Ruth · Chapter 3

V. 1. Rest-A life of rest, and comfort, and safety, under the care of a good husband.

Verse 1. Shall I not seek rest for thee] That is, Shall I not endeavour to procure thee a proper husband? See Ruth 1:9, and the observations at the end of that chapter.

Verses 1, 2. Shall I not seek rest for thee? — A settlement in a house of thy own, and thereby rest in comfort and safety, under the care of a good husband. He winnoweth barley to-night — This, it is probable, was commonly done in the evening, when the heat of the day was over, and cool breezes began to rise; in the thrashing-floor — Which was in a place covered at the top, but open elsewhere, whither Ruth might easily come. And this work of winnowing corn was usually ended with a feast.

RUTH’S APPEAL TO BOAZ TO REDEEM HER, 1-18.

To understand the incidents of this chapter we must have before us the ancient custom and laws of levirate marriage, so called from the Latin word levir, a brother in law. We meet the first instance of it in Genesis 38:8, where Judah calls upon his younger son Onan to marry Er’s widow, and thus preserve his brother’s name. The custom, however, was not peculiar to the Hebrews solely, but has been found to exist in several eastern countries. The Mosaic law on the subject is given in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, and is in substance as follows: If a man die and leave no children, his brother is under obligations to marry the widow, and she has a right to demand it of him. This obligation, however, is not absolutely binding. If the levir refuses to take her, he is brought before a council of the elders and publicly alleges his dislike to take her, and there his brother’s wife unlooses his shoe from off his foot, and spits in his face, and says, So shall it be done unto the man that will not build up his brother’s house. From this book of Ruth we see that the levirate law was so construed that in case the deceased husband had no surviving brother the obligation to marry his widow devolved upon his next nearest kinsman. The Hebrew word for this kinsman is lag, goel, which means a redeemer. Its root is the exact equivalent of the Greek luw, to loose, from which comes the New Testament lutron, a ransom. “The meaning of the word is profoundly set forth in the various grand historical unfoldings of its idea. According to the social philosophy of the Mosaic law no member of the national organism was to perish, no branch of the tree was to wither; whatever had been dislocated by natural events was to be reset; whatever had been alienated must be redeemed. This applied to lands as well as to persons; and the duty of redemption rested, as within the nation, so within the families into which the nation branched out. No one could redeem any thing for a family who did not belong to it by blood relationship. The great Liberator of Israel is God. He frees from servitude. For that reason the Messiah, who delivers Israel is called Goel — Redeemer. When he appears he will come as Israel’s blood-relation and brother, as Christ truly was. “The dismal counterpart of the goel as redeemer and deliverer is the goel as blood-avenger. He owes his origin to the opinion, which slowly and painfully disappeared in Israel, but which is still partially prevalent in the East, and inspires many current superstitions, that the blood of the slain cannot be put to rest and liberated until his murderer has been killed. The duty of this blood-revenge rests upon the blood relatives, not only on the brother, strictly so called, but on the nearest relative whoever he may be. So far this terrible usage becomes instructive with reference to the beneficent national custom which made it the duty of the blood-relative not to let the house of his kinsman die out; for this also was a blood-redemption, not unto death, however, but unto happiness and peace. The goel was no judge, but a comforter, a dispenser of life and love.” — Cassel.

1. Naomi… said — All through that memorable barley harvest, from the evening when Ruth showed her the results of her first day’s gleaning in the field of Boaz until the time of this utterance, had the now hopeful Naomi been planning that to which she here advises her daughter in law. Seek rest — See note on Ruth 1:9.

V. 2. Threshing-floor-Which was in a place covered at the top, but open elsewhere, whither Ruth might easily come. And this work of winnowing corn was usually ended with a feast.

Verse 2. He winnoweth barley tonight] It is very likely that the winnowing of grain was effected by taking up, in a broad thin vessel or sieve, a portion of the corn, and letting it down slowly in the wind; thus the grain would, by its own weight, fall in one place, while the chaff, &c., would be carried to a distance by the wind. It is said here that this was done at night; probably what was threshed out in the day was winnowed in the evening, when the sea breeze set in, which was common in Palestine; and as this took place in the evening only, that was the time in which they would naturally winnow their corn.

Verses 1, 2. Shall I not seek rest for thee? — A settlement in a house of thy own, and thereby rest in comfort and safety, under the care of a good husband. He winnoweth barley to-night — This, it is probable, was commonly done in the evening, when the heat of the day was over, and cool breezes began to rise; in the thrashing-floor — Which was in a place covered at the top, but open elsewhere, whither Ruth might easily come. And this work of winnowing corn was usually ended with a feast.

2. He winnoweth barley to-night — The night was chosen for the purpose because of the breeze which usually set in with the cool of the day. “The winnowing was performed by throwing up the grain with a fork against the wind, by which the broken straw and chaff were dispersed, and the grain fell to the ground. The grain was afterwards passed through a sieve to separate the morsels of earth and other impurities, and it then underwent a final purification by being tossed up with wooden scoops or short-handled shovels, such as we see figured in the monuments of Egypt.” — Kitto. The threshingfloor — This was a level plot of ground of a circular shape, generally about fifty feet in diameter, and beaten down to a hard, smooth surface. Upon this the sheaves of grain were thrown, and the threshing was usually performed by driving cattle over them: the Scriptural mode of “treading out the corn.”

V. 3. Raiment-Thy best raiment. Known-In so familiar a way, as thou mayest do hereafter.

Verse 3. Wash thyself, therefore] She made Ruth put on her best dress, that Boaz might, in the course of the day, be the more attracted by her person, and be the better disposed to receive her as Naomi wished.

Verse 3. Put on thy raiment — Thy best raiment. Make not thyself known — In so familiar a way as thou mayest do hereafter. “It is not easy to tell,” says Dr. Dodd, “at this distance of time, and amid this difference of manners, why Naomi advised Ruth to this secret method of proceeding. One would have thought it better for her to have claimed publicly the right of redemption from Boaz; but, no doubt, Naomi, who was a pious woman, had sufficient reasons for her mode of proceeding; and being well satisfied of the honour of Boaz, as well as the modesty of Ruth, she had no apprehensions of any consequences which might impugn the reputation of either.” Two circumstances must be kept in mind in judging of this conduct of Naomi; the one is, that in taking this method, she intended to induce Boaz to perform that duty which the law required from him, namely, to marry his kinswoman. For the precept enjoining a man, whose brother died childless, to take his widow to wife, that he might raise up seed to his deceased brother, had been extended by custom to other near relations when there were no brethren. The other circumstance to be observed is, “the striking simplicity of the manners of those times, with a pleasing picture whereof every trait in this story presents us.”

Verse 3. Anoint thee. Oil was used on many occasions because it gave a lustre to the countenance. Psalm 104:15. Matthew 6:10.

3. Wash… anoint… raiment — Arrange and prepare thy person in the most attractive form, as a bride for her nuptials.

V. 4. Uncover his feet-Remove the clothes that were upon his feet; thereby to awaken him. Will tell thee-What course thou shalt take to obtain that marriage which belongs unto thee.

Verse 4. Uncover his feet, and lay thee down] It is said that women in the East, when going to the bed of their lawful husbands, through modesty, and in token of subjection, go to the bed’s foot, and gently raising the clothes, creep under them up to their place. See Calmet. On the whole, we must say, had not Boaz been a person of extraordinary piety, prudence, and continence, this experiment might have been fatal to Ruth. We cannot easily account for this transaction, probably Naomi knew more than she revealed to her daughter-in-law. The experiment however was dangerous, and should in no sense be imitated.

He will tell thee what thou shalt do] The Targum reads the clause thus: Thou shalt ask counsel from him, “and he shall tell thee what thou shouldest do.”

Verse 4. Uncover his feet — Remove the clothes which are upon his feet; thereby to awake him; and lay thee down — She was not to lie down by his side, for that would have been immodest, but at his feet, in the posture of an humble supplicant. Had Ruth acted in any respect that in those days was judged indecent or immodest, it is most likely she would have highly displeased such a grave person as Boaz appears to have been. What she did, however, seems to us indecent, and would certainly be a very improper conduct in any woman in our days; but the general character of both Naomi and Ruth forbids us to suppose that they had any sinful intentions. And yet, as Mr. Scott observes, “when all allowances are made, perhaps neither party can be entirely exculpated. At least, though their plan was graciously rendered successful, it was not recorded for imitation in the present state of society.”

Ver. 4. Mark the place. The Hebrews were what we now call gentlemen farmers; yet they would aid their servants in watching the corn. Boaz gave them rest at night, that they might work by day.

4. Uncover his feet, and lay thee down — Viewed in the light of our own age this act would be in the highest degree immodest and presumptuous, but not so according to the laws and manners of that ancient time. We have seen that according to the levirate law Ruth had a right to claim the favour of marriage from her deceased husband’s nearest unmarried kinsman, and therefore this act, instead of being a compromise of her virtue, was regarded by Boaz as prudent and worthy of praise. See verses 10, 11. Doubtless the reason of Naomi’s advising this course to Ruth was, that she thought it would be more likely to succeed than any other form in which she could make known her desire to Boaz.

RUTH’S APPEAL TO BOAZ TO REDEEM HER, 1-18.

To understand the incidents of this chapter we must have before us the ancient custom and laws of levirate marriage, so called from the Latin word levir, a brother in law. We meet the first instance of it in Genesis 38:8, where Judah calls upon his younger son Onan to marry Er’s widow, and thus preserve his brother’s name. The custom, however, was not peculiar to the Hebrews solely, but has been found to exist in several eastern countries. The Mosaic law on the subject is given in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, and is in substance as follows: If a man die and leave no children, his brother is under obligations to marry the widow, and she has a right to demand it of him. This obligation, however, is not absolutely binding. If the levir refuses to take her, he is brought before a council of the elders and publicly alleges his dislike to take her, and there his brother’s wife unlooses his shoe from off his foot, and spits in his face, and says, So shall it be done unto the man that will not build up his brother’s house. From this book of Ruth we see that the levirate law was so construed that in case the deceased husband had no surviving brother the obligation to marry his widow devolved upon his next nearest kinsman. The Hebrew word for this kinsman is lag, goel, which means a redeemer. Its root is the exact equivalent of the Greek luw, to loose, from which comes the New Testament lutron, a ransom. “The meaning of the word is profoundly set forth in the various grand historical unfoldings of its idea. According to the social philosophy of the Mosaic law no member of the national organism was to perish, no branch of the tree was to wither; whatever had been dislocated by natural events was to be reset; whatever had been alienated must be redeemed. This applied to lands as well as to persons; and the duty of redemption rested, as within the nation, so within the families into which the nation branched out. No one could redeem any thing for a family who did not belong to it by blood relationship. The great Liberator of Israel is God. He frees from servitude. For that reason the Messiah, who delivers Israel is called Goel — Redeemer. When he appears he will come as Israel’s blood-relation and brother, as Christ truly was. “The dismal counterpart of the goel as redeemer and deliverer is the goel as blood-avenger. He owes his origin to the opinion, which slowly and painfully disappeared in Israel, but which is still partially prevalent in the East, and inspires many current superstitions, that the blood of the slain cannot be put to rest and liberated until his murderer has been killed. The duty of this blood-revenge rests upon the blood relatives, not only on the brother, strictly so called, but on the nearest relative whoever he may be. So far this terrible usage becomes instructive with reference to the beneficent national custom which made it the duty of the blood-relative not to let the house of his kinsman die out; for this also was a blood-redemption, not unto death, however, but unto happiness and peace. The goel was no judge, but a comforter, a dispenser of life and love.” — Cassel.

1. Naomi… said — All through that memorable barley harvest, from the evening when Ruth showed her the results of her first day’s gleaning in the field of Boaz until the time of this utterance, had the now hopeful Naomi been planning that to which she here advises her daughter in law. Seek rest — See note on Ruth 1:9.

RUTH’S APPEAL TO BOAZ TO REDEEM HER, 1-18.

To understand the incidents of this chapter we must have before us the ancient custom and laws of levirate marriage, so called from the Latin word levir, a brother in law. We meet the first instance of it in Genesis 38:8, where Judah calls upon his younger son Onan to marry Er’s widow, and thus preserve his brother’s name. The custom, however, was not peculiar to the Hebrews solely, but has been found to exist in several eastern countries. The Mosaic law on the subject is given in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, and is in substance as follows: If a man die and leave no children, his brother is under obligations to marry the widow, and she has a right to demand it of him. This obligation, however, is not absolutely binding. If the levir refuses to take her, he is brought before a council of the elders and publicly alleges his dislike to take her, and there his brother’s wife unlooses his shoe from off his foot, and spits in his face, and says, So shall it be done unto the man that will not build up his brother’s house. From this book of Ruth we see that the levirate law was so construed that in case the deceased husband had no surviving brother the obligation to marry his widow devolved upon his next nearest kinsman. The Hebrew word for this kinsman is lag, goel, which means a redeemer. Its root is the exact equivalent of the Greek luw, to loose, from which comes the New Testament lutron, a ransom. “The meaning of the word is profoundly set forth in the various grand historical unfoldings of its idea. According to the social philosophy of the Mosaic law no member of the national organism was to perish, no branch of the tree was to wither; whatever had been dislocated by natural events was to be reset; whatever had been alienated must be redeemed. This applied to lands as well as to persons; and the duty of redemption rested, as within the nation, so within the families into which the nation branched out. No one could redeem any thing for a family who did not belong to it by blood relationship. The great Liberator of Israel is God. He frees from servitude. For that reason the Messiah, who delivers Israel is called Goel — Redeemer. When he appears he will come as Israel’s blood-relation and brother, as Christ truly was. “The dismal counterpart of the goel as redeemer and deliverer is the goel as blood-avenger. He owes his origin to the opinion, which slowly and painfully disappeared in Israel, but which is still partially prevalent in the East, and inspires many current superstitions, that the blood of the slain cannot be put to rest and liberated until his murderer has been killed. The duty of this blood-revenge rests upon the blood relatives, not only on the brother, strictly so called, but on the nearest relative whoever he may be. So far this terrible usage becomes instructive with reference to the beneficent national custom which made it the duty of the blood-relative not to let the house of his kinsman die out; for this also was a blood-redemption, not unto death, however, but unto happiness and peace. The goel was no judge, but a comforter, a dispenser of life and love.” — Cassel.

1. Naomi… said — All through that memorable barley harvest, from the evening when Ruth showed her the results of her first day’s gleaning in the field of Boaz until the time of this utterance, had the now hopeful Naomi been planning that to which she here advises her daughter in law. Seek rest — See note on Ruth 1:9.

Verse 7. When Boaz had eaten and drunk] The Targum adds, “He blessed the name of the Lord, who had heard his prayer, and removed famine from the land of Israel.”

Went to lie down] As the threshing-floors of the Eastern nations are in general in the open air, it is very likely that the owner or some confidential person continued in the fields till the grain was secured, having a tent in the place where the corn was threshed and winnowed. Boaz seems to have acted thus.

Verse 7. And his heart was merry — Hebrew, wbl bcyy, iitab, libbo, his heart was good, that is, cheerful and thankful for the plenty which the Lord had sent. He went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn — In his clothes, doubtless; not going as usual to his house and bed, but reposing himself here, for the sake of taking a little temporary rest, probably on the straw in the floor where his corn had been winnowed, to secure it from thieves till it could be laid up in his garner. For such was the plain way of living in those ancient times, that the most wealthy persons looked after their own business, both in the field and at home. And she came softly — So that none perceived her, and, when he was asleep, lay down at his feet, in her clothes, which we have no reason to think she put off, as her intention was only to put him in remembrance of what the law required of him.

7. When Boaz had eaten — This was the evening meal, taken after the labours of the day were over. His heart was merry — He was cheerful and happy over a bountiful harvest, and probably also with the drinking of wine. At the end of the heap of corn — The winnowed grain was left over night lying in a heap, and this exposed the threshingfloors to the danger of being robbed. See 1 Samuel 23:1. “We have on various occasions,” says Thomson, “seen the summer threshingfloors in the open country, and the owners sleeping at them to prevent stealing.” And Captain Postans remarks: “Natives of the East [usually] care little for sleeping accommodations, but rest where weariness overcomes them, lying on the ground. They are, however, careful to cover the feet, and to do this they have a sheet of coarse cloth that they tuck under the feet, and, drawing it up over the body, suffer it to cover the face and head. An oriental seldom changes his position, and we are told that Boaz did so because he was afraid; the covering of the feet in ordinary cases is consequently not disturbed. I have frequently observed, when riding out in a native city before dawn, figures with their feet so covered, lying like monumental effigies in the pathway, and in the open verandahs of the houses.”

V. 8. At midnight-He did not discover her sooner.

Verse 8. The man was afraid, and turned himself] The verb tply yillapheth, which we render he turned himself, has puzzled even the Targumist, who translates the clause thus: “The man trembled, and his flesh became like a (boiled) turnip through fear.” It is fully evident Boaz had no intimation of the present proceedings. To this verse the Targumist adds much; he says, “Boaz subdued his concupiscence, and acted towards her as Joseph did to the Egyptian wife of his master, and as Pelatiel, the son of Laish the pious, did to Michal, the daughter of Saul, the wife of David, who put a sword between Michal and himself, because he would not approach to her.”

Verses 8, 9. At midnight — He did not discover her sooner; the man was afraid — Feeling something unusual at his feet. Behold a woman lay at his feet — He perceived by her clothes, and, when she spake, by her voice, that it was a woman. Spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid — A kind of proverbial expression, signifying, Take me to be thy wife, and perform the duty of a husband to me. From this answer of Ruth, and from what Boaz says in the two following verses, it is plain that she had no design of any thing but what was honest and lawful.

8. The man was afraid — Finding the covering of his feet removed, he feared that robbers might have entered his floor; but not knowing what was the matter he turned himself, that is, bent over or forward, to see and feel who or what the intruder was.

V. 9. Spread thy Skirt-That is, take me to be thy wife, and perform the duty of an husband to me.

Verse 9. Spread therefore thy skirt over thine hand maid] Hebrew, Spread thy wing. The wing is the emblem of protection, and is a metaphor taken from the young of fowls, which run under the wings of their mothers, that they may be saved from birds of prey. The meaning here is, Take me to thee for wife; and so the Targum has translated it, Let thy name be called on thy handmaid to take me for wife, because thou art the redeemer; i.e., thou art the lag goel, the kinsman, to whom the right of redemption belongs. See on Ruth 2:20. Even to the present day, when a Jew marries a woman, he throws the skirt or end of his talith over her, to signify that he has taken her under his protection.

Verses 8, 9. At midnight — He did not discover her sooner; the man was afraid — Feeling something unusual at his feet. Behold a woman lay at his feet — He perceived by her clothes, and, when she spake, by her voice, that it was a woman. Spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid — A kind of proverbial expression, signifying, Take me to be thy wife, and perform the duty of a husband to me. From this answer of Ruth, and from what Boaz says in the two following verses, it is plain that she had no design of any thing but what was honest and lawful.

Ver. 9. I am Ruth thine handmaid; spread thy skirt; take me for thy wife, because thou art the near kinsman of my late husband. Clandestine marriages were never sanctioned by any nation. They might surprise a man into a covenant which his more sober judgment would endeavour to revoke; and however solemn the oath might be in secret, if the man should prove unfaithful after the consummation of marriage, the ruined woman would want evidence to assert her right in her husband, and in his property. Every woman who surrenders her virtue to the promises of a pretended lover, whatever pity may plead in her behalf, must be regarded as the victim of her seducer. And sad experience has evinced how little regard a wicked man pays to an oath, though made in the name of the Lord.—Now, on the singular case of Ruth, commentators are not agreed. But, first, Naomi’s motives were pure. She sought a family establishment for the best of daughters. Secondly, the law authorized her so to do; and the law which required the next of kin to raise up issue to a man who had died childless was an ancient law. Genesis 34. It had probably existed from the beginning of the world. It was founded on prudence and humanity: for the firstborn of every patriarchal branch was a prince, and a priest in his family; and consequently to be childless was considered as a great calamity, being attended with the loss of name and of inheritance. Hence the good and wise Naomi advised the fair stranger to ask her rights conformably to law, and she was emboldened to do it in the way she did from the particular notice which Boaz had shown towards her daughter. But Boaz being now between eighty and ninety years of age, and exceedingly rich; she did not think it prudent to apply to him in the regular way, lest his family, which would undoubtedly be opposed to the marriage, should frustrate all her hopes. Therefore she advised Ruth to make her just and legal claims in person, and in secret. Ruth acted solely by the advice of her mother, and was impelled by a sort of imperious necessity to approach by night: and as she obtained a blessing, not a rebuke from Boaz, followed by a secret promise and oath of marriage, her character is exempted from blame. She prostrated at the feet of her patron and near kinsman; and though he said, let no one know that a woman came into the floor, it might merely be a caution to avoid giving umbrage to the man who was nearer of kin than himself.

9. Spread… thy skirt over thine handmaid — Literally, spread thy wing. The meaning is, Take me into the protection and intimacy of the marriage relation. The figure, taken originally from birds that cover their young with their wings for protection, is appropriately used of the marriage state. Thus in Ezekiel 16:8, Jehovah represents himself as spreading his wing over Jerusalem in the time of love, and thus taking her to wife. Also in Deuteronomy 22:30, and 27:20, a man guilty of incest is represented as one that uncovereth his father’s wing, or skirt, because he meddles with that which is closed and legally sealed to all but the married pair. Thou art a near kinsman — A goel, from whom I have a legal right to claim this relation.

V. 10. Shewed kindness-Both to thy deceased husband, the continuance of whose name and memory thou seekest; and to thy mother-in-law, whose commands thou hast punctually obeyed. Followedst not-To seek thy marriage here, or in thy own country, as thou wouldst have done if thou hadst not preferred obedience to God’s command, before pleasing thyself.

Verse 10. In the latter end than at the beginning] It is not easy to find out what Boaz means. Perhaps dsj chesed, which we translate kindness, means piety; as if he had said: Thou hast given great proof of thy piety in this latter instance, when thou hast avoided the young, and those of thy own age, to associate thyself with an elderly man, merely for the purpose of having the Divine injunction fulfilled, viz., that the brother, or next akin, might take the wife of the deceased, and raise a family to him who had died childless, that his name might not become extinct in Israel: this latter act is a greater proof of thy piety and sincerity than any thing that could be inferred from thy becoming a proselyte.

Whether poor or rich.] So it appears from this that it was not to mend her condition in life that Ruth endeavoured to get Boaz for her husband, for she might have had a rich young man, but she preferred the building up the house of her deceased husband. See above.

Verse 10. More kindness in the latter end than in the beginning — Both to thy deceased husband, the continuance of whose name and memory thou seekest, and to thy mother-in-law, whose commands thou hast punctually obeyed. The former kindness which Ruth had shown to the family of Boaz was in her love and fidelity to her husband, and her affectionate regard to her mother-in-law. But Boaz here commends her willingness to marry him, who was advanced in years, in order to raise up seed to her departed husband, as the greatest instance of love that she had given; inasmuch as she had not followed young men — Either among the Israelites, or in her own country, as he intimates she would have done if she had not preferred obedience to God’s command, before pleasing herself.

10. More kindness in the latter end — dsj, kindness, is often used in the sense of piety, moral and religious goodness. Such is the meaning here, and the passage should be read, Thou hast made thy latter act of piety better than the former. Her former act of piety was her devotion to the memory of her deceased husband and to her mother in law, and her forsaking of father and mother and native land to become a proselyte to the Hebrew faith. Her latter piety was shown, as Boaz proceeds to state, in her not following after young men to seek to win a youthful husband; but, in strict observance of the laws and customs of the Hebrew people, by coming and claiming him as her kinsman.

Verses 11-13. And now, my daughter, fear not — No words can more evidently express any thing than this and the following verse do, that Ruth did nothing immodest. Howbeit, there is a kinsman nearer than I — He does not absolutely refuse to grant her petition, but, influenced by a strict regard to the law of Moses, informs her that as there was a person nearer to her than himself, he could not properly take her to wife till that person had been consulted. If he will perform unto thee the kinsman’s part, &c. — Will take thee to wife to raise up seed to his brother. Bishop Hall thus sums up this matter in his Contemplations: — “Boaz, instead of touching her as a wanton, blesseth her as a father, encourages her as a friend, promises her as a kinsman, rewards her as a patron, and sends her away laden with hopes and gifts, no less chaste, but more happy, than she came. O admirable temperance, worthy the progenitor of Him in whose lips and heart there was no guile!”

11. A virtuous woman — Literally, a woman of strength. It corresponds with the common expression, man of valour. Ruth was strong in all that constitutes female excellence and worth. She was not merely virtuous, in the sense of chaste, but she was full of virtues. “Boaz, no doubt, knew her general character, and knew also that in the present instance she acted in accordance with the advice of her mother in law, who had taught her that she not only had a right to claim Boaz for her husband, but that she was precluded by the law of God from forming any other reputable connexion. Boaz also remembered that he was old, and she young and attractive; and, though from the heathen Moabites, yet she preferred to walk in the sober path of honest married life rather than to associate with the young and the gay, by whom, it is intimated, she had been tempted. He was therefore fully justified in ascribing to this very act an honourable and virtuous principle, notwithstanding the apparent violation of modesty and propriety; and in this he judged correctly, for such was the fact.” — Thomson.

Verse 12. There is a kinsman nearer than 1.] It is very likely that Naomi was not acquainted with this circumstance. Some have supposed that there was a brother of Elimelech remaining, who was nearer than Boaz, who is supposed to have been only a nephew; the former, therefore, must have a prior right.

Verses 11-13. And now, my daughter, fear not — No words can more evidently express any thing than this and the following verse do, that Ruth did nothing immodest. Howbeit, there is a kinsman nearer than I — He does not absolutely refuse to grant her petition, but, influenced by a strict regard to the law of Moses, informs her that as there was a person nearer to her than himself, he could not properly take her to wife till that person had been consulted. If he will perform unto thee the kinsman’s part, &c. — Will take thee to wife to raise up seed to his brother. Bishop Hall thus sums up this matter in his Contemplations: — “Boaz, instead of touching her as a wanton, blesseth her as a father, encourages her as a friend, promises her as a kinsman, rewards her as a patron, and sends her away laden with hopes and gifts, no less chaste, but more happy, than she came. O admirable temperance, worthy the progenitor of Him in whose lips and heart there was no guile!”

12. There is a kinsman nearer than I — From this it appears that Naomi had laboured under some mistake. Probably she was ignorant of the existence of a nearer kinsman than Boaz; or she may have known that nearer kinsman, and also that it would have marred his inheritance to have redeemed that of her husband, Elimelech. Compare Ruth 4:6.

V. 13. Perform, &c.-Take thee to wife, to raise up seed to his brother. Bishop Hall sums up the matter thus. “Boaz, instead of touching her as a wanton, blesseth her as a father, encourages her as a friend, promises her as a kinsman, rewards her as a patron, and sends her away laden with hopes and gifts, no less chast, but more happy than she came. O admirable temperance, worthy the progenitor of him, in whose lips and heart there was no guile!”

Verse 13. As the Lord liveth] Thus he bound himself by an oath to take her to wife if the other should refuse.

Verses 11-13. And now, my daughter, fear not — No words can more evidently express any thing than this and the following verse do, that Ruth did nothing immodest. Howbeit, there is a kinsman nearer than I — He does not absolutely refuse to grant her petition, but, influenced by a strict regard to the law of Moses, informs her that as there was a person nearer to her than himself, he could not properly take her to wife till that person had been consulted. If he will perform unto thee the kinsman’s part, &c. — Will take thee to wife to raise up seed to his brother. Bishop Hall thus sums up this matter in his Contemplations: — “Boaz, instead of touching her as a wanton, blesseth her as a father, encourages her as a friend, promises her as a kinsman, rewards her as a patron, and sends her away laden with hopes and gifts, no less chaste, but more happy, than she came. O admirable temperance, worthy the progenitor of Him in whose lips and heart there was no guile!”

Ver. 13. Tarry this night. She could not get into the city till the gates were opened. In warm countries they often lodge in sheltered places abroad. The manner of betrothing was by an oath of the Lord, and by the acceptance of presents. Ruth obtained this favour because of her virtues, in not following young men; her virtues make her more known than can be done by a bold exposure of her person in public places.

13. Tarry this night — For it would have been dangerous for her to return alone to the city in the darkness of midnight; but in the early morning, before one can readily recognise another, women may be seen in the East going forth on some errand or work.

V. 14. Let it not, &c.-He takes care to preserve not only his conscience towards God, but his reputation, and hers also, among men.

Verse 14. She lay at his feet till the morning — Having no other design but only to implore his justice and kindness unto her deceased husband. He said, Let it not be known — He takes care to preserve not only his conscience toward God, but his reputation and hers also among men.

14. Let it not be known — Thus Boaz charged Ruth and whoever else might have known that she had been there, for both his reputation and hers would suffer if that fact at once became known.

V. 15. Veil-Or, the apron.

Verse 15. Bring the veil] tjpcmh hammit pachath; this seems to have been a cloak, plaid, or what the Arabs call hayk, which has been largely explained elsewhere. See Judges 14:12.

Six measures of barley] We supply the word measures, for the Hebrew mentions no quantity. The Targum renders six seahs, ˆyas tyv shith sein, which, as a seah was about two gallons and a half, must have been a very heavy load for a woman; and so the Targumist thought, for he adds, And she received strength from the Lord to carry it. If the omer be meant, which is about six pints, the load would not be so great, as this would amount to but about four gallons and a half; a very goodly present. The Targum says, that on receiving these six measures “it was said in the spirit of prophecy, that from her should proceed the six righteous persons of the world, viz., David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the King Messiah; each of whom should be blessed with six benedictions.” It is, however, remarkable, that the Targum makes the Messiah to spring from her through the line of David, and goes down to Daniel and his companions; which Daniel prophesied so clearly, not only of the advent of Messiah the prince, but also of the very time in which he was to come, and the sacrificial death he was to die.

15. Bring the veil — The long loose wrapper in which the eastern women envelope themselves when out of doors. Among the poorer classes its material is strong and coarse enough not to be at all damaged by the use here made of it. Six measures — How large the measures were we have no means of ascertaining, and conjecture is vain. The Chaldee paraphrase has the following: “He measured six seahs (nearly two bushels!) of barley, and placed it upon her, and she received strength from the Lord to carry it, and immediately it was said in prophecy that there should come of her the six righteous ones of the world, each one of whom should be blessed with six benedictions — David, and Daniel and his companions, and King Messiah.” She went into the city — Rather, He went, etc., for the form of the verb is masculine, and the meaning is, that he gave her the barley and sent her away, and then he also went into the city.

V. 16. Who art thou?-This is not a question of doubting, but of wonder, as if she had said, Art thou in very deed my daughter? I can hardly believe it. How camest thou hither in this manner, and thus early?

Verses 16, 17. Who art thou, my daughter? — Or rather, Is it thou, my daughter? He said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law — There is no mention made before of Boaz thus speaking to her, but it is not unusual for the sacred writers, in the relation of a fact or event, to omit many little circumstances which they occasionally mention afterward. It is likely that Boaz intended this corn chiefly for Naomi, as he was that day either about to marry Ruth himself, or to provide her another husband.

16. Who art thou, my daughter — That is, In what character dost thou return — as the espoused of Boaz, or only still a desolate widow?

Verses 16, 17. Who art thou, my daughter? — Or rather, Is it thou, my daughter? He said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law — There is no mention made before of Boaz thus speaking to her, but it is not unusual for the sacred writers, in the relation of a fact or event, to omit many little circumstances which they occasionally mention afterward. It is likely that Boaz intended this corn chiefly for Naomi, as he was that day either about to marry Ruth himself, or to provide her another husband.

RUTH’S APPEAL TO BOAZ TO REDEEM HER, 1-18.

To understand the incidents of this chapter we must have before us the ancient custom and laws of levirate marriage, so called from the Latin word levir, a brother in law. We meet the first instance of it in Genesis 38:8, where Judah calls upon his younger son Onan to marry Er’s widow, and thus preserve his brother’s name. The custom, however, was not peculiar to the Hebrews solely, but has been found to exist in several eastern countries. The Mosaic law on the subject is given in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, and is in substance as follows: If a man die and leave no children, his brother is under obligations to marry the widow, and she has a right to demand it of him. This obligation, however, is not absolutely binding. If the levir refuses to take her, he is brought before a council of the elders and publicly alleges his dislike to take her, and there his brother’s wife unlooses his shoe from off his foot, and spits in his face, and says, So shall it be done unto the man that will not build up his brother’s house. From this book of Ruth we see that the levirate law was so construed that in case the deceased husband had no surviving brother the obligation to marry his widow devolved upon his next nearest kinsman. The Hebrew word for this kinsman is lag, goel, which means a redeemer. Its root is the exact equivalent of the Greek luw, to loose, from which comes the New Testament lutron, a ransom. “The meaning of the word is profoundly set forth in the various grand historical unfoldings of its idea. According to the social philosophy of the Mosaic law no member of the national organism was to perish, no branch of the tree was to wither; whatever had been dislocated by natural events was to be reset; whatever had been alienated must be redeemed. This applied to lands as well as to persons; and the duty of redemption rested, as within the nation, so within the families into which the nation branched out. No one could redeem any thing for a family who did not belong to it by blood relationship. The great Liberator of Israel is God. He frees from servitude. For that reason the Messiah, who delivers Israel is called Goel — Redeemer. When he appears he will come as Israel’s blood-relation and brother, as Christ truly was. “The dismal counterpart of the goel as redeemer and deliverer is the goel as blood-avenger. He owes his origin to the opinion, which slowly and painfully disappeared in Israel, but which is still partially prevalent in the East, and inspires many current superstitions, that the blood of the slain cannot be put to rest and liberated until his murderer has been killed. The duty of this blood-revenge rests upon the blood relatives, not only on the brother, strictly so called, but on the nearest relative whoever he may be. So far this terrible usage becomes instructive with reference to the beneficent national custom which made it the duty of the blood-relative not to let the house of his kinsman die out; for this also was a blood-redemption, not unto death, however, but unto happiness and peace. The goel was no judge, but a comforter, a dispenser of life and love.” — Cassel.

1. Naomi… said — All through that memorable barley harvest, from the evening when Ruth showed her the results of her first day’s gleaning in the field of Boaz until the time of this utterance, had the now hopeful Naomi been planning that to which she here advises her daughter in law. Seek rest — See note on Ruth 1:9.

Verse 18. Until thou know how the matter will fall] That is, whether he who is nearer of kin than Boaz will take thee to wife; do not return again till this thing is determined. Boaz lost no time to bring this to an issue, as we shall see in the following chapter.

RUTH

Ver. 18. The man will not be at rest until he have finished the thing this day. So it is with the Lord Christ, our near kinsman; he will not be at rest till he has performed his faithful word, and saved the soul from sin and death.

18. Sit still — Stay quietly at home. How the matter will fall — Whether that nearer kinsman will redeem thee, or yield his right to Boaz. The man will not be in rest — His actions and his oath (verse 13) show that he will quickly bring the matter to an issue.