Ruth 2
2
Ruth Gathers Grain in the Field of Boaz
1Naomi’s deceased husband, Elimelech, had a very wealthy relative, an honorable and prominent man # 2:1 The description “honorable and prominent” comes from the Hebrew word chayil. Chayil can also mean “victorious,” “powerful,” “like an army,” or “full of substance.” Thus Boaz was a “mighty man of valor” or “valiant warrior.” (We might say, “a knight in shining armor.”) in Bethlehem named Boaz. # 2:1 Boaz means “strength.” He is a prophetic figure of Jesus Christ, our older Brother (see Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:6–13) and Kinsman-Redeemer (see 1 Pet. 1:18–19). “Boaz” was also the name of the left pillar of Solomon’s Temple (2 Chron. 3:17). Boaz was a wealthy nobleman. Similarly, Jesus Christ is indeed the One who has made us “rich beyond measure” (2 Cor. 8:9; see Eph. 1:3). 2One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain. Maybe someone will be kind enough # 2:2 Or “Maybe I will find grace with someone.” See Gen. 6:8. to let me gather the grain he leaves behind.”
Naomi said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3So Ruth went to the fields to gather the grain the reapers left behind. # 2:3 That there was grain left behind for the poor to pick up speaks to the covenant faithfulness of Boaz, who had instructed his workers to keep the commandment to care for the poor according to Deut. 24:19–22. God commanded this also to remind Israel that they were once slaves in Egypt who depended upon the generosity of Yahweh to feed them. It just so happened # 2:3 The Hebrew reads “her chance” or “chanced.” that she found herself working at the edges of a field belonging to Boaz # 2:3 The fields of Boaz may have included the shepherd’s field where the angels of glory announced Jesus’ birth. See Luke 2:8–14. of the family of Elimelech. 4At that moment, Boaz came from Bethlehem to survey his harvest. He greeted the harvesters, “May Yahweh be with you.” # 2:4 Jesus, too, came from Bethlehem to bless his harvesters. Today’s “harvesters” are the evangelists who go to the nations of the earth to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. May Yahweh’s blessing indeed be upon them as they seek a global harvest of souls. They replied, “May Yahweh bless you.” 5Noticing Ruth, Boaz asked his foreman in charge of the harvesters, # 2:5 The Holy Spirit is the Lord of the Harvest who equips and places each believer in the harvest fields where we will be the most effective. See Matt. 9:38. “Who is that young woman over there?” # 2:5 Or “To whom does that young woman belong?” Ruth could have been between twenty-four and twenty-nine years old at this time. Boaz may have been in his forties.
6The foreman answered, “She’s a Moabite girl who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7She asked for permission to gather the grain left behind by the reapers. Except for one short break, she’s been on her feet working in the field since early this morning.”
8Boaz walked over to Ruth and said, “Listen, my daughter, don’t leave this field to glean somewhere else. Stay here in my field and follow the young women who work for me. 9Watch my harvesters to see into which fields they go to cut grain, and follow them. When you’re thirsty, go and drink from the water jugs that the young men have filled. I’ve warned the young men not to bother you.”
10Astounded, Ruth bowed low with her face to the ground, and said to him, “I’m a foreigner. Why have you been so kind and taken notice of me?”
11Boaz answered, “I’ve heard all about what you’ve done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I know your story—how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people and a culture that must seem strange to you. 12May Yahweh reward you for your sacrifices, and because of what you’ve done, may you have a full and rich reward from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to find shelter!”
13Ruth replied, “May I continue to find favor in your sight, kind sir. You have spoken to my heart kind and reassuring words that comfort me, even though I am not as worthy as one of your servant girls.”
14At mealtime, Boaz said to her, “Come here # 2:14 Or “draw near.” and eat with us. Here is bread, and wine to dip it in.” # 2:14 Read this sentence again and picture Jesus, your heavenly Boaz, inviting you to have communion (bread and wine) with him. Ruth immediately sat down with the workers. Boaz handed her some roasted grain, and she ate all she wanted until she was satisfied—she even had some left over.
15After she had returned to gather grain, Boaz instructed his young men, “Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and don’t disgrace her. 16Pull out from the bundles some handfuls of grain and drop them on purpose # 2:16 These “handfuls of grain” dropped “on purpose” can signify the many extra blessings that fall upon us each day. We gather truths from Scripture for our needs each day, like Ruth gathered grain (see Matt. 13:1–23). Jesus, our heavenly Boaz, drops handfuls of revelation on purpose for us to gather an abundant supply. He wants us to know that he will provide all we need to meet the challenges of life. See 1 Kings 8:56; Ps. 103:5; Eph. 1:3; 3:20–21; Phil. 4:19. for her to gather, and don’t bother her.”
17So Ruth gathered grain in Boaz’s field until evening. When she threshed out what she had gathered, it came to more than half a bushel of barley. # 2:17 Or “an ephah of barley.” An ephah would weigh about thirty pounds. 18She carried it back to town and showed her mother-in-law how much she had gleaned. Then Ruth also took out the roasted grain she had saved from mealtime and shared it with Naomi.
19Her mother-in-law asked Ruth, “Where did you gather all this from? In whose field did you work? May Yahweh bless the man who showed you special attention.”
She told her mother-in-law about all that happened that day, and said, “The man in whose field I gathered grain today is Boaz.”
20Naomi said to Ruth, “Yahweh’s loving-kindness has not left us either through life or through death! Boaz is closely related to us. He is a kinsman-redeemer # 2:20 The Hebrew term ga’al means “kinsman-redeemer.” This term is used in various forms ten times throughout chs. 3–4. Ga’al signifies a legal function performed by a near relative. If a widow was childless, a close male relative was empowered to “redeem” her through marriage and buy back her property (see Lev. 25:25). This kinsman-redeemer ensured that the widow would not lose her inheritance rights and provided her with offspring. In the case of Naomi, she had other near relatives living in Bethlehem who would qualify to be her kinsman-redeemers, meaning that Boaz was perhaps one of several candidates. of our family. May Yahweh greatly bless Boaz!” # 2:20 The Hebrew is somewhat ambiguous: “May he [Boaz] be blessed by Yahweh, whose loyal love has not forsaken the living or the dead.”
21Ruth the Moabite responded, “He even said to me, ‘Stay close by my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’ ”
22Naomi replied, “It is best, my daughter, that you stay near his young women, otherwise you’ll be alone and might be bothered in someone else’s field.” 23So Ruth worked alongside the young women who served Boaz. She lived with her mother-in-law and gleaned in Boaz’s fields until the end of the barley and wheat harvests.
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationRuth 2
2
Ruth and Boaz Meet
1Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side. He was a prominent man of noble character#Ru 1:2 from Elimelech’s family. His name was Boaz.
2Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain#Lv 19:9–10; 23:22 behind someone with whom I find favor?”
Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened#Pr 16:33; 20:24 to be in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.
4Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.”#1Sm 20:13
“The Lord bless you,”#Nm 6:24 they replied.
5Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?”
6The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab. 7She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters? ’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”#2:7 LXX reads morning, and until evening she has not rested in the field a little; Vg reads morning until now and she did not return to the house; Hb uncertain
8Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter.#2:8 Lit “Haven’t you heard, my daughter? Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. 9See which field they are harvesting, and follow them. Haven’t I ordered the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”
10She fell facedown, bowed to the ground,#1Sm 25:23,41 and said to him, “Why have I found favor with you, so that you notice me, although I am a foreigner?”
11Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and your native land, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. 12May the Lord reward you for what you have done,#1Sm 24:19 and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”#Ru 1:16; Ps 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7
13“My lord,” she said, “I have found favor with you, for you have comforted and encouraged your servant, although I am not like one of your female servants.”
14At mealtime Boaz told her, “Come over here and have some bread and dip it in the vinegar sauce.” So she sat beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain. She ate and was satisfied and had some left over.
15When she got up to gather grain, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her even gather grain among the bundles, and don’t humiliate her. 16Pull out some stalks from the bundles for her and leave them for her to gather. Don’t rebuke her.” 17So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. She beat out what she had gathered, and it was about twenty-six quarts#2:17 Lit about an ephah of barley. 18She picked up the grain and went into the town, where her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She brought out what she had left over from her meal and gave it to her.
19Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you gather barley today, and where did you work? May the Lord bless the man who noticed you.”#Ps 41:1
Ruth told her mother-in-law whom she had worked with and said, “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.”
20Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the Lord#2Sm 2:5 bless him because he has not abandoned his kindness to the living or the dead.”#Ru 1:8 Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He is one of our family redeemers.”#Lv 25:25–26; Ru 3:9,12; 4:1–8,14; Ps 19:14; Is 41:14
21Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also told me, ‘Stay with my young men until they have finished all of my harvest.’”
22So Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “My daughter, it is good for you to work#2:22 Lit go out with his female servants, so that nothing will happen to you in another field.” 23Ruth stayed close to Boaz’s female servants and gathered grain until the barley and the wheat harvests were finished.#Dt 16:9 And she lived with#2:23 Some Hb mss, Vg read she returned to her mother-in-law.
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