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Ruth Chapter Two

Ruth 2 Outlines

Ruth Meets Boaz (v.1~23)

New King James Version (NKJV)

INTRODUCTION TO RUTH 2

In this chapter we have an account of Ruth's gleaning corn in the fields of Boaz a relation of Naomi 2:1 and of Boaz coming to his reapers whom he saluted in a very kind manner; and observing a woman gleaning after them inquired of them who she was and they informed him 2:4 upon which he addressed himself to her and gave her leave to glean in his field and desired her to go nowhere else and bid her eat and drink with his servants 2:8 and gave directions to his servants to let her glean and to let fall some of the handfuls on purpose that she might gather them up 2:15 and then an account is given of her returning to her mother-in-law with her gleanings to whom she related where she had gleaned who was owner of the field and what he had said to her upon which Naomi gave her advice 2:18.

Ruth 2:1 There was a relative of Naomi’s husband a man of great wealth of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.

YLT ¹And Naomi hath an acquaintance of her husband's a man mighty in wealth of the family of Elimelech and his name [is] Boaz.

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's .... That was her kinsman by her husband's side who now lived at Bethlehem; and yet it does not appear that Naomi made any application to him for assistance in her circumstances though well known to her as the word used signifies; which might arise from her modesty and being loath to be troublesome to him especially as he was a relation not of her own family but of her husband's; but what is more strange that this kinsman had taken no notice of her nor sent to her who yet was a very generous and liberal man and had knowledge of her coming for he had heard of the character of Ruth 2:11 but perhaps he was not acquainted with their indigent circumstances:

a mighty man of wealth; a man of great wealth and riches and of great power and authority which riches give and raise a man to and also of great virtue and honour all which the word "wealth" signifies; to which may be added the paraphrase the Targumist gives that he was mighty in the law; in the Scriptures in the word of God a truly religious man which completes his character:

of the family of Elimelech; the husband of Naomi; some say that his father was Elimelech's brother; see Gill on 2:2

and his name was Boaz; which signifies "in him is strength" strength of riches power virtue and grace; it is the name of one of the pillars in Solomon's temple so called from its strength. This man is commonly said by the Jews to be the same with Ibzan a judge of Israel Judges 12:8 he was the grandson of Nahshon prince of the tribe of Judah who first offered at the dedication of the altar Numbers 7:12 his father's name was Salmon and his mother was Rahab the harlot of Jericho Matthew 1:5. A particular account is given of this man because he with Ruth makes the principal part of the following history.

Ruth 2:2 ² So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi “Please let me go to the field and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her “Go my daughter.”

YLT ²And Ruth the Moabitess saith unto Naomi `Let me go I pray thee into the field and I gather among the ears of corn after him in whose eyes I find grace;' and she saith to her `Go my daughter.'

And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi .... After they had been some little time at Bethlehem and not long; for they came at the beginning of barley harvest and as yet it was not over nor perhaps for some time after this; and knowing and considering the circumstances they were in and unwilling to live an idle life and ready to do any thing for the support of her life and of her ancient mother-in-law; which was very commendable and showed her to be an industrious virtuous woman: she addressed her and said:

let me now go to the field; she did not choose to go any where nor do anything without her advice and consent; so dutiful and obedient was she to her and so high an opinion had she of her wisdom and goodness; she desired to go to the field which belonged to Bethlehem which seems to have been an open field not enclosed where each inhabitant had his part as Boaz 2:3 though Jarchi interprets it of one of the fields of the men of the city; hither she asked leave to go not with any ill intent nor was she in any danger of being exposed since it being harvest time the field was full of people: her end in going thither is expressed in the next clause:

and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace; or "in" or "among the ears of corn"^F15בשבלים εν τοις σταχυσι Sept. "in spicis" Montanus Drusius Piscator; "inter spicas" De Dieu Rambachius. ; between the ears of corn bound up into sheaves and there pick up the loose ears that were dropped and left. This she proposed to do with the leave of the owner of the field or of the reapers whom she followed; she might be ignorant that it was allowed by the law of God that widows and strangers might glean in the field Leviticus 19:9 or if she had been acquainted with it by Naomi which is not improbable such was her modesty and humility that she did not choose to make use of this privilege without leave; lest as Jarchi says she should be chided or reproved and it is certain she did entreat the favour to glean 2:7.

and she said unto her go my daughter; which shows the necessitous circumstances Naomi was in; though perhaps she might give this leave and direction under an impulse of the Spirit of God in order to bring about an event of the greatest moment and importance whereby she became the ancestor of our blessed Lord.

Ruth 2:3 ³ Then she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz who was of the family of Elimelech.

YLT ³And she goeth and cometh and gathereth in a field after the reapers and her chance happeneth -- the portion of the field is Boaz's who [is] of the family of Elimelech.

And she went and came .... That is she went out of the house where she was and out of the city and came into the field; though according to the Midrash^F16Midrash Ruth fol. 31. 4. Vid. Jarchi & Alshech in loc. she marked the ways as she went before she entered into the field and then came back to the city to observe the marks and signs she made that she might not mistake the way and might know how to come back again:

and gleaned in the field after the reapers; when they had cut down and bound up the corn what fell and was left she picked up having first asked leave so to do:

and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz who was of the kindred of Elimelech; the providence of God so ordering and directing it; for though it was hap and chance to her and what some people call good luck it was according to the purpose and by the providence and direction of God that she came to the reapers in that part of the field Boaz a near kinsman of her father-in-law was owner of and asked leave of them to glean and follow them.

Ruth 2:4 ⁴ Now behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers “The Lord be with you!” And they answered him “The Lord bless you!”

YLT ⁴And lo Boaz hath come from Beth-Lehem and saith to the reapers `Jehovah [is] with you;' and they say to him `Jehovah doth bless thee.'

And behold Boaz came to Bethlehem .... Into the field to see how his workmen went on and performed their service and to encourage them in it by his presence and by his courteous language and behaviour and to see what provisions were wanting that he might take care and give orders for the sending of them it being now near noon as it may be supposed; and though he was a man of great wealth he did not think it below him to go into his field and look after his servants which was highly commendable in him and which showed his diligence and industry as well as his humility. So a king in Homer^F17Iliad. 18. ver. 556 557. is represented as among his reapers with his sceptre in his hand and cheerful. Pliny^F18Nat. Hist. l. 18. c. 6. relates it as a saying of the ancients that the eye of the master is the most fruitful thing in the field; and Aristotle^F19De Administrat. Domestic. l. 1. c. 6. reports that a Persian being asked what fattened a horse most replied the eye of the master; and an African being asked what was the best dung for land answered the steps of his master:

and said unto the reapers the Lord be with you; to give them health and strength and industry in their work; the Targum is "may the Word of the Lord be your help:"

and they answered him the Lord bless you; with a good harvest and good weather to gather it in; and though these salutations were of a civil kind yet they breathe the true spirit of sincere and undissembled piety and show the sense that both master and servants had of the providence of God attending the civil affairs of life without whose help assistance and blessing nothing succeeds well.

Ruth 2:5 ⁵ Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers “Whose young woman is this?”

YLT ⁵And Boaz saith to his young man who is set over the reapers `Whose [is] this young person?'

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers .... To direct them their work what part each was to do and to see that they did it well; to take care for provisions for them and to pay them their wages when their work was done. Josephus^F20Antiqu. l. 5. c. 9. sect. 2. calls him αγροκομος that had the care of the field and all things relative to it; the Jews^F21Midrash Ruth fol. 32. 1. say he was set over two and forty persons whom he had the command of:

whose damsel is this? to whom does she belong? of what family is she? whose daughter is she? or whose wife? for he thought as Aben Ezra notes that she was another man's wife; the Targum is of what nation is she? perhaps her dress might be somewhat different from that of the Israelitish women.

Ruth 2:6 ⁶ So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said “It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.

YLT ⁶And the young man who is set over the reapers answereth and saith `A young woman -- Moabitess -- she [is] who came back with Naomi from the fields of Moab

And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said .... Who had taken a great deal of notice of Ruth and had conversed with her and so was capable of giving answers to his master's question:

it is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab; perhaps he had not got knowledge of her name and therefore only describes her by the country from whence she came; and by her coming from thence along with Naomi when she returned from Moab with whose name Boaz was well acquainted and of whose return he had been informed; and perhaps had seen her in person and even Ruth also though he might have forgot her; the Targum makes the servant to add that she was become a proselytess.

Ruth 2:7 ⁷ And she said ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now though she rested a little in the house.”

YLT ⁷and she saith Let me glean I pray thee -- and I have gathered among the sheaves after the reapers; and she cometh and remaineth since the morning and till now; she sat in the house a little.

And she said .... These are the words of the servant continued who goes on with the account of Ruth and her conduct since she had been in the field:

I pray you let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: for though by the law of Israel she had a right as a poor widow and stranger to glean yet as the owner of the field and his servants by his appointment under him might have power of fixing the time when such might glean and of judging who were the proper persons to be admitted Ruth in her great modesty and meekness did not choose to enter on this work without leave:

so she came; into the field and gleaned having obtained leave:

and hath continued even from the morning until now; had been very diligent and industrious in gathering up the loose ears of corn among the sheaves as she followed the reapers cutting down and binding up the corn in sheaves; she began pretty early in the morning and had stuck close to it till that time which may be supposed to be about noon or pretty near it for as yet it was not mealtime 2:14. The Septuagint version is therefore very wrong which reads"from the morning until the evening 'for that was not yet come 2:17 but

she tarried a little in the house; not that she went home to the city and stayed a little in the house of Naomi her mother and then returned again for she went not home until the evening 2:17 but the meaning of the passage is that she had been constant and diligent in gleaning all the morning only a very little time that she was in the house which was in the field; either a farm house of Boaz adjoining to the field; or rather a cottage or booth as Aben Ezra interprets it which was in the field whither the reapers betook themselves when they ate their meals; or to shelter themselves under the shade of it as Abendana from the heat of the sun at noonday; and here Ruth set herself down awhile for a little rest and ease and refreshment; and some think she was here when Boaz came and therefore took the more notice of her.

Ruth 2:8 ⁸ Then Boaz said to Ruth “You will listen my daughter will you not? Do not go to glean in another field nor go from here but stay close by my young women.

YLT ⁸And Boaz saith unto Ruth `Hast thou not heard my daughter? go not to glean in another field and also pass not over from this and thus thou dost cleave to my young women:

Then said Boaz unto Ruth .... Having heard what the servant said concerning her he turned himself to her and addressed her in the following manner:

hearest thou not my daughter? meaning not what the servant had said but hereby exciting her to hearken to what he was about to say to her. Noldius^F23Ebr. Concord. part. p. 257. No. 1150. takes the particle to signify beseeching and entreating and renders the words "hear I pray thee my daughter". Some from hence conclude that Boaz was a man in years and Ruth much younger than he and therefore calls her his daughter:

go not to glean in another field neither go from hence; which she might be inclined to lest she should be thought to be too troublesome to be always in one man's field; but Boaz taking a liking to her and willing to do her some favour chose she should not go elsewhere:

but abide here fast by my maidens; not maidens that gleaned also as she did poor maidens he permitted to glean; or that gleaned for the poor and much less that gleaned for him; a person so rich and liberal as he was would never employ such for his advantage and to the detriment of the poor; nor would it be admitted of it being contrary to the law as it should seem and certain it is to the later traditions of the elders; for it is said^F24Misnah Peah c. 5. sect. 6. "a man may not hire a workman on this condition that his son should glean after him; he who does not suffer the poor to glean or who suffers one and not another or who helps any one of them robs the poor.'But these maidens were such who either gathered the handfuls cut and laid down by the reapers and bound them up in sheaves or else they also reaped as it seems from the following verse; and it was very probably customary in those times for women to reap as it is now with us.

Ruth 2:9 ⁹ Let your eyes be on the field which they reap and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”

YLT ⁹thine eyes [are] on the field which they reap and thou hast gone after them; have not I charged the young men not to touch thee? when thou art athirst then thou hast gone unto the vessels and hast drunk from that which the young men draw.'

Let thine eyes be upon the field that they do reap and go thou after them .... And gather up the loose ears of corn dropped and left by them:

have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? do her no hurt or offer any incivility or rudeness to her or even play any wanton tricks with her as is too common with young persons in the fields at harvest time. This charge he now gave in her hearing or however suggests that he would and therefore she might depend upon it she should have no molestation nor any affront given her:

and when thou art athirst: as at such a season of the year and in the field at such work and in those hot countries was frequently the case:

go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn; which they had fetched from wells and fountains in or near the city and had put into bottles pitchers &c. for the use of the reapers and gatherers; we read of the well of Bethlehem 2 Samuel 23:15 now she is ordered to go to these vessels and drink when she pleased without asking leave of any; and Boaz no doubt gave it in charge to his young men not to hinder her.

Ruth 2:10 ¹⁰ So she fell on her face bowed down to the ground and said to him “Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me since I am a foreigner?”

YLT ¹⁰And she falleth on her face and boweth herself to the earth and saith unto him `Wherefore have I found grace in thine eyes to discern me and I a stranger?'

Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground .... In great humility and under a deep sense of the favour done her and as showing the greatest respect in a civil manner she was capable of:

and said unto him why have I found grace in thine eyes: how is it that one so mean and unworthy should have such favour shown?

that thou shouldest take knowledge of me; take such notice of her show such affection to her and bestow such kindness on her:

seeing I am a stranger? not a citizen of Bethlehem nor indeed one of the commonwealth of Israel; but as the Targum "of a strange people of the daughters of Moab and of a people who were not fit and worthy to enter into the congregation of the Lord.'

Ruth 2:11 ¹¹ And Boaz answered and said to her “It has been fully reported to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people whom you did not know before.

YLT ¹¹And Boaz answereth and saith to her `It hath thoroughly been declared to me all that thou hast done with thy mother-in-law after the death of thy husband and thou dost leave thy father and thy mother and the land of thy birth and dost come in unto a people which thou hast not known heretofore.

And Boaz answered and said unto her .... Alshech thinks that he lift up his voice that all that stood by might hear:

it hath fully been showed me; either by Naomi or rather by some persons of Boaz's Naomi and reacquaintance that had conversed with Naomi and related to Boaz what passed between them by which he was fully informed of the following things mentioned by him; though the above writer supposes that it was showed him by the Holy Ghost:

all that thou hast done to thy mother in law since the death of thine husband; how that instead of going home to her father and mother she continued with her; how tenderly she used her; what strong expressions of love she had made unto her; what care she had taken of her and how she had fed and nourished her as the Targum and now was gleaning for her support as well as her own:

and how thou hast left thy father and mother; in a literal sense to go along with her mother-in-law to assist her in her journey and see her safe to the end of it: and in a figurative sense her idol gods as in Jeremiah 2:27 so the Midrash^F25Midrash Ruth fol. 32. 3. :

and the land of thy nativity; the land of Moab where she was born and where her kindred relations and friends lived dear and engaging to her:

and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore; but by hearsay and what she learned of them from her husband and mother-in-law even the people of Israel; to whom she was come to be a proselyte and dwell among them as the Targum.

Ruth 2:12 ¹² The Lord repay your work and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

YLT ¹²Jehovah doth recompense thy work and thy reward is complete from Jehovah God of Israel under whose wings thou hast come to take refuge.'

The Lord recompence thy work .... The Targum adds in this world; meaning the kind offices she had performed and the good service she had done to her mother-in-law; nor is God unrighteous to forget the work and labour of love which is shown by children to their parents; and though such works are not in themselves meritorious of any blessing from God here or hereafter yet he is pleased of his own grace to recompence them and return the good into their bosom manifold it being acceptable in his sight:

and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel; the Targum adds in the world to come; which is called the reward of the inheritance Colossians 3:24 a reward not of debt but of grace; and that will be a full one indeed fulness of joy peace and happiness an abundance of good things not to be conceived of see 2 John 1:8

under whose wings thou art come to trust; whom she professed to be her God and whom she determined to serve and worship; whose grace and favour she expected and to whose care and protection she committed herself: the allusion is either to fowls which cover their young with their wings and thereby keep them warm and comfortable and shelter and protect them see Psalm 36:7 or to the wings of the cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat Exodus 25:20 and the phrase is now adopted by the Jews to express proselytism; and so the Targum here "thou art come to be proselyted and to be hid under the wings of the Shechinah of his glory 'or his glorious Shechinah.

Ruth 2:13 ¹³ Then she said “Let me find favor in your sight my lord; for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your maidservant though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

YLT ¹³And she saith `Let me find grace in thine eyes my lord because thou hast comforted me and because thou hast spoken unto the heart of thy maid-servant and I -- I am not as one of thy maid-servants.'

Then she said let me find favour in thy sight my lord .... Or rather since she had found favour in his sight already: the words are to be considered not as a wish for it but as acknowledging it and expressing her faith and confidence that she should for time to come find favour in his sight and have other instances of it; for so the words may be rendered "I shall find favour"^F26אמצא חן "inveniam gratiam" Pagninus Montanus. for which she gives the following reasons:

for that thou hast comforted me and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid; had spoken in her commendation and wished her all happiness here and hereafter; said kind and comfortable words to her to her very heart as in Isaiah 40:2 which were cheering refreshing and reviving to her:

though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens; not worthy to be one of them or to be ranked with them being meaner than the meanest of them a poor widow and a Moabitish woman; the Septuagint and Syriac versions leave out the negative particle and read "I shall be as one of thine handmaids".

Ruth 2:14 ¹⁴ Now Boaz said to her at mealtime “Come here and eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied and kept some back.

YLT ¹⁴And Boaz saith to her `At meal-time come nigh hither and thou hast eaten of the bread and dipped thy morsel in the vinegar.' And she sitteth at the side of the reapers and he reacheth to her roasted corn and she eateth and is satisfied and leaveth.

And Boaz said at mealtime come thou hither .... This looks as if she was now in the booth or house in the field where the reapers used to retire to eat their food or rest themselves or take shelter from the heat of the sun. This meal was very likely dinner the time of which was not yet come but would soon and to which Boaz invited Ruth:

and eat of the bread; his servants did that is partake of the provisions they should have; bread being put for all. So Homer^F1Iliad. 18. ver. 559 560. speaks of a large ox slain for such a meal for the reapers besides the "polenta" afterwards mentioned which the women prepared and who uses the same word for it the Septuagint does here: "to dip thy morsel in the vinegar"; which was used because of the heat of the season as Jarchi and Aben Ezra remark for cooling and refreshment; and such virtues Pliny^F2Nat. Hist. l. 23. c. 1. ascribes to vinegar as being refreshing to the spirits binding and bracing the nerves and very corroborating and strengthening; and it is at this day used in Italy it is said in harvest time when it is hot; where they also use wine mixed with vinegar and water as Lavater says^F3In loc. ; and who from a learned physician^F4Christophor. "a Vega de arte Medendi" l. 2. apud ib. observes that reapers instead of wine use vinegar mixed with a great deal of water which they call household wine allayed with water; to which if oil and bread be put it makes a cooling meal good for workmen and travellers in the heat of the sun; and the Targum calls it pottage boiled in vinegar. The Romans had an "embamma" or sauce made of vinegar in which they dipped their food^F5Salmuth in Pancirol par. 2. tit. 2. p. 83. ; and Theocritus^F6Idyll 10. ver. 13. makes mention of vinegar as used by reapers: in the Syriac version it is bread dipped in milk; and in the Arabic version milk poured upon it. The Midrash^F7Melrash Ruth fol. 33. 2. gives an allegorical sense of these words and applies them to the Messiah and his kingdom and interprets the bread of the bread of the kingdom and the vinegar of the chastisements and afflictions of the Messiah as it is said "he was wounded for our transgressions" &c. Isaiah 53:5 which by the way is a concession that the prophecy in that chapter relates to him:

and she sat beside the reapers; the women reapers; she did not sit along with them or in thee midst of them in the row with them as ranking with them but on one side of them which was an instance of her great modesty:

and he reached her parched corn; either Boaz himself or he that was set over the reapers. This parched corn seems to be the new barley they were reaping which they fried in a pan and ate. Galen says^F8De Aliment. Facult. l. 1. apud Lavater. in loc. the parched corn which is best is made of new barley moderately dried and parched; and that it was the custom of some to drink the same with new sweet wine or wine mixed with honey in the summertime before they went into the bath who say they feel themselves by this drink freed from thirst. But this seems to be a kind of food what is sometimes called "polenta" which is barley flour dried at the fire and fried after it hath been soaking in water one night; so Lavater says they dry the barley having been soaked one night in water the next day they dry it and then grind it in mills; some dress new barley beaten out of green ears and make it while moist into balls and being cleansed grind it; and thus dressed with twenty pound of barley they put three pound of linseed half a pound of coriander seed and of salt all being dried before are mingled in a mill; and if to be kept are put into new earthen vessels with the meal and bran: but a later writer^F9Neumann. apud Rambachium in loc. takes this "Kali" rendered parched corn not to be anyone certain species but something made of corn and pulse as lentiles beans &c. and especially fried or parched vetches of all which together was this kali or pulse; and he refutes the notion of some who take it to be "coffee" since that has only been in use since the beginning of the sixteenth century and at first in Arabia; and is not of the kind of pulse but is the fruit of a certain tree of which a liquor is made something to drink; whereas this was food and was ate as follows see 2 Samuel 17:28.

and she did eat and was sufficed and left; she had such a plentiful share given her that she had more than she could eat and was obliged to leave some and which it seems she carried home to her mother-in-law 2:18.

Ruth 2:15 ¹⁵ And when she rose up to glean Boaz commanded his young men saying “Let her glean even among the sheaves and do not reproach her.

YLT ¹⁵And she riseth to glean and Boaz chargeth his young men saying `Even between the sheaves she doth glean and ye do not cause her to blush;

And when she was risen up to glean .... After she had ate sufficiently and refreshed herself she rose up from her seat to go into the field and glean again; which shows her industry:

Boaz commanded his young men; the reapers or who gathered the handfuls and bound them up in sheaves:

saying let her glean even among the sheaves; this she had requested of the reapers when she first came into the field and it was granted her 2:7 but this as it was granted by Boaz himself so was still a greater favour; and there is some difference in the expression for it may be rendered here "among those sheaves"^F8בין העמרים "inter ipsos manipulos" Tigurine version Rambachius. pointing to a particular spot where might be the best ears of corn and where more of them had fallen:

and reproach her not; as not with her being a poor woman a widow a Moabitish woman so neither with being a thief or taking such corn she should not or gleaning where she ought not.

Ruth 2:16 ¹⁶ Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean and do not rebuke her.”

YLT ¹⁶and also ye do surely cast to her of the handfuls -- and have left and she hath gleaned and ye do not push against her.'

And let fall some of the handfuls on purpose for her .... That is when they had reaped an handful instead of laying it in its proper order to be taken up by those that gathered after them or by themselves in order to be bound up in sheaves scatter it about or let it fall where they reaped it:

and leave them that she may glean them and rebuke her not for taking them as if she did a wrong thing.

Ruth 2:17 ¹⁷ So she gleaned in the field until evening and beat out what she had gleaned and it was about an ephah of barley.

YLT ¹⁷And she gleaneth in the field till the evening and beateth out that which she hath gleaned and it is about an ephah of barley;

So she gleaned in the field until even .... An instance of her great diligence and industry attending to this mean employment constantly from morning tonight:

and beat out that she had gleaned: she did not bind up her gleanings in a bundle and carry it home on her head as gleaners with us do but she beat it out with a staff in the field where she gleaned it and winnowed it very probably in the threshingfloor of Boaz; by which means what she had gleaned was brought into a lesser size and weight and was a lighter burden to carry home:

and it was an ephah of barley; or three seahs of barley as the Targum; which according to Bishop Cumberland^F9Of Scripture Weights and Measures ch. 3. p. 64. was six gallons and three pints and three solid inches: an omer is said to be the tenth part of an ephah and made into bread was as much as a man could eat in one day Exodus 16:16 so that Ruth got enough in one day for herself and her mother-in-law which would last five days at least. This was a great deal for one woman to pick up ear by ear in one day; and must be accounted for not only by her diligence and industry but by the favour shown her by the reapers under the direction of Boaz who suffered her to glean among the sheaves and let fall handfuls for her to pick up.

Ruth 2:18 ¹⁸ Then she took it up and went into the city and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.

YLT ¹⁸and she taketh [it] up and goeth into the city and her mother-in-law seeth that which she hath gleaned and she bringeth out and giveth to her that which she left from her satiety.

And she took it up .... The ephah of barley into her arms or on her shoulders:

and went into the city; the city of Bethlehem:

and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: she set it down before her and she looked at it with admiration that she should glean so much in one day:

and she brought forth; not Naomi as Josephus^F11Antiqu l. 5. c. 9. sect. 2. represents it who understood it as if she brought forth some food her neighbours had brought her part of which she kept for Ruth though he takes it in the other sense also; but the meaning is that Ruth brought forth out of a scrip as the Targum adds; besides the ephah of barley she set before her she brought some victuals out of a bag:

and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed; not that she ate of the barley and her mother-in-law also; and then she gave her the rest to lay up against another time as some interpret it; but the remainder of the food which Boaz gave her at dinner time which she could not eat 2:14 she reserved for her mother and now gave it to her; an instance of that piety commended by the apostle 1 Timothy 5:4.

Ruth 2:19 ¹⁹ And her mother-in-law said to her “Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

YLT ¹⁹And her mother-in-law saith to her `Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou wrought? may he who is discerning thee be blessed.' And she declareth to her mother-in-law with whom she hath wrought and saith `The name of the man with whom I have wrought to-day [is] Boaz.'

And her mother in law said unto her where hast thou gleaned today?.... In what part of the field of Bethlehem? or on whose land that she had gleaned so much? not that she suspected that she had got it in an illicit manner but supposed she had been directed by the providence of God to a spot of ground where there was good gleaning; of that she had met with some hand that had dropped ears of corn plentifully in her favour:

and where wroughtest thou? which is the same question repeated in other words and shows that gleaning is a work and a hard work too closely followed to be stooping and picking up ears of corn a whole day together:

blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee: she knew by the quantity of corn she brought home that she must have had kindness shown her by somebody; and especially she knew it by the food she brought home and therefore pronounced the man blessed or wished him happiness before she knew who he was; though perhaps she might guess at him or conjecture in her mind who it was that had taken notice of her:

and she showed her mother in law with whom she had wrought: that is with whose reapers men and maidens she had wrought whom she followed in gleaning they working in one sort of work and she in another yet in the same field:

the man's name with whom I wrought today is Boaz; that is in whose field and with whose servants she wrought; for Boaz wrought not himself unless this can be understood of her eating and drinking with him; but the other sense is best.

Ruth 2:20 ²⁰ Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law “Blessed be he of the Lord who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her “This man is a relation of ours one of our close relatives.”

YLT ²⁰And Naomi saith to her daughter-in-law `Blessed [is] he of Jehovah who hath not forsaken His kindness with the living and with the dead;' and Naomi saith to her `The man is a relation of ours; he [is] of our redeemers.'

And Naomi said unto her daughter in law blessed be he of the Lord .... Or the Lord bless him with all kind of blessings temporal and spiritual; and as he has blessed him already may he be blessed more and more:

who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead; he had been kind to Elimelech and to his sons who were now dead and he continued his kindness to the reliefs of them Naomi and Ruth who were living and was kind to them for the sake of the dead; and showing kindness to them expressed his respect to the memory of the dead:

and Naomi said unto her; continued her speech to her and added to what she had said:

the man is near of kin to us; a near relation of ours meaning by her husband's side: yea:

one of our next kinsmen; the nearest we have there was but one nearer than he: the word for kinsman here is "Goel" a redeemer; for to such who were in the degree of kindred as Boaz was and he that was nearer still than he to them belonged the right of redemption and therefore were called by the name of "Goel" a redeemer as Ben Melech observes; they had a right to avenge the blood of the slain to redeem their houses and possessions if sold or mortgaged and their persons by marrying them and raising up seed to a deceased brother or kinsman.

Ruth 2:21 ²¹ Ruth the Moabitess said “He also said to me ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”

YLT ²¹And Ruth the Moabitess saith `Also he surely said unto me Near the young people whom I have thou dost cleave till they have completed the whole of the harvest which I have.'

And Ruth the Moabitess said he said unto me also .... Besides the favours he has shown me already he has given me reason to expect more for he has given me this strict order:

thou shalt keep fast by my young men until they have ended all my harvest; both barley harvest and wheat harvest; his will was that she kept following them and gleaned after them as long as both harvests lasted. The Septuagint version is "with my maidens" and which agrees with 2:8 where the order of Boaz is expressed and with the instructions of Naomi in the next verse who so understood it; but if we understand it of young men here there is no contradiction; for both young men and maidens wrought together in the same field either in reaping or binding up; so that if she kept fast by the one she also would do the same by the other.

Ruth 2:22 ²² And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law “It is good my daughter that you go out with his young women and that people do not meet you in any other field.”

YLT ²²And Naomi saith unto Ruth her daughter-in-law `Good my daughter that thou goest out with his young women and they come not against thee in another field.'

And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law .... Observing the charge Boaz had given her she thought fit to advise her upon it:

it is good my daughter that thou go out with his maidens; that is go out in the morning with them set out from Bethlehem when they went to work and so continue with them all the day:

that they meet thee not in any other field; the meaning is either that men might not meet her in another field alone or rush upon her at once and unawares and reproach her or beat her or indeed force her; or else that the servants of Boaz might not meet her or see her in another field and report it to their master who would be offended at her; and take it as a slight of his kindness to her; which latter seems rather to be the sense.

Ruth 2:23 ²³ So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

YLT ²³And she cleaveth to the young women of Boaz to glean till the completion of the barley-harvest and of the wheat-harvest and she dwelleth with her mother-in-law.

So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean .... Accepting the kindness of Boaz and attending to the advice of her mother-in-law as well as using all diligence to get a livelihood for her mother and herself; in which she was a wonderful instance of dutiful affection humility and industry: and so she continued

unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; which latter began at Pentecost as the former did at the passover; and according to the Midrash^F12Midrash Ruth fol. 33. so Alshech in loc. from the beginning of the one to the end of the other were three months; though it may be they were gathered in sooner: indeed from the passover to Pentecost were seven weeks which was the difference between the beginning of one harvest and the beginning of the other:

and dwelt with her mother in law; which is to be understood either of her coming home at night after she had been gleaning all day and lodging with her mother-in-law which was her constant custom during both harvests; or that after the harvests were ended she continued to dwell with her mother-in-law; which seems to be added for the sake of carrying on the history in the following chapter.

──《John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible》