Ruth 4 in dialogue with Ghanaian cultures (original) (raw)
Related papers
Stories We Know : Empire, Land and Gender in the Book of Ruth
Bible in Africa studies, 2021
This chapter examines the interplay of issues of empire, religion, land, environment and gender in the narrative of Ruth. These issues tend to intertwine in the abusive context of colonialism. In this chapter, religion is represented by the interpretation of the Torah, which gave the colonialist the notion of moral superiority over the indigenous people. The sense of moral superiority normally escalated to that of racial superiority and resulted in the entitlement to dominate, abuse and massacre the indigenous. In certain areas, the narrative of Ruth is a critique of the imperial attitudes of the Israelites towards the Moabites. I argue that in other areas, the narrative thrusts forward the label "Moab" or "Moabitess" in order to present the people and the land of Moab in good light. The sections of the chapter are as follows: An apology for Moab; Torah pronunciations on Moab; Moabite women-the alleged producers of an illegitimate nation; Imperial thoughts against the local woman; The imperialist's land; Stories we know about Mother Africa; False narratives against Mother Earth, and; Mother Moab, Mother Africa and Mother Earth.
2016
In Africa, the whole are religious and the dead are believed to be actively involved in the daily affairs of the people. Such a worldview, in which the Sacred Other, the living and the (living) dead formed an integral whole, can also be observed at critical points in Naomi’s life: when Naomi bid farewell to her daughters-in-law (Rt 1:8-9); Naomi’s confession about Yahweh’s faithfulness to both the living and the dead (Rt 2:20); Naomi’s plan to seek security for Ruth through “levirate” marriage (Rt 3:1), and when she acted as a nurse to Mahlon’s son (Rt 4:5, 16). Basing one’s arguments on the apparent resemblances between the world view in which the narrative of Ruth is embedded and the African (Northern Sotho) world view, how may it be far-fetched to argue that the dead (males) called the shots in Naomi’s life?
RUTH THRIVES IN ISRAEL: A POLEMIC AGAINST PERSONAL AUTONOMY WHEN THE JUDGES RULED
Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz thrive during a dark time in Israel’s history—the days when the judges governed. The final two segments in Judges (chaps. 17–21) summarily demonstrate that when autonomy prevails, people and society deteriorate into spiritual and moral chaos. According to many scholars, the book of Ruth stands as an independent novella encouraging random acts of love and kindness. On the other hand, many Bible interpreters contend that the book of Ruth whispers daringly as a diatribe of two industrious women who manipulate a male-dominated society through sexual prowess in order to survive. Through the grammatical-historical method and a close examination of the canonical text, I conclude that these books are integrally connected and that the characters in Ruth provide a stark contrast to those in the summary episodes of Judges. I show that through the use of historical setting, behavioral contrasts, and intertextual connections with Torah the author of the book of Ruth provides a subtle polemic against personal autonomy. This polemic, although specific to its historical backdrop when the judges governed, continues to cry out against personal autonomy and provide hope through obedience to the spirit of Torah.
Ruth and the Covenant Heir: Reading Ruth in Light of Isaac's Famine and Sojourn
Journal of Biblical Theology & Worldview, 2022
In this article, I argue that allusions in Ruth to the patriarchal narratives—particularly those stories pertaining to Isaac—invite the reader to understand the story as a covenant election narrative; in particular, the Lord’s election of Isaac as covenant heir prefigures the Lord’s election of David, whose birth is the ultimate goal of the events in Ruth.
BOAZ'S ENCOUNTER WITH THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER: AN EXEGESIS OF RUTH 4:1-6
Green Verlag (Munich), 2018
This paper looks at the encounter of Boaz with his fellow unnamed kinsman in Ruth 4:1-6. It particularly explores Boaz’s ethics in the process of marrying Ruth. Using the literary analysis method, my main argument is that, through an inner-battle likened process and regardless of the pressure which he experienced, Boaz tactfully, yet faithfully underwent the necessary legal process toward his marriage to Ruth. I demonstrate this through four main parts. First, I will briefly present the context of Ruth. Second, I will engage in the analysis and commentary of the passage. Third, I will compare the African and Israelite traditions on levirate marriage and apply lessons study to the African context.
The message of the book Ruth: A reflection on Naomi’s traumatic journey to Mara and back
2020
The book of Ruth is generally regarded as centring on the key figure of Ruth. It is claimed that this limits the narrative, influencing the interpretation. Several literary techniques suggest the author’s intentional focus on Naomi, her faith struggles and God’s gracious healing of an embittered mother. Whereas the paradigm of covenant faith and ḥesed [faithful love] feature prominently they do also highlight the spiritual transformation that came about for Naomi upon her return from Moab. The fullness and completed rest for Naomi continued consequentially to bear fruit for God’s people through the tribe of Judah. Historically, it confirmed the royal line of David which concluded with God’s Go’el [kinsman-redeemer].
Revisiting the Division of Ownership in the Book of Joshua and Old Babylonia
Journal for Semitics, 2018
At first glance, the division and allocation of ownership portrayed in the book of Joshua and the legal corpora of Old Babylonia seem to be a general division with shared features. A class of co-owners agree to, or the original owner consents to, the division and allocation of shared property and may apply two of an array of elective practices, i.e., lot-casting and firstborn share. My focus shifts away from such a general classification. I will show that at least two types of divisions—the tribal division from Yahweh in the book of Joshua, and the family division from the estate of a deceased owner in Old Babylonia—do not exhibit a shared standardised pattern. Each division has its own requisites, a distinct raison d'être, and even the elective lot-casting and firstborn share practices hold different functions in the two types of divisions.
The Family That Eats Together Stays Together: Food and Kinship in the Book of Ruth
Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, 2024
The purpose of this article is to explore how the concepts of food and kinship function within the book of Ruth. First, we want to argue that the book of Ruth tells the story of how a גר is incorporated into the society, family, and nation of Israel via the legislations outlined in Deuteronomy. Second, in order to accomplish such an endeavour, food is used not only as a means to welcome Ruth into the society, but it is also used symbolically as a promise for what is come. Third, despite her status as a lowly גר, Ruth challenges what it means to be an Israelite. Finally, her actions show that even a Moabitess can have an impact on the story of Israel.