RUTH WORKS IN THE FIELD OF BOAZ

1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

18 And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

1 And Naomi had a kinseman of her husbands, a mighty man of wealth, of the familie of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.

2 And Ruth the Moabitesse saide vnto Naomi, Let me now goe to the field, and gleane eares of corne after him, in whose sight I shall finde grace. And shee saide vnto her, Goe, my daughter.

3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her happe was to light on a part of the fielde belonging vnto Boaz, who was of the kinred of Elimelech.

4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said vnto the reapers, The Lord bee with you; and they answered him, The Lord blesse thee.

5 Then said Boaz vnto his seruant, that was set ouer the reapers, Whose damosell is this?

6 And the seruaunt that was set ouer the reapers, answered and said, It is the Moabitish damosell that came backe with Naomi out of the countrey of Moab:

7 And she said, I pray you, let mee gleane and gather after the reapers amongst the sheaues: so shee came, and hath continued euen from the morning vntill now, that she taried a little in the house.

8 Then said Boaz vnto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Goe not to gleane in another field, neither goe from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens.

9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they doe reape, and go thou after them: Haue I not charged the young men, that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, goe vnto the vessels, and drinke of that which the yong men haue drawen.

10 Then she fel on her face, and bowed her selfe to the ground, and said vnto him, Why haue I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said vnto her, It hath fully bene shewed me, all that thou hast done vnto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy natiuitie, and art come vnto a people, which thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The Lord recompense thy worke, and a full reward be giuen thee of the Lord God of Israel, vnder whose wings thou art come to trust.

13 Then she said, Let me finde fauour in thy sight, my lord, for that thou hast comforted mee, and for that thou hast spoken friendly vnto thine handmaid, though I be not like vnto one of thy hand-maidens.

14 And Boaz sayde vnto her, At meale time come thou hither, and eate of the bread, and dip thy morsell in the vineger. And shee sate beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corne, and she did eate, and was sufficed, and left.

15 And when shee was risen vp to gleane, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her gleane euen among the sheaues, & reproch her not.

16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leaue them that she may gleane them, and rebuke her not.

17 So she gleaned in the field vntill euen, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an Ephah of barley.

18 And shee tooke it vp, and went into the citie: and her mother in lawe saw what shee had gleaned; and shee brought foorth, and gaue to her that she had reserued, after she was sufficed.

19 And her mother in law said vnto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be hee that did take knowledge of thee. And shee shewed her mother in lawe with whom shee had wrought, and said, The mans name with whom I wrought to day, is Boaz.

20 And Naomi said vnto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindnesse to the liuing and to the dead. And Naomi said vnto her, The man is neere of kin vnto vs, one of our next kinsemen.

21 And Ruth the Moabitesse said, He said vnto me also, Thou shalt keepe fast by my yong men, vntill they haue ended all my haruest.

22 And Naomi said vnto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou goe out with his maidens, that they meete thee not in any other field.

23 So shee kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to gleane, vnto the end of barley haruest, and of wheat haruest, and dwelt with her mother in law

I == Ruth 3:2 , 12 ; 4:21

II == Lev 19:9 ; Deut 24:19

IV == Ps 129:7-8 ; Luke 1:28 ; 2nd Thess 3:16

VI == Ruth 1:22

X == 1st Sam 25:23

XI == Ruth 1:14 , 16 , 17

XII == Ruth 1:16 ; 1st Sam 24:19 ; Ps 17:8 ; 36:7 ; 57:1 ; 63:7

XIII == Gen 34:3 ; 33:15 ; Judg 19:3 ; 1st Sam 1:18 ; 25:41

XIV == Ruth 2:18

XVIII == Ruth 2:14

XIX == Ruth 2:10 ; Ps 41:1

XX == Lev 25:25 ; Ruth 3:9-10 ; 4:6 ; 2nd Sam 2:5 ; Job 29:13 ; Prov 17:17

1 Naomi had a prominent kinsman named Boaz, of the clan of her husband Elimelech.

2 Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go and glean ears of grain in the field of anyone who will allow me that favor." Naomi said to her, "Go, my daughter,"

3 and she went. The field she entered to glean after the harvesters happened to be the section belonging to Boaz of the clan of Elimelech.

4 Boaz himself came from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, "The LORD be with you!" and they replied, "The LORD bless you!"

5 Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, "Whose girl is this?"

6 The overseer of the harvesters answered, "She is the Moabite girl who returned from the plateau of Moab with Naomi.

7 She asked leave to gather the gleanings into sheaves after the harvesters; and ever since she came this morning she has remained here until now, with scarcely a moment's rest."

8 Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter! Do not go to glean in anyone else's field; you are not to leave here. Stay here with my women servants.

9 Watch to see which field is to be harvested, and follow them; I have commanded the young men to do you no harm. When you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the vessels the young men have filled."

10 Casting herself prostrate upon the ground, she said to him, "Why should I, a foreigner, be favored with your notice?"

11 Boaz answered her: "I have had a complete account of what you have done for your mother-in-law after your husband's death; 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 previously.

12 May the LORD reward what you have done! May you receive a full reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

13 She said, "May I prove worthy of your kindness, my lord: you have comforted me, your servant, with your consoling words; would indeed that I were a servant of yours!"

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here and have some food; dip your bread in the sauce." Then as she sat near the reapers, he handed her some roasted grain and she ate her fill and had some left over.

15 She rose to glean, and Boaz instructed his servants to let her glean among the sheaves themselves without scolding her,

16 and even to let drop some handfuls and leave them for her to glean without being rebuked.

17 She gleaned in the field until evening, and when she beat out what she had gleaned it came to about an ephah of barley,

18 which she took into the city and showed to her mother-in-law. Next she brought out and gave her what she had left over from lunch.

19 So her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you go to work? May he who took notice of you be blessed!" Then she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. "The man at whose place I worked today is named Boaz," she said.

20 "May he be blessed by the LORD, who is ever merciful to the living and to the dead," Naomi exclaimed to her daughter-in-law; and she continued, "He is a relative of ours, one of our next of kin."

21 "He even told me," added Ruth the Moabite, "that I should stay with his servants until they complete his entire harvest."

22 "You would do well, my dear," Naomi rejoined, "to go out with his servants; for in someone else's field you might be insulted."

23 So she stayed gleaning with the servants of Boaz until the end of the barley and wheat harvests.

COMMATARY

v 1. This verse gives several facts (in reverse order): A man named Boaz, his family ancestry, he was wealthy and he was related to Naomi’s husband.

v 2,3. Ruth was energetic and eager to supply both Naomi and her needs. She appears lucky to have ended up in Boaz’s field, but it was the providence of the Lord.

v 4--7. Although Boaz had an overseer, he personally stopped by, and had a good relationship with all the workers. He was quick to notice the alien woman among the usual gleaners, and his overseer reported who she was and how she happened to be there. His report included the fact that she was a diligent worker and only paused briefly in the shelter provided, where there was cool water to drink.

v 8-12. Boaz personally encouraged Ruth to continue gleaning in his fields, and warned his young men not to molest her. When she questioned why he would be so good to her, a foreigner, he told of the good report he had heard of her, and blesses her for her trust in the Lord. “Wings” or extremity, is the same word used for “skirt”, 3:9.

v 13-17. Ruth reveals her loneliness in expressing her appreciation, and Boaz makes her feel welcome with the others at the meal. Then he admonished his workers to let some grain fall on purpose for her. As a result, Ruth was able to glean just short of a bushel of barley, a week’s worth of labor in only one day.

v 18-23. Ruth not only brought the grain to Naomi, but also what was left over from her lunch. Naomi blessed the man who had provided so well even before she found out his name was Boaz, then she blessed him again. She realizes something Ruth did not know, that Boaz was one of her husband’s close relatives, and was aware he had the authority to redeem them. (There was another more closely related, 3:13.) Naomi instructed Ruth to abide by the offer by Boaz and glean only in his fields. Ruth continued through the barley harvest and also the wheat harvest which followed, all the while remaining faithful to Naomi.