The Book of Ruth

Although superseded in the NICOT series by Peter Lau, Hubbard’s commentary remains a genuine classic and is far from obsolete. Hubbard combines careful attention to Hebrew and ancient Israelite society with particularly strong literary and theological interpretation. His discussion of the relationship between inheritance, redemption, and marriage is exemplary: he rightly cautions against treating Ruth as though it were a legal handbook whose events must correspond exactly to the regulations of Leviticus or Deuteronomy. Equally strong is his reading of hesed as voluntary, costly loyalty that exceeds ordinary expectations, together with his argument that the apparently domestic story ultimately belongs to the history of God’s provision of David. His treatment of patriarchal echoes and hidden divine providence has influenced a generation of subsequent commentators. Lau is now the better single-volume primary choice, but Hubbard remains sufficiently independent and exegetically substantial that serious work on Ruth should still consult both.

Hubbard’s volume on Ruth is an enduring classic. It is well written with careful attention to lexical details, canonicity, historical background, literary analysis, themes, and theological interpretations of the book of Ruth. [Full Review]

Ruth is one of the few books of the Bible that I have preached straight-through and, therefore, one I can speak to from at least a bit of personal experience. Hubbard’s receives near-unanimous praise and Keith Mathison says it well: “Robert Hubbard’s commentary on Ruth is a model of how commentaries should be written. It is careful and clear. It manages to deal with both details and the big picture. This is the first commentary to which one should turn with questions about the Book of Ruth.” It was certainly helpful to me. [Full Review]

A substantial commentary in size and achievement.

Robert Hubbard's commentary on Ruth is a model of how commentaries should be written. It is careful and clear. It manages to deal with both details and the big picture. This is the first commentary to which one should turn with questions about the Book of Ruth. Very highly recommended. [Full Review]

Best commentary available on Ruth This book is a thorough but readable study of the book of Ruth. It pays close attention to the details of the text, including issues of language and cultural background, yet it's also strong on theological matters, which won't be true of many commentaries on Ruth. [Full Review]

A balanced and thorough study with an appreciation of literary criticism from an Evangelical perspective. [Full Review]