Ruth 2:12

12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee from the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou hast come to trust."

Ruth 2:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ruth 2:12

The Lord recompence thy work
The Targum adds, in this world; meaning the kind offices she had performed, and the good service she had done to her mother-in-law; nor is God unrighteous to forget the work and labour of love, which is shown by children to their parents; and though such works are not in themselves meritorious of any blessing from God here or hereafter, yet he is pleased of his own grace to recompence them, and return the good into their bosom manifold, it being acceptable in his sight:

and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel;
the Targum adds, in the world to come; which is called the reward of the inheritance, ( Colossians 3:24 ) a reward not of debt, but of grace; and that will be a full one indeed, fulness of joy, peace, and happiness, an abundance of good things not to be conceived of, see ( 2 John 1:8 ) ,

under whose wings thou art come to trust;
whom she professed to be her God, and whom she determined to serve and worship; whose grace and favour she expected, and to whose care and protection she committed herself: the allusion is either to fowls, which cover their young with their wings, and thereby keep them warm and comfortable, and shelter and protect them, see ( Psalms 36:7 ) ( 57:1 ) or to the wings of the cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat, ( Exodus 25:20 ) and the phrase is now adopted by the Jews to express proselytism; and so the Targum here,

``thou art come to be proselyted, and to be hid under the wings of the Shechinah of his glory,''

or his glorious Shechinah.

Ruth 2:12 In-Context

10 Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, "Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take notice of me, seeing I am a stranger?"

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, "It hath fully been shown to me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband, and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land of thy nativity, and hast come unto a people whom thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee from the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou hast come to trust."

13 Then she said, "Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord; for thou hast comforted me, and thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I am not like unto one of thine handmaidens."

14 And Boaz said unto her, "At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread and dip thy morsel in the vinegar." And she sat beside the reapers; and he passed to her parched corn, and she ate and was sufficed, and left.