Bitterness and Friendship: A Feminist Exegesis of the Book of Ruth (Critical Essay‪)‬

The Book of Ruth has been an object of contention for many feminist scholars of the Bible. While recognizing the great strides the book makes on behalf of women, scholars also recognize how far the work on a whole has fallen short of some feminist ideals. Ruth is one of only two books in the Hebrew canon that bears the name of a woman. (1) It is the only book in which the main characters are women, strong women who take some control of their own destiny and situation. The text is filled with instances in which the female protagonists seek out solutions to their tribulations, which, in the end, they succeed in overcoming.