Some Literary Devices in Ruth 1:22-2:23

Church Family,

In Sunday school a week and a half ago, we had a lesson on the "Principles of Interpreting Scripture." One of the principles of interpretation that we mentioned was understanding those literary devices which the authors of Scripture employ. In so doing, we may better understand the main point, theme, or emphasis of a particular passage. In that Sunday school lesson, we only touched on some of the literary devices that we find in Scripture.

In the passage of Scripture for the sermon this coming Sunday (Ruth 1:22-2:23), there are a couple of literary devices which the author employs. When we see and understand these devices, they bring clarity to the passage; and, they help us to better interpret and apply this portion of Scripture to our lives.

Inclusio

One literary device that stands out in these verses is an “inclusio.” Think of an inclusio as the bracketing of a text, sort of like the bookends of a passage.  So, in Ruth 1:22-2:23, the inclusio or bookends of the passage is the mentioning of the barley harvest. In Ruth 1:22, we learn that Naomi and Ruth came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. In Ruth 2:23, we learn that the barley harvest has come to an end. An inclusio is a good way of delimiting or determining the boundaries of particular passage of Scripture that forms one story or one theme.

Chiasm

Another literary device employed in this passage is a “chiasm.” If you read a book of fiction or watch a movie today, you will notice that the climax usually comes at the end of the story. The typical structure of stories in the Ancient Near East, however, was very different: the climax usually comes in the middle of the story.

The chiasm is a literary device that is used throughout the Scriptures, especially in Old Testament narratives like those that we find in the historical books like Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, etc. In a chiasm (or chiasmus), the plot or storyline follows a particular symmetrical pattern: the first half of the story is a series of rising actions; the climax of the story is in the middle; and the second half of the story is a series of falling actions that mirror the first half of the story.

If that doesn’t make sense, hopefully, when you see it in a real-life example, it will become clearer. Here is the chiasmic structure of our passage of Scripture for this coming Sunday’s sermon:

Ruth 1:22-2:23 (The Barley Harvest)

(A) 1:22 – The beginning of the barley harvest

            (B) 2:1-3 Conversation between Ruth & Naomi

                        (C) 2:4-7 Conversation between Boaz & his workers

                                    (X) 2:8-14 Conversation between Boaz & Ruth

                        (C’) 2:15-17 Conversation between Boaz & his workers

            (B’) 2:18-22 Conversation between Ruth & Naomi

(A’) 2:23 – The end of the barley and wheat harvests

Notice how the rising action (A, B, and C) before the turning point (X) is symmetrical or parallel to the falling action (A’, B’, C’) – by the way, these falling actions are usually referred to as “A prime,” “B prime,” etc. The usefulness of finding and outlining the chiastic structure of the story is that we are able to determine that the author is highlighting the conversation between Boaz and Ruth; this conversation at the center of this passage is the most important point and main theme of this story.

A Chiasm Within a Chiasm

But wait, there’s more! When you analyze this conversation between Boaz and Ruth at the center of this story (Ruth 2:18-14), you can readily see that their conversation forms another chiasm:

Ruth 2:8-14 (The Conversation Between Boaz and Ruth)

(A) 2:8-9 – Boaz invites Ruth to glean, drink, and be satisfied

            (B) 2:10 Ruth questions Boaz’s favor (or grace) to her as a foreigner

            (X) 2:11-12 Boaz blesses Ruth

            (B’) 2:13 – Ruth accepts Boaz’s favor (or grace) to her as his maidservant

(A’) 2:14 – Boaz invites Ruth to eat and be satisfied

Again, notice how the rising action (A, B) before the turning point (X) is symmetrical or parallel to the falling action (A’, B’).

So you see, at the center of this story is a conversation between Boaz and Ruth, and at the center of this conversation is Boaz’s transformative words of blessing to Ruth: “Boaz replied to her, ‘All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge’” (Ruth 2:11-12).

Conclusion

These are some of the ways in which understanding how the authors of Scripture used literary devices help us to determine the authorial intent. They help us to interpret and apply God’s Word to our lives today.

The title of the sermon for this coming Sunday is “A Refugee Beneath His Wings.” Hopefully, after seeing the structure of our passage, the reason for that title will make more sense. I look forward to worshiping with you this coming Lord’s Day!

The Lord be with you!

- Pastor Peter M. Dietsch