Ruth 4:1-8

1 Therefore Boaz ascended to the gate, and sat there (And so Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there); and when he had seen the kinsman pass forth, of whom the word was had, Boaz said to him, Bow thou a little, and sit here; and he called him by his name. And he turned (back), and sat (down).
2 And Boaz took ten elder men of the city, and he said to them, Sit ye down here. And while they sat (And when they had sat down),
3 Boaz spake to the kinsman, (and said,) Naomi, that turned again from the country of Moab, sold, that is, is in purpose to sell, for it was not yet sold, the part of the field of our brother Elimelech, (Boaz said to his kinsman, Our kinswoman Naomi, who hath returned from the country of Moab, is selling the portion of the field, that was Elimelech's, our kinsman,)
4 which thing I would that thou hear; and I would say to thee before all men sitting, and greater in birth of my people. If thou wilt have in possession the field by right of nigh kin, buy thou, and have thou in possession; soothly if it displeaseth thee, show thou this same thing to me, that I know what I ought to do; for none is nigh in kin, besides thee which art the former, and besides me which am the second. And the man answered, I shall buy the field. (which thing I desire that thou hear about; and I say it to thee before all the men sitting here, and of great age, that is, the elders, of my people. If thou wilt have the field for a possession by right of next of kin, buy thou it, and have thou it for a possession; but if it displeaseth thee, tell thou this to me, so that I know what I ought to do; for no one is next of kin, besides thee, who art the first by right, and I, who am the second. And the man answered, I shall buy the field.)
5 To whom Boaz said, When thou hast bought the field (out) of the hand of the woman, thou oughtest also to take to wife Ruth of Moab, that was the wife of the dead man, that thou raise the name of thy kinsman in his heritage. (To whom Boaz then said, And when thou hast bought the field from the hand of the woman, thou ought also to take for a wife Ruth the Moabite, who was the wife of the dead man, so that thou can raise up the name of thy kinsman on his inheritance, that is, on his land.)
6 And he answered, I forsake the right of nigh kin; for I ought not to do away the heritage of mine own family; use thou my privilege, the which I acknowledge me to want gladly. (And the man answered, If that be so, then I forsake the right of next of kin; for I ought not to take away any inheritance from my own family; use thou my privilege, though I acknowledge that I truly had wanted that land.)
7 Forsooth this was the custom by eld time in Israel among kinsmen, that if a man gave his right to another man, that the granting were steadfast, the man should unlace his shoe, and give it to his kinsman; this thing was (the) witnessing of (such) a gift in Israel.
8 Therefore Boaz said to his kinsmen, Take off thy shoe from thee; and he unlaced it anon from his foot (and at once he unlaced his shoe and took it off his foot).

Ruth 4:1-8 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.