Rut 2:20--4:14
Konteks2:20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because he 1 has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!” 2 Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.” 3 2:21 Ruth the Moabite replied, “He even 4 told me, ‘You may go along beside my servants 5 until they have finished gathering all my harvest!’” 6 2:22 Naomi then said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good, my daughter, that you should go out to work with his female servants. 7 That way you will not be harmed, which could happen in another field.” 8 2:23 So Ruth 9 worked beside 10 Boaz’s female servants, gathering grain until the end of the barley harvest as well as the wheat harvest. 11 After that she stayed home with her mother-in-law. 12
3:1 At that time, 13 Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you so you will be secure. 14 3:2 Now Boaz, with whose female servants you worked, is our close relative. 15 Look, tonight he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor. 16 3:3 So bathe yourself, 17 rub on some perfumed oil, 18 and get dressed up. 19 Then go down 20 to the threshing floor. But don’t let the man know you’re there until he finishes his meal. 21 3:4 When he gets ready to go to sleep, 22 take careful notice of the place where he lies down. Then go, uncover his legs, 23 and lie down 24 beside him. 25 He will tell 26 you what you should do.” 3:5 Ruth replied to Naomi, 27 “I will do everything you have told 28 me 29 to do.” 30
3:6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do. 31 3:7 When Boaz had finished his meal and was feeling satisfied, he lay down to sleep at the far end of the grain heap. 32 Then Ruth 33 crept up quietly, 34 uncovered his legs, 35 and lay down beside him. 36 3:8 In the middle of the night he was startled 37 and turned over. 38 Now 39 he saw a woman 40 lying beside him! 41 3:9 He said, “Who are you?” 42 She replied, “I am Ruth, your servant. 43 Marry your servant, 44 for you are a guardian of the family interests.” 45 3:10 He said, “May you be rewarded 46 by the Lord, my dear! 47 This act of devotion 48 is greater than what you did before. 49 For you have not sought to marry 50 one of the young men, whether rich or poor. 51 3:11 Now, my dear, don’t worry! 52 I intend to do for you everything you propose, 53 for everyone in the village 54 knows that you are a worthy woman. 55 3:12 Now yes, it is true that 56 I am a guardian, 57 but there is another guardian who is a closer relative than I am. 3:13 Remain here tonight. Then in the morning, if he agrees to marry you, 58 fine, 59 let him do so. 60 But if he does not want to do so, I promise, as surely as the Lord lives, to marry you. 61 Sleep here until morning.” 62 3:14 So she slept beside him 63 until morning. She woke up while it was still dark. 64 Boaz thought, 65 “No one must know that a woman visited the threshing floor.” 66 3:15 Then he said, “Hold out the shawl 67 you are wearing 68 and grip it tightly.” As she held it tightly, he measured out about sixty pounds 69 of barley into the shawl and put it on her shoulders. Then he 70 went into town, 3:16 and she returned to her mother-in-law.
When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi 71 asked, 72 “How did things turn out for you, 73 my daughter?” Ruth 74 told her about all the man had done for her. 75 3:17 She said, “He gave me these sixty pounds of barley, for he said to me, 76 ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” 77 3:18 Then Naomi 78 said, “Stay put, 79 my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest until he has taken care of the matter today.”
4:1 Now Boaz went up 80 to the village gate and sat there. Then along came the guardian 81 whom Boaz had mentioned to Ruth! 82 Boaz said, “Come 83 here and sit down, ‘John Doe’!” 84 So he came 85 and sat down. 4:2 Boaz chose ten of the village leaders 86 and said, “Sit down here!” So they sat down. 4:3 Then Boaz said to the guardian, 87 “Naomi, who has returned from the region of Moab, is selling 88 the portion of land that belongs to our relative Elimelech. 4:4 So I am legally informing you: 89 Acquire it before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people! 90 If you want to exercise your right to redeem it, then do so. 91 But if not, then tell me 92 so I will know. 93 For you possess the first option to redeem it; I am next in line after you.” 94 He replied, “I will redeem it.” 4:5 Then Boaz said, “When 95 you acquire the field 96 from Naomi, 97 you must also 98 acquire Ruth the Moabite, 99 the wife of our deceased relative, 100 in order to preserve his family name by raising up a descendant who will inherit his property.” 101 4:6 The guardian said, “Then I am unable to redeem it, for I would ruin my own inheritance 102 in that case. You may exercise my redemption option, for I am unable to redeem it.” 103 4:7 (Now this used to be the customary way to finalize a transaction involving redemption in Israel: 104 A man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party. 105 This was a legally binding act 106 in Israel.) 4:8 So the guardian said to Boaz, “You may acquire it,” and he removed his sandal. 107 4:9 Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. 4:10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife to raise up a descendant who will inherit his property 108 so the name of the deceased might not disappear 109 from among his relatives and from his village. 110 You are witnesses today.” 4:11 All the people who were at the gate and the elders replied, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel! May 111 you prosper 112 in Ephrathah and become famous 113 in Bethlehem. 114 4:12 May your family 115 become like the family of Perez 116 – whom Tamar bore to Judah – through the descendants 117 the Lord gives you by this young woman.”
4:13 So Boaz married Ruth and had sexual relations with her. 118 The Lord enabled her to conceive 119 and she gave birth to a son. 4:14 The village women said to Naomi, “May the Lord be praised because he has not left you without a guardian 120 today! May he 121 become famous in Israel! 122
[2:20] 1 tn Many English versions translate this statement, “May he [Boaz] be blessed by the
[2:20] 2 tn Heb “to the living and the dead” (so KJV, NASB).
[2:20] 3 tn The Hebrew term גָּאַל (ga’al) is sometimes translated “redeemer” here (NIV “one of our kinsman-redeemers”; NLT “one of our family redeemers”). In this context Boaz, as a “redeemer,” functions as a guardian of the family interests who has responsibility for caring for the widows of his deceased kinsmen.
[2:21] 4 tn On the force of the phrase גָּם כִּי (gam ki) here, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 138-39.
[2:21] 5 tn Heb “with the servants who are mine you may stay close.” The imperfect has a permissive nuance here. The word “servants” is masculine plural.
[2:21] 6 tn Heb “until they have finished all the harvest which is mine”; NIV “until they finish harvesting all my grain.”
[2:22] 7 tn Naomi uses the feminine form of the word “servant” (as Boaz did earlier, see v. 8), in contrast to Ruth’s use of the masculine form in the preceding verse. Since she is concerned for Ruth’s safety, she may be subtly reminding Ruth to stay with the female workers and not get too close to the men.
[2:22] 8 tn Heb “and they will not harm you in another field”; NRSV “otherwise you might be bothered in another field.”
[2:23] 9 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:23] 10 tn Heb “and she stayed close with”; NIV, NRSV, CEV “stayed close to”; NCV “continued working closely with.”
[2:23] 11 sn Barley was harvested from late March through late April, wheat from late April to late May (O. Borowski, Agriculture in Ancient Israel, 88, 91).
[2:23] 12 tn Heb “and she lived with her mother-in-law” (so NASB). Some interpret this to mean that she lived with her mother-in-law while working in the harvest. In other words, she worked by day and then came home to Naomi each evening. Others understand this to mean that following the harvest she stayed at home each day with Naomi and no longer went out looking for work (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 140). Others even propose that she lived away from home during this period, but this seems unlikely. A few Hebrew
[3:1] 13 tn The phrase “sometime later” does not appear in Hebrew but is supplied to mark the implicit shift in time from the events in chapter 2.
[3:1] 14 tn Heb “My daughter, should I not seek for you a resting place so that it may go well for you [or which will be good for you]?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see 2:8-9) and has thus been translated in the affirmative (so also NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
[3:2] 15 tn Heb “Is not Boaz our close relative, with whose female servants you were?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see Ruth 2:8-9; 3:1) and has thus been translated in the affirmative (so also NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
[3:2] 16 tn Heb “look, he is winnowing the barley threshing floor tonight.”
[3:2] sn Winnowing the threshed grain involved separating the kernels of grain from the straw and chaff. The grain would be thrown into the air, allowing the wind to separate the kernels (see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 65-66). The threshing floor itself was usually located outside town in a place where the prevailing west wind could be used to advantage (Borowski, 62-63).
[3:3] 17 tn The perfect with prefixed vav (ו) consecutive here introduces a series of instructions. See GKC 335 §112.aa for other examples of this construction.
[3:3] 18 tn For the meaning of the verb סוּךְ (sukh), see HALOT 745-46 s.v. II סוך, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 150. Cf. NAB, NRSV “anoint yourself”; NIV “perfume yourself”; NLT “put on perfume.”
[3:3] 19 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has the singular שִׂמְלֹתֵךְ (simlotekh, “your outer garment”), while the marginal reading (Qere) has the plural שִׂמְלֹתַיִךְ (simlotayikh) which might function as a plural of number (“your outer garments”) or a plural of composition (“your outer garment [composed of several parts]).”
[3:3] tn Heb “and put your outer garment on yourself”; NAB “put on your best attire.” The noun שִׂמְלָה (simlah) may refer to clothes in general (see R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth [NICOT], 197, n. 7) or a long outer garment (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 150-51). Mourners often wore mourning clothes and refrained from washing or using cosmetics (Gen 38:14, 19; 2 Sam 12:20; 14:2), so Ruth’s attire and appearance would signal that her period of mourning was over and she was now available for remarriage (see Bush, 152).
[3:3] 20 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has וְיָרַדְתִּי (vÿyaradtiy, “then I will go down”; Qal perfect 1st person common singular), while the marginal reading (Qere) is וְיָרַדְתְּ (vÿyaradt, “then you go down”; Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular) which makes more much sense in context. It is possible that the Kethib preserves an archaic spelling of the 2nd person feminine singular form (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 144-45).
[3:3] 21 tn Heb “until he finishes eating and drinking”; NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV “until he has finished.”
[3:4] 22 tn Heb “and let it be when he lies down”; NAB “But when he lies down.”
[3:4] 23 tn Some define the noun מַרְגְּלוֹת (margÿlot) as “the place for the feet” (see HALOT 631 s.v.; cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), but in Dan 10:6 the word refers to the legs, or “region of the legs.” For this reason “legs” or “lower body” is the preferred translation (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 152). Because “foot” is sometimes used euphemistically for the genitals, some feel that Ruth uncovered Boaz’s genitals. For a critique of this view see Bush, 153. While Ruth and Boaz did not actually have a sexual encounter at the threshing floor, there is no doubt that Ruth’s actions are symbolic and constitute a marriage proposal.
[3:4] 24 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has וְשָׁכָבְתִּי (vÿshakhavtiy, “then I will lie down”; Qal perfect 1st person common singular), while the marginal reading (Qere) is וְשָׁכָבְתְּ (vÿshakhavt, “then you lie down”; Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular) which makes more sense. It is possible that the Kethib preserves an archaic spelling of the 2nd person feminine singular form (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 144-45).
[3:4] 25 tn The words “beside him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; cf. NLT “lie down there.”
[3:4] 26 tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) highlights this final word of instruction or signals the conclusion of the instructions.
[3:5] 27 tn Heb “she said to her.” The referents (Ruth and Naomi) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:5] 28 tn The Hebrew imperfect is used, even though Naomi’s instructions appear to be concluded. The imperfect can sometimes express actions which although (strictly speaking) are already finished, yet are regarded as still lasting into the present, or continuing to operate in it (GKC 316 §107.h).
[3:5] 29 tc The MT (Kethib) lacks the preposition אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”) which is attested in the marginal reading (Qere). Many medieval Hebrew
[3:5] 30 tn Heb “everything which you are saying I will do.” The Hebrew word order emphasizes Ruth’s intention to follow Naomi’s instructions to the letter.
[3:6] 31 tn Heb “and she did according to all which her mother-in-law commanded her” (NASB similar). Verse 6 is a summary statement, while the following verses (vv. 7-15) give the particulars.
[3:7] 32 tn Heb “and Boaz ate and drank and his heart was well and he went to lie down at the end of the heap”; NAB “at the edge of the sheaves.”
[3:7] 33 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:7] 34 sn Ruth must have waited until Boaz fell asleep, for he does not notice when she uncovers his legs and lies down beside him.
[3:7] 35 tn See the note on the word “legs” in v. 4.
[3:7] 36 tn The words “beside him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Cf. TEV “at his feet”; CEV “near his feet.”
[3:8] 37 tn Heb “trembled, shuddered”; CEV, NLT “suddenly woke up.” Perhaps he shivered because he was chilled.
[3:8] 38 tn The verb לָפַת (lafat) occurs only here, Job 6:18, and Judg 16:29 (where it seems to mean “grab hold of”). Here the verb seems to carry the meaning “bend, twist, turn,” like its Arabic cognate (see HALOT 533 s.v. לפת, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 163).
[3:8] 39 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, NASB). The narrator invites the reader to view the situation through Boaz’s eyes.
[3:8] 40 sn Now he saw a woman. The narrator writes from Boaz’s perspective. Both the narrator and the reader know the night visitor is Ruth, but from Boaz’s perspective she is simply “a woman.”
[3:8] 41 tn Heb “[at] his legs.” See the note on the word “legs” in v. 4.
[3:9] 42 tn When Boaz speaks, he uses the feminine form of the pronoun, indicating that he knows she is a woman.
[3:9] 43 tn Here Ruth uses אָמָה (’amah), a more elevated term for a female servant than שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah), the word used in 2:13. In Ruth 2, where Ruth has just arrived from Moab and is very much aware of her position as a foreigner (v. 10), she acknowledges Boaz’s kindness and emphasizes her own humility by using the term שִׁפְחָה, though she admits that she does not even occupy that lowly position on the social scale. However, here in chap. 3, where Naomi sends her to Boaz to seek marriage, she uses the more elevated term אָמָה to describe herself because she is now aware of Boaz’s responsibility as a close relative of her deceased husband and she wants to challenge him to fulfill his obligation. In her new social context she is dependent on Boaz (hence the use of אָמָה), but she is no mere שִׁפְחָה.
[3:9] 44 tn Heb “and spread your wing [or skirt] over your servant.” Many medieval Hebrew
[3:9] 45 tn Heb “for you are a גֹאֵל [go’el],” sometimes translated “redeemer” (cf. NIV “a kinsman-redeemer”; NLT “my family redeemer”). In this context Boaz, as a “redeemer,” functions as a guardian of the family interests who has responsibility for caring for the widows of his deceased kinsmen. For a discussion of the legal background, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 166-69.
[3:9] sn By proposing marriage, Ruth goes beyond the letter of Naomi’s instructions (see v. 4, where Naomi told Ruth that Boaz would tell her what to do). Though she is more aggressive than Naomi told her to be, she is still carrying out the intent of Naomi’s instructions, which were designed to lead to marriage.
[3:10] 46 tn Or “blessed” (so NASB, NRSV).
[3:10] 47 tn Heb “my daughter.” This form of address is a mild form of endearment, perhaps merely rhetorical. A few English versions omit it entirely (e.g., TEV, CEV). The same expression occurs in v. 11.
[3:10] 48 tn Heb “latter [act of] devotion”; NRSV “this last instance of your loyalty.”
[3:10] 49 tn Heb “you have made the latter act of devotion better than the former”; NIV “than that which you showed earlier.”
[3:10] sn Greater than what you did before. Ruth’s former act of devotion was her decision to remain and help Naomi. The latter act of devotion is her decision to marry Boaz to provide a child to carry on her deceased husband’s (and Elimelech’s) line and to provide for Naomi in her old age (see Ruth 4:5, 10, 15).
[3:10] 50 tn Heb “by not going after the young men” (NASB similar); TEV “You might have gone looking for a young man.”
[3:10] 51 tn Heb “whether poor or rich” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); the more common English idiom reverses the order (“rich or poor”; cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
[3:10] sn Whether rich or poor. This statement seems to indicate that Ruth could have married anyone. However, only by marrying a גֹּאֵל (go’el, “family guardian”; traditionally “redeemer”) could she carry on her dead husband’s line and make provision for Naomi.
[3:11] 52 tn Heb “do not fear” (so NASB); NRSV “do not be afraid.”
[3:11] 53 tn Heb “everything which you are saying I will do for you.” The Hebrew word order emphasizes Boaz’s intention to fulfill Ruth’s request. As in v. 5, the Hebrew imperfect is used (note “you are saying”), even though Ruth’s request appears to be concluded. According to GKC 316 §107.h, the imperfect can sometimes “express actions, etc., which although, strictly speaking, they are already finished, are regarded as still lasting on into the present time, or continuing to operate in it.” The imperfect אֶעֱשֶׂה (’e’eseh) could be translated “I will do” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), but since there are legal complications which must first be resolved, it is better to take the form as indicating Boaz’s desire or intention, if the legal matters can be worked out.
[3:11] 54 tn Heb “all the gate of the town,” which by metonymy could refer to everyone in town (NIV “All my fellow townsmen”; NLT “everyone in town”), or only to the leaders and prominent citizens of the community (Boaz’s peers) who transacted business and made legal decisions at the town gate (NRSV “all the assembly of my people”).
[3:11] 55 tn Or “woman of strong character” (cf. NIV “woman of noble character”). The same phrase is used in Prov 31:10 to describe the ideal wife. Prov 31 emphasizes the ideal wife’s industry, her devotion to her family, and her concern for others, characteristics which Ruth had demonstrated.
[3:12] 56 tc The sequence כִּי אָמְנָם כִּי אִם (ki ’omnam ki ’im; Kethib) occurs only here in the OT, as does the sequence כִּי אָמְנָם כִּי (Qere). It is likely that כִּי אִם is dittographic (note the preceding sequence כִּי אָמְנָם). The translation assumes that the original text was simply the otherwise unattested וְעַתָּה כִּי אָמְנָם, with אָמְנָם and כִּי both having an asseverative (or emphatic) function.
[3:12] 57 tn Sometimes translated “redeemer” (also later in this verse). See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in v. 9.
[3:13] 58 tn Heb “if he redeems you”; NIV “if he wants to redeem”; NRSV “if he will act as next-of-kin for you.” The verb גֹּאֵל (go’el) here refers generally to fulfilling his responsibilities as a guardian of the family interests. In this case it specifically entails marrying Ruth.
[3:13] 59 tn Or “good” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “well and good.”
[3:13] 60 tn Heb “let him redeem” (so NIV); NLT “then let him marry you.”
[3:13] 61 tn Heb “but if he does not want to redeem you, then I will redeem you, I, [as] the
[3:13] 62 sn Sleep here. Perhaps Boaz tells her to remain at the threshing floor because he is afraid she might be hurt wandering back home in the dark. See Song 5:7 and R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 218.
[3:14] 63 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has the singular מַרְגְּלָתַו (margÿlatav, “his leg”), while the marginal reading (Qere) has the plural מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו (margÿlotayv, “his legs”).
[3:14] tn Heb “[at] his legs.” See the note on the word “legs” in v. 4.
[3:14] 64 tn Heb “and she arose before a man could recognize his companion”; NRSV “before one person could recognize another”; CEV “before daylight.”
[3:14] 65 tn Heb “and he said” (so KJV, NASB, NIV). Some translate “he thought [to himself]” (cf. NCV).
[3:14] 66 tn Heb “let it not be known that the woman came [to] the threshing floor” (NASB similar). The article on הָאִשָּׁה (ha’ishah, “the woman”) is probably dittographic (note the final he on the preceding verb בָאָה [va’ah, “she came”]).
[3:15] 67 tn Or “cloak” (so NAB, NRSV, NLT); CEV “cape.” The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Isa 3:22.
[3:15] 68 tn Heb “which [is] upon you”; NIV, NRSV “you are wearing.”
[3:15] 69 tn Heb “and she gripped it tightly and he measured out six of barley and placed upon her.” The unit of measure is not indicated in the Hebrew text, although it would probably have been clear to the original hearers of the account. Six ephahs, the equivalent of 180-300 pounds, is clearly too heavy, especially if carried in a garment. Six omers (an omer being a tenth of an ephah) seems too little, since this would have amounted to six-tenths of an ephah, less than Ruth had gleaned in a single day (cf. 2:17). Thus a seah (one third of an ephah) may be in view here; six seahs would amount to two ephahs, about 60 pounds (27 kg). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 222, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 178.
[3:15] 70 tc The MT preserves the 3rd person masculine singular form וַיָּבֹא (vayyavo’, “then he went”; cf. ASV, NAB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT), while many medieval
[3:16] 71 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:16] 72 tn Heb “said.” Since what follows is a question, the present translation uses “asked” here.
[3:16] 73 tn Heb “Who are you?” In this context Naomi is clearly not asking for Ruth’s identity. Here the question has the semantic force “Are you his wife?” See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 223-24, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 184-85.
[3:16] 74 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:16] 75 sn All that the man had done. This would have included his promise to marry her and his gift of barley.
[3:17] 76 tc The MT (Kethib) lacks the preposition אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”) which is attested in the marginal reading (Qere).
[3:17] 77 sn ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ In addition to being a further gesture of kindness on Boaz’s part, the gift of barley served as a token of his intention to fulfill his responsibility as family guardian. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 225-26, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 187.
[3:18] 78 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:18] 79 tn Heb “sit”; KJV “Sit still”; NAB “Wait here”; NLT “Just be patient.”
[4:1] 80 tn The disjunctive clause structure (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + verb) here signals the beginning of a new scene.
[4:1] 81 tn Sometimes translated “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9.
[4:1] 82 tn Heb “look, the guardian was passing by of whom Boaz had spoken.”
[4:1] 83 tn Heb “turn aside” (so KJV, NASB); NIV, TEV, NLT “Come over here.”
[4:1] 84 tn Heb “a certain one”; KJV, ASV “such a one.” The expression פְלֹנִי אַלְמֹנִי (pÿloni ’almoni) is not the name of the nearest relative, but an idiom which literally means “such and such” or “a certain one” (BDB 811-12 s.v. פְלֹנִי), which is used when one wishes to be ambiguous (1 Sam 21:3; 2 Kgs 6:8). Certainly Boaz would have known his relative’s name, especially in such a small village, and would have uttered his actual name. However the narrator refuses to record his name in a form of poetic justice because he refused to preserve Mahlon’s “name” (lineage) by marrying his widow (see 4:5, 9-10). This close relative, who is a literary foil for Boaz, refuses to fulfill the role of family guardian. Because he does nothing memorable, he remains anonymous in a chapter otherwise filled with names. His anonymity contrasts sharply with Boaz’s prominence in the story and the fame he attains through the child born to Ruth. Because the actual name of this relative is not recorded, the translation of this expression is difficult since contemporary English style expects either a name or title. This is usually supplied in modern translations: “friend” (NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV, NLT), “so-and-so” (JPS, NJPS). Perhaps “Mr. So-And-So!” or “Mr. No-Name!” makes the point. For discussion see Adele Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative, 99-101; R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 233-35; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 196-97. In the present translation “John Doe” is used since it is a standard designation for someone who is a party to legal proceedings whose true name is unknown.
[4:1] 85 tn Heb “and he turned aside” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “And he went over.”
[4:2] 86 tn Heb “and he took ten men from the elders of the town.”
[4:3] 87 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9.
[4:3] 88 tn The perfect form of the verb here describes as a simple fact an action that is underway (cf. NIV, NRSV, CEV, NLT); NAB “is putting up for sale.”
[4:3] sn Naomi…is selling. The nature of the sale is uncertain. Naomi may have been selling the property rights to the land, but this seems unlikely in light of what is known about ancient Israelite property laws. It is more likely that Naomi, being a woman, held only the right to use the land until the time of her remarriage or death (F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 202-4). Because she held this right to use of the land, she also had the right to buy it back from the its current owner. (This assumes that Elimelech sold the land prior to going to Moab.) Since she did not possess the means to do so, however, she decided to dispose of her rights in the matter. She was not selling the land per se, but disposing of the right to its redemption and use, probably in exchange for room and board with the purchaser (Bush, 211-15). If this is correct, it might be preferable to translate, “Naomi is disposing of her rights to the portion of land,” although such a translation presumes some knowledge of ancient Israelite property laws.
[4:4] 89 tn Heb “and I said [or perhaps, “thought to myself”], ‘I will [or “must”] uncover your ear, saying’”; NAB “So I thought I would inform you”; NIV “I thought I should bring the matter to your attention.”
[4:4] 90 tn The phrase “before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people” appears to refer to the leaders who were specially chosen as witnesses (v. 2) and the larger group of community leaders standing by. It is possible, however, that the phrases “before those sitting here” and “before the leaders of my people” are appositional and that both refer to the ten leaders mentioned in v. 2 (cf. NLT “in the presence of these witnesses”).
[4:4] 91 tn Heb “if you will redeem, redeem” (KJV, NASB, NRSV all similar); NCV “If you want to buy back the land, then buy it.”
[4:4] 92 tn Heb “but if he will not redeem, tell me.” Most English versions emend the third person verb form (“he”) to the second person form because Boaz is addressing the closer relative. But it is possible that he briefly addresses the witnesses and refers to the closer relative in the third person. See J. M. Sasson, Ruth, 118.
[4:4] 93 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verb form with vav indicates purpose or result.
[4:4] 94 tn Heb “for there is no one besides you to redeem, and I am after you” (NASB similar).
[4:5] 95 tn Heb “in the day”; NASB, NIV “On the day.”
[4:5] 96 sn Acquire the field. This probably refers to the right to redeem and use the field. See the note on the word “selling” in v. 3.
[4:5] 97 tn Heb “from the hand of Naomi” (so NASB, NRSV).
[4:5] 98 tc The MT וּמֵאֵת (ume’et) may be understood in two ways: (1) “and from” (vav conjunction “and,” plus preposition מִן [min] “from,” plus definite direct object marker אֵת) parallel to the preceding מִיַד (miyyad, “from [the hand of]”), suggesting the field would be purchased from Naomi and from Ruth; or (2) “and” (vav [ו] conjunction “and,” plus enclitic mem [ם], plus direct object marker [אֵת]) introducing the second part of the acquisition: the nearest kinsman would be acquiring the field and Ruth (for discussion see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 202). However, the BHS editors suggest reading גם את־ (“as well as…”; emphatic particle גם [“also”] and the definite direct object marker אֵת) introducing the second part of the acquisition: He would be acquiring the field and Ruth. This alternate reading is reflected in the Vulgate reading quoque (“and also”) and supported by parallel usage in v. 9, “I am acquiring the field from Naomi, and also (גָּם אֵת־, gam ’et) Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased.”
[4:5] 99 tc The MT (Kethib) reads קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I acquire,” Qal perfect 1st person common singular): “When you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, I acquire Ruth the Moabitess…” However, the marginal reading (Qere) is קָנִיתָה (qanitah, “you acquire,” Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular, reflected in 2nd person masculine singular forms in Greek, Latin, Aramaic, and Syriac): “When you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess…” The Qere is probably original because the Kethib is too difficult syntactically and contextually, while the Qere makes perfect sense: (1) Boaz stated in 3:13 that the nearest kinsman had the first right to acquire Ruth if he wanted to do so, and only the Qere reading here presents him with that option; and (2) Boaz announces in 4:9-10 that he was acquiring the field and Ruth as a package deal in 4:9-10, and only the Qere reading here presents the nearest kinsman with the same package deal. The Kethib probably arose by a scribe trying to harmonize 4:5 with the 1st person common singular form in 4:9-10 without fully understanding the ploy of Boaz in 4:5. See F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 216-17.
[4:5] 100 tc The presence of two difficult textual problems in this line (see two preceding notes) has produced a combination of four different ways in which this line can be rendered: (1) “When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must acquire [it] from Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased” (KJV, NKJV); (2) “When you acquire the field from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you must acquire the wife of the deceased” (JPS, NJPS, NIV); (3) “When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased” (NASB, NCV, TEV, RSV, NRSV, NLT); and (4) “When you acquire the field from Naomi, then I acquire Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased” (REB). The third option is adopted here.
[4:5] sn Our deceased relative. This refers to Mahlon, viewed as Elimelech’s heir.
[4:5] 101 tn Heb “in order to raise up the name of the deceased over his inheritance” (NASB similar); NRSV “to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.”
[4:6] 102 sn I would ruin my own inheritance. It is not entirely clear how acquiring Ruth and raising up an heir for the deceased Elimelech would ruin this individual’s inheritance. Perhaps this means that the inheritance of his other children would be diminished. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 245-46.
[4:6] 103 tn Heb “redeem for yourself, you, my right of redemption for I am unable to redeem.”
[4:6] sn Here it appears that the acquisition of Ruth along with the land was an obligatory package deal (“When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth…”). On the other hand, Boaz viewed marriage to Ruth as voluntary in 3:13 (“If he does not want to redeem you, I will redeem you”), and presented the acquisition of the field as voluntary in 4:4 (“If you want to exercise your right…but if not, tell me!”). Initially, Boaz makes the transaction appear to be a mere land deal in 4:4. When the nearest relative jumped at the land offer, Boaz confronted him with the attendant social/family obligation of marrying Ruth to raise up an heir for the deceased to inherit this very land. By conducting the transaction in public where the close relative would need to save face, Boaz forced him either to reject the offer entirely or to include Ruth in the deal – but he could not take the land and reject Ruth. Either way, Ruth would be cared for and Elimelech’s line continued. But if he took Ruth, the acquisition of the land would be more economically burdensome than beneficial, so he yielded his purchase option to Boaz. For discussion, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 229-33.
[4:7] 104 tn Heb “and this formerly in Israel concerning redemption and concerning a transfer to ratify every matter.”
[4:7] 105 tn Heb “a man removed his sandal and gave [it] to his companion”; NASB “gave it to another”; NIV, NRSV, CEV “to the other.”
[4:7] 106 tn Heb “the legal witness”; KJV “a testimony”; ASV, NASB “the manner (form NAB) of attestation.”
[4:8] 107 tc The LXX adds “and gave it to him” (cf. TEV, CEV), which presupposes the reading ויתן לו. This seems to be a clarifying addition (see v. 7), but it is possible the scribe’s eye jumped from the final vav (ו) on נַעֲלוֹ (na’alo, “his sandal”) to the final vav (ו) on לוֹ (lo, “to him”), accidentally omitting the intervening letters.
[4:10] 108 tn Heb “in order to raise up the name of the deceased over his inheritance” (NASB similar).
[4:10] 109 tn Heb “be cut off” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB “may not perish.”
[4:10] 110 tn Heb “and from the gate of his place” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “from the court of his birth place”; NIV “from the town records.”
[4:11] 111 tn Following the jussive, the imperative with prefixed vav indicates purpose or result.
[4:11] 112 tn The phrase וַעֲשֵׂה־חַיִל (va’aseh-khayil, literally, “do strength”) has been variously translated: (1) financial prosperity: “may you become rich” (TEV), “may you be a rich man” (CEV), “may you achieve wealth” (NASB), “may you prosper” (NKJV, NJPS); (2) social prominence: “may you become powerful” (NCV), “may you have standing” (NIV), “may you be great” (NLT), “may you do well” (NAB); (3) reproductive fertility: “may you produce children” (NRSV); and (4) social activity: “may you do a worthy deed” (REB).
[4:11] 113 tc Heb “and call a name.” This statement appears to be elliptical. Usually the person named and the name itself follow this expression. Perhaps וּקְרָא־שֵׁם (uqÿra’-shem) should be emended to וְיִקָּרֵא־שֵׁם (vÿyiqqare’-shem), “and your name will be called out,” that is, “perpetuated” (see Gen 48:16, cf. also Ruth 4:14b). The omission of the suffix with “name” could be explained as virtual haplography (note the letter bet [ב], which is similar to kaf [כ], at the beginning of the next word). The same explanation could account for the omission of the prefixed yod (י) on the verb “call” (yod [י] and vav [ו] are similar in appearance). Whether one reads the imperative (the form in the MT) or the jussive (the emended form), the construction indicates purpose or result following the earlier jussive “may he make.”
[4:11] 114 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[4:12] 115 tn Heb “your house” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[4:12] 116 tn Heb “and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, from the offspring whom the
[4:12] sn Perez is an appropriate comparison here, because (1) he was an ancestor of Boaz, (2) he was born to Tamar by a surrogate father (Judah) after the death of her husband, and (3) he had an unbroken line of male descendants extending over several generations (see vv. 18-22).
[4:12] 117 tn Heb “from the seed” (KJV, ASV both similar); NASB, NIV “through the offspring”; NRSV “through the children.”
[4:13] 118 tn Heb “and Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife and he went in to her.” Here the phrase “went in to her” (so NASB) is a euphemism for having sexual relations (cf. NCV); NLT “When he slept with her.”
[4:13] 119 tn Heb “gave her conception” (so KJV); NRSV “made her conceive”; NLT “enabled her to become pregnant.”
[4:14] 120 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9. As the following context indicates, the child is referred to here.
[4:14] 121 tn The “guardian” is the subject of the verb, as the next verse makes clear.
[4:14] 122 tn Heb “may his name be called [i.e., “perpetuated”; see Gen 48:16] in Israel.”
