Ruth 2:1-23

Ruth 2:1-23

Dr. Steven R. Cook

 

Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech [see Ruth 1:3], whose name was Boaz [בֹּעַז Boaz - quickness]. ² And Ruth the Moabitess [emphasizing her Gentile heritage; cf. Ruth 1:22; 2:6, 21; 4:5, 10] said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain [see Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut. 24:19] after one in whose sight I may find favor [חֵן chen – favor, grace].” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” ³ So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened [by divine providence] to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. ⁴ Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the LORD be with you.” [an expression of faith that desires God’s best for the needy] And they said to him, “May the LORD bless you.” [an expression of faith that desires God’s blessing to the merciful-wealthy] ⁵ Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” [Boaz takes note of Ruth] ⁶ The servant in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab ⁷ “And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves [asks permission rather than assuming her rights].’ Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while [working hard, taking short breaks].” ⁸ Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. ⁹ “Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.” [offering Ruth protection and provision beyond what the Law required] ¹⁰ Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” [Ruth was surprised by grace] ¹¹ Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know [demonstrating unselfish love to care for Naomi; see Ruth 1:16-17]. ¹² “May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge [The Lord would fulfill Boaz’ request through Boaz himself].” ¹³ Then she said, “I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.” ¹⁴ At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar [making Ruth feel welcome in his company].” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. ¹⁵ When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. ¹⁶ “Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean [providing more than what the Law prescribed], and do not rebuke her [i.e. do not make her feel rejected].” ¹⁷ So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley [i.e. about thirty pounds]. ¹⁸ She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied. ¹⁹ Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed [realizing Ruth had received special treatment].” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” ²⁰ Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he [Boaz] be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness [חֶסֶד chesed – loyal-love] to the living and to the dead [i.e. Ruth, Naomi, and her dead sons].” Again Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives [גָּאַל gaal – redeemer, i.e. a family-guardian who cares for the widows of his diseased relatives; see Deut. 25:5-10; Ruth 4:5].” ²¹ Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’” ²² Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, so that others do not fall upon you in another field [and harm her].” ²³ So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest [two month process – April thru June]. And she lived with her mother-in-law [and cared for her].