The book of Ruth, like that of the Song of Solomon, is full of grace and truth. It belongs to the times of the judges and the early years when Gideon served as a judge. This was a period when the Midianites prevailed and destroyed the crops of the land thereby causing famine. It derives its name from the principal character, Ruth.
This was a period when the people of God would go through a vicious cycle of disobedience of commandments to defeat and captivity by their enemies, then deliverance. Since everyone did what was right in their own eyes, sin was rampant and people had hardened their hearts.