The Story of Ruth Trivia Quiz

Answer: a severe shortage of food

There was a great famine in Judah where this family lived. People were starving because there were no crops or food. Elimilech and his family worried that they would die if they stayed, so they moved to Moab where there was food. (Ruth 1:1-3)

Answer: They had a funeral.

Elimilech died not long after they arrived in Moab. The Bible never mentions what caused his death. Naomi became a widow and was left with only her two sons. (Ruth 1:3)

Answer: 10 years

Within ten years, Elimilech, Mahlon and Kilion were all dead. After the three funerals, Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi were all widows. Their hearts were broken and they were very sad. They had no one to provide for or take care of them. Ruth and Orpah moved in with Naomi to help her. (Ruth 1:5)

Answer: She had no sons for them to marry.

Ruth and Orpah were on their way back to Israel with Naomi, but on the trip Naomi changed her mind. Naomi realized that she had no way to provide for them and could not give them another husband or family.

"Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." (Ruth 1:8)

Naomi wanted them both to go back and have a better life.

Answer: "Your people will be my people and your God, my God."

Ruth was very brave. She had the choice to go back to her own people but she begged to go with Naomi. Like Naomi, she had lost her husband and had nothing left. She was going to a country she had never lived in to make Naomi's God her own. She had no promise that Naomi could provide for them both or give them a better life. (Ruth 1:16)

Answer: Bitter

Naomi told the people to call her Mara, which means "Bitter". She told them God had allowed very bad things to happen to her and had made her life full of sadness and bitterness. (Ruth 1:20)

Answer: She picked up grain in the fields.

Widows were allowed to pick up grain behind servants in Israel. In the field she went to, the owner was very curious and asked his servants who she was while she worked. He showed kindness to her and fed her. He also told his servants to leave extra grain for her to pick up and bring home. (Ruth 2:2)

Answer: He was a close relative of Naomi.

The owner of the field was Boaz. Boaz had heard of Ruth's story and how she came to Israel. He also heard of her kindness to Naomi and treated her very kindly. He told Ruth not to go to another field. He wanted her to stay and work with his workers.

When Ruth came home, Naomi was surprised to see all the grain that she had gathered. When Ruth told her she had worked in Boaz's field, Naomi was extremely happy! She told Ruth that he was a close relative and was not married. In Israel, relatives had first claim on the widows of their relatives and Boaz could marry Ruth. (Ruth 2:19-20)

Answer: one of their shoes

At that time in Israel, when someone wanted to make an agreement they did it in front of the city elders and would give their shoe. Boaz had to ask permission of Naomi's relatives because when he married Ruth, he would get all the property that belonged to Naomi's husband and sons.

The relatives wanted the property, but they did not want to marry Ruth because she was a foreigner. However Boaz loved Ruth. The closest relative in Naomi's family gave him his shoe as a sign they could marry. (Ruth 4:7-9)

Answer: King David

Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed. Naomi was so happy she was not bitter any more. She gave God praise and helped raise the boy. (Ruth 4:13-16)

Ruth became the great grandmother of King David, the ancestor of Jesus! She is one of the women mentioned in Jesus' family line. You can find her mentioned in Matthew 1:5.