What is the connection between the Book of Ruth and that of Psalms?
Because Ruth is connected to the person of David, who in turn is connected to the psalms, the Book of Ruth is a kind of prose prologue to the Book of Psalms. It shows the family dynamics behind the collection. The fact that a Gentile woman is one of Davids great-grandmothers is very important, not only theologically (as the New Testament points out), but also culturally. Ruth sang the song “Wheresoever thou goest” not just once, but many times, and young David certainly knew this song. In a way, this song inspired the whole collection of psalms. This explains why the music and poetry of the psalms are not narrowly Hebrew, but draw upon a larger circle of cultural influences. Hence, the songs of the great-grandmother bless her family and many generations to follow. Davids authorship of the psalms has been debated in the past, yet David and the Psalms presupposes his involvement in writing them. What considerations were made in the decision to include an examination of his life in this s
