RUTH
Young Moabite who was initially married to Mahlon of Bethlehem, son of Elimelech and Naomi. Mahlon had gone to live in Moab with her parents, because of the famine that was being suffered in Judah.
After the death of Elimelech and his two sons, Ruth left Moab, accompanying Naomi, his mother-in-law, to Bethlehem. The Moabite girl dedicated herself to gleaning in the fields of Boaz, a relative of Elimelech, who welcomed her kindly.
According to custom, a relative of Mahlon had to marry the young widow. Boaz took her as his wife once Naomi’s closest relative had renounced the right of redemption.
The marriage between Boaz and Ruth did not take place, strictly, based on the law of levirate set forth in Deut. 25:7-10 (cf. Rt. 1:11-13), since Boaz was not Mahlon’s brother.
When the widow of a man who had died childless and brotherless wanted to sell her land, custom required that the deceased’s nearest relative or heir redeem the widow’s estate.
The land thus remained within the family. But custom also required that the relative, following the principle of levirate, marry the widow so as not to compromise her own inheritance (Rt. 3:9; 4:5, 6).
The assumption of these duties was considered an act of generosity and loyalty towards the family. The first child born of this union was legally considered the son of the deceased (Rt. 4: 5, 10, 14, 17), and ultimately inherited his property following the rights of the firstborn.