the meaning of Ruth is not obvious. It might be associated with friendship, but I think ra’ah also means “evil” or anger (can’t remember which exactly). Noam is “pleasant”. “Orpah” doesn’t really come up with anything much.

The lot of widow’s is always going to be difficult in the ANE, should they have no male heirs. There is a good note on this in the CBSB.

11 Then all the people who were at the gate, along with the elders, said, “We are witnesses.

May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem;…”

Here I feel that this is a Marian role, where the ladies “build up the house of Israel”, and we see what sounds like a Messianic prophecy “May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem”, which mirrors Micah ““But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 4:2).

At this stage, it sounds like a prophecy of David to come, however the fact that Micah reiterates the prophecy post-David gives it the scope of a “double-fulfilment” in Jesus. That all these events are taking place in Bethlehem are truly wonderful and if you ever have the good fortune to visit there, you would be overwhelmed with the knowledge of the history of this tiny village, now a town in the West Bank with a Christian population struggling with poverty.

“…12 and, through the children that the LORD will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.”

“16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighbourhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon,[ 21 Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, 22 Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.” (Ruth 4)

So this is how the story of Ruth ends. It feeds directly therefore into 1 Samuel in couple of generations only.