Ruth 2:3

3 And she went; and she came and gleaned in the fields after the reapers; and she chanced to light on an allotment of Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Ruth 2:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ruth 2:3

And she went, and came
That is, she went out of the house where she was, and out of the city, and came into the field; though, according to the Midrash ^F16, she marked the ways as she went, before she entered into the field, and then came back to the city to observe the marks and signs she made, that she might not mistake the way, and might know how to come back again:

and gleaned in the field after the reapers;
when they had cut down and bound up the corn, what fell and was left she picked up, having first asked leave so to do:

and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz,
who was of the kindred of Elimelech;
the providence of God so ordering and directing it; for though it was hap and chance to her, and what some people call good luck, it was according to the purpose, and by the providence and direction of God that she came to the reapers in that part of the field Boaz, a near kinsman of her father-in-law, was owner of, and asked leave of them to glean and follow them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Midrash Ruth, fol. 31. 4. Vid. Jarchi & Alshech in loc.

Ruth 2:3 In-Context

1 And Naomi had a relation of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.

2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me, I pray, go to the field and glean among the ears of corn after [him] in whose sight I shall find favour. And she said to her, Go, my daughter.

3 And she went; and she came and gleaned in the fields after the reapers; and she chanced to light on an allotment of Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem; and he said to the reapers, Jehovah be with you! And they said to him, Jehovah bless thee!

5 And Boaz said to his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose maiden is this?

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit. 'portion of [the] field.'