Ruth 4
4
Boaz the Kinsman-Redeemer
1No sooner had Boaz gone up to the city gate and sat down # 4:1 Jesus, our heavenly Boaz, went “up” in his ascension and “sat down” at the right hand of God in glory. when the kinsman-redeemer # 4:1 This man was in the position to be a redeemer; however, in the context of the business at the gate, he had not yet exercised his right to redeem and thus had not yet become the kinsman-redeemer in fact. See vv. 3, 4, 6. of whom Boaz had spoken came passing by. Boaz called to him, “Come over here, friend; sit down with me. We have some business to attend to.” So the man went over and sat down.
2Then Boaz invited ten # 4:2 The number ten is recognized biblically as the number of human responsibility (Ten Commandments). The law kept Ruth out (see Deut. 23:3). The law serves to add guilt to the human condition. Boaz prefigured Jesus, our gracious Kinsman-Redeemer, who has done for us what the law cannot (see John 1:17; Rom. 8:3–5; 2 Cor. 3:6). men of the city council and said, “Please, sit down here with us.” After they were seated, 3Boaz turned to the kinsman-redeemer and said, “Sir, Naomi has returned from the country of Moab, and she’s selling the piece of property that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4So I thought you ought to know about it. # 4:4 See Jer. 32:6–12. Buy it if you want. We can make it official in the presence of those here and in the presence of the elders of our people. As the kinsman-redeemer, you have the first right of refusal. Redeem it if you choose to, but if not, tell me so I will know, as I am next in line.”
The man replied, “I’ll redeem it.”
5Then Boaz added, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, # 4:5 Boaz mentioned the land (field) before he mentioned Ruth (the treasure). Boaz was not afraid to pay the price to acquire both the field and the treasure. See Matt. 13:44. the widow of the dead. # 4:5 The law is weak and sickly, like Ruth’s deceased husband, Mahlon (see 1:1–2; Rom. 7:1–4). Therefore, it will be your responsibility to father a child in order to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.”
6At this, the kinsman-redeemer balked and said, “In that case, I’m not able to redeem it for myself without risking my own inheritance. Take my purchase option of redemption yourself, for I can’t do it.” # 4:6 The summary statement of the law is “I can’t do it.” Grace, not law-keeping, is our only hope of salvation (see Eph. 2:7–8; Titus 3:5). This man desired to preserve his name in Israel by not marrying the Moabite woman. However, his name has been lost. Boaz, on the other hand, not only preserved his name in this story that is read every year in the Jewish celebrations, but he also had his name inscribed upon the pillar in the temple of Yahweh built by Solomon. It is not in seeking to preserve our own name but seeking Yahweh’s faithfulness that we receive an eternal name and are placed as pillars in the temple of our God.
7(At that time in Israel, in order to finalize a transaction concerning redeeming and transferring property, a man would customarily remove a sandal # 4:7 The sandal symbolized the man’s property rights. To give up the sandal meant he would no longer walk on that property and claim it as his; he had transferred the rights to another. This custom had become obsolete by the time of writing, which shows that the book of Ruth was written well after the events of Ruth had transpired. and give it to the other party, making the contract legally binding.) 8So when the kinsman-redeemer said to Boaz, “Take my purchase option of redemption for yourself,” he took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz. # 4:8 Jesus received the rights (the sandal) to supersede the law and obtained the promise of a more excellent ministry than the law (see Heb. 8:1–6). We are his “seed” and joint heirs of his ministry. 9Then Boaz turned to the elders and announced publicly, “Today, you are witnesses that I have purchased from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, to be my wife. I will raise children with her who will maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his village and from his family line. Today, you are witnesses of this transaction.”
11Then all the elders and all the people who were at the gate said: “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel. May you become famous in Bethlehem! May you become very prosperous! 12And may Yahweh give you children by this young woman, and through them, may your family be like the family of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah!” # 4:12 The people of Bethlehem were recalling the story of Judah’s sinning sons who did not have sons of their own through disobedience in Gen. 38. Judah himself sinfully slept with his Canaanite daughter-in-law (thinking she was a prostitute). But what was sinful, Yahweh turned to goodness through redemption.
Boaz and Ruth Marry
13So Boaz and Ruth married, and they became one as husband and wife. Yahweh opened Ruth’s womb, and she bore a son. 14Then the women of Bethlehem blessed Naomi: “Praise Yahweh, who never abandoned you nor withheld from you a kinsman-redeemer! And may his name be famous in Israel! # 4:14 Or “May his name be declared in Israel.” 15May this child renew your life and sustain you in your old age! May your daughter-in-law, who loves you dearly, be more to you than seven sons could ever be, for she has given you a wonderful grandchild!”
16Then Naomi took her grandson and cuddled him in her arms and cared for him # 4:16 That is, Naomi became like a foster mother to Obed. as if he were her own. 17The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “At last, Naomi has a son!” They named him Obed, # 4:17 The name Obed means “worshiper” or “servant [of Yahweh].” It is possibly a shortened form of Obadiah, which has the same meaning. and he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
The Genealogy of David
18Now these are the descendants of Perez: # 4:18 See Matt. 1:2–6.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
19Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
20Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
21Salmon the father of Boaz,
Boaz the father of Obed,
22Obed the father of Jesse,
who had a famous son, King David. # 4:22 The story of Ruth shows that the family of David was in reality from Bethlehem and that David’s great-grandmother was Ruth, a gentile from Moab.
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationRut (Rut) 4
4
1Meanwhile, Bo‘az had gone up to the gate and had sat down there, when the redeemer of whom Bo‘az had spoken passed by. “Such-and-such,” he said, “come over, and sit down”; so he came over and sat down. 2He took ten of the city’s leaders and said, “Sit down here”; and they sat down. 3Then he said to the redeeming kinsman, “The parcel of land which used to belong to our relative Elimelekh is being offered for sale by Na‘omi, who has returned from the plain of Mo’av. 4I thought I should tell you about it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of the people sitting here and in the presence of the leaders of my people. If you want to redeem it, redeem it. But if it is not to be redeemed, then tell me, so that I can know, because there is no one else in line to redeem it, and I’m after you.” He said, “I want to redeem it.” 5Then Bo‘az said, “The same day you buy the field from Na‘omi, you must also buy Rut the woman from Mo’av, the wife of the deceased [son], in order to raise up in the name of the deceased an heir for his property.” 6The redeemer said, “Then I can’t redeem it for myself, because I might put my own inheritance at risk. You, take my right of redemption on yourself; because I can’t redeem it.”
7In the past, this is what was done in Isra’el to validate all transactions involving redemption and exchange: a man took off his shoe and gave it to the other party; this was the form of attestation in Isra’el. 8So the redeemer said to Bo‘az, “Buy it for yourself,” and took off his shoe. 9Bo‘az addressed the leaders and all the people: “You are witnesses today that I am purchasing from Na‘omi all that belonged to Elimelekh and all that belonged to Kilyon and Machlon. 10Also I am acquiring as my wife Rut the woman from Mo’av, the wife of Machlon, in order to raise up in the name of the deceased an heir for his property; so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his kinsmen and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.” 11All the people at the gate and the leaders said, “We are witnesses. May Adonai make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Le’ah, who between them built up the house of Isra’el. Do worthy deeds in Efrat; become renowned in Beit-Lechem. 12May your house, because of the seed Adonai will give you from this young woman, become like the house of Peretz, whom Tamar bore to Y’hudah.”
13So Bo‘az took Rut, and she became his wife. He had sexual relations with her, Adonai enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14Then the women said to Na‘omi, “Blessed be Adonai, who today has provided you a redeemer! May his name be renowned in Isra’el. 15May he restore your life and provide for your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16Na‘omi took the child, laid it on her breast and became its nurse. 17The women who were her neighbors gave it a name; they said, “A son has been born to Na‘omi,” and called it ‘Oved. He was the father of Yishai the father of David.
18Here is the genealogy of Peretz. Peretz was the father of Hetzron, 19Hetzron was the father of Ram, Ram was the father of ‘Amminadav, 20‘Amminadav was the father of Nachshon, Nachshon was the father of Salmon, 21Salmon was the father of Bo‘az, Bo‘az was the father of ‘Oved, 22‘Oved was the father of Yishai, and Yishai was the father of David.
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