God’s Agency in Human Activity and Speech: The Image of God in the Books of Ruth and Esther

Abstract

In the Masoretic book of Esther, God is not mentioned directly. In the book of Ruth, the actions of the human protagonists dominate the narrative. God/YHWH is mentioned several times in Ruth, however, he himself does not speak any word. He acts only once in this book, in 4:13 with regard to Ruth’s pregnancy. Nevertheless, God is not absent in either of the two books. His agency is represented by the human characters. Only by their activity and in the context of the faith and religious traditions of Israel, YHWH’s salvation and lovingkindness are discernible.