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 Meets Boaz
1Now#Literally “and for” Naomi had a relative of her husband,#Literally “was an acquaintance of a man of her husband” a prominent rich man#Literally “a man mighty of wealth” from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after someone in whose eyes I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3So she went and came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. And she happened by chance upon the tract of field belonging to#Literally “was for” Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. 4And look, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.” And they said to him, “May Yahweh bless you.” 5And Boaz said to his servant in charge of the reapers,#Literally “the one standing over the reapers” “To whom does this young woman belong?” 6And the servant in charge of the reapers#Literally “the servant the one standing over the reapers” said, “She is a Moabite girl returning with Naomi from the countryside of Moab. 7And she said, ‘Please let me glean and let me gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ So she came and remained from the morning up to now. She is sitting for a little while in the house.”#Literally “this one she is sitting a little in the house”
8And Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully,#Literally, “You have heard” my daughter, go no longer to glean in another field. Moreover, do not leave from this one, but stay close#Literally “cling” with my young women. 9Keep your eyes on the field that they reap and go after them. Have I not ordered the servants not to bother you? And if you get thirsty, you shall go to the containers and drink from where the servants have drawn.” 10And she fell on her face and bowed down to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes by recognizing me—for I am a foreigner?” 11And Boaz answered and said to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband was fully told to me. How you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and you went to a people that you did not know before.#Literally “yesterday three days ago” 12May Yahweh reward your work and may a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you came to take refuge.” 13And she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your servant,#Literally “on the heart of your servant” and I am not one of your servants.”
14And Boaz said to her at mealtime,#Literally “at the time of the food” “Come here and eat from the bread and dip your morsel in the wine vinegar.” So she sat beside the gleaners, and he offered to her roasted grain. And she ate and was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15And she got up to glean, and Boaz instructed his servants saying, “Let her also glean between the sheaves and do not reproach her. 16And also pull out for her from your bundles and leave it so that she may glean—and do not rebuke her.”
17So she gleaned in the field until the evening and she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18And she picked it up and went to the town. Her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. And she took it out and gave to her what she had left over after being satisfied.#Literally “from her satiety” 19And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today#Literally “the day” and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.” And she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked#Literally “who she had worked with him” and said, “The name of the man who I worked with today is Boaz.” 20And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by Yahweh, whose loyal love has not forsaken the living or the dead.” And Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative for us, he is one of our redeemers.” 21And Ruth the Moabite said, “Also, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close with the servants which are mine until they have finished all of the harvest which is mine.’ ” 22And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidservants so that you will not be bothered#Literally “they touch on you” in another field.” 23So she stayed close with the maidservants of Boaz to glean until the end of the barley harvest and wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
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