I Need A Good Woman Bad! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Naomi

Her name was Naomi, and she had moved to Moab from Bethlehem with her husband Elimelek because of a famine, per Ruth 1:1-2 [New International Version, henceforth NIV].

"In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man's name was Elimelek, his wife's name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there."

Naomi means pleasant. Naomi did take the name "Mara" later after returning to Bethlehem. Mara means "bitter". Orpah was Naomi's other daughter-in-law, and Eve is the name of the first woman.

Answer: True

Per Ruth 1:3-4 [NIV], "Now Elimelek, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband." And later, in Ruth 4:10, it clarifies that Ruth was the widow of Mahlon.

Sadly, two young women were also left as widows along with their mother-in-law, forming a household that was now made up of three women on their own.

Answer: Naomi and Ruth went together.

Though both women wanted to stay with Naomi, she insisted that they would be giving up too much to go with her. Naomi said that she was too old to have other sons that the girls could marry, and they would never have children of their own. Naomi encouraged them to go back to their mothers' homes where they could be with family.

Orpah eventually heeded Naomi's advice, but Ruth refused to leave her, which is just one more piece of evidence that Ruth was a good woman.

Answer: people

When Naomi realized that Ruth was so devoted and could not be convince to leave her, she allowed her to travel with her. This is just one more clue that Ruth was a really good woman!

Answer: She went to the fields of a neighboring landowner to gather leftover grain.

It turns out that the field that Ruth went into belonged to a kinsman of her father-in-law, Elimelek, who was our man Boaz. This was the first chance that Boaz had to see Ruth.

Per Ruth 2:2-3 [NIV]"And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, 'Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.'

Naomi said to her, 'Go ahead, my daughter.' So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek."

Answer: He was happy to let her gather there.

Boaz was a good guy himself, and he was happy to let Ruth gather. He also seemed to be concerned for her safety and he instructed her to stay with the other women who were gathering in his fields and not to go to any other field. He told her he would instruct the men in his fields to leave her alone and respect her (per Ruth 2:8-9 [NIV]).

Answer: Boaz said he was impressed by her devotion to her mother-in-law.

Boaz's words are encapsulated in Ruth 2:11-12 [NIV]:

"Boaz replied, 'I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband -how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.'"

Answer: Naomi's

This is recounted in Ruth 3:1-6 [NIV]:

"One day Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi said to her, 'My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.'

'I will do whatever you say,' Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do."

Answer: False

Boaz was actually touched and grateful, knowing that as a beautiful young widow, Ruth could have found a younger man to be her protector. This was further confirmation to him that Ruth was a really good woman.

His reaction is captured in Ruth 3:9-13 [NIV].

"'Who are you?' [Boaz] asked.

'I am your servant Ruth,' she said. 'Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.'

'The Lord bless you, my daughter,' he replied. 'This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.'"

Answer: King David

Ruth and Boaz presented their son to Naomi in continuation of the family line. This is recounted in Ruth 4:16 [NIV]:

"Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, 'Naomi has a son!' And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David."