When Was Ruth Written?
Quick Summary
The Book of Ruth was written and shaped after the period it describes, with many scholars dating its composition to the late monarchic or early postexilic period, roughly the sixth to fifth centuries BCE. Although set in the time of the judges, Ruth reflects later theological concerns about community, identity, and covenant faithfulness. Its narrative offers a counterpoint to exclusion and despair by emphasizing loyalty, kindness, and inclusion. Understanding when Ruth was written helps explain its hopeful voice within Israel’s Scripture.
Introduction
The Book of Ruth is short, carefully crafted, and theologically rich. Set “in the days when the judges ruled,” it tells the story of a Moabite woman whose loyalty to her Israelite family leads to unexpected redemption and blessing. The narrative culminates in Ruth’s place within the lineage of King David, linking a personal story of faithfulness to Israel’s broader history.
Questions about when Ruth was written are crucial for understanding its purpose. While the story is set during a turbulent period marked by instability and violence, the book itself presents a restrained, hopeful vision of community and covenant life. Asking when Ruth was written helps clarify why such a story was preserved and how it functioned for later generations of Israel.
This article examines the historical context, internal evidence, and scholarly perspectives that situate Ruth within Israel’s literary and theological development.
Historical Context of Ruth
The narrative setting of Ruth is the period of the judges, an era characterized elsewhere by moral ambiguity and social breakdown. Ruth stands apart from those darker portrayals, focusing instead on ordinary faithfulness expressed through family loyalty, agricultural labor, and legal customs such as gleaning and levirate responsibility.
Historically, many scholars note that Ruth’s positive portrayal of a foreign woman would have carried particular significance during or after the Babylonian exile. In postexilic Judah, questions of identity, intermarriage, and community boundaries were especially pressing. Against this backdrop, Ruth offers a vision of inclusion rooted in covenant loyalty rather than ethnicity (Collins, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, pp. 214–216).
The book’s calm tone and emphasis on everyday faithfulness suggest a setting in which Israel was reflecting on how to rebuild communal life after crisis rather than narrating events contemporaneous with the judges period.
Internal Evidence from the Text
Several internal features of Ruth point to a date of composition later than its narrative setting. The book explains certain customs “formerly in Israel” (Ruth 4:7), indicating temporal distance between the events described and the author’s own time.
The Hebrew language of Ruth is also significant. While largely classical, it contains features often associated with later biblical Hebrew. These linguistic details support the view that the book was written after the period it depicts, even as it draws on older traditions (Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, pp. 258–260).
The genealogy at the end of Ruth, linking the story to King David, further suggests a retrospective perspective. By connecting Ruth to David, the book situates her story within Israel’s royal and theological memory.
Traditional and Scholarly Views on the Date of Writing
Traditionally, Ruth has sometimes been attributed to the time of Samuel or the early monarchy, given its interest in David’s ancestry. This view sees the book as preserving early historical memory close to the events it narrates.
Modern scholarship generally dates Ruth later, most often to the postexilic period. Many scholars argue that the book responds implicitly to exclusivist tendencies found in other postexilic texts by presenting a foreign woman as a model of covenant faithfulness (Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament, pp. 266–268).
This later dating does not diminish the book’s historical value but highlights its theological purpose: shaping Israel’s understanding of loyalty, kindness, and belonging during a time of rebuilding.
Composition History and Development
Ruth likely developed as a carefully composed short story rather than a compilation of disparate traditions. Its tight structure, thematic coherence, and narrative symmetry distinguish it from the broader historical books.
The author shaped Ruth to emphasize hesed, steadfast love expressed through concrete actions. By setting this message within Israel’s past, the book invites readers to imagine alternative ways of being faithful in their own time.
The final form of Ruth reflects theological reflection aimed at formation rather than historical reconstruction, offering a vision of covenant life grounded in compassion and hope.
Relationship to Authorship
Questions about when Ruth was written intersect with questions of authorship. The book does not identify its author, and both traditional and scholarly perspectives focus more on its purpose than on a specific individual.
For a fuller discussion of authorship, including traditional and scholarly perspectives, see Who Wrote Ruth?.
Why the Date of Writing Matters
Understanding when Ruth was written helps explain why its themes of inclusion and loyalty were so powerful. The book speaks to communities navigating loss, displacement, and questions of identity.
Dating Ruth also clarifies its relationship to surrounding biblical literature. Positioned after Judges, Ruth offers a theological counterpoint, showing that faithfulness can flourish even in difficult times.
For modern readers, recognizing Ruth as a text shaped by later reflection invites careful reading. Its enduring significance lies in its portrayal of ordinary lives transformed by steadfast love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we identify an exact year when Ruth was written?
No. Ruth reflects a period of composition best understood as late monarchic or postexilic rather than a single year.
Why is Ruth set in the time of the judges if it was written later?
Setting the story in the judges period allows the author to contrast chaos with quiet faithfulness.
Does Ruth respond to postexilic debates about identity?
Many scholars believe so, especially in its positive portrayal of a foreign woman.
Is Ruth historical or literary?
Ruth is best understood as a theological narrative rooted in Israel’s traditions rather than a modern historical account.
Does the date of Ruth affect how it should be read today?
Yes. Historical context highlights Ruth’s message of inclusion, loyalty, and hope.
Works Consulted
John J. Collins, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, Fortress Press. Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, Fortress Press. Walter Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament, Fortress Press. The New Oxford Annotated Bible, NRSV.
