Before checking this out, if you are still kind of fuzzy on what a chiasm is, this Wikipedia article is pretty helpful. You don’t need to know all the nutty details, just basically what it is.

So the kind of cool thing about textual stuff (like chiasms), is that we can debate it, and it’s kind of subjective to a point. So below is the artistic literary structure of Ruth.  We don’t want to read too much into chiasms, it’s not like they unlock secrets that we can’t find just by reading the text, but they can make things more clear (or maybe they fuzzy up some things, too). But even if we were not to get any information at looking at the text this way (though we can), we can still benefit by giving the author the time of day to appreciate his art, the way he crafted the text. Can you imagine writing a whole story in chiasm? It would be laborious, well thought out, highly structured and time consuming.

A. Naomi- Too old to conceive (1:1 – 22)
   B. Possible Redeemer introduced (2:1)
      C. Ruth and Naomi make a plan (2:2)
         D. Ruth and Boaz’s field (2:3)
            E. Boaz comes back from Bethlehem (2:4)
               F. Boaz asks, “Whose young woman is that?” (2:5-7)
                  G. Ruth becomes part of the Boaz clan (2:8-18)
                  (Ruth brings barley and food to Naomi [2:18])
                     H. Naomi blesses Boaz (2:19)
                        I. Boaz a potential redeemer (2:20)
                           J. Ruth joins Boaz’s workers (2:21-23)
                              X. The plan laid by Naomi and Ruth (3:1-8)
                           J’. Ruth identifies herself as Boaz’s handmaid (3:9)
                        I’. Ruth challenges Boaz to act as Redeemer (3:9)
                     H’. Boaz blesses Ruth (3:10)
                  G’. Boaz promises to marry Ruth (3:11- 15)
               F’. Naomi asks, “Who are you?” (3:17-18)
            E’. Boaz goes to Bethlehem (4:1)
         D’. Ruth and field (4:2-12)
      C’. Ruth and Naomi’s plan fulfilled: marriage (4:13)
   B’. Redeemer not denied (4:13-16)
A’. A son was born to Naomi! (though through Ruth) (4:17)
Epilogue: What a son! Grandfather of King David

There is another decent structure that is more complicated than this found here.

So here’s the question about Ruth and chiasms in general (due by Thursday, 10/30):

How do chiasms help in your understanding of the Bible? They can be more about the art form or about information we get (remember the other two chiasms we spent time on: the creation narrative and Deborah in Judges 4, you might need your notes).  You can just post one response, you aren’t required to respond to another student.  Of course, you can if you want. :)