WORD

BIBLICAL

COMMENTARY

VOLUME 9

Ruth, Esther

FREDERIC W. BUSH

General Editors

Bruce M. Metzger

David A. Hubbard†

Glenn W. Barker†

Old Testament Editor

John D. W. Watts

New Testament Editor

Ralph P. Martin

WORD BOOKS, PUBLISHER • DALLAS, TEXAS

To My Wife, Bernice

Without whose support, tangible and intangible,

this work would never have seen the light of day

יודע כל־שׁער עמי כי אשׁת חיל את (Ruth 3:11b)

and to David Allan Hubbard

(who went to be with the Lord the very day this dedication was written)

For his constant encouragement, his insightful critique, and his warm friendship

בכל־עת אהב הרע (Prov 17:17a)

Word Biblical Commentary

Ruth, Esther

Copyright © 1996 by Word, Incorporated

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Main entry under title:

Word biblical commentary.

Includes bibliographies.

1. Bible—Commentaries—Collected works.

BS491.2W67 220.7’7 81-71768

ISBN 0-8499-0208-8 (v. 9) AACR2

Scripture quotations in the body of the text are the author’s own. The author’s own translation of the text appears under the heading Translation.

Table of Contents

Editorial Preface

Author’s Preface

Abbreviations

Ruth

Main Bibliography

Introduction

Text and Commentry

Act 1. Prologue and Problem: Death and Emptiness (1:1–22)

Scene 1: Setting and Problem. A Judean Family Dies in Moab: Naomi Is Left without Husband and Sons (1:1–6)

Scene 2: Emptiness Compounded: Naomi and Her Daughters-in-law on the Road to Judah (1:7–19a)

Scene 3: Emptiness Expressed: Naomi Arrives at Bethlehem with Ruth (1:19b–22)

Act 2. Ruth Meets Boaz, Naomi’s Relative, on the Harvest Field (2:1–23)

Scene 1: Ruth Goes to Glean—and Happens upon the Field of Boaz, Naomi’s Relative (2:1–3)

Scene 2: Ruth and Boaz Meet on the Harvest Field: Boaz Is Exceedingly Generous (2:4–17a)

Scene 3: Naomi Evaluates the Meeting: Boaz Is One of Their Redeemers (2:17b–23)

Act 3. Naomi Sends Ruth to Boaz on the Threshing Floor (3:1–18)

Scene 1: Naomi Reveals Her Plan for a Home and Husband for Ruth (3:1–5)

Scene 2: Ruth Carries out Naomi’s Plan, and Boaz Offers to Be the Redeemer (3:6–15)

Excursus: The Relationship between Ruth’s Request and the Question of Levirate Marriage

Scene 3: Naomi Evaluates the Encounter: Boaz Will Act (3:16–18)

Act 4. Resolution and Epilogue: Life and Fullness (4:1–22)

Scene 1: Boaz Acquires the Right to Redeem Naomi and Ruth (4:1–12)

Excursus: The Nature of the Transaction Proposed by Boaz in vv 3–5a

Excursus: Levirate Marriage in the Old Testament

Scene 2: A Son Is Born to Ruth and Boaz: Naomi Is Restored to Life and Fullness (4:13–17)

Scene 3: Epilogue: A Judean Family Restored: The Line of David (4:18–22)

ESTHER

Main Bibliography

Introduction

Act 1. Introduction and Setting: Esther Becomes Queen of Persia (1:1–2:23)

Scene 1: The Deposal of Queen Vashti (1:1–22)

Scene 2: Esther Becomes Queen (2:1–18)

Scene 3: Mordecai Uncovers a Plot (2:19–23)

Act ...