Nehemiah was deploying a hermeneutic in which the law was applied in accordance with its intentions rather than its specifics, and proper behaviour was marked by right motivation.34 The book of Ruth would reinforce such an approach wherein behaviour moves beyond the limits of strict legal responsibility, for it presents an ethic of generosity (ḥesed) as the behavioural norm in Israelite society. More briefly, there are three other areas where the book of Ruth