author’s primary purpose is to expose the characters of Naomi and Ruth and Boaz. Reflecting great literary skill, all the scenes contribute to the revelation of their חֶסֶד, their genuine goodness and loyalty that expresses itself in loving their neighbors more than they love themselves. Furthermore, the book’s historiographic character reinforces its classification as a short story, rather than a tale or a novella. Although some treat Ruth as ideological fiction, both the opening clause, “in the