Ruth 4:4

4 quod audire te volui et tibi dicere coram cunctis sedentibus et maioribus natu de populo meo si vis possidere iure propinquitatis eme et posside sin autem tibi displicet hoc ipsum indica mihi ut sciam quid facere debeam nullus est enim propinquus excepto te qui prior es et me qui secundus sum at ille respondit ego agrum emam

Ruth 4:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ruth 4:4

And I thought to advertise thee
To give him notice of it; or "I said" F7; he said in his heart and mind, purposing to do it; or he said it to Ruth, promising her that he would do it:

saying, buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my
people;
or before those that sat there, even the elders, as witnesses of the purchase:

if thou wilt redeem it, redeem it:
for it was redeemable by a near kinsman according to the law, even when said to another, in ( Leviticus 25:25 ) ,

but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know;
what to do in this affair, whether to redeem it or not:

for there is none to redeem it besides thee, and I am after thee;
he was the first, and Boaz was the next near kinsman, to whom the right of redemption belonged:

and he said, I will redeem it:
he chose to make the purchase, he liked the land, which he probably full well knew, and it might lie near his own, and make a good addition to it; and as the widow was determined, and under a necessity to sell, he might expect to have it at a cheap rate; all which might induce him at once to agree to be the purchaser.


FOOTNOTES:

F7 (ytrma ynaw) "et ego dixi", Pagninus, Montanus

Ruth 4:4 In-Context

2 tollens autem Booz decem viros de senioribus civitatis dixit ad eos sedete hic
3 quibus residentibus locutus est ad propinquum partem agri fratris nostri Helimelech vendit Noemi quae reversa est de regione moabitide
4 quod audire te volui et tibi dicere coram cunctis sedentibus et maioribus natu de populo meo si vis possidere iure propinquitatis eme et posside sin autem tibi displicet hoc ipsum indica mihi ut sciam quid facere debeam nullus est enim propinquus excepto te qui prior es et me qui secundus sum at ille respondit ego agrum emam
5 cui dixit Booz quando emeris agrum de manu mulieris Ruth quoque Moabitidem quae uxor defuncti fuit debes accipere ut suscites nomen propinqui tui in hereditate sua
6 qui respondit cedo iure propinquitatis neque enim posteritatem familiae meae delere debeo tu meo utere privilegio quo me libenter carere profiteor
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.