What can you infer about Ruth's motivation for leaving her people and devoting herself to Naomi?

Answer 1

Naomi and her family had sojourned in Moab during a famine. Ruth, a Moabitess, became Naomi's daughter-in-law. She had had a long stretch of time during which she observed Naomi's righteousness, and she (Ruth) became convinced that she must serve the One God and abandon her former idolatry. She went on to become so righteous that God made her the ancestress of King David.

Answer 2

Naomi and her family had sojourned in Moab during a famine. Ruth, a Moabitess, became Naomi's daughter-in-law. She had had a long stretch of time during which she observed Naomi's righteousness, and she (Ruth) became convinced that she must serve the One God and abandon her former idolatry. She went on to become so righteous that God made her the ancestress of King David.

More information:

There was a famine in the era of the Judges. A prominent man named Elimelech went to wait out the lean years in the neighboring land of Moab, with his wife (Naomi) and two sons. The sons married Moabite women and later died, and Elimelech also died.

Naomi decided to return to Israel, and her daughter-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess, accompanied her with the intention of converting to Judaism. The two were penniless, and supported themselves by gleaning grain (Leviticus 23:22) in other people's fields. Naomi advised Ruth to glean in the field of Boaz, since he was a relative of Elimelech.

Boaz commanded his field-workers to be considerate toward her.

Naomi, seeking a husband for the young Ruth, sent her to Boaz's threshing-floor when he would be there, in the hope that he would want to marry her. Boaz informed her that there was another relative who, according to custom, had prerogative to redeem Elimelech's field and marry her. The next day, the other man refused to take Ruth, and she and Boaz were married.

See also the Related Links.

Link: The Judges

Link: More about the Hebrew Bible