Ruth 3:13-18

13 Stay [here] tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, [that's] good. Let him redeem [you]. But if he doesn't want to redeem you, as the Lord lives, I will. Now, lie down until morning."

14 So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark.^[a] Then Boaz said, "Don't let it be known that a^[b] woman came to the threshing floor."

15 And he told [Ruth], "Bring the shawl you're wearing and hold it out." When she held it out, he shoveled six [measures] of barley into her shawl, and she^[c] went into the city.

16 She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked [her], "How did it go,^[d] my daughter?" Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her.

17 She said, "He gave me these six [measures] of barley, because he said,^[e] 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.' "

18 "Wait, my daughter," she said, "until you find out how things go, for he won't rest unless he resolves this today."

Ruth 3:13-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO RUTH 3

In this chapter we have a proposal of Naomi to Ruth, with advice and directions to get Boaz for her husband, Ru 2:1-4. Ruth's obedience to the instructions she gave her, Ru 2:5-7, the notice Boaz took of her, and the conversation that passed between them, Ru 2:8-13 the dismission of her in the morning to her mother-in-law with a gift, to whom she returned, and acquainted her with what had passed, Ru 2:14-18.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit up before a man could recognize his companion
• [b]. LXX; MT reads the
• [c]. Some Hb mss, Aram, Syr, Vg; MT reads he
• [d]. Lit Who are you
• [e]. Alt Hb tradition, LXX, Syr, Tg read said to me