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 TranslationRuth 4
4
Ruth and Boaz Marry
1Boaz went to the gate of the town#Ru 3:11–12; 2Sm 15:2; 18:4,24,33; 19:8; Ps 127:5 and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz said, “Come over here#4:1 Or said, “Come here Mr. So-and-so and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2Then Boaz took ten men of the town’s elders#Dt 19:12; 21:3–6; 1Kg 21:8; Pr 31:23 and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down. 3He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the territory of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech.#Lv 25:25 4I thought I should inform you: Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do it. But if you do#4:4 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read if he does not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.”
“I want to redeem it,” he answered.
5Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you will acquire#4:5 Lit Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”#4:5 Alt Hb tradition reads Naomi, I will have already acquired from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead man, the privilege of raising up the name of the dead man on his property#Gn 38:6–11; Lv 25:23–34; Dt 25:5–10
6The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.”
7At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal#Dt 25:8–10 and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel.
8So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”
9Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. 10I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. You are witnesses today.”
11All the people who were at the city gate, including the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah,#Gn 29:25–30; 35:16–18 who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and your name well known in Bethlehem. 12May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah,#Gn 38; 46:12; Ru 4:18 because of the offspring the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
13Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son. 14The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. 15He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons,#Ru 1:16–17; 2:11–12 has given birth to him.” 16Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a mother to him. 17The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
David’s Genealogy from Judah’s Son
18Now these are the family records of Perez:
Perez fathered Hezron,
19Hezron fathered Ram,#4:19 LXX reads Aram; Mt 1:3–4
Ram fathered Amminadab,
20Amminadab fathered Nahshon,
Nahshon fathered Salmon,
21Salmon fathered Boaz,
Boaz fathered Obed,
22Obed fathered Jesse,
and Jesse fathered David.#Mt 1:3–6
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