Boaz Marries Ruth

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Ruth 4:1) Then Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by, to whom he said, "Ho, such a one! Turn aside, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down.

At the end of the last chapter and post, Ruth had let Boaz know he was her next of kin, and by law, should marry her.  Boaz, in turn, let Ruth know that although he was her kin, he knew she had one who was nearer in kin to her than he was.  So Boaz went to the city gate and sat and waited until that kinsman he had spoken of came by.  He did indeed come by, and Boaz said something to the effect of he was the one Boaz had been looking for, and he asked him to sit down.  The man did as Boaz asked and sat down with him.

(2) And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here." And they sat down.

Boaz also called ten elders of the city to come and sit by him.  His purpose was to call a court to determine whether or not Ruth's next of kin would assume his responsibility as laid out in Deuteronomy 25:7-9.

(3) And he said to the kinsman, "Naomi, who has come again out of the country of Moab, sells a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's, (4) And I thought to advise you, saying, 'Buy it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it, but if you will not redeem it, tell me that I may know, for there is no one to redeem it besides you, and I after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it."

Boaz began by explaining to his kinsman that Naomi who had come back from Moab was now needing to sell a parcel of land that had belonged to their mutual kinsman, Elimelech.  He had come to inform Elimelech's nearest kinsman that he might buy it and redeem it, preserving the inheritance in the family according to the law (Leviticus 25:25).  Boaz asked his kinsman to tell him then and there if he would redeem the land, for if he didn't, then it was Boaz's responsibility to redeem it as he was the nearest of kin after the kinsman to whom he now spoke.  The kinsman said he would indeed redeem it.

(5) Then said Boaz, "What day you buy the field of the hand of Naomi, you must buy also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance."

Boaz went on to explain that on the day the kinsman bought the field from Naomi, he was also buying it from Ruth, as her husband had been the rightful heir of Elimelech's land upon his passing.  Now that her husband was also dead, it was the redeemer's duty to raise up the name of Ruth's husband and Naomi's son, Mahlon, perpetuating it according to the law (Deuteronomy 25:5).

(6) And the kinsman said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance; you redeem my right to yourself as I cannot redeem it."

At that, the kinsman said he would not be able to redeem the land, for he had his own inheritance to think of and pass on to the next generation.  He was surely married and had children and thought that marrying Ruth and raising up children in her husband's name would greatly diminish his own inheritance for his children.

(7) Now this was the custom in former time concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things, a man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor, and this was a testimony in Israel.

The custom at that time concerning redemption and the exchanging of property, in order to confirm the transaction, a man was to take off his shoe and give it to the other party, in this case Boaz, to confirm that he had refused his right of redemption and allowed it to pass to Boaz.  In Deuteronomy 25:8-9, we saw a stricter version of this custom that was the law, where the widow of the brother of the man who refused to uphold his responsibility in taking his brother's widow as his wife, she herself took off her brother-in-law's shoe and spit in his face because he refused to do his duty in perpetuating his brother's name.  As this kinsman was not a brother to Mahlon, he was therefore not obliged to take Ruth as his wife, but it appears that it remained a custom in the transferring of property to remove the shoe and pass it to the other party to confirm the transaction in the presence of the elders in Israel.

(8) Therefore the kinsman said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he drew off his shoe. 

So the kinsman told Boaz to buy the land for himself, and he took off his shoe to confirm that he was relinquishing his right to the land and giving Boaz the right to redeem it.

(9) And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. (10) Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of this place, you are witnesses this day."

Boaz then said to the elders and thus in testimony to all the people of Israel that they were witnesses to the fact that he had bought all that had been Elimelech's, and all that would have been passed down to his sons, Chilion and Mahlon, from Elimelech's widow, Naomi.  In addition, he was purchasing the right to make Ruth his wife and agreeing to raise up the names of Mahlon and his father Elimelech, so that their names would not be cut off and forgotten among their brethren.  From their position at the gate of the city, the elders and the people present were witnesses to those facts that day.

(11) And all the people who were in the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and like Leah, the two who built the house of Israel, and may you do worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem, (12) And let your house be like the house of Pharez whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give you of this young woman."

The elders and the people present at the gate of the city declared they were indeed witnesses.  They blessed the union of Boaz and Ruth.  The fact that they wished that Ruth who was coming into his house be like Rachel and Leah seems to indicate that Boaz had married before this time, and their wish was that both women would continue to build up the house of Israel as Rachel and Leah had done.  They wished that Boaz might do well in Ephratah and Bethlehem, which were one and the same place, where Rachel had died and was buried, according to Genesis 35:19.  The elders and the people also wished that Boaz's house might be like that of Pharez, the son of Judah, by Tamar who was actually Judah's daughter-in-law.  When Tamar's husband Er died, the other sons of Judah and Judah himself refused to do their duty to Tamar to raise up an inheritance to her dead husband.  However, she tricked Judah into impregnating her when he did not know it was his daughter-in-law.  This event was detailed in Genesis 38.  The people wished that Boaz's house might be like that of Pharez who was the result of the union between his mother and a redeemer, although an unwitting one.  May he as Ruth's redeemer have descendants as numerous as Judah by Pharez.  The fact that Ruth was a Moabitess, although often mentioned, seems to be of no concern, as Ruth had obviously become a proselyte or convert to the Jewish religion.  

(13) So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife, and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.

Boaz took Ruth as his wife, and he performed his conjugal duty.  As the ultimate proof that God blessed this union, it is said that He gave her conception, and she bore a son.

(14) And the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. (15) And he shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him."

The women of Bethlehem, neighbors of Naomi, told her that the Lord had not abandoned her and left her without descendants after all.  Through her daughter-in-law Ruth, who so loved her, and was better to her than seven sons would have been, she had a grandson.  They wished that his name be famous in Israel as he was to her a restorer of life and nourisher to her in her old age at a time when she had felt alone and abandoned.

(16) And Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became nurse to him.

Naomi took the baby and laid him in her bosom as a sign of her tender love and affection for him, and she became a nurse to him, aiding Ruth in her care of him.

(17) And the women her neighbors gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi," and they called his name Obed; he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The neighbor women suggested a name for the baby that was indeed adopted by Ruth and Boaz.  They suggested the name of Obed which meant "serving," as they saw him serving, nourishing, and comforting Naomi in her old age as they had wished for her in verse 15.  However, the name had greater significance than they knew as Obed's grandson, David, was God's beloved servant.  Life was restored to Naomi's name as a son, actually a grandson, was born to her son's wife.  Obed would go on to have a son Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.  In this would Obed's name become famous in Israelite history as the grandfather of David, as the women neighbors had wished (v. 14).

(18) Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

The author of Ruth now inserted a descendant genealogy of Pharez, the son of Judah and Tamar, whose house the people of Israel wished for the descendants of Boaz and Ruth to mirror (v. 12).  Pharez's son was Hezron.

(19) And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, (20) And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, (21) And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

Pharez's son Hezron had a son Ram who produced Amminadab, who produced Nahshon, and Nahshon produced Salmon, the father of Boaz.  And of course, Boaz's son was Obed.

(22) And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

Completing the genealogy from Judah (by his son Pharez) to David, Obed would go on to have a son Jesse, who was the father of David.  How beautiful and fitting that Ruth the Moabitess should play a prominent role in the genealogy of David which would also extend to Jesus, the Son of David, the Lion of Judah.  Of course, Ruth had converted to Judaism, so was not really a Moabite at the time she married Boaz.  But this shows how the Gentile, someone not originally of the Jewish faith, was grafted into the line of Jesus, just as Jesus offered his salvation to the Gentiles and allowed them to be grafted into His living vine (Romans 11).  As the author of Ruth linked her to her great-grandson David, we know her book was written after David's anointing which agrees with Jewish tradition that the prophet Samuel may have written it.

Ruth Visits Boaz on His Threshing Floor

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.  

Ruth Gleans in Boaz's Field

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Ruth 2:1) And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.

In the last chapter and post, we were introduced to Naomi, the widow of Elimelech, and her daughter-in-law Ruth, who had also become a widow when her husband, Naomi's son, died.  They had been living in Moab, where Ruth was a native, and had come to Bethlehem, Naomi's home, after their husbands had died.  Naomi had a relative of her husband's there in Bethlehem, a wealthy man named Boaz.

(2) And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Let me now go to the field and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter."

Ruth requested that Naomi allow her to go to a nearby field to glean ears of corn that had been left behind by someone in whom Ruth hoped to find grace.  Actually, it was a Jewish law that when one reaped the harvest of his field, he was to leave the corners and not pick up every dropped ear so that the poor might be able to glean some food from the field (Leviticus 19:9).  Whether or not Ruth knew this to be law and that she was allowed to glean the edges of a field, she displayed modesty and humility in wishing to find grace in the eyes of the reaper of the field.  Naomi told her to go ahead.

(3) And she went and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to light on a part of the field of Boaz, who was the kindred of Elimelech.

Ruth went out to a field and began gleaning of the harvest that had fallen and had been left behind.  She "happened" to light on the field belonging to Boaz, who was the kinsman of Elimelech.  The author of the book of Ruth wrote as if it was only happenstance that Ruth ventured onto Boaz's field, but of course, it was the providence and direction of the Lord that led her to her mother-in-law's kinsman's field.

(4) And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you." And they answered him, "The Lord bless you."

Another "happenchance" occurred in that Boaz came from the city at that time to his field.  This man of wealth took the time to address his reapers which shows him to be a considerate and humble man.  His reapers returned the good wishes he had given them.

(5) Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, "Whose damsel is this?"

Then Boaz asked his servant whom he had set as head over the reapers who the young lady was he saw gleaning in his field.

(6) And the servant who was set over the reapers answered and said, "It is the Moabitish damsel who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab, (7) And she said, 'I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves,' so she came and has continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house."

The servant and manager of the reapers told Boaz that he knew her to be a young Moabite woman who had come back with Naomi from Moab.  The servant indicated that Ruth had been very polite and asked permission to glean after the reapers in the field.  She had been gleaning in the fields all day until that present time, except for a little rest in a house or shelter that must have been adjacent to the field.

(8) Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Do you not hear me, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field, neither go from here, but abide here with my maidens. (9) Your eyes be on the field that they reap and go after them. Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink of what the young men have drawn."

Then Boaz spoke to Ruth and asked that she listen to him.  He called her "my daughter," which indicates that he was much older than she was, and I'm sure he was as a contemporary kinsman of Elimelech's.  He told her not to glean any other fields but stay with the maidens gleaning his fields.  He told her to watch where they went and follow after them to glean after them.  He assured her he had ordered the young men in his charge not to touch her.  He told her when she was thirsty, she was to go to the vessels the young men had drawn and drink from there.

(10) Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found grace in your eyes that you should take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?"

Ruth fell down and bowed herself to the ground before Boaz and asked why she had found favor with him that he should even take notice of her, seeing she was a stranger.

(11) And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has fully been shown me all that you have done to your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and you have left your father and your mother and the land of your nativity and have come to a people whom you did not know before. (12) The Lord recompense your work and a full reward be given you of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings you have come to trust."

Boaz told Ruth that he had been told about all she had done for her mother-in-law since the death of her husband, and how she had left her parents and the land of her birth to come with her mother-in-law, his kinsman's wife, to a land she had never known.  As a sort of blessing, Boaz told Ruth that the Lord God of Israel would repay her for her kind deeds, and she would be given a full reward from the Lord as she had come to trust in Him, Naomi's God, as she had said she desired to do when she pleaded with Naomi to let her go with her (Ruth 1:16).

(13) Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me, and you have spoken friendly to your handmaid though I am not like one of your handmaidens."

Ruth told Boaz that she hoped to continue to find favor in his sight for he had so comforted her and was friendly to her, treating her as one of his handmaidens although she was not like them.

(14) And Boaz said to her, "At mealtime come here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the vinegar." And she sat beside the reapers, and he handed her parched grain, and she ate and was satisfied and left.

Boaz told Ruth to eat a meal with them.  I believe the sense of what he said was that she could eat of all they had to offer, including bread and vinegar which was a sort of household wine.  She sat at the table beside the reapers, and Boaz gave to her parched grain.  Ruth ate until she was full and satisfied and then left.

(15) And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves and do not reproach her, (16) And let fall on purpose from the bundles and leave them that she may glean them, and do not rebuke her."

As there was still light in the day, Ruth had left to go back to gleaning.  Boaz told his reapers to let her glean even among the sheaves, which probably meant she did not have to stay at the ends and corners of the field only but could follow the reapers in the entire field.  He told them not to censure her at all, and even purposely let grain fall from their gathered bundles so that she could glean them.

(17) So she gleaned in the field until evening and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

Ruth continued to glean until the evening, and she beat out and winnowed the grain she had gleaned.  She had about two thirds of a bushel of barley grain.

(18) And she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned, and she brought forth and gave to her what she had reserved after she was satisfied.

Ruth took her grain and went back to the city to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who saw all that she had gleaned.  In addition, Ruth gave Naomi food she had apparently reserved from her meal after she had been satisfied. 

(19) And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be he who took knowledge of you." And she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz."

Naomi asked Ruth where she had worked and gleaned. She also offered her blessing to whomever had taken notice of Ruth and allowed her to glean so much grain.  Ruth told Naomi it was Boaz for whom she had worked that day.

(20) And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed he of the Lord, who has not left off His kindness to the living and to the dead." And Naomi said to her, "The man is near of kin to us, one of our next kinsmen."

When Naomi heard it was Boaz who had allowed Ruth to glean so much that day, she offered her blessing to Boaz.  I'm not sure if she was acknowledging that it was the Lord who had actually not left off His kindness to her and Ruth, the ones left living, as He had been kind to their husbands before they died, as she had felt abandoned by the Lord after so much loss when she left Moab (Ruth 1:13, 21).  Or perhaps she meant Boaz was to be blessed, as he was a man of the Lord, who continued to show kindness to the living widows of his kinsmen, demonstrating his respect also for his dead kinsmen.  Naomi then told Ruth that Boaz was one of their next of kin.

(21) And Ruth the Moabitess said, "He said to me also, 'You shall keep close by my young men until they have ended all my harvest.'"

Ruth told Naomi that Boaz had also told her that she could follow close to his reapers until they had finished all his harvest, which meant more than just the barley she was gleaning at present.  

(22) And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, "Good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, that they do not meet you in any other field."

Naomi told Ruth it was good that she could be with Boaz's handmaidens as she followed the reapers, that she did not have to meet strangers in other fields who may not be as kind as Boaz.

(23) So she kept close by the maidens of Boaz to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest and dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Ruth indeed kept close to Boaz's handmaidens and gleaned until the end of the barley harvest and then to the end of the wheat harvest.  She lived with her mother-in-law.

In Ruth, we find a polite, modest, and industrious young woman, and one loyal to her mother-in-law.  Such a humble woman was amenable to the leading of the Spirit of God.  How bleak Ruth and especially Naomi's life looked, but God led them to the exact place where they would find favor and provision.  And the best may be yet to come!  May we all be in tune with the Holy Spirit and the direction of God for our best life:  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).  How harsh Ruth's life might have been had she stayed behind and lived among her pagan gods.  But she had felt she must follow Naomi and Naomi's God, and He led her to good things.

Naomi and Ruth

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

According to Dr. John Gill in his Exposition of the Bible, it was a commonly received notion of the Jews that Ruth was the daughter of Eglon, the king of Moab, from whom Ehud had delivered Israel in the last post, chapter 3 of Judges.  As Ruth was a contemporary of the judges in the last post, her story fits chronologically here:

(Ruth 1:1) Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

At the time when the first judges ruled Israel, there was a famine in the land of Canaan.  A man from Bethlehem in Judah took his wife and two sons to live in Moab, and as Moab ruled Israel during the time of Eglon and Ehud, it seems reasonable that they might go there.

(2) And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they came into the country of Moab and continued there.

The name of the man was Elimelech, which meant literally "my God is King."  His wife was Naomi, which meant "sweet, pleasant," and the sons' names were not nearly so nice, as the root of Mahlon was "sick," and the root of Chilion, "destruction."  The meaning of names was important in Biblical times, but it always makes me wonder if people always knew what the names meant when they gave them.  Would good people like Elimelech and Naomi purposely give their sons names that meant sick and destruction?  Or were they inspired by God to call them such names because God knew their outcome?  Or maybe their names were changed after their fates had played out?  It makes one wonder.  Anyway, this family moved from Bethlehem in Judah to Moab and continued there.

(3) And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.

Elimelech died in Moab, leaving his widow Naomi and his two sons.

(4) And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth; and they dwelled there about ten years.

The two sons married Moabite women.  Chilion married a woman named Orpah, and Mahlon married Ruth.  The Jewish Targum, an ancient translation of the Bible from Hebrew to Aramaic, states that Ruth was "the daughter of Eglon, king of Moab."  Although the Bible doesn't say so, the Jews from as early as the first century B.C. believed it.  As King Eglon was a very fat gluttonous man, one can reasonably assume he was just as gluttonous about his women and had many "wives."  The sons of Naomi dwelt in Moab about ten years.

(5) And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them, and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

Naomi's sons both died, and she was left alone in a strange country, without her husband or her sons.

(6) Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab how the Lord had visited His people in giving them bread.

Naomi had heard that the Lord had ended the famine in Israel, so she intended to go back to her country.  It appears her daughters-in-law both rose up with intentions to go with her.

(7) Therefore she went forth out of the place where she was and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. (8) And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each to her mother's house; the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. (9) The Lord grant you that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

Naomi and her daughters-in-law with her began on her journey back to Judah.  However, Naomi told her daughters-in-law to go back to their homes, to the loving arms of their mothers.  She blessed them with the prayer that the Lord would deal kindly with them and give them rest because of how kindly they had dealt with Naomi and her sons, their husbands.  The rest she wished for them was that they each might have another marriage.  The fact that she called marriage a state of rest is confirmed in a later verse, Ruth 3:1.  She kissed the young women, and they wept.

(10) And they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people."

However, both the daughters-in-law said that they would go with Naomi back to her land.

(11) And Naomi said, "Turn again, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there yet sons in my womb that they may be your husbands? (12) Turn again, my daughters, go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope I should have a husband also tonight and also bear sons, (13) Would you tarry for them till they were grown? Would you stay for them from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me."

Naomi told her daughters-in-law to go back.  She asked why they would want to go with her.  She saw no reason as she had no more sons who could be husbands to them.  She saw no hope of another husband in her life, but even if she did remarry and were to have sons, it made no sense to her that her daughters-in-law should spend the rest of their lives waiting for her sons to grow up and marry them.  It grieved Naomi that she couldn't do anything for her daughters-in-law.  She had no husband, no sons, and was probably left poor.  She felt she could do nothing for them, so they ought to stay in their country.

(14) And they lifted up their voices and wept again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

The young women wept again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to Naomi.

(15) And she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law."

Naomi told Ruth that as her sister-in-law had gone back to her own people and her gods, she should do the same.  It's interesting that Naomi would tell her to return to her gods, the pagan gods of Moab.  Perhaps it was her way of telling her that she was going back to her people and the one true God and that would not be the life Ruth had had.

(16) And Ruth said, "Do not ask me to leave you, to return from following after you, for wherever you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God."

However, Ruth begged Naomi not to ask her to leave her.  She let her know that wherever Naomi went, she wanted to go.  She did not want to return to her people and the gods of her land.  She wanted Naomi's people to be her people, and Naomi's God to be her God.  

(17) "Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts you and me."

Ruth continued imploring her mother-in-law, telling her she wanted to remain with her until death should separate them, and she wanted to die and be buried in her mother-in-law's land.

(18) When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she stopped speaking to her.

When Naomi saw how determined Ruth was to go with her, she stopped arguing with her about it.

(19) So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, "Is this Naomi?"

Therefore the two women made their way to Bethlehem.  When they arrived there, it seemed there was much excitement about the return of Naomi.  The fact that they asked if it was really her, might mean she looked much different than when she had left her land.  For there to be such excitement about her return surely meant that she and her husband Elimelech had been well known and respected.  The sweet, pleasant, and perhaps beautiful Naomi was now old and worn.

(20) And she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. (21) I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty; why call me Naomi seeing the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

Naomi told the people not to call her Naomi, "sweet, pleasant," anymore.  Rather they should call her Mara, "bitter," for the Lord had dealt bitterly with her.  I don't believe she was bitter in her heart, but rather she knew she was in bitter circumstances.  She was humbled and perhaps did not feel all the excitement about her return was warranted.  She wasn't the same woman who had left out, and she demonstrated her acceptance of her present state with her new name, Mara.  She accepted the fact that it was her Lord's will.

(22) So Naomi returned and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned from the country of Moab; and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Thus Naomi had returned, bringing her daughter-in-law called a Moabitess, with her.  They had left the country of Moab and had come to Bethlehem in the beginning of spring which was when the barley harvest began.