“Is not Boaz our kinsman?” Our next of kin? He didn’t want land changing hands permanently. Put on thy raiment — Thy best raiment. She has and glorious smile and glistening eyes. James 4:17 – So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. 1 One day Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi said to her, 'My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Then – without the family leader – the two boys married Moabite women. Well, you might think it’s a little strange that Naomi is advising Ruth to approach Boaz and basically propose to him. KJV Ruth 3:1 ¶ Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? Now what is the meaning of “that belonged to our brother, to Elimelech” ? On top of that – you might also wonder why Naomi would think that Boaz would marry Ruth in the first place. 3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home [] for you, where you will be well provided for. Look at this silver spoon. God was preserving righteous people even in the dark days of the judges. A Place at His Feet Ruth 3: 7-18 It is impossible to fully understand the emotion and anxiety Ruth must’ve felt at this moment in her life. Now, to whom was Ruth married? Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group. Boaz Marries Ruth (Ruth 3 - 4) Let’s take a moment to talk about the word restore because it has to do with the next part of our story. And what is the rhetorical question Naomi asks Ruth? The reference to putting on clothing might indicate that Ruth had up to this point been wearing clothing typical of one who was mourning. He will tell you what to do.'" . Are we supposed to believe that Naomi would actually think that he’d be the kind to accept an invitation to participate in immorality? [So, basically, there’s the proposal. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. The king was prepared to pay Naboth the going rate for land in those days. Even if it is midnight she will be there. cutting corners), I decided to do a search on the Internet to see what kind of shortcuts I could find. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. But Boaz hasn’t made any advances in that area. Study Ruth 3 using Wesley’s Explanatory Notes to better understand Scripture with full outline and verse meaning. א ... 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. But he hasn’t so far.] Ruth’s Redemption Assured. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. How does he respond? But there was sweet providence as well. She now trusts the true God of Israel. Ruth 3:12-14 'And now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. OK, so the question is – is there some cultural obligation that Boaz might have to marry Ruth? 2 Now Boaz, () whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? Her stated motivation is that she would seek rest for Ruth, so that it may be well with her. Is there some sort of cultural expectation that would strongly influence Boaz in that direction? Here, he tells the reader that when Ruth went down to the threshing floor, she did all that her mother-in-law had “commanded” her. [So not only would Boaz make a godly husband, he also seems to be a future mother-in-law’s dream come true – being concerned for even her.] 4. go in, and uncover his feet and lay thee down--Singular as these directions may appear to us, there was no impropriety in them, according to the simplicity of rural manners in Beth-lehem. Ruth promises to execute the plan precisely (3:5). Thus with obedient trust, implicitly but not blindly, she follows her mother-in-law’s orders; strong in conscious innocence she risks the obloquy that may attend her duty. Make not thyself known — In so familiar a way as thou mayest do hereafter. Remember wicked king Ahab and Naboth? [Which is a great segue into the next scene. 3. But how did that happen? And it should be – because that’s not what the narrator has led us to expect from any of these people. Look at this silver spoon. What happens then? I also read about a … Naomi tells Ruth to watch where Boaz goes after he’s full from supper. How do you think she was feeling when she did this? [Obviously Naomi knows Ruth’s identity. But positively, what was it meant to accomplish? But also – what is Naomi’s motivation? Ruth 3:4, ESV: "But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Ruth 3:1-13.BY NAOMI'S INSTRUCTIONS, RUTH LIES AT BOAZ'S FEET, WHO ACKNOWLEDGES THE DUTY OF A KINSMAN. (14-18) Commentary on Ruth 3:1-5 (Read Ruth 3:1-5) The married state should be a rest, as much as any thing upon earth can be so, as it ought to fix the affections and form a connexion for life. The farmer usually remained all night in harvest-time on the threshing-floor, not only for the protection of his valuable grain, but for the winnowing. And I’m supposing that the kind of clothes that Ruth was wearing indicated to all that she was still mourning the loss of her husband. She’s forsaken her false gods, shown flawless loyalty to her mother-in-law – AND SHE DIDN’T NEED TO! of Ah, but Ruth is different. [Which indicates that Boaz was likely an older man.] So, the way that the characters are portrayed in this book would make us think that Naomi isn’t telling Ruth to be immoral. So, then that child will grow and he’ll take charge of that property. Mahlon. After he lays down and goes to sleep, Ruth needs to go over there and uncover his feet and lie down. And he said, who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. Boaz would have seen that and known to not pursue anything while that was the case. The directions given to Ruth by Naomi. In ordinary circumstances these would have seemed indecorous to the world; but in the case of Ruth, it was a method, doubtless conformable to prevailing usage, of reminding Boaz of the duty which devolved on him as the kinsman of her deceased husband. 15. 1. 'Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. If you’re an Old Testament Hebrew and your family has rights to a piece of land, that piece of land needs to stay in your family. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. So, we’ve explained what this gesture of Ruth’s wasn’t intended to do. 1 John 3:18 – Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. This duty at so important a season the master undertakes himself; and, accordingly, in the simplicity of ancient manners, Boaz, a person of considerable wealth and high rank, laid himself down to sleep on the barn floor, at the end of the heap of barley he had been winnowing. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. When the silver company made it, it was perfectly clean and bright. After all, Israelites weren’t supposed to let Moabites into their assembly. The famine broke in Judah and Naomi could go home. Ruth 3:8 It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. But Naboth refused to sell his land. And it was because of this concern that land remain in the hands of those families who inherited it back in the days of Joshua. A sermon on Ruth 3:1-18 by Russell Smith. (6-13) Ruth's return to her mother-in-law. Naomi tells Ruth that they need to find “rest” for her, meaning “security,” and security at that time was achieved for women by marriage. Verses 1-13: Because widows were usually destitute in biblical times, God provided for their well-being through Levirate law, in which the nearest relative would marry and care for a widow (Deut. And let me say this without intending to be too silly – Boaz is quite a catch. He died. Why would Ruth be mourning? He is godly – but I think at least one thing would have been hindering him from making any advance. 17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law. Ruth 3:3 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.. Ver. Try it at home some time with your spouse – at your own peril.] 3) Uzzah died near the threshing-floor of Nacon for touching the ark (2Sa 6:6). Chapter 1 hit us with the bitter providence of God in the life of Naomi as she left her land, and lost her husband, her sons, and one of her daughters-in-law. Israel was supposed to drive out the idolatrous foreigners from the land that the Lord gave them. During times of harvest the men would often sleep with their grain. Why? I really don’t think that’s the case and I’ve explained why already. Resting, as the Orientals do at night, in the same clothes they wear during the day, there was no indelicacy in a stranger, or even a woman, putting the extremity of this cover over her. 3 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. They say that this kind of activity was typical of ancient prostitutes. Learn how your comment data is processed. And Ruth – she’s done nothing but good. "`Rest' in this context is the equivalent of marriage." To wake him up eventually, but not right away. There was a famine in the land of Israel and they decided to go to godless Moab. Ruth 3-4 New International Version (NIV) Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor. [It was still so dark that no one would know who was there or not.] 12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. [Some questions on the text are here.] To this day in many parts of the East, to say of anyone that he put his skirt over a woman, is synonymous with saying that he married her; and at all the marriages of the modern Jews and Hindus, one part of the ceremony is for the bridegroom to put a silken or cotton cloak around his bride. (NASB: Lockman)Amplified: At midnight the man was startled, and he turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! But why the secrecy? How did Ruth hear about this God of Israel? We’ve seen before this concern that the Lord had for the individual Israelite tribes to retain their land inheritance. How do you think she was feeling when she did this? Neither do we witness them involved in any form of immorality. She tells Ruth to go to him. The answer? And in those chapters we saw the godly man from Bethlehem named Boaz being very kind and gracious to a Moabite named Ruth. [So, Boaz encourages Ruth’s boldness. Then go and uncover his feet and lie … And some commentators think that this is a reference to something sexual. She had left the devastation of Moab, in search of a new beginning, in a strange and foreign land. 15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard. 2. he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor--The winnowing process is performed by throwing up the grain, after being trodden down, against the wind with a shovel.The threshing-floor, which was commonly on the harvest-field, was carefully leveled with … These prostitutes would come by and offer their services and in return get some grain. How many proverbs did Solomon write? Ruth 3:1-13 . ], Your email address will not be published. He’s willing to obey the Lord and marry Ruth. Both Naomi and Ruth would have been very glad that he seems to be the next in line to fulfill this obligation. Exploring the Passage. Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew Scripture. Regardless of the meaning of “feet” in Ruth 3:4, 7, 8, 14—which may be a sexual euphemism [1] — the scheme Naomi concocts is suspicious from the standpoint of custom and morality, and it is fraught with danger. Why? 2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Ruth’s story is celebrated during the Jewish festival of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, 50 days after Passover. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. —Ruth’s obedience here is an intelligent obedience. It’s not that she didn’t have any on. Naomi tells the girls to go home. Compiled & Edited by BibleStudyTools Staff, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. So, Boaz plays by the rules and wants to give this other guy an opportunity to marry Ruth and inherit the land of Elimelech. And that’s the same concern she still has for Ruth. [So, I’m thinking that Boaz was waiting on this other guy to act. So, in light of the very dark days in which the book of Ruth takes place – what we see of Boaz’s righteousness and of Ruth’s loyalty – these things are very encouraging to us. And all the while a kinsman named Boaz was preserved as a husband for Ruth to raise up an heir for the family name and property. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Ruth 3:9 Translation & Meaning. Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it--Eastern veils are large sheets--those of ladies being of red silk; but the poorer or common class of women wear them of blue, or blue and white striped linen or cotton. What does this chapter show you about Ruth’s obedience and boldness? The threshing-floor, which was commonly on the harvest-field, was carefully leveled with a large cylindric roller and consolidated with chalk, that weeds might not spring up, and that it might not chop with drought. If all the men in a family die and have no sons to take their place, the land basically ends up belonging to others families within that tribe or it might even fall to others in other tribes as the women marry other men. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. We could expect this kind of behavior in the book of Judges. And this news explains why he seemed to be slow in acting on his obligation to marry Ruth.] 4:1. Boaz Marries Ruth (Ruth 3 - 4) Let’s take a moment to talk about the word restore because it has to do with the next part of our story. 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 corn [or grain]: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. So, secondly, when we enter Ruth 3 we enter into the midst of the days during which the form of Israelite government was this system of tribal rulers whom we know as “judges”. But rather I think she may have still had her mourning garments on her. 'This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor." Really. &c.] He spoke quick and short, as one displeased, or however surprised and frightened, just coming out of sleep, and in the night: and she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid; that had gleaned in his fields with his maidens, and with whom he had conversed there, and knew her by name: Ruth 3:12-14 'And now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. I read about an older (well, 69, which isn’t that much older than me) man in Europe, who tried to take a shortcut home by cutting across an estuary and finding himself up to his knees in mud. After taking up Ruth 1:1-18 in the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, the lectionary now skips to 3:1-5 and 4:13-17. (1-2a) Security for Ruth through a kinsman. But what happened to Chilion? It didn’t seem to be a big deal. Ruth 3:10, KJV: "And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich." Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Ruth 3:10 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Ruth 3:10, NIV: "The LORD bless you, my daughter,' he replied. Ruth Chapter 3 Explained. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Original condition now Boaz, whose young women you have worked, is he not our relative? our. Promise of a kinsman husband and her sons and is returning in absolute poverty Naomi would think that this of! 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