Orthodox Icon of Saints Naomi & Ruth

Saint Naomi & Saint Ruth COPYRIGHTED ART. Do not copy or deep-link to without prior permission from "Come and See" Icons, Books & Art.

Read the book of Ruth. It tells the story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Naomi's husband and her two sons died. She was left without a way to redeem her portion of the land. Naomi was too old to remarry and have children. Ruth and the other daughter-in-law were from Moab. They were women without standing and without land. Times were tough. Naomi urged her daughters-in-law to return to Moab to find other husbands and make their way. Ruth refused to go and instead said, "Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God." They lived by gleaning (harvesting the left-over grain after the reapers had passed). Boaz, who was a relative of Ruth's husband fell in love with Ruth. He instructed his servants to intentionally leave grain for her to pick. This is why she is shown with the sheaf of grain. He married her and became her "kinsman redeemer". According to the law of Moses, his firstborn son of Ruth would not be considered his heir, but Ruth's husband's heir. In doing this as an unmarried man, he was essentially giving up his place in his father's house to save these women from poverty, starvation and hopelessness. Thus he did for Ruth what Ruth had done for Naomi. This is a picture of Christ's self-emptying love. Boaz and Ruth are mentioned in the genealogy of Christ.

This Icon is by the hand of Robert S. Burt of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

Order # rsb-01