| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Introduction
to Ruth
INTRODUCTION TO RUTH
This
book is called Ruth
not because she was the author of it
but because she is
the principal subject of it. In the Syriac and Arabic versions
it is called
the Book of Ruth the Moabitess
which describes her by the country of which she
was. Her name
according to HillerusF12Onomastic. Sacr. p. 211.
signifies beautiful
of a good aspect
the same with Calliope in Greek. As to
the author of this book
some attribute it to Eli the priest
who seems to have
been too soon to give an account of the birth of David; others to Gad or
Nathan; some to Hezekiah
and others to Ezra; but what the Talmudists assert
which is most generally received
and most probable
is
that it was written by
Samuel; so they say SamuelF13T. Bab. Bava Bathra
fol. 13. 2. wrote
his own book
Judges
and Ruth; and it is commonly said that this book is an
appendix to that of the Judges
and the introduction to Samuel
and is fitly
placed between them both. According to EusebiusF14Eccl. Hist. 1. 6.
c. 25.
with the Hebrews
Judges and Ruth make one book they call Shophetim
or Judges; the principal design of it is to give the genealogy of David
whom
Samuel had anointed to be king of Israel
and from whom the Messiah was to
come
and who therefore may be said to be the aim and scope of it
as he is of
all Scripture; and whereby it appears that he sprung both from Jews and
Gentiles
and is the Saviour of both
and there is a good foundation for both
to hope in him; and the call and conversion of Ruth the Moabitess may be
considered as a shadow
emblem
and pledge of the conversion of the Gentiles.
Manythings besides may be learnt from this little book
as the different
circumstances of good people in this life
and the particular providence of God
respecting them. It furnishes out examples of bearing afflictions patiently
of
industry
courteousness
kindness to strangers
and young converts; and none
can doubt of the divine authority of this book
that considers the use made of
it in the genealogies of Christ by the Evangelists Matthew and Luke.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
Commentator
John Gill (November 23
1697-October 14
1771) was an English Baptist
a biblical scholar
and a staunch Calvinist.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism is a matter of academic debate.
He was born in Kettering
Northamptonshire.
In his youth
he attended Kettering Grammar School
mastering the Latin
classics and learning Greek by age eleven. The young scholar continued
self-study in everything from logic to Hebrew. His love for Hebrew would follow
Gill throughout his life.
At the age of about twelve
Gill heard a sermon
from his pastor
William Wallis
on the text
"And the Lord called unto
Adam
and said unto him
where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9). The message
stayed with Gill and eventually led to his conversion. It was not until seven
years later that young John made a public profession when he was almost
nineteen years of age.
His first pastoral work was as an intern
assisting John Davis at Higham Ferrers in 1718 at age twenty one. He was
subsequently called to pastor the Strict Baptist church at Goat Yard Chapel
Horsleydown
Southwark in 1719. In 1757
his congregation needed larger
premises and moved to a Carter Lane
St. Olave's Street
Southwark. His
pastorate lasted 51 years. This Baptist Church was once pastored by Benjamin
Keach and would later become the New Park Street Chapel and then the
Metropolitan Tabernacle pastored by Charles Spurgeon.
During Gill's ministry the church strongly
supported the preaching of George Whitefield at nearby Kennington Common.
In 1748
Gill was awarded the honorary degree
of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Aberdeen. He was a profound scholar
and a prolific author. His most important works are:
John Gill is the first major writing Baptist
theologian. His work retains its influence into the twenty-first century.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism in English Baptist life is a matter of
debate. Peter Toon has argued that Gill was himself a hyper-Calvinist
which
would make Gill the father of Baptist hyper-Calvinism. Tom Nettles has argued
that Gill was not a hyper-Calvinist himself
which would make him merely a
precursor and hero to Baptist hyper-Calvinists.
New King James Version
Bible
NKJV
The
NKJV was commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.
One-hundred-and-thirty respected Bible scholars
church leaders
and lay
Christians worked for seven years with the goal of updating the vocabulary and
grammar of the King James Version
while preserving the classic style of the of
the 1611 version.
The
task of updating the English of the KJV involved many changes in word order
grammar
vocabulary
and spelling. One of the most significant features of the
NKJV was its removal of the second person pronouns "thou"
"thee"
"ye
" "thy
" and "thine." Verb
forms were also modernized in the NKJV (for example
"speaks" rather
than "speaketh").
Young’s
Literal Translation was completed in 1898 by Robert Young
who also compiled
Young’s Analytical Concordance. It is an extremely literal translation that
attempts to preserve the tense and word usage as found in the original Greek
and Hebrew writings. The online text is from a reprint of the 1898 edition as
published by Baker Book House
Grand Rapids
Michigan. Obvious errors in
spelling or inconsistent spellings of the same word were corrected in the
online edition of the text. This text is Public Domain in the United States.