Ruth - Concordia Commentary

The most complex legal situation in the Bible, writes Dr. Wilch, comes in Ruth. A historical short story, Ruth presents theological truths not in abstract propositions or beatitudes, but in the narrative form of Naomi and Ruth's struggle to ensure their own protection and inheritance. Dr. Wilch focuses on these formal themes while also exposing the nuances of the Hebrew in this original translation. Though a human driven narrative, Ruth is always providentially oriented. God provides for Ruth and Naomi throughout, and Ruth itself serves as a Messianic genealogy of sorts. The Davidic line comes through, of all people, the foreigner Ruth. In Ruth then, we find Christ, both as the direct descendant of Ruth and as the fulfilment of all Scriptures.
FeaturesDedicated sections on the Relevance of Ruth today, including teaching on prayer, fidelity, love, sexuality, and more.
An address on the textual history of Ruth and its place in the cannon
A Narrative overview of Ruth and the legal context
Additional EssaysMotifs of Redemption, Storytelling, Piety, and the Hidden God
Opposition and Defense of David in Ruth
About the Series
The Concordia Commentary Series: A Theological Exposition of Sacred Scripture is written to enable pastors and teachers of the Word to proclaim the Gospel with greater insight, clarity, and faithfulness to the divine intent of the Biblical text.
The series will cover all the canonical books of the Old and New Testament, with an original translation and meticulous grammatical analysis of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek of each text. The foremost interpretive lens centers on the unified proclamation of the person and work of Christ across every Scriptural book.
The Commentary fully affirms the divine inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture; Each passage bears witness to the confession that God has reconciled the world to Himself through the incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ His Son.
Authors expose the rich treasury of language, imagery, and thematic content of the Scripture, while supplementing their work with additional research in archaeology, history, and extrabiblical literature. Throughout, God's Word emanates from authors careful attention and inculcates the ongoing life of the Church in Word, Sacrament, and daily confession.