Ruth 3:1 ¶ Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
Ruth 3:2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.
Ruth 3:3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
Ruth 3:4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
One of the first things I noticed is that the record references the barley harvest again. The Hebrew for “barley” is actually a reference to the grain, and I believe includes the end of the wheat harvest in light of the last verse of the previous chapter.
Naomi has had time to consider and has determined that it is now the appropriate time to appeal to Boaz as their kinsman-redeemer. I believe she is truly motivated to see Ruth with a secure future. It’s finally the end of the harvest season, and she knows that Boaz will be taking part in winnowing the grain (separating the grain from the chaff) on the threshing floor. She tells Ruth to wash herself, use a little perfume and dress herself nicely. She wants her to go to the threshing floor but to remain out of sight until Boaz has lain down to go to sleep. Ruth is to pay careful attention and note the place Boaz is sleeping. Then she is to go and uncover his feet and lay down at his feet. Naomi assures Ruth that Boaz will tell her what to do after that.
Obviously, Naomi had great respect for Boaz as a godly man and had no fear that he would mistreat Ruth or take advantage of her in any way.
Ruth 3:5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
Ruth 3:6 ¶ And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
Interesting to me is the fact that Ruth doesn’t ask questions. She just agrees to do as Naomi has instructed her and then acts accordingly. This tells me that Naomi has earned Ruth’s complete trust; she knows that Naomi is acting in her best interests.
Ruth 3:7 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 laid her down.
Ruth 3:8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
Ruth 3:9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
At the end of the day Boaz enjoyed a good meal and was feeling quite pleased. When he went to sleep by the heap of grain, Ruth came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. Evidently, around midnight Boaz became frightened as he became conscious of something at his feet, until he realized it was a woman. He immediately asked the woman to identify herself, and she did. Ruth told him that he was her kinsman-redeemer and basically asked him to marry her in keeping with the accepted custom of that day. By placing herself at his feet she was placing herself in a position of submission to him.
This explains that Ruth understood all along the purpose of Naomi’s instructions to her.
Adam Clarke explains in his commentary: “Even to the present day, when a Jew marries a woman, he throws the skirt or end of his talith over her, to signify that he has taken her under his protection.”
Guzik: “There was a good reason why Boaz slept at the threshing floor. These were the days of the Judges when there was much political and social instability in Israel. It wasn’t unusual for gangs of thieves to come and steal all the hard-earned grain a farmer had grown. Boaz slept at the threshing floor to guard his crop against the kind of attacks described in 1Samuel 23:1.”
1 Samuel 23:1 “Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.”
Ruth 3:10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
Ruth 3:11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.
Ruth 3:12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
Ruth 3:13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee 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 thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
Boaz was impressed with Ruth’s humility. He was evidently an older man and would not have expected that she would wish to marry him in spite of how it would benefit her family. He thought this exampled a greater commitment to family than she had already evidenced toward Naomi. Obviously, Ruth had great respect and admiration for Boaz as a godly man and realized that this was much more to be valued in a husband than age or appearance.
Boaz assures Ruth that he will gladly do as she asks because she is widely known by the people of the city as a virtuous (worthy, strong, righteous) woman. This would be important to a man of his position.
Proverbs 31:10 “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”
Boaz then reveals that though he is willing, there is a nearer kinsman that must be given the first opportunity to act on her behalf. He tells Ruth to wait through the night, and he will go and meet with the nearer kinsman in the morning. If the man declines to act on her behalf, Boaz will.
Ruth 3:14 ¶ 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.
Ruth 3:15 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.
Ruth 3:16 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.
Ruth 3:17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
Ruth 3:18 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.
Ruth lay at his feet, but rose up to leave before the other workers got up so that no one would know she had been there; I believe Boaz was guarding her reputation. Before she left, Boaz told her to bring her veil and hold it out while he filled it with grain; he filled it with six measures or scoops, and she returned to Naomi. Naomi immediately wanted a report of what had happened, and Ruth told her all that Boaz had said. She ended by saying that Boaz told her he did not want her to return to her mother-in-law empty-handed, so he gave her the six measures of grain.
Naomi was content and assured Ruth that Boaz would have everything settled by the end of the day, and it seems that she had faith that he would be the one to redeem her. I think that was understandable since she felt that it was God’s hand that led Ruth to glean in the field belonging to Boaz in the first place.
Naomi had complete faith in her kinsman-redeemer, just as we should have complete faith in Jesus, our Kinsman-Redeemer. She told Ruth to “sit still” as she waited on Boaz to act on her behalf, just as we should learn to be still and patient as we wait on the Lord to act on our behalf.
Psalms 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God….”
Psalms 37:7 “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him….”
Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Lamentations 3:25 “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him….”
Ruth 4:1 ¶ Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
Ruth 4:2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
It seems that Boaz didn’t waste any time to position himself at the gate of the city. This was the recognized place of business transactions and at which the elders of the city often met. He knew that he was sure to meet his kinsman there. As soon as he saw the man, he let him know that he had business to conduct with him. He then gathered ten elders of the city to serves as witnesses to their transaction.
Ruth 4:3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s:
Ruth 4:4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
Boaz informed the man that Naomi had returned from Moab and needed to sell the land that had belonged to Elimelech. As the one possessing the privilege of first right, he asked the man to agree to buy it before the witness of these elders; if he did not want to, Boaz wanted it. The kinsman immediately agreed to buy the land.
Ruth 4:5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
Ruth 4:6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
Boaz then informed him that the transaction included not only Naomi, but also Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Elimelech’s dead son. The transaction would include marrying Ruth to produce a son to continue the name of Elimelech and preserve the land inheritance of the family. Once the kinsman heard this, he declared himself unable to do this since it might put his own inheritance at risk and yielded his right to Boaz.
I think Boaz was well aware of the character of this kinsman and was quite sure that he would not accept the role of kinsman-redeemer knowing that his investment would not result in profit to himself or his family. Boaz, however, was ready to accept the responsibility of taking care of Naomi and to accept the financial loss incurred from producing an heir for Elimelech. I think this testifies to the fact that Ruth had won his heart.
Personally, I think that though his child would be recognized as Elimelech’s heir, Boaz knew he would still be the child’s father—and what father would not want to bless his son.
Ruth 4:7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
Ruth 4:8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
Ruth 4:9 ¶ And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye 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.
Ruth 4:10 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 be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
There was a custom in Israel that the transaction be confirmed by the first kinsman removing his shoe and giving it to the next as a public declaration of ceding his rights in the matter, and the kinsman did just that. Boaz then appealed to the elders and others that had stopped to see what was going on and witnessed the transaction to give testimony to the fact that Boaz had bought all that belonged to Elimelech from Naomi. He also wanted them to affirm that he had agreed to take Ruth as his wife and produce an heir to protect the land inheritance for Elimelech’s family.
Beautiful application from Smith: “Because of his love for Ruth, he bought the field in order that he might obtain the bride. His primary interest was not the field at all. He was a very mighty man of wealth. He didn’t need any more fields. But he bought the field in order to obtain the bride. In that he becomes a very beautiful picture of Jesus Christ, who bought the world in order that He might purchase His bride, the church, out of the world. Not interested necessarily in the planet earth as such, but interested, and in love with His bride. Jesus purchased the world in order to take His treasure.”
This, of course, brings to mind the parable from Matthew.
Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”
Wiersbe: “Like Boaz, Jesus wasn’t concerned about jeopardizing his own inheritance; instead, He made us a part of His inheritance. Like Boaz, Jesus made His plans privately, but He paid the price publicly. And like Boaz, Jesus did what He did because of His love for His bride.”
Ephesians 1:10–14 “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
Ruth 4:11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
Ruth 4:12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
The people and the elders all publicly affirmed their witness. They then pronounced a blessing upon Boaz and his house. They called for Ruth to be as favored as Rachel and Leah, the mothers of the men that fathered the twelve tribes of Israel. They called for Boaz to be a man of great respect and honor for all he did in Bethlehem. Most interesting to me is that they called for Boaz to have sons like the house of Pharez, the son of Tamar and Judah.
David Guzik explains that Boaz was a descendant of Pharez through his son Hezron and his son Ram (as shown in verses 18-22 below). Another descendant of Pharez is actually named as the father of Bethlehem (see the genealogy in 1Chronicles 2).
Ruth 4:13 ¶ So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
Ruth 4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
Ruth 4:15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
So…..Boaz married Ruth and wasted no time in producing an heir for Elimelech to carry on the family name and inheritance. I think it is significant to note that it is recognized that it was the LORD that enabled Ruth to conceive. Scripture is clear in declaring that it is the LORD that opens and closes wombs and that children are a gift from Him.
Genesis 29:31 “And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb….”
Genesis 30:1–2 “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?”
Psalms 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”
Isaiah 44:24 “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things….”
Naomi’s friends all congratulated her for God’s blessings upon her and called for God to make this boy famous in Israel. This pronounced blessing would find fulfillment in the fact that he would become the grandfather of King David.
They acknowledged Ruth, the mother of this child, as one who loved Naomi better than seven sons could have.
Ruth 4:16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
Ruth 4:17 And the women her neighbours gave it 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.
Ruth 4:18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
Ruth 4:19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
Ruth 4:20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
Ruth 4:21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
Ruth 4:22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Naomi was a very loving grandmother and immediately became the child’s caretaker; I think this means she was very “hands on” in the training up of her grandchild.
Interestingly, the record notes that Naomi’s neighbors named the child and called him Obed, meaning servant—I think because of the expectation that he would be the one who would ensure that Naomi was taken care of in her old age.
There is one other interesting note regarding the genealogy of Boaz; he was the son of Rahab, the harlot that was instrumental in saving the two Jewish spies who were sent to Jericho prior to that first battle in taking the Promised Land.
Joshua 6:22–25 “But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel….And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”
Matthew 1:5 “Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab….” (NKJ)
It is really amazing to me that God goes into such detail to help us understand His amazing love and grace. Though the Savior was to be born of the nation of Israel from the seed of Abraham, God graciously points out that a Gentile harlot was included in his lineage. Though God chose the people of Israel as His special possession among the nations, His plan for salvation has always included the peoples of all nations. He loves each and every person born in this world and hates the thought of any one of them choosing eternal death over the eternal gift of life that He offers so freely through His Son.
Ezekiel 33:11 “…As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live….”
John 3:16–17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Courson prophetic insight from Ruth (my words): The Book of Ruth is read during Pentecost, the celebration of the wheat harvest that took place 50 days after the barley harvest at Passover. This is significant in that Pentecost marks the birth of the church, an entity consisting of both Jew and Gentile. Just as Boaz (a Jew) provided for Ruth (a Gentile) by acting as her Kinsman-Redeemer, Jesus provided for his bride (the church) in the same way. The threshing floor pictures the tribulation, the time when the world will be threshed to identify the sheep (believers) from the goats (non-believers) as recorded in Matthew 25. Those identified as sheep will get to enter Messiah’s Kingdom. Naomi represents the people of Israel. She remained in exile until Ruth (the bride) was ready to be united with Boaz (the bridegroom).
This next part is a quote: “Boaz and Naomi never meet until the marriage feast. When will Israel meet Jesus? When the church is raptured. It is at that time that the veil will be lifted. Her eyes will be opened….Naomi learns of Boaz’ whereabouts through Ruth. She knows there is a man named Boaz, but she doesn’t know if he’s dead or alive until Ruth comes home and says, Guess who I met. Israel does not know if Messiah is dead or alive. The only way she’ll hear about her Messiah is through the church….Ruth does not take the place of Naomi. Naomi is not displaced by Ruth. Rather, Ruth creates a family for Naomi. Gentile and Jew, dependent on each other, gleaning from each other, gaining because of each other.”