notes and texts, especially that which you find most important. Do not add anything that is in response to the questions on the take home exam, or can be interpreted to be so. This is meant as a means of preparation, not a place to find your answers.
Thanks for your participation in this group effort.
DEUTERONOMY
From Wikipedia Entry
- == Summary of the book ==
Deuteronomy consists chiefly of three discourses said to have been delivered by Moses a short time before his death, given to the Israelites, in the plains of Moab, in the penultimate month of the final year of their wanderings through the wilderness.
The first discourse (1-4) is a historical recollection, recapitulating the chief events of the past forty years in the wilderness, with earnest hortatory exhortations to obedience to the divine ordinances, and warnings against the danger of forsaking the God of their fathers.
The second discourse (5-26) is, in effect, the main body of the whole book, and is composed of two distinct addresses. The first of these (5-11), forms a second introduction, expanding on the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai. This other, second, address (12-26) is the Deuteronomic Code, a series of mitzvot (commands), forming extensive laws, admonitions, and injunctions to the Israelites, regarding how they ought to conduct themselves in Canaan, the land they regard to have been promised by Yahweh as their permanent home.
The concluding third discourse (27-30) is hortatory, relating almost wholly to the solemn sanctions of the law, the blessings to the obedient, and the curse that would fall on the rebellious. In this discourse, the Israelites are solemnly adjured to adhere faithfully to the covenant between them and Yahweh, and so secure for themselves, and for their posterity, the promised blessings.
After the final discourse, the text describes Moses preparing himself to die. As the main part of preparation, Moses is described as conditionally renewing the covenant between Yahweh and the Israelites, the condition being the loyalty of the people, and at the same time, Joshua is also appointed by Moses as heir, a leader to lead the people into Canaan.
These addresses to the people are followed by what is generally regarded as three short appendices, namely:
- The Song of Moses, apparently being created by Moses by the request of Yahweh (32:1-47).
- The Blessing of Moses, which is pronounced upon the individual tribes of Israel (33)
- The story of the death of Moses (32:48-52), and subsequent burial (34).
Important Points from Class Notes
- The first book of the Deuteronomic history, which lasts through Kings
- Israel is poised for conquest
- 4 Speeches of Moses, each beginning with "This is the law, This is the Torah, These are the words"
- 1:1, 4:44, 29:1, 33;1
- The real beginning of Deuteronomy as a law code is 4:44
- McBride suggests that what you really have in Deuteronomy is a constitution
- McBride's translation of 4:45--"These are the treaty stipulations and statutory rulings that have been given to you by reason of the covenant you have made"
- Chapters 5-11--The treaty: Sermons on the great commandments
- Chapters 12-26--Statutory rulings, treaty stipulations
- We've been talking about 2 sources, J-E, the epic source, and P, the priestly editor. Here we add a 3rd source: The Deuteronomic Source
- Different form of speech, designed to persuade
- A polity, a constituion that establishes a people
- Best expresses the rhetorical and legal aspects (McBride)
- One theory is that Deuteronomy was written during the reign of [Hezekiah]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezekiah (715-687).
- Hezekiah was the King of Judah, remembered as a good king who supported religious reforms and was genuinely devoted to the Lord.
- One theory about Deteronomy is that chapters 5-28 are an attempt to think through Judah's relationship with God in terms of the legal instruments of the time. The Mosaic covenant is restated afresh in terms of the legal understanding of the time, thus in a relevant way
- Thought through the relationship with God on the model of a suzerain vassal
- During the reign of King [Josiah]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah (640-609) is when the Deuteronomic text is thought to have been rediscovered in the Temple (there is an account of the discovery of an important text in 2Kings)
- Chapters 5-11: Sermons on the Great Commandments/Treaty stipulations
- Deuteronomy 7: Given at a time of great fear. The people are about to go into the land and take the land. An admonition not to be afraid of the more numerous nations, with a reminder of what God did to Pharoah.--Overcoming Fear.
The Moses-figure in Deuteronomy
- Deuteronomy 18:15 speaks of the transferability of the Mosaic office: ""A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen."
- We don't have Moses addressing the people after he's already died
- There is an institution of the "office of Moses" which is continued on in several figures (first of all, Joshua) beyond Moses' lifetime
- Those who challenge the people to keep the law are equivalent to "Moses" speaking to the people--not all those who challenged the people, but the one to whom the office was recognized to be transferred
JOSHUA
From Wikipedia Entry
- ===Detailed summary===
Spying the land (Chapter 2). Joshua sends out from Shittim two spies to explore the city of Jericho. They are saved from falling into the hands of the king by the shrewd tactics of Rahab. The spies return and report.
Crossing of Jordan (Chapters 3-4). The camp is broken at Shittim. A halt is made at the Jordan. Joshua addresses the people; assuring them that God is in the midst of them, that He will drive out the Canaanites, and that the Ark will cross the Jordan, whereupon a miraculous change will be worked in the waters of the river. The predicted miracle takes place as soon as the priests with the Ark wade into the water. In commemoration of the event, Joshua orders two monuments to be erected: one in the river-bed; the other on the west bank, at Gilgal. The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half of Manasseh number 40,000 warriors. The priests are bidden to come up out of the river's bed after the people have crossed over. This happens on the tenth day of the first month; and the camp is pitched at Gilgal.
Circumcision of the Israelites. Joshua is bidden to make flint knives wherewith to circumcise the Israelites, for those born in the desert had not been circumcised. This is done; Passover is celebrated; and the manna ceases. Joshua in front of Jericho receives the visit of a "captain of the host of the Lord" in the guise of a man, who declares that the soil on which Joshua is standing is holy ground.
The siege and capture of Jericho. After thirteen circuits (one every day for six days, and seven circuits on the seventh day) with seven priests blowing seven rams' horns and the people shouting, the walls cave in. Jericho is put under the ban; but Rahab is excepted. A curse is pronounced against any one who should rebuild the city. Joshua becomes famous throughout the whole land. See main article: Battle of Jericho
The expedition against Ai. Ai is surveyed and pronounced weak, hence the Israelite army sends only a small portion of the whole to attack this town. 3,000 Israelite soldiers are sent, but they are defeated by the warriors of Ai, and 36 of their number are killed. The failure of this expedition strikes terror into the heart of the people and brings Joshua to the verge of despair. But God announces that the people have sinned. As stated in the first verse, Achan has not respected God's commandment that the spoils of Jericho belonged to Him, and could not be taken by the people. The people must be reconsecrated. The sinner must be discovered by the casting of Yhwh's lot (Urim and Thummim.) This is done. By a process of elimination the guilt is limited to the tribe of Judah, then to the clan of the Zarhites, then to the sept of Zabdi; the individual members of Zabdi are then brought forward, man by man, and finally Achan is detected as the culprit. He admits having taken a costly Babylonian garment, besides silver and gold; and his confession is verified by the finding of the treasure buried in his tent. Achan is taken into the valley of Achor, and there stoned to death.
Entire army against Ai. The city is taken by clever strategy, 30,000 men being placed overnight in an ambush. The attacking force feigning flight, the King of Ai is drawn far away from the city; Joshua points with his lance toward the city; whereupon the men in ambush rush into it, while Joshua and the army with him face about. Thus the pursuing enemy is taken between the two sections of Israel's array. Not one man escapes; the city is burned; 12,000 inhabitants are killed, and the spoils are taken. The King of Ai is hanged to a tree until nightfall, when his body is thrown into a pit, where on a stone heap is raised. Joshua erects an altar on Mount Ebal as Moses had commanded, offering to Yhwh holocausts and sacrificing peace-offerings. On the stones of the altar he engraves a copy of the law of Moses; the people being ranged in two sections - one facing Ebal; the other, Gerizim - while the blessings and curses are read as ordained by Moses.
The Confederacy Against Joshua (Chapter 9). The confederacy of the native kings to fight Joshua. The Gibeonites by craft obtain a treaty from the Israelites, which even after the detection of the fraud is not abrogated. They are, however, degraded to be "hewers of wood and drawers of water" for the altar of Yhwh.
Alliance between the kings (Chapter 10). Adoni-zedek brings about an alliance between the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, and they ("the five kings of the Amorites") besiege Gibeon. In their distress the Gibeonites implore Joshua's help. Joshua, assured by Yhwh of victory, comes up from Gilgal by a forced night march and attacks the allies suddenly. Thrown into confusion, the Amorites flee as far as the ascent of Beth-horon. To this battle is referred a song from the Book of Jashar, commanding the sun to be still at Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Ajalon. The miracle of sun and moon standing still on Gibeon, in response to Joshua's impassioned prayer of faith (Josh. 10:12-15), has given rise to much discussion. The five kings are captured, first being incarcerated in the cave where they had hidden for safety, then, after the pursuit had been discontinued,?scarcely one of the enemies escaping?being by order of Joshua humiliated and hanged. Then follows a detailed enumeration of the cities captured and put under ban. Joshua becomes master of the whole land?the hill-country, the southland, the lowland, and the slopes?leaving not one king alive, and banning all men from Kadesh-barnea unto Gaza, and all the district of Goshen unto Gibeon. After this expedition he returns to Gilgal.
Jabin of Hazor arrives Merom (Chapter 11). Jabin, King of Hazor, and his allies rendezvous at Merom. Joshua is assured by Yhwh of their total defeat, which in fact is brought about by a sudden attack on the part of Joshua. Pursuing them to a great distance (the cities are named), he hamstrings their horses and burns their chariots, capturing Hazor, killing all of its people, and burning the town. Other royal residences he takes by the sword, putting them under the ban. The spoils are taken, and the men are put to death. The cities on the hill are allowed to stand. Joshua drives the Anakim from the mountains, from Hebron, and from other places. Only in Gaza some remain. Finally the land has peace.
Chapter 12. Recapitulation of Joshua's conquests, with statistical details of the number of the kings (30 of them) captured and subdued.
Chapter 13. After an enumeration of the places still unconquered (mainly the coast districts of the Philistines) Joshua is bidden to apportion the land, the unconquered as well as the conquered, among nine and one-half tribes of Israel, the other two and one-half tribes having under Moses been given their portion on the east of the Jordan.
Chapter 14. Résumé of the foregoing reference to Reuben, Gad, and the half of Manasseh, with a gloss concerning Levi's non-inheritance save as regards detached cities, while Joseph receives a double heritage. Caleb's claim to Hebron is allowed.
Chapter 15. The "lot" of Judah; Caleb's share; Expulsion by him of the three Anakim; Story of Kirjath-sepher; Othniel takes it and wins, as promised, Caleb's daughter for wife; Her successful plea for the gift of wells; Catalogue of the heritage of Judah; and a gloss on the continued dwelling of the Jebusites in Jerusalem (63).
Chapter 16. Lot of the Josephites (1-3). The Ephraimites own cities in the territory of Manasseh (9). Gloss to the effect that the Canaanites dwelling in Gezer had not been driven out, but had been reduced to slavery (10).
Chapter 17. Lot of Manasseh, Machir as a warrior taking for his prize Gilead and Bashan. Delimitation of Manasseh (7). Manasseh's assignments in Issachar and Asher (11). Gloss stating that these cities had not been captured (12). Protest of the Josephites against receiving one share only (14). Joshua advises them to conquer the wooded hill-land (15). Plea on their part that the mountain is not extensive enough, while the plains are held by Canaanites equipped with iron chariots (16). Joshua's consolatory encouragement (17).
Chapter 18. Erection of the Tabernacle at Shiloh (1). Seven tribes without allotment. Joshua urges these to appoint commissions of three men out of each tribe to go and take the land and to report to him, when, after dividing it into seven portions, he will cast the lot (2-7). The commissions carry out the errand and lay their book of record before Joshua, who then casts the lot (8-10). Benjamin's share (11). The boundaries (12-20). List of the cities (21-28).
Chapter 19. Simeon's share, in the territory of Judah. List of the cities (1-8). Reason why Simeon's lot was in Judean territory (9). Zebulun's share; its boundaries (10-14). Twelve cities not specified (15b). Issachar's share; its cities and boundaries (17-23). Asher's lot; its boundaries; summary gives twenty-two as the number of its cities (24-31). Naphtali's share; its boundaries and fortified cities (32-39). Dan's share; its cities enumerated (40-46). Why the Danites took Leshem = Dan (47). Joshua receives as his own share Timnath-serah (49-50). Eleazar and Joshua had assigned the lots before Yhwh at the gate of the Tabernacle at Shiloh (51). Cities of refuge established (51b-xx.).
Chapter 21. The Levites' assignment (1-8). Concluding paragraph, emphasizing God's fulfilment of His promise to the fathers (43-45).
The end. Dismissal to their homes of Reuben, Gad, and the half of Manasseh with Joshua's blessing and an admonition to take heed of God's law as commanded by Moses. Now that they have become rich in cattle, silver, gold, iron, and garments they are to divide the booty with their brethren. Return of the east-Jordanic tribes; they build an altar at the stone-heap on the bank of the Jordan; the Israelites desire to punish them for this act; but they first send Phinehas and ten princes to the Reubenites, etc., to censure them, recalling the Peor episode and advising them to remove to Palestine. The Reubenites explain that in building the altar their intention was to show their fidelity to Yhwh,that their descendants might not be taunted with being untrue to Him. The delegation rejoices at the explanation, and upon their report the Israelites abandon the projected punitive expedition (9-34).
Chapter 23. Joshua, now old, calls an assembly of all Israel, at which he admonishes the people to remain loyal to the Torah of Moses.
Chapter 24. An account of a gathering of Israel at Shechem, at which Joshua delivers an impressive address, reviewing the past, and makes the people vow to remain faithful. He erects a great stone as a witness to the promise (1-28). Joshua dies (29). Joseph's bones are buried in Shechem (32). Eleazar dies and is buried (33).
Important Points from Class Notes
Exegesis of Joshua 2: The Story of Rahab
"Passing Over Rahab"
The story of the prostitute Rahab and the spies in Joshua chapter 2 in a lot of ways doesn’t really seem to fit with the rest of the story of Joshua. Here in the second chapter, it seems, we take this brief interlude in the destruction of Jericho and the taking of the land to tell the story of a prostitute who finds faith and is spared the annihilation of her people. You could argue that the spies and their mission make sense of it, but this is clearly her story, and the spies, who are unnamed, who the king of Jericho is on to immediately, and who, contrary to the king’s statement, fall far short of “searching out the whole land,” do little more than report back Rahab’s words to them. Besides, it seems clear that their successful defeat of Jericho is hardly in doubt. So, why not just pass over this story and move from chapter 1 straight on to chapter 3? The answer lies in the story itself. For, clearly, this story of the “passing over” of Rahab and her family functions as much more than simply an assurance to the Israelites that they will be successful in taking Jericho. Indeed, the Passover theme which clearly underlies the story is significant because this is a story of faith, expectation, hope and deliverance in the midst of death and annihilation.
The timeline of the text of chapter two seems inconsistent, thus suggesting the combination of more than one source in this narrative of the days preceding the taking of Jerusalem. The purpose of this text, save for the obvious function of telling the story of Rahab and the spies, seems also to connect the reader with past events and to foreshadow future ones. The Eerdmans commentary suggests that it “functions as a sort of parenthesis that introduces important items that will form the background of the stories of the crossing of the Jordan and the conquest of Jericho.” There are a number of important Biblical themes and stories which it recalls. Rahab’s intervention on behalf of the spies can be likened to Lot’s protection of the visitors to Sodom and Gomorrah, or the intervention of the midwives in Egypt. It helps to establish Joshua’s place as the Moses figure when we see him sending spies as Moses did. There is also a clear allusion with the red cord being tied in the window to the Passover. And, again, we have another story of the unlikely person achieving God’s purposes, and by means of deception. In this way, Rahab stands as an example of righteousness not unlike Tamar, who achieved God’s purposes by pretending to be a prostitute.
Rahab’s story also foreshadows events to come. Spies will be sent out again later. Others, especially the Gibeonites, will also be delivered from destruction by entering into a contract with the Israelites as Rahab did. This also involved some deception. Rahab also speaks what will be the case with other nations set to fall before the Israelites: “dread of you has fallen on us, and all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you.”
The text shows clear evidence of editorial changes. Rahab’s profession of faith, a portion of which is right out of Deuteronomy, reflects a familiarity with that material that should certainly wouldn’t have had. Indeed, there may be little to nothing that is strictly historical about this text. The text is also worded in such a way as to suggest that the spies may have had sex with Rahab. The rabbinical tradition has done its best to redeem Rahab. Indeed in the Talmud she becomes the wife of Joshua and and ancestress to many prophets. Josephus suggested that she was an innkeeper. The New Testament authors, on the other hand, seem much more comfortable with the fact that she was a prostitute.
The form is a narrative, on which serves as the beginning of that segment of Joshua which has to do with the conquest of the land. The repetition of “Joshua, son of Nun” at the beginning and end indicates this is a coherent unit. It’s a dramatic, tense story in which both Rahab and the spies are taking significant risks. Rahab’s speech serves as a profession of faith, and a contract between her and the spies. This speech is really the central focus of the chapter. Rahab’s contract is not so far removed from Deuteronomy that we can fail to see the echoes with that book, especially as it clearly draws on Deuteronomy. This passage, in a sense, reproduces in compact form the drama of the Passover—a faithful person living among a doomed community receives the promise of deliverance for her and her family by the display of the red cord. It’s hardly coincidental, then, that the first thing the Israelites do on coming into the land is celebrate the Passover, which signals an end to Manna and a moving into a new chapter in their covenant with God.
There are three major strands of interpretation:
The unlikely person advances the plans of God by unlikely means. Rahab distinguishes herself despite her “triple marginalization as a woman, prostitute and Canaanite. There are some suggestions that Rahab’s actions are nothing more than self-interest. But, as the Eerdman’s commentary points out, this doesn’t seem to be sufficient cause to betray an entire people, especially if we are to see Rahab, as is clearly the case, as admirable. Faith must be a motivating factor. Indeed, Rahab seems more a model of risk-taking, faith and competence than Israel’s spies. There seems to be some affirmation for this by the inclusion of Rahab, and interestingly Tamar as well, in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew. Rahab is also included with Abraham and Moses in another genealogy of sort in Hebrews 11, a genealogy of models of faith. James also uses her as an example of one whose faith is demonstrated by her actions.
The New Interpreter’s Bible offers a fairly unique interpretation, painting the Rahab story as a folk narrative of poor people against a kingly power. It suggests that Rahab’s status as a prostitute was more an instance of debt slavery than evidence of questionable character. It is the means by which she takes care of her family, as she does in the contract she makes with the spies. This perspective highlights the Passover theme, the debt of Rahab and her family is remitted, and she is saved from her slavery. This interpretation suggests that this was also an appeal to the poor debtors among Josiah’s subjects, during the time when this was being edited.
Then there are the etiological explanations.
JUDGES
From Wikipedia Entry
- == Introduction/Prologue (1:1-3:6) ==
The introduction connects it with the previous narrative in Joshua as a "link in the chain of books" with Judges 1:1-2:8 being a summarised repetition of parts of Joshua. Judges starts off with the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan, however there are many Canaanite tribes still in the land who still resist them, so although they have entered the land they do not have full control of it. In Judges 1:1-2, the Israelites ask God who should fight against the Canaanites, and Judah is chosen (Simeon also participates because it was a smaller tribe whose territory was within Judah's area).
Therefore Judges 1:3-21 is an account of the military campaigns of the southern tribes of Judah and Simeon. They defeat the Canaanites and Perizzites and capture their leader Adoni-Bezek (Judges 1:4-7). Then the Judeans invade Jerusalem and put it to the sword (Judges 1:8), advance on Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills (Judges 1:9), then continue advancing against the Canaanites that lived in Hebron, defeating Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai (Judges 1:10). After this they advanced on the Canaanites living in Debir (Judges 1:11). As this was a royal Canaanite city, it was seen as being an important city to capture, and evidently Caleb becomes impatient to capture it as he offers the hand of his daughter Achsah in marriage to whoever defeats the city (Judges 1:12-13). Achsah is later given upper and lower springs, presumably in the Negev (Judges 1:14-15). The descendants of Moses' father-in-law (either Hobab or Raguel/Reuel - this is unclear) move to the Desert of Judah (Judges 1:16), which fulfills the promise Moses made in Numbers 10:29-31. The Simeonites and the Judeans attack and totally destroy the Canaanite town of Zepath, which they rename Hormah, the Hebrew word for "destruction" (Judges 1:17). Zepath/Hormah was a town in the Simeonite's territory. The Judeans then take the cities of Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron, however though the Judeans take the hill country they fail to take the plains because the people "had iron chariots" (Judges 1:18-19). Hebron is captured and given to Caleb, who drives away the three sons of Anak (Judges 1:20). This fulfills the promise made to him by Moses in Numbers 14:24 (also recounted in Deuteronomy 1:35-36). In Joshua 1:21 the Benjamites attempt to drive out the Jebusites but they are unsuccessful.
Judges 1:22-36 is an account of the military campaigns of the house of Joseph. Spies are sent out to survey Luz (later renamed Bethel) and are shown how to enter it by a citizen of the city after they promise to spare the man and his whole family. They put the city to the sword, and the citizen they spared travels to the land of the Hittites and establishes a city he names Luz (Judges 1:22-26). Other tribes are unsuccessful; Manasseh is unable to drive out the Caananites of Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements (Judges 1:27); Ephraim is unable to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer (Judges 1:29); Zebulun is unable to drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol (Judges 1:30); Asher is unable to drive out the Canaanites living in Acco, Siddon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek or Rehob (Judges 1:31); Naphtahli is unable to drive out the Canaanites living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath (Judges 1:33); finally the Danites were confined to the hill country as the Amorites kept them from entering the plain and kept them from capturing Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim. In each of these cases, the book of Judges says that the tribes later subjugated the Canaanites into forced labour.
The story portrays the great tribulations of the time of the Judges. According to the Bible, God inflicted these tribulations because the Israelites partially spared the Canaanites in spite of His command to the contrary (see Judges 2:1-5, especially verse 3). This was to have consequences later on.
For a time there was a period of relative stability while Joshua and the elders who served under him lived (Judges 2:6-7), however once Joshua died at the age of a hundred and ten a new generation of Israelites grew up and worshipped the Baals and the Ashteroths. As they had done this, God was provoked to anger, causing the Israelites to be plundered by raiders and made it so that they were never able to defeat their enemies when they went out to fight. The people were in "great distress". (Judges 2:8-15, NIV) Judges 2:6-10 is covered in more detail in Joshua 24. Judges 2:16-19 shows that God has compassion on the Israelites and raises up judges to save them from their enemies, however the people do not listen to the judges and refuse to obey God's commands. God raises up judges for them several times but each time the judge dies they go back to their old ways. Finally, in Judges 2:20-23, it is revealed that it was part of God's plan for the Israelites to be unable to drive out the remnant Canaanite tribes - he has left them there as a test to see whether the people would "keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did." (Judges 2:22, NIV) The nations left to test "all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan [were] the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath." (Judges 3:3-4, NIV) Finally, in Judges 3:5-7 we find the Israelites marrying into foreign tribes (forbidden in Deuteronomy 7:3) and serving their gods.
Important Points from Class Notes
RUTH
From Wikipedia Entry
- == The story ==
Ruth (רוּת "Compassion", Standard Hebrew Rut, Tiberian Hebrew Rûṯ) is a Moabite woman whose father-in-law and mother-in-law, Elimelech and Naomi had settled in the land of Moab. Elimelech died there, and his two sons married, Mahlon taking Ruth as his wife, and Chilion taking Orpah, both women of Moab; both sons likewise died.
Naomi heard that the famine in Judah had passed, and determined to return. Ruth accompanied her mother-in-law to Bethlehem, at the beginning of barley harvest, in a state of poverty. Elimelech had had an inheritance of land among his brethren, but, unless a Go'el, a redeemer, could be found, Naomi would be compelled to sell it. Elimelech had a prosperous relative in Bethlehem whose name was Boaz, and who was engaged in the harvest. Ruth went to glean in his fields, and, after he had spoken kindly to her and shown her some favors, she, acting on the advice of her mother-in-law, approached Boaz.
Boaz was attracted to her, but informed her that there was a kinsman nearer than he who had the first right to redeem the estate of Elimelech, and that it would be necessary for that kinsman to renounce his right before he (Boaz) could proceed in the matter. Accordingly Boaz called this kinsman, and told him of the situation, and of the kinsman's right to redeem the estate and to marry Ruth. The kinsman declared that he did not desire to do so, and drew off his shoe, the ritual way of showing that he had renounced his rights in favor of Boaz. Boaz thereupon bought the estate from Naomi, married Ruth, and became by her the father of Obed, who in due time became the father of Jesse, the father of King David.
