Thread by @DrPJWilliams

I've argued that Judges & Ruth fit together.

Now how Ruth & 1 Samuel fit together.

There are numerous connections, esp. between the last ch. of Ruth & 1 Sam 1.

E.g. unique phrases:

Ruth 4:15 "she is more to you than seven sons"

1 Sam 1:8 "Am I not more to you than ten sons?"

https://twitter.com/DrPJWilliams/status/1180465021345816579

Both books begin with Ephrathites/Ephraimites (Ruth 1:1 & 1 Sam 1:1)

Naomi self-describes as Mara 'bitter' (Ruth 1:20)

Hannah is described, by the same root, as 'bitter of soul' marath naphesh (1 Sam 1:10)

Both have 'give seed' in a wish (Ruth 4:12; 1 Sam 1:11)

Both have 'God of Israel' in a wish:

'may a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel' (Ruth 2:12)

'may the God of Israel grant your request' (1 Sam 1:17)

Adjacent chapters both have 'and she bore a son' (וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן, Ruth 4:13; 1 Sam 1:20) & naming

'find favour in your eyes' + 'maidservant'

'I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your maidservant' (Ruth 2:13; cf. 2:2, 10)

'May your maidservant find favour in your eyes' (1 Sam 1:18)

Thus Ruth is well placed between Judges & 1 Samuel.

Connections (e.g. 'better than N sons') are sufficiently striking that the order of books & composition of books cannot be separated.

This doesn't mean Ruth doesn't also fit superbly after Prov 31:

https://twitter.com/DrPJWilliams/status/1206332990722334721

Thankfully there's no compelling reason only to see as intentional what a human mastermind could imagine.

Humans wrote the books of the Bible, which just have uncanny ways of fitting together.

I wonder how we could explain that...