Foreignness and Poverty in the Book of Ruth: A Legal Way for a Poor Foreign Woman to Be Integrated into Israel

Abstract

(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.) Two important topics in book of Ruth are foreignness and acceptance of foreigners by Judahite society. In order to integrate a Moabite woman into Israel, biblical author refers to laws of Torah to protect poor-especially widows, orphans, and aliens-as well as to levirate marriage. Thus, it becomes possible to argue convincingly for integration of a woman into Israel. This article will take a closer look at legal status of Ruth, with particular regard to Deuteronomic law.1 It will show that Ruth as foreign woman, a ..., takes place of an immigrant holding status of a ..., an alien, in Israel. She, as a woman on her own, as the wife of dead, achieves a legal status that is not applied to any other woman in OT. First, I will discuss status of Elimelech and his family in Moab and then analyze situation of Ruth in Bethlehem, focusing on four terms that describe her status: Moabite, ..., and ... Finally, I will draw some conclusions about status of a poor widow in Judah. I. Elimelech and His Family in Moab Two parallel situations with opposite preconditions can be found in book of Ruth: Elimelech's and Ruth's.2 The first chapter narrates story of an Israelite, Elimelech, and his family. Owing to a famine, these people are forced to live in a country-Moab. Later, Ruth arrives as a foreigner in Bethlehem in Judah. Both situations are described in different terms. Even though Elimelech's and Ruth's legal status are not same, author of book tends to relate these two situations to each other. To be sure, everything book of Ruth tells us about status of Elimelech in Moab or that of Ruth in Judah is seen from an Israelite perspective. There is no reference to foreigners in ancient Near Eastern legal codes.3 The book of Ruth reflects an exclusively inner-biblical discussion that relates to Deuteronomic concept of ... in Israel and uses terminology to denote a social reality that is not envisaged in Deuteronomy. Elimelech's sojourn in Moab is presented in only a few sentences (Ruth 1:1-3). The author describes Elimelech's stay in Moab with Hebrew verb ... Jose Ramirez Kidd points out that in Hebrew Bible this verb most often refers to Israelites who live as strangers in other countries; that is, it refers to emigrants.4 Therefore Elimelech is not called a ..., because noun is used only for immigrants who live in Israel. It seems, however, that Elimelech has an assured status in Moab.5 This suggests that author of Ruth assumes that what Deuteronomy requires concerning ... in Israel is equally valid for Israelite in a country. Obviously, Moab is hospitable.6 Elimelech's sons marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. The author of book does not consider this problematic, although such unions are not without problems in other biblical texts. As argued by Irmtraud Fischer (and others before), book of Ruth is written deliberately against a certain interpretation of Deuteronomy that can be found especially in books of Ezra and Nehemiah.7 Deuteronomy 23:4 rules out incorporation of Ammonites and Moabites into assembly of Israel (...), and Deut 7:3 forbids marriage between Israelite men or women and women or men of nations who live in Canaan.8 These marriages are exactly kind of relationship that is strictly forbidden by Ezra and Nehemiah.9 The author of book of Ruth, in contrast, does not comment on this fact,10 which shows that situation of Israelite family in Moab does not seem to pose a problem for him/her.11 The men live as aliens in Moab. The women have husbands and sons who provide for their legal status. However, situation changes after death of male family members. Without a male head of family status of Israelite woman in Moab as well as status of her daughters-in-law is no longer assured. …