The Book of Ruth (New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT))

The book of Ruth contains one of the Bible's best-known and most-loved stories. This major commentary by Robert L. Hubbard Jr. shows how the author of Ruth used, with great literary artistry, the story of Ruth and Naomi to convey important theological themes. In his introduction Hubbard discusses the issues of text, canonicity, literary criticism, authorship, date, purpose, setting, genre, legal background, themes, and theology, concluding with an outline of the book and a thorough bibliography. The commentary proper is based on Hubbard's own fresh translation and accented by copious footnotes on textual, philological, and literary matters. Gleaning the best from recent research on Ruth, Hubbard gives the story's rich literary, grammatical, and theological dimensions a careful, rigorous treatment. He allows for the possibility that the anonymous author was a woman and argues that the narrative itself aims to counter opposition to the Davidic monarchy in Israel and Judah during Solomon's reign. Throughout, Hubbard's sensitivity to the literary genius of Ruth's author and his coherent explication of the outworking of the book's theological themes make this volume an invaluable tool for anyone desiring to explore the intriguing story of Ruth in depth. The book of Ruth contains one of the Bible's best-known and most-loved stories. This major commentary by Robert L. Hubbard Jr. shows how the author of Ruth used, with great literary artistry, the story of Ruth and Naomi to convey important theological themes. In his introduction Hubbard discusses the issues of text, canonicity, literary criticism, authorship, date, purpose, setting, genre, legal background, themes, and theology, concluding with an outline of the book and a thorough bibliography. The commentary proper is based on Hubbard's own fresh translation and accented by copious footnotes on textual, philological, and literary matters. Gleaning the best from recent research on Ruth, Hubbard gives the story's rich literary, grammatical, and theological dimensions a careful, rigorous treatment. He allows for the possibility that the anonymous author was a woman and argues that the narrative itself aims to counter opposition to the Davidic monarchy in Israel and Judah during Solomon's reign. Throughout, Hubbard's sensitivity to the literary genius of Ruth's author and his coherent explication of the outworking of the book's theological themes make this volume an invaluable tool for anyone desiring to explore the intriguing story of Ruth in depth. -- Provided by publisher Each commentary opens with an introduction to the biblical book, looking especially at questions concerning its background, authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology. A select bibliography also points readers to resources for their own study. The authors own translation from the original Hebrew forms the basis of the commentary proper. Verse-by-verse comments nicely balance in-depth discussions of technical matters textual criticism, critical problems, and so on with exposition of the biblical writers theology and its implications for the life of faith today This thorough commentary mines recent research to give the Book of Ruth's literary, grammatical, and theological dimensions a rigorous treatment. Hubbard pays particular attention to the skillful literary devices and unique theological perspective of Ruth, using them to propose a new date and purpose for the book. By affirming the story's outcome as a divine providence, Hubbard says, the writer of Ruth sought to counter opposition to the Davidic monarchy during Solomon's reign.