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Boaz Marries Ruth

Boaz went to the city gate [C the hub of the town for judicial, business, and social interaction] and sat there until the ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer; 2:20] he had mentioned passed by. Boaz called to him, “·Come here [L Turn aside], ·friend [or so-and-so; C the man is not named, perhaps ironically because he refused to preserve Naomi’s family name], and sit down.” So the man ·came over [turned aside] and sat down. Boaz gathered ten of the elders of the city and told them, “Sit down here!” So they sat down.

Then Boaz said to the ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer], “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, ·wants to sell [is selling] the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech [C it was important in Israel to keep property in the family]. So I ·decided [or thought it my obligation] to tell you about it: If you want to ·buy back the land [redeem it], then ·buy it [redeem] in front of the people who are sitting here and in front of the elders of my people. But if you don’t want to buy it, tell me, because you are the ·only one [or first in line] who can buy it, and I am next after you.”

The close relative answered, “I will ·buy back the land [redeem it].”

Then Boaz explained, “When you ·buy [acquire] the land from [L the hand of] Naomi, you must also ·marry [acquire] Ruth, the Moabite, the dead man’s wife. ·That way, the land will stay in the dead man’s name [L …to raise up a name for the dead man upon his inheritance].”

The ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer] answered, “I can’t ·buy back the land [redeem it]. If I did, I might ·harm [destroy; endanger; put in jeopardy] ·what I can pass on to my own sons [my inheritance]. I cannot ·buy the land back [redeem it], so ·buy it [redeem it for] yourself.”

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The Marriage of Ruth

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, (A)the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, [a]friend, sit down here.” And he came over and sat down. Then he took ten men of the (B)elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. And he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, has to sell the plot of land (C)which belonged to our brother Elimelech. So I thought that I would [b]inform you, saying, ‘(D)Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if [c]not, tell me so that I may know; for (E)there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order (F)to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” Then (G)the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, otherwise I would [d]jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, since I cannot redeem it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 4:1 Lit a certain one
  2. Ruth 4:4 Lit uncover your ear
  3. Ruth 4:4 Lit no one will redeem
  4. Ruth 4:6 Lit damage