Man or woman? That is the question. In the world of the Book of Ruth, your gender pretty much determined every detail of your life and where it was headed. A man could earn a living, own land, wage war, head a household, and take multiple wives. Ladies could get pregnant with the man's child… and that's about it. This gives rise to a society where women need men for security and men are sometimes legally obligated to give it. So much for romance.
Questions About Gender
- Why tell a story about women struggling to live in a man's world? Can you think of any other books or movies with a theme like this?
- Are there any other stories like this in the Bible?
- How are gender roles today different from how they were in Ruth's day? How are they the same?
- Do Ruth and Naomi ever toss aside gender norms to get what they want? How so?