초록 열기/닫기 버튼
The Book of Ruth is one of the elaborate literary works in the Old Testament as others. Since Gunkel classified this book as novelle, it settled its own position as one of the most beautiful and impressive literary and religious books in the Bible for a long time. It presents personal and national affection, dedication, love, faith through two women who lived as widows and foreigners in the time of judges. So many preachers focus on filial devotion of Ruth and emphasize her devotion and faith because she overcame many difficulties in the land of Israel and became one of the female ancestors of the king David (and Jesus Christ). The author of this book uses literal chiasmus and contrast effectively especiaally in chap. 1 of the book. Neverthless we should read the Book of Ruth as theologically not only as literally. It challenges against the extreme nationalism and anti-international marriage in the time of Ezra-Nehemijah and traditional deuteronomistic faith which forbids Moabites' immgration or entrance into the people of Israel. It also presents delicately very important theological themes such as hidden God who works silently, universalism which permits foreigners as the people of God, levirate marriage, protection of the social weak, ideology of anti-monarchy and practice of goel etc. when we read the Book of Ruth theologically, we can see the stable faith in God the redeemer from the boundary of a person to a nation in the hopeless period like the time of judges. As the confessions of Naomi and neighbor women, we can see the theological hope from the emptiness to the fullness, from bitterness(=Mara) to delight(=Naomi).
키워드열기/닫기 버튼
Ruth, Universalism, Chiasmus, Repent[שוב], Hesed[חסד]
