Where was Ruth from?

Where was Ruth from?

• A. Bethlehem
• B. Canaan
• C. Egypt
• D. Moab

Answer: (D)

Ruth is from Moab. In the story she is identified as a Moabite woman who comes with Naomi when Naomi’s family moves from Bethlehem to Moab, and she is often called “the Moabitess,” which marks her origin as Moab. Bethlehem is Naomi’s hometown in Judah, so it belongs to Naomi’s background, not Ruth’s. Egypt isn’t part of Ruth’s background in this narrative either. So Moab is the correct origin for Ruth, reflecting her nationality and the surprising inclusion of a Gentile in the Israelite story.

Ruth is from Moab. In the story she is identified as a Moabite woman who comes with Naomi when Naomi’s family moves from Bethlehem to Moab, and she is often called “the Moabitess,” which marks her origin as Moab. Bethlehem is Naomi’s hometown in Judah, so it belongs to Naomi’s background, not Ruth’s. Egypt isn’t part of Ruth’s background in this narrative either. So Moab is the correct origin for Ruth, reflecting her nationality and the surprising inclusion of a Gentile in the Israelite story.