Ruth 4:5-9

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the^[a] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”

6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)

8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.

9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon.

Ruth 4:5-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO RUTH 4

This chapter relates how an offer was made to the nearest kinsman of Ruth to redeem her, and the field her husband left, which he refused to do, Ru 4:1-8, upon which Boaz redeemed both, and married Ruth before the elders of the city as witnesses, and who congratulated him and her on that occasion, Ru 4:9-12, to whom a son was born, called Obed by the neighbours, Ru 4:13-17 and the chapter is concluded with the genealogy of David, who sprung from him, Ru 4:18-22.

Cross References

• 1. S Ruth 1:22
• 2. S Genesis 38:8; Deuteronomy 25:5-6; S Ruth 3:13; Matthew 22:24
• 3. Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 3:13
• 4. S Deuteronomy 25:7
• 5. S Leviticus 25:24
• 6. ver 8
• 7. Isa 8:1-2,16,20
• 8. Deuteronomy 25:7-9
• 9. Deuteronomy 25:9
• 10. Isaiah 8:2; Jeremiah 32:10,44

Footnotes

• [a]. Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew (see also Septuagint) "Naomi and from Ruth the Moabite, you acquire the"