Ruth 4:5

5 Then said Bo`az, What day you buy the field of the hand of Na`omi, you must buy it also of Rut the Mo'avite, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.

Ruth 4:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ruth 4:5

Then said Boaz
In order to try the kinsman, whether he would abide by his resolution, he acquaints him with what he had as yet concealed:

what day thou buyest the field of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth
the Moabitess, the wife of the dead;
the wife of Mahlon, who was dead, the eldest son of Naomi, and so his widow, Ruth the Moabitess, had the reversion of the estate; wherefore the purchase must be made of her as well as of Naomi, and the purchase could not be made of her without marrying her; which, though no law obliged to, yet it seems to be a condition of the purchase annexed to it by Naomi, that she would sell it to no man, unless he would consent to marry Ruth, for whose settlement she had a great concern, having been very dutiful and affectionate to her; which is clearly intimated in the next clause:

to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance;
and so Naomi had another end to answer thereby, not only to provide a good husband for her daughter-in-law, but to perpetuate the name of her son, agreeably to the design of the law in ( Deuteronomy 25:5 ) .

Ruth 4:5 In-Context

3 He said to the near kinsman, Na`omi, who has come back out of the country of Mo'av, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelekh's:

4 I thought to disclose it to you, saying, Buy it before those who sit here, and before the Zakenim of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it: but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it besides you; and I am after you. He said, I will redeem it.

5 Then said Bo`az, What day you buy the field of the hand of Na`omi, you must buy it also of Rut the Mo'avite, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.

6 The near kinsman said, I can't redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance: take my right of redemption on you; for I can't redeem it.

7 Now this was [the custom] in former time in Yisra'el concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the [manner of] attestation in Yisra'el.