A critical and exegetical commentary on the book of Ruth /
Jerry A. Gladson ; with a foreword by William P. Brown.
- vii, 437 pages ; 24 cm
Includes the text of the book of Ruth in English and Hebrew.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 383-415) and index.
Gladson's commentary presupposes some knowledge of Hebrew, but it also breaks down the text of the book of Ruth to provide a widely accessible interpretation of a rather important female voice in the Old Testament. This commentary engages with other exegetical works and claims that Ruth was probably one of the first short stories in recorded history. Due to its presence in the sacred canon it has functioned as a religious text, but it carries much importance as a literary accomplishment for depicting a female protagonist, but also for telling such a vibrant story in such a compact span of time, roughly four short Biblical chapters. Gladson attempts to provide the most extensive scholarly treatment of the biblical book of Ruth to date. His exegesis looks at the way the story has been interpreted by biblical scholars, in music, art, literature, and culture. It is an amazing attempt to draw out as much material as possible considering the short length of the Book of Ruth, and the topics covered show an experienced scholar detailing what can be known and what is yet to be known about Ruth. Questions of authorship, origin, historical and literary importance are all addressed precisely because it is one of the only books in the Old Testament depicting a female protagonist in a positive light. Ruth is also considered to be one of the first written attempts at the short story genre.