11 And Boaz H1162 answered H6030 and said H559 unto her, It hath fully H5046 been shewed H5046 me, all that thou hast done H6213 unto thy mother in law H2545 since H310 the death H4194 of thine husband: H376 and how thou hast left H5800 thy father H1 and thy mother, H517 and the land H776 of thy nativity, H4138 and art come H3212 unto a people H5971 which thou knewest H3045 not heretofore. H8543 H8032
And they lifted up H5375 their voice, H6963 and wept again: H1058 and Orpah H6204 kissed H5401 her mother in law; H2545 but Ruth H7327 clave H1692 unto her. And she said, H559 Behold, thy sister in law H2994 is gone back H7725 unto her people, H5971 and unto her gods: H430 return H7725 thou after H310 thy sister in law. H2994 And Ruth H7327 said, H559 Intreat H6293 me not to leave H5800 thee, or to return H7725 from following after H310 thee: for whither thou goest, H3212 I will go; H3212 and where thou lodgest, H3885 I will lodge: H3885 thy people H5971 shall be my people, H5971 and thy God H430 my God: H430 Where thou diest, H4191 will I die, H4191 and there will I be buried: H6912 the LORD H3068 do H6213 so to me, and more H3254 also, if ought but death H4194 part H6504 thee and me. When she saw H7200 that she was stedfastly minded H553 to go H3212 with her, then she left H2308 speaking H1696 unto her. So they two H8147 went H3212 until they came H935 to Bethlehem. H1035 And it came to pass, when they were come H935 to Bethlehem, H1035 that all the city H5892 was moved H1949 about them, and they said, H559 Is this Naomi? H5281 And she said H559 unto them, Call H7121 me not Naomi, H5281 call H7121 me Mara: H4755 for the Almighty H7706 hath dealt very H3966 bitterly H4843 with me. I went out H1980 full, H4392 and the LORD H3068 hath brought me home again H7725 empty: H7387 why then call H7121 ye me Naomi, H5281 seeing the LORD H3068 hath testified H6030 against me, and the Almighty H7706 hath afflicted H7489 me? So Naomi H5281 returned, H7725 and Ruth H7327 the Moabitess, H4125 her daughter in law, H3618 with her, which returned H7725 out of the country H7704 of Moab: H4124 and they came H935 to Bethlehem H1035 in the beginning H8462 of barley H8184 harvest. H7105
By faith G4102 Moses, G3475 when he was come G1096 to years, G3173 refused G720 to be called G3004 the son G5207 of Pharaoh's G5328 daughter; G2364 Choosing G138 rather G3123 to suffer affliction G4778 with the people G2992 of God, G2316 than G2228 to enjoy the pleasures G2192 G619 of sin G266 for a season; G4340 Esteeming G2233 the reproach G3680 of Christ G5547 greater G3187 riches G4149 than G2233 the treasures G2344 in G1722 Egypt: G125 for G1063 he had respect G578 unto G1519 the recompence of the reward. G3405
Commit H1556 thy way H1870 unto the LORD; H3068 trust H982 also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. H6213 And he shall bring forth H3318 thy righteousness H6664 as the light, H216 and thy judgment H4941 as the noonday. H6672
Whether G5101 is G2076 easier, G2123 to say, G2036 Thy G4675 sins G266 be forgiven G863 thee; G4671 or G2228 to say, G2036 Rise up G1453 and G2532 walk? G4043
So G3779 likewise, G3767 whosoever G3956 he be of G1537 you G5216 that G3739 forsaketh G657 not G3756 all G3956 that he hath, G5224 G1438 he cannot G3756 G1410 be G1511 my G3450 disciple. G3101
And G1161 he said G2036 unto them, G846 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 G3754 There is G2076 no man G3762 that G3739 hath left G863 house, G3614 or G2228 parents, G1118 or G2228 brethren, G80 or G2228 wife, G1135 or G2228 children, G5043 for G1752 the kingdom G932 of God's G2316 sake, G1752 Who G3739 shall G618 not G3364 receive G618 manifold more G4179 in G1722 this G5129 present time, G2540 and G2532 in G1722 the world G165 to come G2064 life G2222 everlasting. G166
By faith G4102 Abraham, G11 when he was called G2564 to go out G1831 into G1519 a place G5117 which G3739 he should after G3195 receive G2983 for G1519 an inheritance, G2817 obeyed; G5219 and G2532 he went out, G1831 not G3361 knowing G1987 whither G4226 he went. G2064 By faith G4102 he sojourned G3939 in G1519 the land G1093 of promise, G1860 as G5613 in a strange country, G245 dwelling G2730 in G1722 tabernacles G4633 with G3326 Isaac G2464 and G2532 Jacob, G2384 the heirs with him G4789 of the same G846 promise: G1860
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ruth 2
Commentary on Ruth 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
Ru 2:1-3. Ruth Gleans in the Field of Boaz.
2. Ruth … said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean—The right of gleaning was conferred by a positive law on the widow, the poor, and the stranger (see on Le 19:9 and De 24:19). But liberty to glean behind the reapers [Ru 2:3] was not a right that could be claimed; it was a privilege granted or refused according to the good will or favor of the owner.
3. her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz—Fields in Palestine being unenclosed, the phrase signifies that portion of the open ground which lay within the landmarks of Boaz.
Ru 2:4-23. He Takes Knowledge of Her, and Shows Her Favor.
4. Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you—This pious salutation between the master and his laborers strongly indicates the state of religious feeling among the rural population of Israel at that time, as well as the artless, happy, and unsuspecting simplicity which characterized the manners of the people. The same patriarchal style of speaking is still preserved in the East.
5. his servant that was set over the reapers—an overseer whose special duty was to superintend the operations in the field, to supply provision to the reapers, and pay them for their labor in the evening.
7. she said … Let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves—Various modes of reaping are practised in the East. Where the crop is thin and short, it is plucked up by the roots. Sometimes it is cut with the sickle. Whether reaped in the one way or the other, the grain is cast into sheaves loosely thrown together, to be subjected to the process of threshing, which takes place, for the most part, immediately after the reaping. Field labors were begun early in the morning—before the day became oppressively hot.
she tarried a little in the house—that is, the field tent, erected for the occasional rest and refreshment of the laborers.
8, 9. said Boaz unto Ruth, … bide here fast by my maidens—The reaping was performed by women while the assortment of sheaves was the duty of men-servants. The same division of harvest labor obtains in Syria still. Boaz not only granted to Ruth the full privilege of gleaning after his reapers, but provided for her personal comfort.
9. go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn—Gleaners were sometimes allowed, by kind and charitable masters, to partake of the refreshments provided for the reapers. The vessels alluded to were skin bottles, filled with water—and the bread was soaked in vinegar (Ru 2:14); a kind of poor, weak wine, sometimes mingled with a little olive oil—very cooling, as would be required in harvest-time. This grateful refection is still used in the harvest-field.
14. he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left—some of the new grain, roasted on the spot, and fit for use after being rubbed in the hands—a favorite viand in the East. He gave her so much, that after satisfying her own wants, she had some (Ru 2:18) in reserve for her mother-in-law.
16. let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her—The gleaners in the East glean with much success; for a great quantity of corn is scattered in the reaping, as well as in their manner of carrying it. One may judge, then, of the large quantity which Ruth would gather in consequence of the liberal orders given to the servants. These extraordinary marks of favor were not only given from a kindly disposition, but from regard to her good character and devoted attachment to her venerable relative.
17. and beat out that she had gleaned—When the quantity of grain was small, it was beat out by means of a stick.
an ephah—supposed to contain about a bushel.
20. the man is … one of our next kinsmen—Hebrew, "one of our redeemers," on whom it devolves to protect us, to purchase our lands, and marry you, the widow of his next kinsman. She said, "one of them," not that there were many in the same close relationship, but that he was a very near kinsman, one other individual only having the precedence.
21. all my harvest—both barley and wheat harvests. The latter was at the end of May or the beginning of June.
22. Naomi said unto Ruth … It is good … that thou go out with his maidens—a prudent recommendation to Ruth to accept the generous invitation of Boaz, lest, if she were seen straying into other fields, she might not only run the risk of rude treatment, but displease him by seeming indifferent to his kind liberality. Moreover, the observant mind of the old matron had already discerned, in all Boaz' attentions to Ruth, the germs of a stronger affection, which she wished to increase.