Who is traditionally considered the author of the book of Ruth?

• A. Samuel the Prophet
• B. Moses
• C. Isaiah
• D. Ezra

Answer: (A)

Tradition holds that Ruth was written by Samuel the Prophet. The story sits in the period of the judges and ends with a genealogy leading to David, a placement that early readers linked to the era of Samuel, the prophet-judge who bridges the time from the judges to the monarchy. Because of this historical placement and the way the book is framed as Israel’s history leading into David’s lineage, Samuel is the name most often named as the author in traditional sources. Moses is known for writing the Law, Isaiah for his prophecies, and Ezra for post-exilic historical editing, so they don’t fit Ruth’s attribution in the traditional sense.