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רוּת

𐤓𐤅𐤕

Rut

H7327 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain; possibly 'to associate, to befriend, to accompany' (if related to רֵעַ or רְעוּת)

Definition

A personal name, specifically a woman from Moab who becomes an ancestor in the Israelite lineage. The name may carry connotations of 'companion', 'friend', or 'associate', likely reflecting relationship or affectionate loyalty, though the meaning is uncertain and largely inferred from similarity to common nouns. Used exclusively as a feminine proper name in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

feminine personal name; Ruth of Moab; Moabite woman associated with the family of Naomi and Boaz; not documented with a common noun sense

Root / Etymology

The etymology is uncertain. The name רוּת (Rûwth) has been linked by some scholars to the Hebrew noun רֵעַ (/rēaʿ/), meaning 'companion' or 'friend', or the feminine רְעוּת (/reʿût/), 'friendship', but these connections remain speculative. There is no definitive root connection established. The name may also reflect a Moabite or Northwest Semitic origin distinct from Hebrew root forms.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רוּת (Ruth) appears exclusively as a proper name referring to a Moabite woman who becomes an ancestor in the Israelite narrative through marriage into an Israelite (Bethlehemite) family. Her story, recorded in the book bearing her name, is set in the period of the judges and centers on themes of loyalty, kinship, and integration into the Israelite community. The name is not used as a common noun or outside the context of this individual in the Hebrew Bible. Standard English translations have rendered the name identically as "Ruth" and frequently refer to her as "Ruth the Moabitess" to emphasize her Moabite origin. Later Jewish and Christian tradition views Ruth as a model of loyalty, but this is interpretive and does not reflect lexical meaning. There is no evidence the name carried broader meaning in Israelite or Moabite naming practices outside this context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably for רְעוּת; friend; Ruth, a Moabitess; Ruth.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (possibly רע) (uncertain (possibly r-ʿ)) — uncertain; possibly companionship, association, friendship

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7327-01 ר֑וּת rut HNp Ruth Ruth 10
H7327-02 וְ/ר֖וּת verut HC/Np and Ruth and Ruth 2

Occurrences in Scripture

12 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7327-01 Ruth 1:4 ר֑וּת rut HNp Ruth Ruth
H7327-02 Ruth 1:14 וְ/ר֖וּת verut HC/Np but Ruth and Ruth
H7327-01 Ruth 1:16 רוּת֙ rut HNp Ruth Ruth
H7327-02 Ruth 1:22 וְ/ר֨וּת verut HC/Np and Ruth and Ruth
H7327-01 Ruth 2:2 ר֨וּת rut HNp Ruth Ruth
H7327-01 Ruth 2:8 ר֜וּת rut HNp Ruth Ruth
H7327-01 Ruth 2:21 ר֣וּת rut HNp Ruth Ruth
H7327-01 Ruth 2:22 ר֣וּת rut HNp Ruth Ruth
H7327-01 Ruth 3:9 ר֣וּת rut HNp Ruth Ruth
H7327-01 Ruth 4:5 ר֣וּת rut HNp Ruth Ruth
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