Daniel P. Barron

Ruth 3

Wednesday, January 13, 2021 

1 And Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek for you rest, that it may be good for you? 2 And now, is not Boaz, who you are with his young women, our relative? Behold, he is winnowing the barley at the threshing floor tonight. 3 So, wash and anoint and put your garment on you and go down to the threshing floor. Do not be known to the man until he finishes eating and drinking. 4 And it shall be, in his lying down, so know the place where he lies there. And come in and uncover his feet and lie down. And he will tell you what you should do.” 5 And she said to her, “All that you have said, I will do.”


6 So, she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her. 7 And Boaz ate and drank and his heart was good. And he went in to lie down at the edge of the heap. And she came in the secret and uncovered his feet and laid down. 8 And it was at midnight, and the man was startled and turned and behold, a woman lying at his feet.


9 And he said, “Who are you?” And she said, “I am Ruth, your maidservant, so spread out your wing over your maidservant, for you are a redeemer.” 10 And he said, “Blessed are you of Yehvah, my daughter. Your lovingkindness is better at the latter than at the beginning, to not go after the young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. All that you say, I will do for you. For everyone at the gate of my people know that you are a virtuous i woman. 12 And now, that is indeed true. I am a redeemer. And also, there is a redeemer closer than I. 13 Lodge tonight, and if he redeems you, good. He will redeem. And if he does not want to redeem you, so I will redeem you. Yehvah lives. ii Lie down until the morning.”


14 And she lay down at his feet until the morning. And she arose before each recognized his neighbor. And he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he said, “Give the cloak that is upon you and hold onto her.” And she held onto her, and he measured six barley and put upon her. And he went iii into the city.


16 And she came in to her mother-in-law, and she said, “Who are you, iv my daughter?” And she told her all that the man did to her. 17 And she said, “These six of barley he gave to me, for he said, 'Do not go empty to your mother-in-law.'” 18 And she said, “Sit, my daughter, until you know how the matter falls. For the man will not be quiet until the matter is finished today.”


Ruth 2 - Ruth 4


Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.

  1. לל ייִח) chayil) “virtuous” - same word for the “virtuous” woman of Proverbs 31:10, and for the men of “valor” e.g. Judges 20:46. Basic idea of the word is strength. ^
  2. ה הוה י־יה יִח) chay-yehvâh) “Yehvah lives” - see footnote for Judges 8:19. ^
  3. אא ב יה) yâvo') “he went” ASV, CJB, DARBY, ERV, NET, NIV, WEB; “he goeth” YLT; “she went” Green, NKJV, KJV, NAS, etc. - this is a masculine verb, “he went.” ^
  4. הִלי־א מ)miy-'at) “Who are you” Green, CJB; “Who art thou” KJV; “Who [art] thou” YLT; “Is that you” NKJV; “How did it go” NAS. ^

6 Responses

  1. [...] And Naomi had an acquaintance to her man, a man of strong wealth, from family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. -- “Boaz” - found also in Ruth 2:3-5, 8, 11, 14-15, 19, 23; 3:2, 7; 4:1, 5, 8-9, 13, 21; 1 Kings 7:21; 1 Chronicles 2:11-12; 2 Chronicles 3:17. [...]

    [...] May Yehvah reward your work and may your wages be complete from Yehvah, Gods of Israel, whom you have come to seek refuge under his wings.” -- “his wings” - “wing” in Ruth 3:9 is clearly used as a figure of speech for Boaz. [...]

  2. Anonymous

    I appologize since this is off topic but, do you believe that the Flood described in Genesis was global?

  3. Yes. "The waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered." (Genesis 7:19)

    Genesis 7:

    17 Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.

  4. [...] And the name of the man was Elimelech, and his woman's name was Naomi, and name of his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion Ephraimites from House of Bread, Judah. And they came in to fields of Moab and were there. “Elimelech” = “my God is king” - found also in Ruth 1:3; 2:1, 3; 4:3, 9. “Naomi” - found also in Ruth 1:3, 8, 11, 19-22, 2:1-2, 6, 20, 22; 3:1; 4:3, 5, 9, 14, 16-17. [...]

    [...] And they took for themselves Moabite women, the name of the one, Orpah, and the name of the second, Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. “Ruth” - found also in Ruth 1:14, 16, 22; 2:2, 8, 21-22; 3:9; 4:5,10, 13. [...]

  5. And he said, “They were my brothers, sons of my mother. Yehvah lives. If you had let them live, I would not have killed you.” -- “Yehvah lives” - YLT “Jehovah liveth”; Green “As Jehovah lives”; NKJV, etc. “As the LORD lives” - same exact words as in Psalm 18:46(H47) “The LORD lives!” (NKJV). Used when taking an oath (e.g. 1 Samuel 20:3; 1 Kings 1:29). This exact phrase can also be found in Ruth 3:13; 1 Samuel 14:39, 45; 19:6; 20:21; 25:26, 34; 26:10, 16; 28:10; 29:6; 2 Samuel 4:9; 12:5; 14:11; 15:21; 22:47; 1 Kings 2:24; 17:1, 12; 18:10, 15; 22:14; 2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6; 3:14; 4:30; 5:16, 20; 2 Chronicles 18:13; Jeremiah 4:2; 5:2; 12:16; 16:14-15; 23:7-8; 38:16; Hosea 4:15. There is also חיי־אפיל (chay-'êl) “God lives” in Job 27:2; ים להי אל א הה י חי) chay hâ'elohym, singular adjective, plural noun) “the God lives” or “the Gods, He lives” in 2 Samuel 2:27; הה ינהוי יי הנה ד י־אד חי) chay-'adonây yehvih) “Yehvih Lords lives” in Jeremiah 44:26; ה ינהוה י חי ת צנבהאו) chay yehvâh tsevâot) "Yehvah of armies lives" in Kings 18:15; 2 Kings 3:14; ם עולה הה י חפי) chay hâ`olâm) “the eternal one lives” in Daniel 12:7; by God Himself, ניי י־אה חי) chay-'âniy) “I live” in Numbers 14:21, 28; Isaiah 49:18; Jeremiah 22:24; 46:18; Ezekiel 5:11; 14:16, 18, 20; 16:48; 17:16, 19; 18:3; 20:3, 31, 33; 33:11, 27; 34:8; 35:6, 11; Zephaniah 2:9; and ם הלה ע לנ י הכי נ אה י חי) chay 'ânokiy le`olâm) “I live forever” in Deuteronomy 32:40.

  6. If a man sins against a man, Gods, he will intercede for him. And if a man sins against Yehvah, who will intercede for him?” And they did not listen to the voice of their father, because Yehvah desired to kill them. -- ץ פי חַח) châphêts) “desired” NKJV, NAS; “delighted” YLT – used in same sense as here in Judges 13:23 (“desired” to kill), elsewhere used in the sense of “delight” e.g. Genesis 34:19; Numbers 14:8; Deuteronomy 21:14; 1 Samuel 18:22, and “want” or “desire” e.g. Deuteronomy 25:7-8; Ruth 3:13; 1 Samuel 18:25.

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