Ruth 2:20

20 Naomi told her daughter-in-law, "The Lord bless him! He continues to be kind to us -- both the living and the dead!" Then Naomi told Ruth, "Boaz is one of our close relatives, one who should take care of us."

Ruth 2:20 Meaning and Commentary

Ruth 2:20

And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, blessed be he of the
Lord
Or the Lord bless him with all kind of blessings, temporal and spiritual; and as he has blessed him already, may he be blessed more and more:

who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead;
he had been kind to Elimelech and to his sons, who were now dead, and he continued his kindness to the reliefs of them, Naomi and Ruth, who were living, and was kind to them for the sake of the dead; and showing kindness to them expressed his respect to the memory of the dead:

and Naomi said unto her;
continued her speech to her, and added to what she had said:

the man is near of kin to us;
a near relation of ours, meaning by her husband's side: yea,

one of our next kinsmen;
the nearest we have, there was but one nearer than he: the word for kinsman here is "Goel", a redeemer; for to such who were in the degree of kindred as Boaz was, and he that was nearer still than he to them, belonged the right of redemption, and therefore were called by the name of "Goel", a redeemer, as Ben Melech observes; they had a right to avenge the blood of the slain, to redeem their houses and possessions, if sold or mortgaged, and their persons by marrying them, and raising up seed to a deceased brother, or kinsman.

Ruth 2:20 In-Context

18 Ruth carried the grain into town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also took out the food that was left over from lunch and gave it to Naomi.

19 Naomi asked her, "Where did you gather all this grain today? Where did you work? Blessed be whoever noticed you!" Ruth told her mother-in-law whose field she had worked in. She said, "The man I worked with today is named Boaz."

20 Naomi told her daughter-in-law, "The Lord bless him! He continues to be kind to us -- both the living and the dead!" Then Naomi told Ruth, "Boaz is one of our close relatives, one who should take care of us."

21 Then Ruth, the Moabite, said, "Boaz also told me, 'Keep close to my workers until they have finished my whole harvest.'"

22 But Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, "It is better for you to continue working with his women workers. If you work in another field, someone might hurt you."