The book of Ruth is one of the most artistically beautiful books in the Bible. I was reminded of this recently when I read the second chapter of the book and noticed the following chiastic structure:
A Beginning of barley harvest (1:22)
B Opening: Introduction of Boaz (2:1)
C Dialogue between Naomi and her daughter Ruth, the Moabite (2:2)
D Ruth goes to the field of Boaz – Dialogue Boaz – servant (2:3-7)
E Boaz tells Ruth to glean in his field (2:8-9a)
F Drink offered (2:9b)
G Why have I found favor in your eyes? (2:10)
H Speech of Boaz (2:11-12)
G’ May I find favor in your eyes (2:13)
F’ Food offered (2:14)
E’ Boaz tells servants to let Ruth glean in his field (2:15-16)
D’ Ruth returns home – Dialogue Ruth – Naomi (2:18-20)
C’ Dialogue between Naomi and her daughter Ruth, the Moabite (2:21-22)
B’ Closing: Mention of Boaz (2:23a)
A’ End of barley and wheat harvest (2:23b)
The chapter is framed by references to the barley harvest which provides the setting for the events that transpire in these verses. At the beginning and at the end of the chapter there is a dialogue between Ruth and Naomi. In both dialogues Ruth is referred to as a Moabite and is called “my daughter” by Naomi.
The action begins in v 3 where Ruth goes to the field of Boaz and ends in v 18 where she returns home. Both the going and the returning are followed by dialogues: the first between Boaz and his reapers and his servant (vv 3-7), the second between Ruth and Naomi (vv 18-20). In both cases the dialogue contains a crucial question concerning the identity of Ruth and Boaz (vv 5 and 19) as well as the wish for Boaz to be blessed by the Lord (vv 4 and 20).
In v 8 Boaz tells Ruth to glean only in his field. He goes on to inform her that he ordered his servants not to touch her and that she may drink what the young men have drawn (v 9). To this Ruth responds by asking: Why have I found favor in your eyes? and then comments on her low status (v 10). The same elements appear again in vv 13-16, though in reverse order. In v 13 Ruth says to Boaz: May I find favor in your eyes and again comments on her low status. In v 14 Boaz offers Ruth food and in vv 15-16 tells his servants not to reproach or rebuke her.
This leaves Boaz’ speech in vv 11-12 as the center of the whole chapter. The speech basically consists of two parts: in v 11 Boaz commends Ruth for what she has done for her mother-in-law and then expresses his wish that the Lord would repay her for what she did. Thus the center of the chapter points both backward and forward and expresses one of the central ideas of the whole book, namely that those who show loving-kindness (Heb.: hesed) to others will receive loving-kindness in return. Significantly it will be Boaz himself who will bring about his own wish, thus emphasizing the important concept found throughout the book that God’s loving-kindness is often made visible by humans who are willing and ready to show loving-kindness to one another.
Take a look at Ruth 3 and try to discover how the chapter is structured. What does the structure highlight? Why is this significant?