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Commentary on Ruth 2 verses 4–16
Now Boaz himself appears, and a great deal of decency there appears in his carriage both towards his own servants and towards this poor stranger.
I. Towards his own servants, and those that were employed for him in reaping and gathering in his corn. Harvest-time is busy time, many hands must then be at work. Boaz that had much, being a mighty man of wealth, had much to do, and consequently many to work under him and to live upon him. As goods are increased those are increased that eat them, and what good has the owner thereof save the beholding of them with his eyes? Boaz is here an example of a good master.
1.He had a servant that was set over the reapers, Rut 2:6. In great families it is requisite there should be one to oversee the rest of the servants, and appoint to each their portion both of work and meat. Ministers are such servants in God's house, and it is requisite that they be both wise and faithful, and show their Lord all things, as he here, Rut 2:6.
2.Yet he came himself to his reapers, to see how the work went forward, if he found any thing amiss to rectify it, and to give further orders what should be done. This was both for his own interest (he that wholly leaves his business to others will have it done by the halves; the master's eye makes a fat horse) and it was also for the encouragement of his servants, who would go on the more cheerfully in their work when their master countenanced them so far as to make them a visit. Masters that live at ease should think with tenderness of those that toil for them and bear the burden and heat of the day.
3.Kind and pious salutations were interchanged between Boaz and his reapers.
(1.)He said to them, The Lord be with you; and they replied, The Lord bless thee, Rut 2:4. Hereby they expressed, [1.] Their mutual respect to each other; he to them as good servants, and they to him as a good master. When he came to them he did not fall a chiding them, as if he came only to find fault and exercise his authority, but he prayed for them: "The Lord be with you, prosper you, and give you health and strength, and preserve you from any disaster." Nor did they, as soon as ever he was out of hearing, fall a cursing him, as some ill-natured servants that hate their master's eye, but they returned his courtesy: "The Lord bless thee, and make our labours serviceable to thy prosperity." Things are likely to go on well in a house where there is such good-will as this between master and servants. [2.] Their joint-dependence upon the divine providence. They express their kindness to each other by praying one for another. They show not only their courtesy, but their piety, and acknowledgement that all good comes from the presence and blessing of God, which therefore we should value and desire above any thing else both for ourselves and others.
(2.)Let us hence learn to use, [1.] Courteous salutations, as expressions of a sincere good-will to our friends. [2.] Pious ejaculations, lifting up our hearts to God for his favour, in such short prayers as these. Only we must take heed that they do not degenerate into formality, lest in them we take the name of the Lord our God in vain; but, if we be serious in them, we may in them keep up our communion with God, and fetch in mercy and grace from him. It appears to have been the usual custom thus to wish reapers good speed, Psa 129:7, Psa 129:8.
4.He took an account from his reapers concerning a stranger he met with in the field, and gave necessary orders concerning her, that they should not touch her (Rut 2:9) nor reproach her, Rut 2:15. Masters must take care, not only that they do no hurt themselves, but that they suffer not their servants and those under them to do hurt. He also ordered them to be kind to her, and let fall some of the handfuls on purpose for her. Though it is fit that masters should restrain and rebuke their servants' wastefulness, yet they should not tie them up from being charitable, but give them allowance for that, with prudent directions.
II. Boaz was very kind to Ruth, and showed her a great deal of favour, induced to it by the account he had of her, and what he observed concerning her, God also inclining his heart to countenance her. Coming among his reapers, he observed this stranger among them, and got intelligence from his steward who she was, and here is a very particular account of what passed concerning her.
1.The steward gave to Boaz a very fair account of her, proper to recommend her to his favour, Rut 2:6, Rut 2:7. (1.) That she was a stranger, and therefore one of those that by the law of God were to gather the gleanings of the harvest, Lev 19:9, Lev 19:10. She is the Moabitish damsel. (2.) That she was allied to his family; she came back with Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, a kinsman of Boaz. (3.) That she was a proselyte, for she came out of the country of Moab to settle in the land of Israel. (4.) That she was very modest, and had not gleaned till she had asked leave. (5.) That she was very industrious, and had continued close to her work from morning even until now. And the poor that are industrious and willing to take pains are fit to be encouraged. Now, in the heat of the day, she tarried a little in the house or booth that was set up in the field for shelter from the weather to repose herself, and some suggest that it is probably she retired for her devotion. But she soon came back to her work, and, except that little intermission, kept close to it all day, though it was not what she had been used to. Servants should be just in the character and reports they give to their masters, and take heed they do not misrepresent any person, nor without cause discourage their master's charity.
2.Boaz was hereupon extremely civil to her in divers instances. (1.) He ordered her to attend his reapers in every field they gathered in and not to glean in the field of another, for she should not need to go any where else to better herself (Rut 2:8): Abide here fast by my maidens; for those of her own sex were the fittest company for her. (2.) He charged all his servants to be very tender of her and respectful to her, and no doubt they would be so to one to whom they saw their master kind. She was a stranger, and it is probably her language, dress, and mien differed much from theirs; but he charged them that they should not in any thing affront her, or be abusive to her, as rude servants are too apt to be to strangers. (3.) He bade her welcome to the entertainment he had provided for his own servants. He ordered her, not only to drink of the water which was drawn for them (for that seems to be the liquor he means, Rut 2:9, drawn from the famous well of Beth-lehem which was by the gate, the water of which David longed for, Sa2 23:15), but at meal-time to come and eat of their bread (Rut 2:14), yea, and she should be welcome to their sauce too: Come, dip thy morsel in the vinegar, to make it savoury; for God allows us not only nourishing but relishing food, not for necessity only, but for delight. And for encouragement o her, and direction to the servants, he himself, happening to be present when the reapers sat down to meat, reached her parched corn to eat. It is no disparagement to the finest hand to be reached forth to the needy (Pro 31:20), and to be employed in serving the poor. Observe, Boaz was not scanty in his provision for his reapers, but sent them so much more than enough for themselves as would be entertainment for a stranger. Thus there is that scattereth and yet increaseth. (4.) He commended her for her dutiful respect to her mother-in-law, which, though he did not know her by sight, yet he had heard of (Rut 2:11): It has been fully shown me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law. Note, Those that do well ought to have the praise of it. But that which especially he commended her for was that she had left her own country, and had become a proselyte to the Jewish religion; for so the Chaldee expounds it: "Thou hast come to be proselyted, and to dwell among a people whom thou knowest not." Those that leave all, to embrace the true religion, are worthy of double honour. (5.) He prayed for her (Rut 2:12): The Lord recompense thy work. Her strong affection to the commonwealth of Israel, to which she was by birth an alien, was such a work of the divine grace in her as would certainly be crowned with a full reward by him under whose wings she had come to trust. Note, Those that by faith come under the wings of the divine grace, and have a full complacency and confidence in that grace, may be sure of a full recompence of reward for their so doing. From this expression, the Jews describe a proselyte to be one that is gathered under the wings of the divine majesty. (6.) He encouraged her to go on in her gleaning, and did not offer to take her off from that; for the greatest kindness we can do our poor relations is to assist and encourage their industry. Boaz ordered his servants to let her glean among the sheaves, where other gleaners were not allowed to come, and not to reproach her, that is, not to call her thief, or to suspect her of taking more than was allowed her, Rut 2:15. All this shows Boaz to have been a man of a generous spirit, and one that, according to the law, considered the heart of a stranger.
3.Ruth received his favours with a great deal of humility and gratitude, and conducted herself with as much propriety in her place as he did himself in his, but little thinking that she should shortly be the mistress of that field she was now gleaning in. (1.) She paid all possible respect to him, and gave him honour, according to the usage of the country (Rut 2:10): She fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. Note, Good breeding is a great ornament to religion; and we must render honour to whom honour is due. (2.) She humbly owned herself unworthy of his favours: "I am a stranger (Rut 2:10) and not like one of thy handmaids (Rut 2:13), not so well dressed nor so well taught, not so neat nor so handy." Note, It well becomes us all to think meanly of ourselves, and to take notice of that in ourselves which is diminishing, esteeming others better than ourselves. (3.) She gratefully acknowledged his kindness to her; though it was no great expense to him, nor much more than what he was obliged to by the divine law, yet she magnifies and admires it: Why have I found grace in thy eyes? Rut 2:10. (4.) She begs the continuance of his good-will: Let me find favour in they sight (Rut 2:13), and owns that what he had said had been a cordial to her: Thou hast comforted me, for that thou hast spoken friendly to me. Those that are great, and in high places, know not how much good they may do to their inferiors with a kind look or by speaking friendly to them; and so small an expense, one would think, they should not grudge, when it shall be put upon the score of their charity. (5.) When Boaz gave her her dinner with his reapers she only ate so much as would suffice her, and left the rest, and immediately rose up to glean, Rut 2:14, Rut 2:15. She did not, under pretence either of her want or of her labour, eat more than was convenient for her, nor so much as to unfit her for work in the afternoon. Temperance is a friend to industry; and we must eat and drink to strengthen us for business, not to indispose us to it.
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SUMMARY
Ruth 2:14 captures a pivotal moment of profound grace and generous provision, where Boaz, the wealthy and respected landowner, extends extraordinary hospitality to Ruth, the vulnerable Moabite gleaner. During the communal mealtime, he personally invites her to join his reapers, offering her not only bread and vinegar but also specifically providing her with an abundance of roasted grain until she is completely satisfied and even has leftovers. This deeply personal act of care elevates Ruth from her precarious position as an outsider to a welcomed and honored guest, publicly demonstrating Boaz's exceptional favor and God's intricate providential hand orchestrating events in her life.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The narrative in Ruth 2:14 masterfully employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message. Irony is strikingly evident in the scene: a foreign, destitute widow, who by societal norms should remain on the margins, is personally invited by the wealthy, influential landowner to eat at his table, a place of honor, acceptance, and provision. This subversion of social hierarchy highlights Boaz's exceptional character and God's surprising and often counter-cultural ways of working. Foreshadowing is also prominent; Boaz's immediate, tangible provision of food and his personal care for Ruth's physical needs strongly foreshadow his later, greater act of redemption as her kinsman-redeemer, where he will secure her future, family, and inheritance. The shared meal itself functions as powerful Symbolism, representing not only physical sustenance but also fellowship, acceptance, and the burgeoning, divinely orchestrated relationship between Ruth and Boaz. The abundance of food, to the point that Ruth "was sufficed, and left," serves as a potent Symbol of God's overflowing provision and blessing, which frequently surpasses human needs and expectations. Finally, the stark Contrast between Ruth's initial vulnerability and Boaz's protective, proactive generosity underscores the transformative power of kindness and divine favor in the lives of the marginalized.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ruth 2:14 stands as a profound illustration of God's providential care working through human instruments. Boaz's extraordinary generosity transcends mere legal obligation, demonstrating a spirit of compassion and proactive kindness that beautifully mirrors God's own character, particularly His hesed ( steadfast love). This passage teaches us that God often meets the needs of the vulnerable not solely through miraculous intervention, but powerfully through the open hands and compassionate hearts of His people. This act of hospitality—welcoming the outsider, providing abundantly, and extending dignity—reflects the very heart of God, who consistently cares for the sojourner, the widow, and the orphan throughout Scripture. It serves as a powerful reminder that our acts of kindness, however seemingly small or ordinary, can be profound conduits of divine grace, bringing not only physical sustenance but also dignity, hope, and a tangible experience of God's love to those in need. This passage challenges believers to look beyond self-interest and to actively seek opportunities to extend radical generosity and inclusive hospitality, recognizing that in serving others, especially the "least of these," we are serving God Himself.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ruth 2:14 offers a powerful and enduring model for contemporary believers, urging us to cultivate a spirit of proactive, personal, and abundant generosity. Boaz didn't wait for Ruth to explicitly ask for more; he anticipated her needs and went above and beyond, inviting her into his intimate circle of workers and providing for her personally with an overflowing abundance. This challenges us to look beyond mere duty and actively seek opportunities to serve and give, especially to those who are vulnerable, marginalized, or overlooked in our communities, without expecting anything in return. It also encourages us to recognize God's sovereign hand in our daily provisions, understanding that He often works through the kindness and open-handedness of others, even in seemingly ordinary interactions. Furthermore, Ruth's humble acceptance of this blessing and her subsequent sharing of her abundance with Naomi teach us the importance of receiving God's grace with gratitude and extending that grace to others, fostering a virtuous cycle of generosity, mutual care, and community within the body of Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Boaz offer Ruth "vinegar" and what was its purpose?
Answer: The "vinegar" (חֹמֶץ, chômets') offered by Boaz was not a culinary delicacy in the modern sense, but a very common and practical refreshment for field workers in ancient Israel. It was typically a sour wine or fermented grain drink, often diluted with water, used to quench thirst and provide a bit of energy during strenuous labor under the hot sun. By offering it, Boaz was providing a thoughtful and appropriate provision for her immediate needs as a laborer, demonstrating his practical care for her well-being in a humble yet significant way, rather than a luxurious one. It was a staple for sustenance in the fields.
What is the significance of Boaz personally reaching her the parched corn?
Answer: Boaz's personal action of "reaching" (וַיִּצְבָּט, wayyiṣbat - literally, "he pinched off" or "he pulled out") the parched corn to Ruth is highly significant and deeply symbolic. It goes far beyond a simple command to a servant to feed her. This direct, physical gesture demonstrates his personal attention, intimate care, and the profound honor he bestows upon her. It elevates Ruth from a mere gleaner to a welcomed and respected guest at his table, signifying a deeper level of acceptance and protective interest. This personal touch highlights the extraordinary nature of his kindness and foreshadows the intimate, covenantal relationship that will develop between them.
Did Ruth expect this level of generosity from Boaz, given her circumstances?
Answer: It is highly unlikely Ruth expected this level of generosity. Her initial request to Boaz was simply to be allowed to glean in his fields, a right granted to the poor and sojourners by law (Ruth 2:7). As a foreign, destitute widow, her social standing was very low, and she would have been accustomed to a life of scarcity and vulnerability. Boaz's invitation to eat with his reapers, his personal provision of food, and the abundance that left her "sufficed, and left" far exceeded the typical expectations for a gleaner. This highlights Boaz's exceptional character and the surprising, abundant nature of God's provision working through him, demonstrating divine favor beyond human merit.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ruth 2:14, with Boaz's generous invitation and abundant provision, serves as a beautiful and profound foreshadowing of the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Boaz, the wealthy and benevolent landowner, freely offers sustenance and radical welcome to Ruth, the impoverished outsider, much as Christ, the Lord of all creation and the ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer, extends an open and gracious invitation to all who are spiritually poor, marginalized, and alienated from God to come to Him. Just as Boaz provides the "bread" and "parched corn" that satisfies Ruth's physical hunger, Jesus declares Himself to be the Bread of Life, promising that those who come to Him will never spiritually hunger or thirst (John 6:35). Boaz's personal act of reaching the food to Ruth speaks powerfully to Christ's intimate, personal, and compassionate care for each individual, demonstrating His willingness to draw near and meet our deepest needs, not merely a distant provision. Furthermore, Boaz's welcome of Ruth, a Moabite and thus an outsider to Israel's covenant people, prefigures Christ's radical inclusivity, breaking down the spiritual barriers between Jew and Gentile and welcoming all nations into the family of God through His atoning work (Ephesians 2:13-19). Ultimately, Boaz's provision at the mealtime foreshadows the ultimate feast of redemption, the marriage supper of the Lamb, to which Christ invites all who believe, providing not just physical sustenance but eternal life and complete spiritual satisfaction through His sacrificial body and blood (John 6:51).