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 into the floor.
15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, 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.
16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
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.
18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.
14 And she lay H7901 at his feet H4772 until the morning: H1242 and she rose up H6965 before H2958 one H376 could know H5234 another. H7453 And he said, H559 Let it not be known H3045 that a woman H802 came H935 into the floor. H1637
15 Also he said, H559 Bring H3051 the vail H4304 that thou hast upon thee, and hold H270 it. And when she held H270 it, he measured H4058 six H8337 measures of barley, H8184 and laid H7896 it on her: and she went H935 into the city. H5892
16 And when she came H935 to her mother in law, H2545 she said, H559 Who art thou, my daughter? H1323 And she told H5046 her all that the man H376 had done H6213 to her.
17 And she said, H559 These six H8337 measures of barley H8184 gave H5414 he me; for he said H559 to me, Go H935 not empty H7387 unto thy mother in law. H2545
18 Then said H559 she, Sit still, H3427 my daughter, H1323 until thou know H3045 how the matter H1697 will fall: H5307 for the man H376 will not be in rest, H8252 until H518 he have finished H3615 the thing H1697 this day. H3117
14 And she lay at his feet until the morning. And she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor.
15 And he said, Bring the mantle that is upon thee, and hold it; and she held it; and he measured six `measures' of barley, and laid it on her: and he went into the city.
16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
17 And she said, These six `measures' of barley gave he me; for he said, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.
18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he have finished the thing this day.
14 And she lieth down at his feet till the morning, and riseth before one doth discern another; and he saith, `Let it not be known that the woman hath come into the floor.'
15 And he saith, `Give the covering which `is' on thee, and keep hold on it;' and she keepeth hold on it, and he measureth six `measures' of barley, and layeth `it' on her; and he goeth into the city.
16 And she cometh in unto her mother-in-law, and she saith, `Who `art' thou, my daughter?' and she declareth to her all that the man hath done to her.
17 And she saith, `These six `measures' of barley he hath given to me, for he said, Thou dost not go in empty unto thy mother-in-law.'
18 And she saith, `Sit still, my daughter, till thou dost know how the matter falleth, for the man doth not rest except he hath completed the matter to-day.'
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 into the threshing-floor.
15 And he said, Bring the cloak that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And she held it, and he measured six [measures] of barley, and laid [it] on her; and he went into the city.
16 And she came to her mother-in-law; and she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
17 And she said, These six [measures] of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty to thy mother-in-law.
18 Then she said, Be still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest until he have completed the matter this day.
14 She lay at his feet until the morning. She rose up before one could discern another. For he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.
15 He said, Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it; and she held it; and he measured six [measures] of barley, and laid it on her: and he went into the city.
16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who are you, my daughter? She told her all that the man had done to her.
17 She said, These six [measures] of barley gave he me; for he said, "Don't go empty to your mother-in-law."
18 Then said she, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he has finished the thing this day."
14 And she took her rest at his feet till the morning: and she got up before it was light enough for one to see another. And he said, Let it not come to anyone's knowledge that the woman came to the grain-floor.
15 And he said, Take your robe, stretching it out in your hands: and she did so, and he took six measures of grain and put them into it, and gave it her to take: and she went back to the town.
16 And when she came back her mother-in-law said to her, How did it go with you, my daughter? And she gave her an account of all the man had done to her.
17 And she said, He gave me these six measures of grain, saying, Do not go back to your mother-in-law with nothing in your hands.
18 Then she said, Do nothing now, my daughter, till you see what will come of this; for the man will take no rest till he has put this thing through.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ruth 3
Commentary on Ruth 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
Ru 3:1-13. By Naomi's Instructions, Ruth Lies at Boaz's Feet, Who Acknowledges the Duty of a Kinsman.
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 a large cylindric roller and consolidated with chalk, that weeds might not spring up, and that it might not chop with drought. 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. That operation was performed in the evening to catch the breezes which blow after the close of a hot day, and which continue for the most part of the night. 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.
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. 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. Boaz probably slept upon a mat or skin; Ruth lay crosswise at his feet—a position in which Eastern servants frequently sleep in the same chamber or tent with their master; and if they want a covering, custom allows them that benefit from part of the covering on their master's bed. 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.
9. I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman—She had already drawn part of the mantle over her; and she asked him now to do it, that the act might become his own. To spread a skirt over one is, in the East, a symbolical action denoting protection. 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.
15. 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. They are wrapped round the head, so as to conceal the whole face except one eye.
17. six measures of barley—Hebrew, "six seahs," a seah contained about two gallons and a half, six of which must have been rather a heavy load for a woman.