King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: [but] make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
Complete Jewish Bible:
So bathe, anoint yourself, put on your good clothes, and go down to the threshing-floor; but don't reveal your presence to the man until he's finished eating and drinking.
Berean Standard Bible:
Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
American Standard Version:
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-floor, but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Wash{H7364} thyself therefore, and anoint{H5480} thee, and put{H7760} thy raiment{H8071} upon thee, and get thee down{H3381} to the floor{H1637}: but make not thyself known{H3045} unto the man{H376}, until he shall have done{H3615} eating{H398} and drinking{H8354}.
Cross-References (KJV):
2 Samuel 14:2
- And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
1 Timothy 2:9
- ¶ In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
1 Timothy 2:10
- But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Esther 5:1
- ¶ Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on [her] royal [apparel], and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
Matthew 6:17
- But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Ecclesiastes 9:8
- Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Psalms 104:15
- And wine [that] maketh glad the heart of man, [and] oil to make [his] face to shine, and bread [which] strengtheneth man's heart.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Ruth 3:3
Ruth 3:3 is a verse set within the broader context of the Book of Ruth, which is a story of loyalty, redemption, and God's providence. The narrative takes place during the period of the Judges, a time marked by instability and moral decline in Israel. The verse is part of Naomi's instructions to her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, who is a widow. Naomi, also a widow, has conceived a plan for Ruth to secure their future by invoking the levirate law, which obligates a close relative to marry the widow of a kinsman in order to continue the family line.
In Ruth 3:3, Naomi advises Ruth to prepare herself by washing, anointing with oil (a sign of festivity and honor), and dressing in her best clothes. These actions would have been part of the cultural norms for presenting oneself respectably and attractively. The verse also directs Ruth to go to the threshing floor, a place where Boaz, a wealthy relative and potential kinsman-redeemer, is winnowing barley. Naomi instructs Ruth to wait until Boaz has finished eating and drinking, indicating that she should approach him after the day's work is done and he is in a relaxed state, thus increasing the chances of a favorable reception.
The instruction to not make herself known to Boaz until after his meal underscores the importance of proper timing and decorum. It reflects the delicate balance Ruth must maintain between making her intentions known and respecting social customs regarding appropriate behavior for a woman in her situation. The verse captures the strategic and somewhat risky nature of Naomi's plan, as well as the themes of loyalty and trust in God's provision, which are central to the book. Ruth's obedience to Naomi's instructions and her subsequent interaction with Boaz set the stage for the redemption of Naomi's land and the continuation of her family line, ultimately leading to the birth of Obed, the grandfather of King David, and an ancestor of Jesus Christ.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H7364
There are 71 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רָחַץ
Transliteration: râchats
Pronunciation: raw-khats'
Description: a primitive root; to lave (the whole or a part of a thing); bathe (self), wash (self). - Strong's Number: H5480
There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סוּךְ
Transliteration: çûwk
Pronunciation: sook
Description: a primitive root; properly, to smear over (with oil), i.e. anoint; anoint (self), [idiom] at all. - Strong's Number: H7760
There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׂוּם
Transliteration: sûwm
Pronunciation: soom
Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. - Strong's Number: H8071
There are 28 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שִׂמְלָה
Transliteration: simlâh
Pronunciation: sim-law'
Description: perhaps by permutation for the feminine of סֶמֶל (through the idea of a cover assuming the shape of the object beneath); a dress, especially a mantle; apparel, cloth(-es, -ing), garment, raiment. Compare שַׂלְמָה. - Strong's Number: H3381
There are 344 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָרַד
Transliteration: yârad
Pronunciation: yaw-rad'
Description: a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications); [idiom] abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, [idiom] indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down. - Strong's Number: H1637
There are 36 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גֹּרֶן
Transliteration: gôren
Pronunciation: go'-ren
Description: from an unused root meaning to smooth; a threshing-floor (as made even); by analogy, any open area; (barn, corn, threshing-) floor, (threshing-, void) place. - Strong's Number: H3045
There are 873 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָדַע
Transliteration: yâdaʻ
Pronunciation: yaw-dah'
Description: a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.); acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-) norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, [phrase] be learned, [phrase] lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, [idiom] prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), [idiom] will be, wist, wit, wot. - Strong's Number: H376
There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִישׁ
Transliteration: ʼîysh
Pronunciation: eesh
Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה. - Strong's Number: H3615
There are 200 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּלָה
Transliteration: kâlâh
Pronunciation: kaw-law'
Description: a primitive root; to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume); accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when... were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish, fulfil, [idiom] fully, [idiom] have, leave (off), long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make clean riddance, spend, quite take away, waste. - Strong's Number: H398
There are 825 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָכַל
Transliteration: ʼâkal
Pronunciation: aw-kal'
Description: a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. - Strong's Number: H8354
There are 193 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁתָה
Transliteration: shâthâh
Pronunciation: shaw-thaw'
Description: a primitive root; to imbibe (literally or figuratively); [idiom] assuredly, banquet, [idiom] certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk ([idiom] -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of שָׁקָה.)