Ruth 1
Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons
1In the days when the judges ruled,,a there was a famine in the land.b So a man from Bethlehem in Judah,c together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a whiled in the country of Moab.e 2The man’s name was Elimelek,f his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion.g They were Ephrathitesh from Bethlehem,i Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. Map: The Book of Ruth
3Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4They married Moabite women,j one named Orpah and the other Ruth.k After they had lived there about ten years, 5both Mahlon and Kilionl also died,m and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
6When Naomi heard in Moabn that the LORD had come to the aid of his peopleo by providing foodp for them, she and her daughters-in-lawq prepared to return home from there. 7With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home.r May the LORD show you kindness,s as you have shown kindness to your dead husbandst and to me. 9May the LORD grant that each of you will find restu in the home of another husband.”
Then she kissedv them goodbye and they wept aloudw 10and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”
11But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands?x 12Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13would you wait until they grew up?y Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitterz for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!a”
14At this they weptb aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-lawc goodbye,d but Ruth clung to her.e
15“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-lawf is going back to her people and her gods.g Go back with her.”
16But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave youh or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go,i and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my peoplej and your God my God.k 17Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely,l if even death separates you and me.”m 18When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.n
19So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.o When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirredp because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty,q has made my life very bitter.r 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty.s Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me;t the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
22So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite,u her daughter-in-law,v arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvestw was beginning.x Article: Ruth the Moabite
Ruth 2
Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field
1Now Naomi had a relativea on her husband’s side, a man of standingb from the clan of Elimelek,c whose name was Boaz.d
2And Ruth the Moabitee said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grainf behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.g”
Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters.h As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.i
4Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The LORD be with you!j”
“The LORD bless you!k” they answered.
5Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”
6The overseer replied, “She is the Moabitel who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheavesm behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short restn in the shelter.”
8So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”
10At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground.o She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice mep—a foreigner?q”
11Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-lawr since the death of your husbands—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not knowt before.u 12May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD,v the God of Israel,w under whose wingsx you have come to take refuge.y”
13“May I continue to find favor in your eyes,z my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”
14At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some breada and dip it in the wine vinegar.”
When she sat down with the harvesters,b he offered her some roasted grain.c She ate all she wanted and had some left over.d 15As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheavese and don’t reprimand her. 16Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebukef her.”
17So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshedg the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.,h 18She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left overi after she had eaten enough.
19Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!j”
Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.
20“The LORD bless him!k” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law.l “He has not stopped showing his kindnessm to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative;n he is one of our guardian-redeemers.,o” Article: Guardian-Redeemer
21Then Ruth the Moabitep said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’ ”
22Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.”
23So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barleyq and wheat harvestsr were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Ruth 3
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
1One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomia said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home,b for you, where you will be well provided for. 2Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relativec of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.d 3Wash,e put on perfume,f and get dressed in your best clothes.g Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.h 4When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
5“I will do whatever you say,”i Ruth answered. 6So she went down to the threshing floorj and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits,k he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile.l Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9“Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garmentm over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer,n of our family.”
10“The LORD bless you,o my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier:p You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.q 12Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family,r there is another who is more closely related thans I. 13Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer,t good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD livesu I will do it.v Lie here until morning.”
14So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.w”x
15He also said, “Bring me the shawly you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town.
16When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”
Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”
18Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”z
Ruth 4
Boaz Marries Ruth
1Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gatea and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer,b he had mentionedc came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Photo
2Boaz took ten of the eldersd of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.e 3Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.f 4I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you,g and I am next in line.”
“I will redeem it,” he said.
5Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,h the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”i
6At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeemj it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”k
7(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemptionl and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandalm and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactionsn in Israel.)o
8So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.p
9Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnessesq that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite,r Mahlon’s widow, as my wife,s in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown.t Today you are witnesses!u”
11Then the elders and all the people at the gatev said, “We are witnesses.w May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah,x who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathahy and be famous in Bethlehem.z 12Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez,a whom Tamarb bore to Judah.”
Naomi Gains a Son
13So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive,c and she gave birth to a son.d 14The womene said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD,f who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.g May he become famous throughout Israel! 15He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law,h who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons,i has given him birth.”
16Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse,j the father of David.k
The Genealogy of David
4:18-22pp — 1Ch 2:5-15; Mt 1:3-6; Lk 3:31-33
18This, then, is the family line of Perezl:
Perez was the father of Hezron,m
19Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,n
20Amminadab the father of Nahshon,o
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
21Salmon the father of Boaz,p
Boaz the father of Obed,
22Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of David.
1 1:1 Traditionally judged
2 1:20 Naomi means pleasant.
3 1:20 Mara means bitter.
4 1:20 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 21
5 1:21 Or has testified against
1 2:17 That is, probably about 30 pounds or about 13 kilograms
2 2:20 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55).
1 3:1 Hebrew find rest (see 1:9)
2 3:9 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55); also in verses 12 and 13.
3 3:15 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac she
1 4:1 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55); also in verses 3,6,8 and 14.
2 4:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts he
3 4:5 Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew (see also Septuagint) Naomi and from Ruth the Moabite, you acquire the
4 4:20 A few Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 21 and Septuagint of 1 Chron. 2:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Salma
1:1 when the judges ruled. Probably from c. 1380 to c. 1050 bc (see Introduction to Judges: Background). By mentioning the judges, the author calls to mind that period of Israel’s apostasy, moral degradation and oppression. famine. Not mentioned in Judges. Bethlehem in Judah. David’s hometown (1Sa 16:18). Bethlehem (the name means “house of food”) is empty. Moab. See map and accompanying text below.
1:2 Elimelek. Means “(My) God is King” (see note on Jdg 8:23). Naomi. See NIV text note on v. 20. Mahlon. Ruth’s husband (4:10), whose name probably means “weakling” or “sickly person.” Kilion. Probably means something like “frail person.” (Mahlon’s and Kilion’s names may have been acquired as their conditions became evident.) Ephrathites. Ephrathah was a name for the area around Bethlehem (4:11; Ge 35:19; 1Sa 17:12; Mic 5:2). See photo.
1:3 Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died. Naomi’s emptying begins (v. 21).
1:4 They married. The prospect of continuing the family line remained. Moabite women. See Ge 19:36–37. Marriage with Moabite women was not forbidden, though no Moabite—or his descendants to the tenth generation—was allowed to “enter the assembly of the LORD” (Dt 23:3). Ruth. The meaning of her name is uncertain. Ruth is one of five women in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. The others are Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba and Mary (see Mt 1:3, 5–6,16 and note on 1:3).
1:5 Mahlon and Kilion also died. Naomi’s emptying is complete (see v. 3 and note). Naomi was left. She now has neither husband nor sons to support her. In a context where perpetuating the family line is essential, she has only two young daughters-in-law, both of them foreigners and childless.
1:6–22 Act I in the drama: Naomi’s sense of desolation is exposed.
1:8 Go back. Desolate Naomi repeatedly urges her daughters-in-law to return to their original homes in Moab (here; vv. 11–12,15); she has nothing to offer them.
1:11 sons, who could become your husbands. Naomi alludes to the Israelite law (Dt 25:5–6) regarding levirate marriage (see notes on Ge 38:8; Dt 25:5–10; see also Mk 12:18–23), which was given to protect the widow and guarantee continuance of the family line.
1:12 I am too old. Naomi can have no more sons; even her womb is empty.
1:13 the LORD’s hand . . . against me. Like many of the psalmists, Naomi laments before God her dire situation (see notes on vv. 5–6; see also vv. 20–21).
1:14 Orpah’s departure highlights the loyalty and selfless devotion of Ruth to her desolate mother-in-law.
1:15 her gods. The chief god of the Moabites was Chemosh.
1:16 This classic expression of loyalty and love discloses Ruth’s true character. Her commitment to Naomi is complete, even though it holds no prospect for her except to share in Naomi’s desolation. For a similar declaration of devotion, see 2Sa 15:21.
1:17 May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely. See note on 1Sa 3:17. Ruth, a non-Israelite, swears her commitment to Naomi in the name of Israel’s God, thus acknowledging him as her God (v. 16). if even death separates you and me. Cf. 2Sa 1:23.
1:20 Naomi . . . Mara. See NIV text notes. In the ancient Near East a person’s name was often descriptive. Naomi’s choice of name and her explanation for it provide the most poignant disclosure of her sense of desolation—it seems that even her God is against her. Almighty. See note on Ge 17:1.
1:21 full . . . empty. These words highlight the central theme of the story—how the empty Naomi becomes full again.
1:22 harvest. Harvesting grain in ancient Canaan took place in April and May (barley first, wheat a few weeks later; see 2:23). It involved the following steps: (1) cutting the ripened standing grain with hand sickles (Dt 16:9; 23:25; Jer 50:16; Joel 3:13)—usually done by men; (2) binding the grain into sheaves—usually done by women; (3) gleaning, i.e., gathering stalks of grain left behind (2:7); (4) transporting the sheaves to the threshing floor—often by donkey, sometimes by cart (Am 2:13); (5) threshing, i.e., loosening the grain from the straw—usually done by the treading of cattle (Dt 25:4; Hos 10:11), but sometimes by toothed threshing sledges (Isa 41:15; Am 1:3) or the wheels of carts (Isa 28:28); (6) winnowing—done by tossing the grain into the air with winnowing forks (Jer 15:7) so that the wind, which usually came up for a few hours in the afternoon, blew away the straw and chaff (Ps 1:4), leaving the grain at the winnower’s feet; (7) sifting the grain (Am 9:9) to remove any residual foreign matter; (8) bagging for transportation and storage (Ge 42–44). Threshing floors, where both threshing and winnowing occurred, were hard, smooth, open places, prepared on either rock or clay and carefully chosen for favorable exposure to the prevailing winds. They were usually on the east side—i.e., downwind—of the village. was beginning. Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem just as the renewed fullness of the land is beginning to be harvested—an early hint that Naomi will be full again. Reference to the barley harvest also prepares the reader for the next major scene in the harvest fields (see Introduction: Literary Features).
2:1–23 Act II in the drama: What is done by Ruth and Boaz awakens hope in Naomi’s heart.
2:2 Let me go. Although Ruth is a foreigner and, as a young woman alone, is obviously quite vulnerable in the harvest fields, she undertakes to provide for her mother-in-law. In 3:1 Naomi undertakes to provide for Ruth. pick up the leftover grain. The law of Moses instructed landowners to leave what the harvesters missed so that the poor, the foreigner, the widow and the fatherless could glean for their needs (Lev 19:9; 23:22; Dt 24:19). See photos,here and here.
2:3 As it turned out. Divine providence is at work (vv. 19–20).
2:4 The exchange of greetings between Boaz and his laborers characterizes Boaz as a godly man with a kind spirit.
2:9 follow along after the women. It was customary for the men to cut the grain and for the female servants to go behind them to bind the grain into sheaves. Then Ruth could glean what they had left behind (see note on 1:22). not to lay a hand on you. This little word from Boaz indicates the risk Ruth had taken and discloses the measure of Boaz’s care for her.
2:11 what you have done for your mother-in-law. Ruth’s commitment to care for her desolate mother-in-law remains the center of attention throughout the book.
2:12 under whose wings. A figure of a bird protecting her young under her wings (see Mt 23:37; see also note on 3:9).
2:13 your servant. A polite self-reference.
2:15 gave orders to his men. Boaz goes beyond the requirement of the law in making sure that Ruth’s labors are abundantly productive (see 3:15 and note).
2:17 threshed. See note on 1:22. In Ruth’s case, as in that of Gideon (Jdg 6:11), the amount was small and could be threshed by hand simply by beating it with a club or stick. ephah. See NIV text note; an unusually large amount for one day’s gleaning.
2:20 He has not stopped showing his kindness. In 3:10 Boaz credits Ruth with demonstrating this same virtue (in 1:8 it is used of Yahweh; see note on Ps 6:4). guardian-redeemers. See NIV text note and article below. Redemption is a key concept in Ruth (see Introduction: Themes and Theology). When Naomi hears about the day’s events, she takes courage. This moment of her awakened hope is the crucial turning point of the story (see Introduction: Literary Features).
2:23 until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. This phrase rounds out the harvest episode and prepares for the next major scene on the threshing floor (see Introduction: Literary Features).
3:1–18 Act III in the drama: Hopeful Naomi takes the initiative.
3:2 Tonight he will be winnowing. See note on 1:22. In the threshing season it was customary for the landowner and his men to spend the night near the threshing floor to protect his grain from theft.
3:3 Ruth is instructed to prepare herself like a bride (see Eze 16:9–12 and notes). go down to the threshing floor. At winnowing time the threshing floor was a place for male camaraderie and revelry (v. 14). eating and drinking. Harvest was a time of festivity (Isa 9:3; 16:9–10; Jer 48:33).
3:4 uncover his feet and lie down. Although Naomi’s instructions may appear forward, the moral integrity of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz proves to be uncompromised (v. 11). Naomi’s advice to Ruth is clearly for the purpose of appealing to Boaz’s guardian-redeemer obligation. Tamar, the mother of Perez (4:12), had also laid claim to the provision of the levirate (or guardian-redeemer) law (Ge 38:13–30).
3:9 Spread the corner of your garment over me. A request for marriage (see Eze 16:8 and note); a similar custom is still practiced in some parts of the Middle East today. With a striking play on words Ruth confronts Boaz with his moral obligations. In the harvest field he had wished her well at the hands of the Lord “under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (2:12). Now on the threshing floor Ruth asks him to spread the “wings” (i.e., the corners) of his garment over her. Boaz is vividly reminded that he must serve as the Lord’s protective wings over Ruth.
3:10 kindness . . . you showed earlier. See 2:11–12; see also note on 2:20.
3:11 woman of noble character. See Pr 12:4; 31:10, the only other places where the Hebrew for this phrase occurs in the OT. The Hebrew for “noble character” is the same as that used to describe Boaz in 2:1; thus the author maintains a balance between his descriptions of Ruth and Boaz (see note on 2:20).
3:12 another . . . more closely related. How Boaz was related to Ruth’s former husband (Mahlon) is unknown, but the closest male relative had the primary responsibility to marry a widow. Naomi instructed Ruth to approach Boaz because he had already shown himself willing to be Ruth’s protector. Boaz, however, would not bypass the directives of the law, which clearly gave priority to the nearest relative.
3:13 as surely as the LORD lives. Boaz commits himself by oath (cf. 1:17 and note) to redeem the family property and to arrange Ruth’s honorable marriage.
3:15 Boaz goes beyond the requirement of the law in supplying Ruth with grain from the threshing floor (2:15–16).
3:17 empty-handed. Again the empty-full motif (see note on 1:21).
4:1–12 Act IV in the drama: Boaz arranges to fulfill his pledge to Ruth.
4:2 ten of the elders. A full court for legal proceedings.
4:3 selling the piece of land. See note on 2:20. Two interpretations are possible: (1) Naomi owns the land but is so destitute that she is forced to sell. It was the duty of the guardian-redeemer to buy any land in danger of being sold outside the family. (2) Naomi does not own the land—it had been sold by Elimelek before the family left for Moab—but by law she retains the right of redemption to buy the land back. Lacking funds to do so herself, she is dependent on a guardian-redeemer to do it for her. It is the right of redemption that Naomi is “selling.”
4:5 you also acquire . . . the dead man’s widow. Now Boaz reveals the other half of the obligation—the acquisition of Ruth. Levirate law (Dt 25:5–6; see note on Lev 25:25) provided that Ruth’s firstborn son would keep Mahlon’s name alive and retain ownership of the family inheritance.
4:6 I cannot redeem it. Possibly he fears that, if he has a son by her and if that son is his only surviving heir, his own property will transfer to the family of Elimelek (see note on Ge 38:9). In that case his risk was no greater than that assumed by Boaz. This relative’s refusal to assume the guardian-redeemer’s role highlights the kindness and generosity of Boaz toward the two widows—just as Orpah’s return to her family highlights Ruth’s selfless devotion and loyalty to Naomi.
4:7 one party took off his sandal. The process of renouncing one’s property rights and passing them to another was publicly attested by taking off a sandal and transferring it to the new owner (cf. Am 2:6; 8:6). The Nuzi documents (see chart) refer to a similar custom.
4:9 witnesses. The role of public witnesses was to attest to all legal transactions and other binding agreements.
4:11 Rachel and Leah . . . built up the family of Israel. Cf. Dt 25:9. The Israelite readers of Ruth would have associated the house of Jacob (Israel), built up by Rachel and Leah, with the house of Israel, rebuilt by David, the descendant of Ruth and Boaz, after it had been threatened with extinction (1Sa 4). They also knew that the Lord had covenanted to “build” the house of David as an enduring dynasty, through which Israel’s blessed destiny would be assured (2Sa 7:27–29). Ephrathah. See note on 1:2.
4:12 Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah. Perez was Boaz’s ancestor (vv. 18–21; Mt 1:3; Lk 3:33). His birth to Judah was from a union based on the levirate practice (Ge 38:27–30; see note on 1:11). Perez was therefore an appropriate model within Boaz’s ancestry for the blessing the elders gave to Boaz. Moreover, the descendants of Perez had raised the tribe of Judah to a prominent place in Israel. So the blessing of the elders—that, through the offspring Ruth would bear to Boaz, his family would be like that of Perez—was fully realized in David and his dynasty. Thus also v. 12 prepares the reader for the events briefly narrated in the conclusion.
4:13–17 The conclusion of the story balances the introduction (1:1–5): (1) In the Hebrew both have the same number of words; (2) both compress much into a short space; (3) both focus on Naomi; (4) the introduction emphasizes Naomi’s emptiness, and the conclusion portrays her fullness.
4:14 guardian-redeemer. The child Obed, as vv. 15–17 make clear. May he become famous. This same wish is expressed concerning Boaz in v. 11.
4:15 better to you than seven sons. See 1Sa 1:8. Since seven was considered a number of completeness, to have seven sons was the epitome of all family blessings in Israel (1Sa 2:5; Job 1:2; 42:13). Ruth’s selfless devotion to Naomi receives its climactic acknowledgment.
4:16 took the child in her arms. Possibly symbolizing adoption (see v. 17 and note on Ge 30:3).
4:17 Naomi has a son. Through Ruth, aged Naomi, who can no longer bear children, obtains an heir in place of Mahlon. Obed. The name means “servant,” in its full form (Obadiah) “servant of the LORD.”
4:18–22 See 1Ch 2:5–15; Mt 1:3–6; Lk 3:31–33. Like the genealogies of Ge 5:3–32; 11:10–26, this genealogy has ten names (see note on Ge 5:5). It brings to mind the reign of David, during which, in contrast to the turbulent period of the judges recalled in 1:1, Israel experienced rest more fully in the promised land (see 1Ki 5:4 and note). It signifies that just as Naomi was brought from emptiness to fullness through the selfless love of Ruth and Boaz, so the Lord brought Israel from unrest to rest through their descendant David, who selflessly gave himself to fight Israel’s battles on the Lord’s behalf. The ultimate end of this genealogy is Jesus Christ, the great “son of David” (Mt 1:1; see note there), who fulfills prophecy and will bring the Lord’s people into the full realization of rest in him (see Introduction to Joshua: Title and Theological Theme; see also Heb 3:7—4:11 and notes).