Ruth 2:12

12 May ADONAI reward you for what you've done; may you be rewarded in full by ADONAI the God of Isra'el, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

Ruth 2:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ruth 2:12

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 ( Psalms 36:7 ) ( 57:1 ) 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 2:12 In-Context

10 She fell on her face, prostrating herself, and said to him, "Why are you showing me such favor? Why are you paying attention to me? After all, I'm only a foreigner."

11 Bo'az answered her, "I've heard the whole story, everything you've done for your mother-in-law since your husband died, including how you left your father and mother and the land you were born in to come to a people about whom you knew nothing beforehand.

12 May ADONAI reward you for what you've done; may you be rewarded in full by ADONAI the God of Isra'el, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

13 She said, "My lord, I hope I continue pleasing you. You have comforted and encouraged me, even though I'm not one of your servants."

14 When meal-time came, Bo'az said to her, "Come here, have something to eat, and dip your piece of bread in the [olive oil and] vinegar." She sat by the reapers, and they passed her some roasted grain. She ate till she was full, and she had some left over.