Narrative Analysis of Ruth 2
SINGAPORE BIBLE COLLEGE
NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF RUTH 2
AN ANALYSIS PAPER SUBMITTED TO
REV. DR. SAMUEL GOH
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
OT647 OT EXEGESIS I
BY GANTUMUR LUVSANGOMBO (LUYA)
MAILBOX #115
SINGAPORE
16 SEP 2014
SETTING
Geographical setting: The story of the Ruth chapter 2 starts in Bethlehem, which is in, supposedly Naomi’s home. It is called “הָעִ֔יר (the city)” in v. 18. Naomi and Ruth start without “bread” in the “house of bread (Bethlehem)” and the story ends with their satisfaction (full of bread) in the “house of bread (Bethlehem)” city. The turning point of the provision happens “בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה (in the field)” that which is belonging to Boaz who was family of the Elimelech (v.3-17). In other words, the center of the story (that is the encounter between Ruth and Boaz) occurs “in the field”. The word “field” occurs 7 times in the chapter and it also evokes the motif of the chapter 1 (famine in the land and the land of Moab [v.1]). In this sense, this geographical setting has some symbolic significance. It reminds us about the famine and harvest that leads Naomi to foreign land and brings back to the native land.
Temporal setting: Overall events of the chapter took place in short period of time except the last verse (v. 23). The story narrates the happening of one day. It is showed by the temporal marker “הַבֹּ֨קֶר֙ (the morning)” in the servant’s word (v. 7) and “הָעָ֑רֶב (the evening)” in the narrator’s explanation (v. 17). We also are able to note the word “הַיֹּ֖ום (today)” from the last dialogue of the chapter (v. 19). Further, temporal marker “at mealtime” (v. 14) gives us the hint of the continual sense of the chronology. The prolonging of the chronology gets in hurry in verse 23. This concluding comment contains the actions of around “the seven weeks”1!
Thus, the story of the chapter 2 is coherent in its chronological and physical setting. The setting is also “an idyllic one –
NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF RUTH 2
AN ANALYSIS PAPER SUBMITTED TO
REV. DR. SAMUEL GOH
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
OT647 OT EXEGESIS I
BY GANTUMUR LUVSANGOMBO (LUYA)
MAILBOX #115
SINGAPORE
16 SEP 2014
SETTING
Geographical setting: The story of the Ruth chapter 2 starts in Bethlehem, which is in, supposedly Naomi’s home. It is called “הָעִ֔יר (the city)” in v. 18. Naomi and Ruth start without “bread” in the “house of bread (Bethlehem)” and the story ends with their satisfaction (full of bread) in the “house of bread (Bethlehem)” city. The turning point of the provision happens “בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה (in the field)” that which is belonging to Boaz who was family of the Elimelech (v.3-17). In other words, the center of the story (that is the encounter between Ruth and Boaz) occurs “in the field”. The word “field” occurs 7 times in the chapter and it also evokes the motif of the chapter 1 (famine in the land and the land of Moab [v.1]). In this sense, this geographical setting has some symbolic significance. It reminds us about the famine and harvest that leads Naomi to foreign land and brings back to the native land.
Temporal setting: Overall events of the chapter took place in short period of time except the last verse (v. 23). The story narrates the happening of one day. It is showed by the temporal marker “הַבֹּ֨קֶר֙ (the morning)” in the servant’s word (v. 7) and “הָעָ֑רֶב (the evening)” in the narrator’s explanation (v. 17). We also are able to note the word “הַיֹּ֖ום (today)” from the last dialogue of the chapter (v. 19). Further, temporal marker “at mealtime” (v. 14) gives us the hint of the continual sense of the chronology. The prolonging of the chronology gets in hurry in verse 23. This concluding comment contains the actions of around “the seven weeks”1!
Thus, the story of the chapter 2 is coherent in its chronological and physical setting. The setting is also “an idyllic one –
Bibliography: Berlin, Adele. Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative. Bible and literature series 9. Sheffield: Almond Press, 1983. Block, Daniel Isaac. Judges, Ruth. The new American commentary v. 6. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999. Bush, Frederic William. Ruth, Esther. Word Biblical commentary v. 9. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1996. Campbell, Edward Fay. Ruth: A New Translation with Introduction, Notes, and Commentary. 1st ed. Anchor Bible 7. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1975. Eskenazi, Tamara Cohn, and Tikva Simone Frymer-Kensky, eds. Ruth, the Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation. 1st ed. The JPS Bible commentary. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2011. Gow, Murray D. The Book of Ruth: Its Structure, Theme and Purpose. Leicester: Apollos, 1992. Hubbard, Robert L. The Book of Ruth. New international commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988. Lacocque, André. Ruth: A Continental Commentary. Continental commentaries. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004. Linafelt, Tod. Ruth. Berit olam. Collegeville, MI: Liturgical Press, 1999. Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob. Ruth. Interpretation, a Bible commentary for teaching and preaching. Louisville, Ky: John Knox Press, 1999. Saxegaard, Kristin Moen. Character Complexity in the Book of Ruth. Forschungen zum Alten Testament. 2. Reihe 47. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2010.