Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Ruth 3:1) Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?"
In the last chapter and post, Ruth had met Boaz and found favor with him. He was Naomi's next of kin by marriage. Boaz allowed Ruth to glean his fields until the end of all harvests in order to provide for her and Naomi. Now that the end of the harvests had been gleaned, Naomi asked Ruth if she should seek out a husband for her so that she might have a house of her own and a husband to provide for her that she might be free from the hard labor in the fields she had been recently doing. Although this verse does not specifically mention marriage, that is what Naomi meant, as she had before called marriage a rest (Ruth 1:9). Naomi understood it would certainly be a rest from the worries of being a provider for another person such as herself.
(2) "And now is Boaz of our kindred with whose maidens you were? Behold, he winnows barley tonight in the threshing floor. (3) Wash yourself, therefore, and anoint yourself, and put your garment on you, and get down to the floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he shall have done eating and drinking."
Naomi reminded Ruth that Boaz was their kin. As she knew that he was winnowing barley that night at his threshing floor, she encouraged Ruth to wash and anoint herself and put on a clean, probably her best, garment, and go to where Boaz was. However, she told Ruth not to make herself known to him until he had finished eating and drinking. Naomi was actually very wise in that she knew by law, Boaz, her nearest kinsman, was obliged to marry Ruth. She relied on the law expressed in Deuteronomy 25:5, that if a man died leaving a widow with no children, his brother was obliged to marry his sister-in-law. She was not to marry outside of the family. As Ruth had no brother-in-law because he had also died, Boaz was her nearest kin among her late husband's family.
(4) And it shall be when he lies down, that you shall mark the place where he shall lie, and you shall go in and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what you shall do."
Naomi went on to tell Ruth that after Boaz had finished eating and drinking and went to lie down, she should take note of where he lay. She was to go in and uncover his feet and lie down at his feet, and Boaz would tell her what she should do. It seems a rather bold and immodest move on Ruth's part, but Naomi knew that by law Boaz should be Ruth's husband, and surely she must have been led by the Spirit of God to suggest what she did.
(5) And she said to her, "All that you say to me I will do." (6) And she went down to the floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her.
Ruth told Naomi that she would do as she had told her to do. After she had washed and dressed, she went down to the threshing floor where Boaz was. At this point, she stood out of sight of Boaz.
(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, and she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.
After Boaz had eaten and had drunk what would appear to be intoxicating drink, as his heart was merry, rather than going to bed in his house, he went to lie down on a heap of corn. This Naomi probably knew would be the case when she had told Ruth what she should do. Ruth indeed came softly to where Boaz lay, and she uncovered his feet and lay down at them.
(8) And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid and turned himself, and behold, a woman lay at his feet.
Boaz slept until midnight, at which time he was startled awake and turned himself to find a young woman lying at his feet.
(9) And he said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your handmaid; spread therefore your skirt over your handmaid, for you are a near kinsman."
Boaz asked who the woman was. She answered that she was Ruth, the handmaiden who had been gleaning in his fields. She told him to spread his garment over her, as if taking her under his wing, a sign of taking her in marriage, for he was her near kinsman.
(10) And he said, "Blessed be you of the Lord, my daughter, for you have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you did not follow young men, whether poor or rich."
Boaz commended Ruth and asked God's blessing on her, as she continued to show even more kindness to his kinsman than she had in the beginning. She could have stayed in her own country and followed after the young men there, yet she showed honor to her husband's name and to her mother-in-law by following her to her country and seeking a proper husband according to the Jewish law.
(11) "And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to you all that you require, for all the city of my people know that you are a virtuous woman. (12) And now it is true that I am your near kinsman, however there is a kinsman nearer than I."
Boaz told Ruth not to be afraid. I believe his sense was that she should not fear that her actions might make her appear to be an immodest woman. He understood why she did what she did, and he agreed to do all that was required under the law. He said that the people of his city saw her as a virtuous woman. He agreed that he was indeed her near kinsman, but he said there was actually one nearer to her than he was.
(13) "Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, if he will perform to you 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 you, then I will do the part of a kinsman to you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning."
Boaz told Ruth to stay until morning, and then they would see if the nearer kinsman would do his part and marry Ruth, and if so, that would be good. However, if he would not do his part, then Boaz would do his part as a kinsman and marry Ruth, as sure as the Lord lived, he would agree to do his part. He told Ruth to lie down there until the morning.
(14) And she lay at his feet until the morning, and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, "Let it not be known that a woman came to the floor."
Ruth lay at Boaz's feet until the morning and rose up before it was light enough for one to recognize another. Boaz told her it should not be made known that a woman had come to his threshing floor, so perhaps he was the one who woke Ruth early.
(15) Also he said, "Bring the veil on you and hold it." And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her, and she went into the city.
Before she left, Boaz asked her to bring her veil to him, and he filled it with six measures of barley and laid it upon her, and she left and went into the city.
(16) And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "Who are you, my daughter?" And she told her all that the man had done to her.
When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked who it was who approached her. It may have been more of a question like, "Is that you, my daughter?" Ruth told Naomi all that had transpired that previous night.
(17) And she said, "These six measures of barley he gave me, for he said to me, 'Do not go empty to your mother-in-law.'"
Ruth told Naomi that Boaz had given her six measures of barley to take to her mother-in-law, perhaps as an assurance that her daughter-in-law's mission had been successful.
Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall, for the man will not be in rest until he has finished the thing this day."
Naomi then told Ruth to sit tight and wait to see how the matter would unfold, for she was certain that Boaz, as a man of great integrity, would not rest until he knew whether or not she would be his wife. Wise advice from a woman surely following God's direction, as Psalm 46:10 states, "Be still, and know that I am God..." She had done what she had felt led to do, and now it was time to wait on God to work His will.
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