Ruth 4:1-22

Ruth 4:1-22

Dr. Steven R. Cook

 

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there [to fulfill his promise; see Ruth 3:11-13], and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by [according to God’s providence], so he said, “Turn aside, friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. ² He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down [this was common legal practice]. ³ Then he said to the closest relative [not named], “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land [in her legal possession] which belonged to our brother [אָח ach – brother, relative] Elimelech. ⁴ “So I thought to inform you [according to your legal right], saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here [as witnesses], and before the elders of my people [see Lev. 25:23-25]. If you will redeem it [גָּאַל gaal – i.e. to pay the price for freedom], redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” ⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance [see Deut. 25:5-6].” ⁶ The closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance [by marrying Ruth and having children]. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.” ⁷ Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another [perhaps forfeiting his right to walk on the land]; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel [the writer explains the custom to his generation]. ⁸ So the closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. ⁹ Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ “Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” ¹¹ All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah [Jacob’s wives], both of whom built the house of Israel [along with their two maids; Bilhah and Zilpah; see Gen. 30:1-13]; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. ¹² “Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah [a surrogate father; see Gen. 38:6-30], through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman.” ¹³ So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive [God controls the womb; cf. Gen. 16:2; 29:31; 30:2, 22], and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today [in contrast to Ruth 1:19-21], and may his name become famous in Israel. ¹⁵ “May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age [care for you in later years]; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons [high praise for Ruth], has given birth to him.” ¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. ¹⁷ The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed [עוֹבֵד Obed – one who serves; perhaps Naomi in old age]. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David [a godly man from a godly line]. ¹⁸ Now these are the generations of Perez [the son Judah by Tamar; Gen. 38:27-29]: to Perez was born Hezron, ¹⁹ and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, ²⁰ and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, ²¹ and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, ²² and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David [God did bless Boaz and Ruth; see Ruth 4:11-13; ultimately in Jesus, the Messiah; see Matt. 1:3-6, 16].