Ruth 1:1–4:22

In the days. In Hebrew this is a standard formula for opening a his- torical book. The period of the judges in Israel was infamous as a time of instability and apostasy. a famine. Events in the Book of Ruth turn on the curse of famine, and its corresponding reversal in blessing. Famines were sometimes a sign_of divine displeasure (1 Kin. 17:1). Naomi (1:21) bitterly acknowledges God's sovereign hand in her circumstances, and in any case, events are never outside His decree. country of Moab. Lit. “fields of Moab.’ Moabites, who were related to Israel through Lot (Gen. 19:37), occupied parts of central Transjordan at various times. Although God protected them at first from the Israelite invaders (Deut. 2:9), the Moabites were subjugated by Saul (1 Sam. 14:47) and then by David (2 Sam. 8:2). See also Deut. 23:3. There were some periods of friendly relations, with considerable cultural and eco- nomic interchange, as shown by David's placement of his parents with the king of Moab while he was a fugitive (1 Sam. 22:3), Elimelech’s sojourn in Moab takes place during one such period. | The preface moves quickly through the necessary background (time, place, and source of conflict), setting the stage for the scenes that follow. | Elimelech. Although the story might have climaxed with God's pro- vision of an immediate heir for the deceased Elimelech, the drama emphasizes the role of the women in the family (4:14, 16) and the pass- ing significance of Elimelech as a remote ancestor of David (4:17-22). Naomi. Lit. “pleasant” (wv. 20-21). Naomi’s story is told first. | Moabite wives. This action was not forbidden, though Deut. 23:3-6 would prohibit the male descendants access to the temple. The irony is that an heir, and an ancestor of the great king David, would: come through one of these foreigners. | the woman was left without. Naomi was an old, barren woman, in a foreign country, with two alien and childless daughters-in-law. She seems an unlikely prospect for any role in the Lord’s covenantal history of redemption. | These verses set the stage for vv. 8-18. The women must decide what factors will determine their paths: finding a husband and having children, living in one’s own country, being close to one’s family, or final- ly, for Ruth, trusting in the Lord as sovereign God. Naomi's love for her daughters-in-law, and her reaction to bitter experiences at God's hand, dominate this scene. Ruth’s decision, and her irrevocable vow of fidelity to Naomi’s people and her God, says much about the impact of Naomi’s character and faith on her daughter-in-law. | the Lorp had visited his people. A note of hope is sounded. Ruth's story never loses sight of God, whose faithful love determines history. | we will return with you. This initial declaration of both daugh- ters heightens the dramatic tension. | Have | yet sons. Naomi's talk of raising up sons to replace the miss- ing husbands only exaggerates her loss. The idea itself may refer to the law of levirate marriage. According to this law, if a man died leaving a widow, his brother was obliged to marry the widow, taking his place and preserving the family lines (Deut. 25:5, 6). There was also a custom that when someone died a close relative (or “redeemer”) was supposed to buy (or “redeem”) the deceased's estate. Just how these customs func- tioned in the history of Ruth and Boaz is a matter of continuing debate (2:20 note). | her gods. A new element is introduced. Up to now it might have been assumed that the daughters had become worshipers of the Lord. Nowit becomes clear that the choice of homeland is a choice for or against the true God. Against the background of Orpah’s choice, the courage and beauty of Ruth's declaration (vv. 16-17) is all the more obvious. | Naomi... empty. The women’s question (v. 19) expresses their amazement that this woman, whose circumstances had once reflected her name (“pleasant”), should now have fallen upon such hard times. Naomi does not hesitate to say it was the Lord's doing. She does not give a reason, and the narrator does not suggest anything, about why she was suffering. | Ruth the Moabite. She is not just any Ruth. For the story it is cru- cial that she be remembered as the foreigner (1:4; 2:2, 6, 21; 4:5, 10; espe- cially 2:10). Also, the reader may be prompted to think of Ruth’s ancestor, Lot's daughter, and the incestuous beginnings of the Moabite nation (Gen. 19:30-38). In both cases the problem is childlessness or lack of a male heir. barley harvest. Early calendars, like the Gezer Calendar from the tenth century 8.C,, associated months with the agricultural cycle. Barley was the first of the cereals to be harvested, in April; wheat was the last. In later tradition the barley and wheat harvests came to be identified with the festivals of Passover and Pentecost. The season of harvest was a time of celebration, rejoicing together before God, and remembering the poor. The narrative development is tied to this scheme. The women return home at the barley harvest, a time of God's favor and the beginning of fruitful restoration for Naomi. | Chapter two introduces the last main character, Boaz, and the major theme, that of the close relative, or redeemer, who has certain responsibilities for the family and property of a relative who dies (2:20 note). The narrator, who already knows what is ahead, gives only a hint with the description of Boaz as “a relative” in v. 1. Only after the natural kindness of Boaz, and the natural winsomeness of Ruth, have taken their course, does Naomi reveal the key to the entire story: Boazis “a close rel- ative” (2:20). Even then, no claims are made; there is no appeal to cus- tom. Events must wait their time, while Naomi schemes, Ruth serves qui- etly, and Boaz finishes the harvest. However, God had already provided an answer through the law (Lev. 25). | relative. Or “friend” The Hebrew text leaves the technical status of Boaz unclear, but the story unfolds as if he were the “nearest redeemer” described in Lev. 25:25, whose responsibility relates primarily but not exclusively to the property of an impoverished relative (1:11; 2:20 and notes). Later on (e.g., 2:20; 3:9) Boaz will be identified as such a “close rel- ative” but at this point he is introduced to prepare the reader for the occurrence that places Ruth in his field. worthy. The Hebrew usually means an outstanding fighter, but here it means someone powerful and important in society. | Let me go to the field. Ruth's initiative, on the surface, is simply to keep herself and Naomi alive, according to a custom codified in Leviticus (19:9-10; 23:22) and Deuteronomy (24:19). As poor people, Ruth and Naomi would receive some help, but much more is about to come their way. A hint of this provision is given in Ruth's plaintive request that she might glean “after him in whose sight | shall find favor.” | she happened to come. It seems as if she came to the field of her relative by coincidence, yet God is causing the event. | behold. Boaz’s arrival satisfies the expectations raised in vv. 1-3. | The servant's answer establishes Ruth’s character. She is faithful, having come while still in her youth to a foreign country for the sake of her relative. She is modest, asking permission for what might have been considered a right. She is hardworking, having been busy since morning. ‘ | among the sheaves. Ruth’s request seems not to go beyond what was her right as a widow (Deut. 24:19-21). But the response of Boaz will prove to go far beyond the legal requirement (v. 15). has continued. This is usually taken to mean that she was working all morning, but it could mean that she had been waiting for her request to be granted by the owner of the field. It is more likely that it refers to work, since she interrupted the morning with a rest. | Events unfold quickly as Boaz accedes to the request and offers his protection and provision (vv. 8-9). Ruth acknowledges his favor to her, an undeserving “foreigner” (v. 10). Only then (vv. 11-12) does the narra- tive give some inkling of God's providential working. Boaz has known already that Ruth is no ordinary foreigner. She has taken “refuge” under the “wings” of the Lord, and she will receive “a full reward” from Him (v. 12). Though a foreigner, Ruth's loyalty to God will become a key element in God's great plan of redemption. The plan will be worked out through David, the covenant king, and through Christ, David's greater Son, The reward of Ruth’s faith far transcends local time and circumstances, | Boaz’s permission is clearly extraordinary. | wine. This was a sour but refreshing drink or dip (cf. Num. 6:3). 2:17 beat out... about an ephah. Beating out the grain, or threshing it, separated the kernels from the husks, chaff, and stalks. An ephah was about half a bushel, a large amount to have gleaned. | what food she had left over. This would be what she had set aside from her noon meal (v. 14). | whose kindness has not forsaken. God's love is faithful, and He will not forget the ones He loves. The blessings He promised will pass from Boaz to Ruth to Naomi, and eventually to all the elect. close relative of ours. See Introduction: Interpretive Difficulties. The law of redemption now comes into view. According to this law, the nearest male blood relative had the duty of preserving the family name and property. This duty could entail (a) avenging the death of a family mem- ber (Num. 35:19-21); (b) buying back family property that had been sold to pay debts (Lev. 25:25); (c), buying back a relative who had sold himself into slavery to pay debts (Lev. 25:47-49); and (d) marrying the widow of a deceased relative (Deut. 25:5-10). Apparently these duties could be renounced or declined under certain circumstances (cf. Ruth 3:12; 4:1-8). Boaz was such a “close relative” (or “redeemer") to Ruth, and this fact now determines the course of action (see 1:11; 2:1 and notes), Ruth's des- tiny will proceed according to law, unlike her ancestor, Lot's daughter, who committed incest (Gen. 19:30-38). | until the end of ... harvests. The two-month delay prepares for the threshing floor incident (ch. 3). | Like Lot's two daughters (Gen. 19:31-32), Naomi and Ruth had lost their husbands and children. Again, Naomi acted to preserve her family line, but in quite a different way from Lot's daughters. rest for you. This means that Ruth should be married, a need that Naomi had taken to heart (1:9). | Now the narrative moves toward resolution. In a midnight visit, Ruth carries out and expands Naomi's plan, putting her own reputation and all her expectations at risk. She claims the protection of Boaz as a “redeemer” (v. 9). Her trust in his character is vindicated, and she is unharmed. God's activity behind the scenes continues without a break. But even at this moment, the engagement must be delayed; there is a | The instructions, presented to Ruth so precisely, have strong over- tones of intrigue. the threshing floor. This was a cleared area where grain was crushed or torn to separate the chaff, straw, and grains. The harvest was then win- nowed, or thrown into the air for the wind to blow away the chaff and let the grains fall directly to the ground. All this took place in the spring at the time of the harvest festivals. The prophet Hosea refers to the thresh- ing floor as a common site of sexual immorality (Hos. 9:1). | uncover his feet. A comparison of this scene with the history of Lot's daughters (Gen. 19:30-38) is instructive. At Naomi’s suggestion, Ruth was approaching Boaz with some boldness. But her purpose was to become engaged. Her answer (v. 9) shows that she was not thinking of becoming pregnant outside wedlock. lie down. Ruth lies patiently at Boaz’s feet until he wakes (vv. 8-9); noth- ing unseemly happens between them during the night (v. 11). | merry. Boaz had been drinking, but was hardly drunk. After all the work and festivity of the day, Boaz went to “the end of the heap of grain,’ a place where Ruth was able to meet him privately. God's providence was clearing a path for her. | Spread your wings over your servant. See text note. Ezek. 16:8 explains the idiom. Ruth asks directly for the favor of marriage, although Naomi's instructions were not quite so bold (v. 4). redeemer. The law does not specify marriage as the responsibility of such a person, though an extension of Lev. 25 can readily be envisioned. Mahlon’s name and-property will be preserved (4:10), suggesting the levirate marriage, but it is difficult to see how Deut. 25:5-6 could be strictly applied. See Introduction: Interpretive Difficulties and note on 2:20. Again, Ruth goes far beyond Naomi's specified plan. | kindness. Lit. “covenant love.” Throughout the book, God's own covenant love (1:8; 2:20) is mirrored by that of Ruth (1:8, 16-17). Now her faithfulness is proved as (a) she invokes the duties of a close relative, and (b) she has declined to follow any of the young men. The “kindness” Boaz refers to is evidently Ruth's proposal to follow the custom that would provide an heir for Naomi. the first. That is, when she chose to accompany Naomi. | a worthy woman, This is the feminine equivalent of the Hebrew phrase in 2:1. Ruth has risen from being a Moabite and servant to becoming attractive to Boaz as a possible marriage partner. | a redeemer nearer than I. Boaz suddenly mentions a complicating factor. If Naomi was thinking of a relative, why was this closer relative not introduced earlier? The custom of redemption seems to be leading to a solution, but now it creates a problem along the way. The engagement must be postponed. | six measures of barley. This gift of barley shows Boaz’s magnanimi- ty toward Ruth (v. 17), and is a symbol of Naomi’s changed estate (1:21), Ruth receives grain from Boaz as an emblem of her future fruitfulness. | How did you fare. The same Hebrew words are translated “Who are you?” in v. 9. | Wait. This is an ironic touch, for the time to wait will be very short. Naomi does not expect a conclusion to be long in coming. | The fourth chapter brings out the divine purpose behind Ruth's original decision to follow Naomi and Naomi’s God. The necessary arrangements seem to turn on a combination of levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5-10) and the laws for a redeeming relative (Lev. 25). Ruth is taken as a wife, and ancient blessings for fruitfulness are invoked. Naomi’s bitter- Ness turns to joy, and her grandson is to become the grandfather of King David. In these events the Lord's hidden providence is revealed. | the gate. The entranceway to a city was a usual site of legal and com- mercial transactions. friend. Boaz must have known the man’s name. The narrator quotes Boaz with an indefinite phrase, something like the English expression “so and so.” Perhaps he did not want to memorialize a selfish person in his story. | took ten men. There is no recorded legal requirement for a particu- lar number of men. The later Jewish tradition by which ten men make up a quorum for worship may derive from this incident. In a rural culture, where the use of writing is limited, it is important for a contract to be made with a number of official witnesses. | selling the parcel of land, This sale is a surprising new element, no hint of which has been given up to now. Details about the sale are not necessary for the story and are omitted. | you also acquire Ruth. This association of Ruth and Naomi under the laws about the property and family of a deceased relative is an unusual application of the laws. But an understanding of these details is not essential to the purpose of the narrative. | drew off his sandal. Little is known about the symbolism of this cus- tom. Its point clearly was to confirm the transaction legally. See Deut. 25:9-10 (a different setting) and Amos 8:6. | to perpetuate the name of the dead. The disappearance of one’s name was considered to be an extreme misfortune (1 Sam, 24:21; 2 Sam. 14:7). | like Rachel and Leah. These are the two wives of Jacob (Israel), who were the mothers, either naturally or through their maids Zilpah and Bilhah, of all the sons of Israel, the heads of the twelve tribes. Ephrathah ... Bethlehem. As in 1:1-2, these place names, associated with David, are given special prominence. | be like .. . Perez. In a much earlier time, Judah had become the father of Perez because Onan refused to carry out his obligation as a close relative (Gen. 38:29). Perez became a symbol of the fruitful offspring. Now in the same way Boaz becomes the father of Obed (v. 21) because another person refused to carry out the levirate obligation. Despite human failures, the messianic line was preserved (Matt. 1:3, 5, 16). | The women's praises celebrate the fulfillment of God's covenant love to Naomi. Her daughter-in-law Ruth is more to her than seven sons would be (v. 15). Moreover, Naomi in effect has a son in her grandson Obed (v. 17). He will become the grandfather of David. | Naomi took the child. Possibly this means that there was a formal adoption procedure. Whatever the case, this closing scene is the happy ending of what is truly “Naomi’s Story.’ The sorrowful widow who thought she had returned empty (1:21) has been filled beyond expecta- tion (Ps. 126:5, 6). | The closing genealogy (Introduction: Characteristics and Themes) shifts the focus from Naomi back to Boaz, and fulfills a larger purpose of the narrative. The genealogy begins with Perez, someone who could “breach” (Gen. 38:29, text note), and whom the women in their blessing remembered as the vigorous son of Tamar (Vv. 12). Like Ruth, Tamar became an ancestor of David in an unexpected way. For New Testament readers, David is not the end of God's provisions for the people of His choice, His covenant bride. But for her own time, Ruth’s journey had reached its divinely appointed goal.