Meaning of Ruth in the Bible

Ruth was a Moabite woman who showed extraordinary loyalty to her Israelite mother-in-law Naomi. Possibly from Hebrew re'ut meaning "friend" or "companion." After her husband's death, Ruth refused to abandon Naomi, famously declaring, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." Her faithfulness led her to Boaz, whom she married, becoming the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus. She is celebrated as a model of loyalty, faith, and redemption.