NOTES for Rut 1:15-22

The author of the Book of Ruth does not explain why Ruth stays with Naomi. In principle, there are two possible approaches. Most likely, during her marriage Ruth discovered the true God, the God of Israel. If so, it is quite clear that for the sake of faith in Him she does not want to return to her pagan kinsmen in Moab, but prefers to support her mother-in-law in her old age. Yet the reverse is also possible: Ruth's human bond with Naomi becomes the foundation that enables her to remain faithful to the one God. This duality is very characteristic of the Bible, because it is only through our relationship with God that relationships between people are rightly formed, while at the same time it is only mercy toward other people that leads us to the knowledge of God.