Ruth 3:8

8 During the night he woke up suddenly, turned over, and was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet.

Ruth 3:8 Meaning and Commentary

Ruth 3:8

And it came to pass at midnight
So long Boaz slept without knowledge of any person being at his feet, and so long Ruth had lain there; but awaking, and perceiving something at his feet, which pressed them, it made him look about and feel, and so affected him,

that the man was afraid;
though a man, and a man of spirit, he was afraid, a panic seized him, not knowing but it might be a spectre, a spirit, or a demon, as Jarchi; and such an instance we have in history

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 of an apparition, which seemed to put off clothes, and place itself in a bed where a man lay

and turned himself;
to see who it was:

and, behold, a woman lay at his feet;
which he knew by putting his hand upon her head, as Jarchi thinks, and so knew her by her headdress, or vail; or rather by her voice, as Aben Ezra, and who supposes the moon might shine, and he might be able to discern she had no beard, as well as also discover her by her clothes.

F19 Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 9.

Ruth 3:8 In-Context

6 So Ruth went to the threshing place and did just what her mother-in-law had told her.

7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking, he was in a good mood. He went to the pile of barley and lay down to sleep. Ruth slipped over quietly, lifted the covers and lay down at his feet.

8 During the night he woke up suddenly, turned over, and was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet.

9 "Who are you?" he asked. "It's Ruth, sir," she answered. "Because you are a close relative, you are responsible for taking care of me. So please marry me."

10 "The Lord bless you," he said. "You are showing even greater family loyalty in what you are doing now than in what you did for your mother-in-law. You might have gone looking for a young man, either rich or poor, but you haven't.