and should not be understood. It is often applied to ‘romantic’ love, when in fact there is no romantic love in the text. As Edersheim put it, ‘Only the sternest prose of poverty is before her.’ Naomi had been completely candid about her prospects if she should come with her and Ruth’s choice is intelligible only in terms of her conversion to the Lord and consequent faith-commitment to his people. Ruth’s confession is a confession of faith and of what we call Christian love (Gk., agape). There is,