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Ruth 3

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Naomi Instructs Ruth's Bold Action 1–5

1
And Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? ​
2
And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor. ​
3
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. ​
4
And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. ​
5
And she said unto her, All that thou sayest I will do.

The Encounter at the Threshing Floor 6–9

6
And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her.
7
And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. ​
8
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
9
And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. ​

Boaz Promises to Act as Kinsman Redeemer 10–13

10
And he said, Blessed be thou of Jehovah, my daughter: thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. ​
11
And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou sayest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a worthy woman. ​
12
And now it is true that I am a near kinsman; howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. ​
13
Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as Jehovah liveth: lie down until the morning. ​

The Morning Departure and Naomi’s Assurance 14–18

14
And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor. ​
15
And he said, Bring the mantle that is upon thee, and hold it; and she held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and he went into the city. ​
16
And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
17
And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.
18
Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he have finished the thing this day. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Ruth 3

Verse 1

seek rest for thee — Manoach, rest, a settled place, from the same root as the 'rest' (menuchah) of Naomi's prayer in 1:9: 'The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.' Naomi now seeks it for Ruth herself. 'Well' is yatab, to be good, the verb of v.7 ('merry') and v.10.

Verse 2

he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor — 'Winnoweth' is zarah, to scatter, the tossing of threshed grain against the wind, done 'with the shovel and with the fan' (Isa 30:24). The barley harvest of 2:23 has reached this stage. Naomi names Boaz as 'of our kindred' and as the man 'with whose maidens thou wast'.

Verse 3

Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee — The three words, wash, anoint and a garment (simlah), are the same as those of David in 2 Sam 12:20, who 'washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel' before going to the house of the LORD. Ruth is told to hold back, 'make not thyself known', until Boaz has eaten and drunk.

Verse 4

uncover his feet — Margeloth, the place of the feet, occurs only in Ruth 3 (vv.4, 7, 8, 14) and Dan 10:6. Naomi's instruction ends 'he will tell thee what thou shalt do'. Ruth's own explanation of the act is given in v.9: 'spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.'

Verse 7

his heart was merry — Literally his heart 'was good' (yatab), as at the Levite's meal in Judg 19:6, 'let thine heart be merry'. The meal marks the close of the threshing. Boaz lies down 'at the end of the heap of corn', and Ruth comes 'softly' (lat, gently or secretly), as Naomi directed.

Verse 9

spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid — 'Skirt' is kanaph, 'wing', the word of 2:12, 'under whose wings thou art come to trust'. Ezek 16:8 uses the act of marriage: 'I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness… and thou becamest mine'. In 2:13 Ruth called herself shiphchah, a servant; here she says amah, a handmaid.

Verse 10

more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning — 'Kindness' is chesed, the word of 1:8 and 2:20. Boaz weighs this request against her earlier devotion to Naomi (2:11). She 'followedst not young men, whether poor or rich', and so sought a kinsman's redemption rather than a husband of her own choosing.

Verse 11

a virtuous woman — Eshet chayil, the same words as in Prov 31:10, 'Who can find a virtuous woman?'. Chayil is also Boaz's own description in 2:1, 'a mighty man of wealth'. 'City' translates shaar, the gate, where the elders sit (4:1–2), so 'all the gate of my people' knows her.

Verse 12

a kinsman nearer than I — Boaz is a go'el, a redeemer, but not the first in line. The Law's order runs from brother to 'his uncle, or his uncle's son', then 'any that is nigh of kin unto him' (Lev 25:48–49). The nearer kinsman appears at the gate in 4:1, called by Boaz, 'Ho, such a one!'.

Verse 13

as the LORD liveth — An oath formula, as in Gideon's words in Judg 8:19 and Saul's in 1 Sam 14:39. 'The part of a kinsman' is the verb ga'al, to redeem. Boaz leaves the nearer man the first right, 'let him do the kinsman's part', and swears to act himself if he will not.

Verse 14

before one could know another — 'Know' is nakar, to recognise, the verb of 2:10 and 2:19. Ruth leaves while it is still too dark to tell one person from another. Boaz guards her name: 'Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor'.

Verse 15

six measures of barley — The Hebrew gives only 'six of barley', and 'measures' is the translators' addition. Ruth's report in v.17 gives the reason for the gift: 'Go not empty unto thy mother in law.' He carries it in her 'vail' (mitpachath, a wrap) and lays it on her.

Verse 18

the man will not be in rest — 'Rest' is shaqat, to be quiet, the opposite of Naomi's manoach for Ruth (v.1). Naomi advises waiting: 'Sit still'. Boaz is to settle the matter 'this day', and 4:1–2 show him at the gate with the elders seated.