Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

June 11, 2024

The Book of Ruth Isn’t a Romance, but a Tale of Friendship between Women

Blessed is the one who sees you.

While the book of Ruth is often described as a romance—and it does indeed culminate with the marriage of the titular Moabite convert with the Judean landowner Boaz—it may be that a different kind of love, neither erotic nor romantic, is really at its heart. That is the love and loyalty between Ruth and Naomi, the mother of her deceased husband. William Kolbrener considers the meaning of this relationship, and much else, in a fresh interpretation of this book. (Video, 11 minutes.)

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