Ruth: family map and gate-scene worksheet
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Original Bibleward resource · AI-assisted study guidance, not Scripture. Observations are original paraphrases checked against BSB v5.9. Read Ruth 1–4. Print or copy this page; no online submission is needed.
A. Evidence-labelled relationship map
Read each row as one connection, not as a complete genealogy. E = explicit in the cited text; I = a limited inference; ? = the exact connection is not supplied.
| From | Connection | To | Evidence and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elimelech | Husband of | Naomi | E, Ruth 1:2–3 |
| Elimelech and Naomi | Parents of | Mahlon and Chilion | E, Ruth 1:1–2 |
| Mahlon | Deceased husband of | Ruth | E, Ruth 4:10 |
| Naomi | Mother-in-law of | Ruth and Orpah | E, Ruth 1:4–8, 14–15 |
| Chilion | Husband of | Orpah | I, matching the two marriages in 1:4 with Ruth’s named husband in 4:10; 1:4 does not name each pair separately. |
| Elimelech’s clan | Includes a relative named | Boaz | E, Ruth 2:1; ? precise degree of kinship |
| Naomi and Ruth’s family | Has a redeemer nearer than Boaz | Unnamed relative | E, Ruth 3:12–13; ? name and precise family branch |
| Boaz and Ruth | Parents of | Obed | E, Ruth 4:13, 17, 21 |
| Obed | Father of Jesse, who is father of | David | E, Ruth 4:17, 22 |
Check: Is Boaz labelled Mahlon’s brother anywhere in the passages above? ______
B. Three words, three jobs in the story
| Word | Role in this passage | Keep this distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Land | Elimelech’s property is the first matter raised at the gate (4:3–4). | A property transaction is not identical to permission to glean grain in chapter 2. |
| Near relative / redeemer | The nearer man has the first opportunity; Boaz is next (3:12–13; 4:4). | Willingness and kinship priority are different questions. |
| Widow | Ruth is identified as Mahlon’s widow; Boaz connects marriage to preserving the deceased man’s name (4:5, 10). | Ruth and Naomi are people with words and actions, not merely parts of a land diagram. |
Comparison margin: Leviticus 25:23–28 concerns land; Deuteronomy 25:5–10 describes a brother’s widow. Write one detail Ruth states that neither comparison should erase: ______
C. Six gate-scene cards
Cut along the headings or cover the answer column. These cards include the ending after the gate scene so the transaction stays attached to the family story.
| Card | Read | Observation summary | Self-check question |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Assemble | Ruth 4:1–2 | Boaz calls the nearer relative over and seats ten elders. | Who is present before the offer is made? |
| 2 — Offer the land | Ruth 4:3–4 | Boaz raises Naomi’s sale of Elimelech’s land and offers the nearer man the opportunity to redeem. He agrees. | What is his first answer? |
| 3 — State Ruth’s place | Ruth 4:5 | Boaz links the transaction with Ruth and the deceased man’s name and inheritance. | What information comes after the first answer? |
| 4 — Record the refusal | Ruth 4:6–8 | The man declines, cites his inheritance, and removes his sandal to confirm the transfer of his right. | What reason is actually stated? |
| 5 — Hear the witnesses | Ruth 4:9–12 | Boaz declares the property acquisition and marriage purpose; the people acknowledge and bless the arrangement. | What purpose does Boaz give for marrying Ruth? |
| 6 — Follow the outcome | Ruth 4:13–22 | Ruth bears Obed, Naomi cares for him, and the genealogy reaches David. | What family future becomes visible after the gate scene? |
D. Complete the reading, then check
Which provision is immediate in chapter 2, and which issue waits for chapter 4? ______
Why can Boaz’s promise in 3:13 not be summarized as an unconditional private agreement? ______
What changes between 4:4 and 4:6? ______
Which detail about the nearer relative must remain unknown? ______
Compare 1:19–22 with 4:14–17: name one change and one loss the ending does not reverse. ______
Write a three-sentence gate-scene summary with one reference per sentence. ______
Answer key and boundaries
Map check: No. Ruth identifies clan kinship, not brotherhood (2:1; 3:12).
Card 1: The nearer relative, Boaz, and ten elders. Card 2: He agrees to redeem. Card 3: The responsibility involving Ruth and continuation of the deceased man’s name. Card 4: Concern for his inheritance; the narrator gives no calculation. Card 5: Preserving the deceased man’s name through his inheritance. Card 6: Obed, Naomi’s care, and the line to David.
Question 1: Food and safe access to gleaning are provided in chapter 2; the land and marriage transaction is addressed in chapter 4.
Question 2: Boaz explicitly gives the nearer relative the opportunity first (3:12–13).
Question 3: Boaz connects Ruth to the transaction; the man moves from agreement to refusal. Do not replace his stated reason with an invented hidden motive.
Question 4: Examples include his name, exact degree of kinship, and detailed financial circumstances.
Question 5: A child and community affirmation now appear; Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion remain dead. Other answers should have evidence.
Question 6: One possible answer: Boaz presents the land to the nearer relative, who agrees (4:3–4). After Ruth’s place is stated, the relative declines (4:5–6). Boaz makes his declaration before witnesses (4:9–12). Wording may vary.
Optional response: Name one concrete act of care in Ruth 2–4 that you had overlooked. Keep your response separate from a claim that the same outcome is promised to you.
Sources: BSB Ruth 1–4; Leviticus 19:9–10 and 25:23–28; Deuteronomy 25:5–10. See the companion guide for links and interpretive scope.