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by Katie Erickson

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
- Ruth 4:13-17

While these verses are not the final verses in the book of Ruth, they do provide a great conclusion for this narrative. They show how God has transformed what started out as a tragedy into a triumph.

At the beginning of the narrative, Naomi's life was marred by loss and bitterness. Having left Bethlehem due to famine, she returned years later a widow and childless, declaring, “Don’t call me Naomi… Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter” (Ruth 1:20). Her husband Elimelech and her two sons had died in Moab, leaving her without security, posterity, and hope. For an Israelite woman, particularly in that patriarchal society, the absence of a husband and sons was economically and socially devastating.

Yet by chapter 4, a miraculous reversal has occurred. Boaz, a guardian-redeemer, marries Ruth, Naomi’s Moabite daughter-in-law, ensuring not only Ruth's future but Naomi’s restoration as well. We see the women of Bethlehem affirm this in verses 14-15, praising God for not leaving Naomi without a guardian-redeemer and expressing how Ruth’s love has been more valuable than seven sons, which was a significant statement in a society that highly valued male offspring.

While it is clear from verse 13 that the child biologically belonged to Boaz and Ruth, Obed is spoken of as Naomi's son in verse 17: “Naomi has a son!” While this seems very strange to our modern Western culture, this makes sense when viewed through the lens of Israelite customs, particularly the practice of levirate marriage and inheritance laws.

While the marriage between Boaz and Ruth is not technically a levirate marriage (since Boaz is not Ruth's deceased husband’s brother), it functions in a similar spirit. In Deuteronomy 25:5-10, the Mosaic law prescribed that if a man died without children, his brother should marry the widow to produce offspring to carry on the deceased brother’s name. The primary goals were to preserve the deceased man’s lineage and ensure that family land inheritance remained within the clan.

In Ruth's case, Boaz acts as a guardian-redeemer, a male relative who steps in to protect the interests of the extended family, including redeeming land and marrying the widow. Boaz's actions restore Elimelech’s family line, and their son Obed is considered, legally and culturally, to be the heir of Mahlon (Ruth's late husband and Naomi’s son). By extension, this child rejuvenates Naomi’s family line and secures the ancestral estate.

Beyond lineage, the birth of Obed ensures Naomi's security socially. In an agrarian society where survival often hinged on family support networks, an elderly widow with no sons faced poverty and marginalization. The announcement that Naomi “has a son” symbolically anchors her back into the community with renewed protection and provision. The community’s recognition emphasizes that Naomi's status is now restored, not merely Ruth’s.

Ancient Israel viewed individuals through the lens of communal identity. One’s honor, name, and future were deeply intertwined with family and tribe. The association of Obed with Naomi is not a denial of Ruth’s maternity but rather an affirmation of the family's restoration within its communal and covenantal framework. Naomi’s losses are reversed, and her name continues through Obed, who became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of King David.

Though God’s direct actions may not have been explicit in Ruth, His providence permeates the narrative. The conception of Obed is described as divinely enabled (“the Lord enabled her to conceive” in verse 13), echoing similar Old Testament motifs where barren women like Sarah, Rebekah, and Hannah bear pivotal sons by God’s intervention. Naomi's story testifies to God’s quiet, redemptive work through ordinary human faithfulness, especially that of Ruth.

Ruth, a Moabite and a foreigner, is grafted into Israel’s covenant family, culminating not only in her son Obed but in her inclusion in the lineage of Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 1:5). This underscores a theological motif that God’s redemptive plan transcends ethnic and national boundaries. Ruth’s faithfulness and loyalty to Naomi find divine reward, illustrating that God's blessings can flow through unexpected people and relationships.

Our world today is often driven by individualism, but Ruth’s story champions steadfast love (hesed) and communal responsibility. Ruth’s selfless commitment to Naomi triggers a chain of redemptive events that restore not only Naomi’s life but also shape the future of Israel through David and, eventually, Jesus Christ. Boaz’s integrity and willingness to redeem reinforce the importance of acting honorably and compassionately within one's community.

Naomi, who once declared her life as bitter and empty, now holds her grandson, a tangible symbol of hope and legacy. The cultural practice of associating Obed with Naomi reflects ancient Israel's dedication to family preservation and social restoration. But more profoundly, it demonstrates that God, through human faithfulness and societal structures, weaves together His plans for redemption and blessing.

The God we worship today is the same God who was faithful to Naomi and Ruth. He calls us, too, to persevere through the times of bitterness and suffering to wait on the plans that He has for us, plans that will result in our redemption when we are obedient to Him.

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